7 Things Healthy People Do Before Bed

By Jessica Migala, Huffington Post
To sleep well, pick up these nighttime habits.

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Photography by ZhangXun via Getty Images

1. They Snack Smarter
If you’re going to have a bedtime snack, make it a kiwi. Eating two of these fruits one hour before bed for a month helped adults fall asleep 35 percent faster and sleep 13 percent longer, found a 2011 study from Taiwanese researchers. It might be the high concentration of antioxidant vitamins C and E, which help regulate neurotransmitters in the brain (linked to healthy sleep cycles), or the fruit’s rich amount of another sleep-promoting neurotransmitter, serotonin.

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2. They Skip the Feather Pillow
If pillows are so important for a restful slumber, why are so many of us sleeping on the wrong kinds? In one study on more than 100 people, those who reported poor-quality sleep said their pillows were also uncomfortable. One common mistake: buying a feather pillow. While pillow comfort is different for everyone, feather pillows were the type most consistently used by those who reported poor sleep. When shopping for a new set, go for polyester and latex -- two types, the study found, that are more highly rated for comfort.

3. They Stretch Out

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Ugh, leg cramps. They’re painful enough to make it hard for you to go to sleep—and the condition can spark insomnia. More than half of adults experience them, with women more likely to suffer, especially as they age. The solution: stretching your calves and hamstrings nightly. It helps lengthen tendons and muscles and can reduce the frequency and severity of cramps, according to a six-week study in 2012 in the Journal of Physiotherapy. One stretch that targets both muscle groups: sit on the floor with legs extended, reach for your toes and lean forward into your knees.

4. They Pop This Med

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If you’re taking a low-dose aspirin per doctor’s orders to cut your stroke or heart attack risk, consider popping it at night instead of the a.m. for the biggest benefit. Heart attack numbers have been found to peak in the morning, possibly because platelet activity is higher at this time (which increases clotting). A study on nearly 300 people -- findings of which were presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in 2013 -- found that patients who took aspirin before bed had lower a.m. platelet activity, which could be better for your heart. (Of course, always check with your doctor before switching anything up.)

5. They Go for “Pink” Noise

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The dripping faucet. The tick of a clock. All subtle sounds that can leave you wide-eyed and frustrated. You've probably tried white noise to block out sounds, but pink noise may be better. Unlike white noise (ambient sounds over a range of frequencies), pink noise is characterized by sounds that are a consistent, lower frequency. Imagine the hum of a fan or steady rain. (Relaxed yet?) Listening to pink noise during the night helped regulate brain waves so people stayed in the restful phase of sleep longer, according to a 2012 Chinese study. In fact, 75 percent of participants said they felt pink noise had a positive effect on their sleep. Even better? Subsequent research showed that pink noise can boost the brain’s memory center.

6. They Go Running

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You’ve heard the advice to skip that evening trip to the gym because nighttime workouts leave you wired and unable to fall asleep. Good news: Exercising whenever you can fit it in helps you sleep better -- even that same night, according to 2013 research from the National Sleep Foundation. People who performed intense exercise within four hours of bedtime experienced no differences in sleep quality, the study found.

 

7. They Take a Moment for Gratitude

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We know there are mental health benefits to being grateful, but people who scored higher on measures of gratitude were also more likely to report fewer problems falling asleep, found a 2009 UK study. When you’re grateful -- keeping a gratitude journal, like Oprah does, or simply reminding yourself of what you can appreciate about the day -- you’re less likely to dwell on negative thoughts that can keep you up at night.

Source: Huffington Post
(c) Copyright 2015 Robyn M. King. All Rights Reserved.

Environmental Wellness: The Ocean Cleanup Project

It’s estimated that nearly 300,000 tons of plastic debris are floating in our oceans today, much of it in huge plastic "rafts" or "islands." The technical term is "gyres."  

In addition to the obvious ugly litter that washes up on our beaches, there are other problems to consider, such as chemical off-gassing as the plastic degrades, and the entry of foreign chemicals into the food chain after ingestion by marine life.
But a teenager named Boyan Slat has developed an unbelievably simple and viable solution to remove the five major rotating plastic gyres identified by scientists. Learn more about Boyan’s answer to this critical issue. 

The 5 major Gyres in the oceans that contain plastic waste are on the map below.

To learn more about this cause and what you can do to help from the comfort of your own home, visit  http://www.theoceancleanup.com/prezi/. 

