Posts Tagged ‘Plan’

Create Better Work-Life Balance

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

 

here now 5 Tips for make better work and your life balance

1. Figure Out What Really Matters to You in Life
Personal coach Laura Berman Fortgang, author of NOW WHAT? 90 Days to a New Life Direction, says getting your priorities clear is the first and most essential step toward achieving a well-balanced life. The important point here is to figure out what you want your priorities to be, not what you think they should be.

“I use an exercise for figuring out what matters most,” Fortgang tells WebMD. She has her clients take a couple days off from work to contemplate the following series of questions:

1. If my life could focus on one thing and one thing only, what would that be?
2. If I could add a second thing, what would that be?
3. A third?
4. A fourth?
5. A fifth?

If you answer thoughtfully and honestly, the result will be a list of your top five priorities. Fortgang says a typical top-five list might include some of the following:

Children
Spouse
Satisfying career
Community service
Religion/spirituality
Health
Sports
Art
Hobbies, such as gardening
Adventure/travel
Ismael Al-Ramahi, a graduate student at Baylor College of Medicine, says his current priorities are his wife, his 4-month-old son, and his research. He tells WebMD the key is not only knowing your priorities, but devoting your full attention to just one priority at a time. “Split your time and your mind so that you’re thinking about work when you’re at work and you’re paying attention to the baby when you’re with him.”Health work

2. Drop Unnecessary Activities
By making a concrete list of what really matters to you, you may discover you’re devoting too much time to activities that aren’t a priority, and you can adjust your schedule accordingly. Since having a baby, Al-Ramahi says he and his wife have become much more efficient in managing their time — cutting back on television, for example.

If at all possible, Fortgang recommends dropping any commitments and pursuits that don’t make your top-five list, because “unnecessary activities keep you away from the things that matter to you.”

3. Protect Your Private Time
You would probably think twice before skipping out on work, a parent-teacher conference, or a doctor’s appointment. Your private time deserves the same respect. “Carve out hours that contribute to yourself and your relationship,” says Stevan Hobfoll, PhD, distinguished professor of psychology at Kent State University, and co-author of Work Won’t Love You Back: The Dual Career Couple’s Survival Guide. Guard this personal time fervently and don’t let work or other distractions intrude. “Stop checking email and cell phones so often,” Hobfoll advises. “Few people are so important that they need their phones on at all times.”

If work consistently interferes with your personal time, Hobfoll recommends discussing some adjustments with your boss. “There’s a mythology in the workplace that more hours means more,” he tells WebMD. Demonstrate that you can deliver the same or better results in fewer hours. Your job performance “should never be judged in terms of hours of input,” Hobfoll says. Protecting your private time often leads to “greater satisfaction in both work life and personal life, greater productivity, and more creativity.”

4. Accept Help to Balance Your Life
Allow yourself to rely on your partner, family members, or friends — anyone who can watch the kids or run an errand while you focus on other top priorities. “Try tag-teaming,” Hobfoll suggests. “One spouse works out before dinner, one after dinner, while the other watches the kids.”

To get more alone-time with your partner, accept babysitting offers from friends and family, or try arranging a regular trade-off with another couple. “‘I’ll watch your kids this Saturday if you watch mine next Saturday.’ Tag-teaming is a great way to create extra free time,” Hobfoll says.

Health-work5. Plan Fun and Relaxation
Fun and relaxation are an essential part of living a well-balanced life. That’s why Brown makes time for weekly guitar lessons, a yoga class, a date night with his wife, and a guys’ night out a couple times a month. In addition, he exercises on a trampoline in his backyard most days of the week. How does he squeeze in all this playtime while running his business and sharing the responsibilities of raising a daughter? “If you believe that the most important thing is to be happy in life (not when I’m a millionaire or when I retire but right now) then you can always make time.”

Until you get into the habit of taking time for yourself, set aside space in your planner for relaxation and fun. Plan what you’re going to do and make any necessary arrangements, such as childcare, to ensure you’ll be able to keep your commitment. “Remember, you make time for what you want to make time for,” Fortgang says. If something is important to you, don’t brush it aside with a dismissive “I don’t have time for that.” You are in charge of your own schedule — it’s up to you to make time.

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Healthy Eating Plan Tips

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Start the planning your daily healthy eating plan, consider where you already. You might want to keep a food diary for one week, one day or more. Writing down everything you eat and drink then compare with what the food pyramid suggests you should be eat, This will offer a better idea of what you need to add to your diet -probably fruits, vegetables and whole grains- and what you could cut back on -for example: fat, meat, salt, -.

Here are some TIPS to get you eating better:

Swap soda with water, Water is calorie-free and makes you feel full, which is important if you’re trying to lose weight. Water is also vital if you’re exercising more than you used to. Don’t think that just switching to diet soda is good enough; getting rid of all carbonated beverages is better for you.

