Monday Morning

As I was getting myself ready to go back to work after a week out due to my strep throat, I was thinking back to a few years ago when Ii first heard the statement, "Integrity, is what you do when no one is watching." It made me wonder if what I am doing when no one is watching is conducive to the person I want to be.
On this Monday morning take a look at what you are doing when no one is watching....What are you doing? Are you living a life of Integrity? Are you being true to who you really are?
Every Monday gives us new opportunity to start over...Use today to reflect on the changes you want to make in your life.

Why You Need Downtime and 6 Ways to Get It

This article was originally posted on the website Living By Design 

If you’re anything like me, you’re a multitasker and an all-round busybody from the time you wake up to the post-midnight hour you finally call it quits.  You’ve often heard that we need downtime at the end of the day, but since you always feel like you could accomplish more with this supposed downtime, why not do so?

According to sleep experts, this is probably why I wake up several times a night from bizarre dreams. 

(Seriously, I still need a nightlight.)

Yes, You Need to Sleep

Carl E. Hunt, M.D. (director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research in Bethesda, MD), says that with sensory overload comes unrest, even when you’re supposed to be resting.  You need to “relax and to slow down from the pace of daily activities.”  He adds, “There’s no substitute for getting a good night’s sleep on a consistent basis.”

No, You Don’t Need That

Well, how about a small glass of wine before bedtime?   Author of The Body Clock Guide to Better Health, Michael Smolensky, Ph.D., says nope.  Even if alcohol initially makes your eyelids heavy, “it depresses some of the neurological functions that help maintain sleep.”

Okay, well how about Mama’s recipe: warm milk?

Strike two.  There’s not enough tryptophan (the sleep-inducing amino acid) in just one cup of it.  Still, a small bedtime snack with carbohydrates helps release serotonin (the happy hormone).  You can’t go to bed angry.

So, busy little bee, give the wings a rest for at least a couple hours at the end of the day—before midnight.

6 Ways to Wind Down

• Exercise, but not within three hours of sleep.  Try an evening walk with the dog or some yoga.  The reason you get tired hours after exercising and the initial energy rush is because your body temperature—which was up during your workout—is going down.  This is the perfect time to snooze for the night.

• Listen to some slow, soft, or even instrumental music before bed.  You can even tune in during a bath (sigh) or while you’re browsing the Internet.

• Read.  It’s a classic rule that we’ve all heard, but that’s because it works.  Even if what you’re reading is interesting, you eventually grow tired of holding up a book and welcome sleep.  If you’re not into novels, go for a magazine or even comic books.  Fiction, fantasy, and comic books are actually a great alternative to serious bedtime topics.  Hey, you work hard in the daytime and deal with real, serious things like money, kids, education, taxes, budgets, and the like.  No need to read the heavy stuff at night.

• Unless you’re watching low-impact TV, turn it off.  No bright colors, fast cutaways, or screen-wide explosions.  People make these movies and shows to keep you watching so they’ll make money.  Why would you watch them when you’re trying to get ready to go to sleep? 

• Dim the lights.  The body can’t help it.  It wants to sleep.  (Likewise, open the curtains in the morning to get up and at it with renewed vigor.)

• Write.  No, you don’t have to have a journal, although this is a good idea, too.  At the minimum, write down your goals for the next day in a notebook before you go to bed.  You’ll mull it over in your head before sleeping and you’ll have a reason to wake up to your alarm clock instead of hitting snooze 30 times.
  
  

About the author: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education where she writes about education, online degrees, and what it takes to succeed as a student taking online programs remotely from home. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

 Living By Design

Angels are always around us...

New Blogger

I am very excited to begin blogging.  I hope that I am able to help you along your journey. Please let me know if you would like to see any particular content.

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Some Old Wisdom.

Native American Code Of Ethics

Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often.
The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak.
~
Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path.
Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem
from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance.
~
Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others
to make your path for you. It is your road, and
yours alone. Others may walk it with you,
but no one can walk it for you.
~
Treat the guests in your home with much consideration.
Serve them the best food, give them the best
bed and treat them with respect and honor.
~
Do not take what is not yours whether from
a person, a community,the wilderness or from a
culture. It was not earned nor given. It is not yours.
~
Respect all things that are placed upon
this earth – whether it be people or plant.
~
Honor other people’s thoughts, wishes and words.
Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them.
Allow each person the right to personal expression.
~
Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative
energy that you put out into the universe
will multiply when it returns to you.
~
All persons make mistakes.
And all mistakes can be forgiven.
~
Bad thoughts cause illness of the mind,
body and spirit. Practice optimism.
~
Nature is not FOR us, it is a PART of us.
They are part of your worldly family.
~
Children are the seeds of our future. Plant
love in their hearts and water them with
wisdom and life’s lessons. When they
are grown, give them space to grow.
~
Avoid hurting the hearts of others.
The poison of your pain will return to you.
~
Be truthful at all times. Honesty is the
test of one’s will within this universe.
~
Keep yourself balanced. Your Mental self, Spiritual
self, Emotional self, and Physical self – all need
to be strong, pure and healthy. Work out
the body to strengthen the mind. Grow
rich in spirit to cure emotional ails.
~
Make conscious decisions as to who
you will be and how you will react. Be
responsible for your own actions.
~
Respect the privacy and personal space of
others. Do not touch the personal property of
others – especially sacred and religious
objects. This is forbidden.
~
Be true to yourself first. You cannot
nurture and help others if you cannot
nurture and help yourself first.
~
Respect others religious beliefs.
Do not force your belief on others.
~
Share your good fortune with others.
Participate in charity

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