(c) Copyright 2015 Robyn M. King. All Rights Reserved.

Learning to Focus in the Age of Distraction

As we begin a new semester and new year, many of us look for the opportunity to flush out old, unsuccessful habits and begin the difficult task of creating ones that we can sustain over the long haul and feel good about the positive results from doing them.

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Many college students have a hard time staying focused on whatever they're doing because they have so much going on at once.  Research papers, presentations and midterms are mixed in with off-campus responsibilities which are equally important.   Deadlines creep up on us, and WHAM!  We wonder where the time went.  We ask ourselves why we didn't manage things better.  Again.

Change is hard.  Change is not always fun.  But if we continue doing the same thing time and time again and we're not producing the positive outcomes we want, something has to change.  There's no way around it.

Below is a mind-map which gives some solid ideas for helping one to focus and increase productivity by breaking down these tasks into small and manageable ones.  People tend to stick with making a new habit when it doesn't feel overwhelming.   I like how the graphic provides baby steps to take, and thought some of us (myself included) could benefit from a little direction.

Mindmap Source

Let me know if you found this helpful in any way…feedback is ALWAYS welcome.  Good luck this semester!



Images courtesy of Google Images unless otherwise noted.
(c) Robyn M. King. All Rights Reserved.

Suze Orman's 8 Qualities of Success

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Suze Orman knows A LOT about money and personal success.  She holds the philosophy that problems with money are directly connected to other problems we face every day.  In fact, Suze ends every broadcast with "People first, then money, then things." 



The Eight Qualities of Success According to Suze Orman

1. Harmony is when there is complete agreement between what you think, say and do. 
2. Balance is the reward of harmony; it is when you are most calm and content because there is no disconnect between your thoughts, words and actions.
3. Courage. Is the ability to make choices that bring harmony and balance. Courage is not always about action. It takes courage to do nothing, rather than do something that you do not believe in or understand.
4. Generosity. True generosity is an offering; given freely and out of pure love. No strings attached. No expectations. Time and love are the most valuable possession you can share.
5. Happiness: bubbles up when the first four qualities are in abundance. Happiness is not a luxury. It is a necessity. When we are happy we are in the best possible place to be good to ourselves and those we love.
   
6. Wisdom: is the ability to make the right decisions at the right time. Wisdom alerts you when you are out of balance or having trouble summoning courage. It is your inner voice guiding you through and past the noise.
7. Cleanliness: When there is clarity and organization in your thoughts and your physical space you can more easily access the inner wisdom and courage that makes harmony and balance achievable.
8. Beauty is what you possess when you incorporate the seven preceding qualities into your life.

Did you notice that "being wealthy" or "having money" doesn't appear anywhere on the list?  Why do you suppose that is? 


Source:  www.suzeorman.com

(c) Copyright 2014-15 Robyn Posson King. All Rights Reserved.

Procrastination Busters: 10 Tips to Work Smarter...Not Harder

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It is the beginning of a new semester.

It is time to sit down in your study workspace at home and get started with your daily class work.  Procrastination is a college student's worst enemy, and it can be avoided.

But how can you get that work done in a way that is less stressful, less energy consuming and simply a bit smarter?

Here are 10 tips that have helped me with that. I hope you will find something here that will help you too to simplify and "relaxify" your own daily work.

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1.  One thing at a time.  This is your new mantra.  (Repeat often.)  It will help you to get your task all the way to done, to feel less stressed and confused, and you’ll do a better job compared to if you try to multitask. And if you feel stressed and overwhelmed during your day, remind yourself to regain focus and inner clarity again.

 

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2.  Keep a minimalistic workspace. It makes it easier to keep your focus and attention in the right place and to keep your thinking clear. I keep a workspace with just a small wooden desk, a chair and my laptop and a glass of water or mug of tea on that desk.

3.  Go slow. One good way to do more focused work is to go a bit slower than you may usually do. I have also found that by just doing something at a slower pace it feels less like a mental burden and so I am less likely to procrastinate.
 

4.  Eliminate. From time to time ask yourself: what one task during my day or week can I simply eliminate and not do with few or no consequences? It is easy to just keep doing everything simply because “you should” or because you’ve always done so. So question how you go about things to free up energy and time. There is often room in life to at least simplify a bit through elimination.
 