Get whole grains at breakfast. Try oatmeal, toast on whole-grain bread, a whole-wheat English muffin, even leftover brown rice in an omelet. Starting your day with whole grains makes you feel full longer, and we all can use more fiber.

fruit for snacks. Most people don’t get anywhere near the recommended number of servings of fruit daily. Get closer by packing whole fruit, natural applesauce or single servings of mixed fruit in light syrup for snacks throughout the day.

Eat more often. Conventional diet wisdom lately is that eating more often during the day prevents blood sugar spikes and makes you feel full, even if you’re consuming fewer calories. Go for five or six eating sessions a day rather than the usual three.

Plan ahead. Take time on the weekend to plan your menu—breakfasts, lunches and dinners—and do as much of your shopping and prep work in advance as you can. Being prepared makes it easy to stick to your healthy diet plan.

Try more beans. Americans eat almost 200 pounds of meat, poultry and fish a year, way more than anyone else in the world. Cut your meat intake (and therefore your fat intake) by using beans instead of meat at least one meal a week. Beans are rich in fiber and can help lower cholesterol.

Look for ways to add veggies. It’s easy to add vegetables to salads, pasta sauces and rice dishes in addition to just eating them as sides. Each meal, think about ways to add a vegetable, and if you can, do it.
Eating healthy becomes second nature after a while. Once you’ve lived with your healthy eating plan for a few weeks you won’t even miss the unhealthy junk you were eating before.

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Weight Loss Plateau

Friday, December 19th, 2008

A Weight Loss Plateau is a period that occurs while dieting when the body exhibits zero to minimal results in regards to weight loss. A Weight Loss Plateau may last for a few days, or several weeks.
Weight Loss Plateaus are often confused with stagnated weight loss which occurs when the weight loss plan is too restricted in calories and the body struggles to maintain life itself. On that note, be certain that your weight loss plan is wise in the area of daily calories, taking great care to make healthy selections from those oh-so-important Food Groups housed within the Great Food Pyramid.

Our tips for getting over the Weight Loss Plateau include:Support groups can assist in keeping you motivated to lose weight during this rough spot.

- Ensure that you are experiencing a true Weight Loss Plateau rather than Diet Stagnation.

- Keep in mind that weight loss takes time. The body must slowly adjust to all the good things you’re doing for it!

- Strengthen your Willpower. Without Willpower and determination, it will be almost impossible to conquer the Great Weight Loss Plateau.

- As the body drops pounds, calorie needs decrease. Make sure that you’re not consuming too many calories to support your goal weight.

- If you’re eating the same foods day in and day out, change-up your weight loss plan which in turn can help boost the metabolism.

- Exercise can help you over the Weight Loss Plateau. Boost up your current routine another 15 minutes per day.

If you have a lot of pounds to lose, you may experience several Weight Loss Plateaus amid your Weight Loss Journey. In my personal experience, every ten pounds lost made a new Weight Loss Plateau surface.

Finally, keep in mind that good things come to those who patiently wait.

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Daily Activity Health

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

Tips for being active
Give time every day for moderate aerobic physical activity like walking, swimming or biking. You should always stay within your physician’s recommendations and your own comfort zone.

  DO…

Wear comfortable clothes and sneakers.
Start slowly. Gradually build up to at least 150 minutes of moderately vigorous physical activity per week (or whatever your doctor recommends). That’s 30 minutes of activity, five or more times per week  If you can’t manage 30 minutes at a time, try two 15-minute sessions or three 10-minute sessions to meet your goal.
Exercise at the same time of day so it becomes a habit. For example, you might walk Monday through Friday before lunch or dinner.
If you aren’t on fluid restrictions, drink a cup of water before, during and after activity.
Ask family or friends to join you. You’ll be more likely to keep exercising with company.
Track your activity on a printable log or online.
If you miss a day, plan a make-up day or add 10–15 minutes to your next session.
Vary your activity to keep your interest up. Walk one day, swim the next time, then go for a bike ride.
Join an exercise group, health club or community fitness facility. Many churches and senior centers offer exercise programs, too. (Get your doctor’s permission first.)
Look for opportunities to be more active during the day. Park farther from your destination, walk the mall before shopping, choose a flight of stairs over an escalator, or take 10–15 minute walking breaks while watching TV or working.
Add strength and stretching moves to your routine, if your doctor allows them.
DON’T…

Get discouraged if you stop for awhile. Get started again gradually and work up to your old pace.
Perform isometric exercises that require holding your breath, bearing down or sudden bursts of energy. If you’re taking part in a class or structured rehab program, ask the leader or therapist what isometric exercises are.
Get involved in competitive or contact sports such as football or soccer.
Engage in any activity that causes chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or lightheadedness. If you have any of these symptoms, stop what you’re doing right away and call your healthcare provider.
Exercise right after meals, when it’s very hot or humid, or when you just don’t feel up to it.

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