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5.  Cycle 100% focused work with 100% full rest. This is a big one for me. By doing things this way you’ll help yourself to keep your mental sharpness and energy up for the whole day and workweek. I do this by setting my egg-timer for 45 minutes (or sometimes 25 minutes).  During those minutes I only focus on the one task at hand and it becomes easier to do so because I know that I only have to do it for this limited time period. When the egg-timer rings I leave my work for 5-15 minutes. During those minutes I focus only on resting by having a snack, taking a short walk or by relaxing with my eyes closed on the couch. 

6.  Don’t beat yourself up when things don’t go as planned. Instead, be kind to yourself and smart with your energy by asking yourself: what's the lesson in this? Use this as a learning opportunity to do things better, and to avoid making the same mistake in the future. It’s a much better use of your time than spending it on regretting a past that you can't change anyway.
 

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7.  Let emails and other online checking wait until the end of the workday. Or at least for a few hours. Don’t start your day with going through your email – if possible – because it can add a lot of stress and suck away your limited energy and attention early in the day. It can also make it hard to even find enough time for your most important tasks if you get too distracted by your inbox.
 
8.  Limit your daily information input. Regularly unsubscribe to blogs, podcasts, forums and email newsletters that doesn’t add much value to your life anyway. Keep only the most helpful, funny, inspiring and best ones. This very simple thing can free up quite a bit of both time and attention during the course of a month.
 

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9.  Ask yourself questions every day that help you to find your focus. It is so easy to get off track during a day. To stay on track or to get back there if you get lost use one – or both – of my own favorite questions:
a. What is the most important thing I can do right now?
b. What would I work on if I only had 2 hours for work today?
If you like, write these questions down on a note and put that note where you can't avoid seeing it during your day. 


10.  Focus mostly on the how to and not so much on the what-ifs. Don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis, over-thinking and in the worry and lack of self-confidence that usually comes from those destructive thoughts. Instead, focus on what you actually can do, on what action you can take to move forward.  Get empowered by asking yourself: What is one small step I can take today to move forward towards my goal or out of this situation?
Source: Positivity Blog

(c) Copyright 2015 Robyn M. King. All Rights Reserved.

Flexing your "Kindness Muscle"

Graphic Source

It's a new year...again.  Where DOES the time go?  Anywho, a lot of us use the beginning of the calendar to make resolutions, like eating better, quitting smoking, going to the gym.

Another way to make positive changes in your life (and others') is to show kindness.  From RandomActsofKindness.org, here are 15 ways to exercise your “Kindness Muscle” this year:

1.      Year of Kindness Box: Create a New Year’s tradition. On the first day of the new year, start a Year of Kindness Box. Throughout the year, fill up the box with: compliments you received, thank you notes, moments of kindness you witnessed, acts of kindness you did, inspiring quotes, etc. Then after the year is over, review the contents!

2.      Create a Gratitude Journal: A five-minute a day gratitude journal can increase your long-term well-being by more than 10 percent. That’s the same impact as doubling your income!" From Happier Human 

3.      Three Compliments: Compliment the first three people you talk to.

4.      52 Thank You Notes: Express your gratitude for the people in your life, write one thank you note every week to a different person: Need a quick thank-you note format? Check out The Five Minute Thank You Note.

 

5.      A Kind Twist on Happy Hour: Invite a group of people you know (friends, family, coworkers) to the happiest of happy hours and spend one hour doing acts of kindness for others.

6.      Positive Sticky Notes: Carry a stack of positive sticky notes with you wherever I go. Post them when you're somewhere that needs a little bit more kindness.

7.      Morning Kindness: Before you get out of bed, focus on kindness. Think of a kind motto for your day or text a positive good morning note to a friend.

8.      Daily Positivity: Every day, think of a random person. Send them a positive message (text, email, social media post, phone call, letter, etc.).

9.      Volunteer: Think of a cause you care about or a group in your community that could use some help. Volunteering has some serious health benefits too.

10.  Beautify Your Surroundings: Spend 10 minutes picking up litter in your neighborhood, park or other commonly visited locations.

 

11.  Kind Body Image: Place positive body image sticky notes on dressing room mirrors.

12.  Coupon Fairy: Save unused/unwanted coupons and put them next to relevant products next time you're at the grocery store.

13.  Be Kind to the Earth: Research ways to be kind to the environment and reduce your carbon footprint. Here are seven ideas to get you started.

14.  Smile: According to an article from Psychology Today, "Each time you smile, you throw a little feel-good party in your brain. The act of smiling activates neural messaging that benefits your health and happiness."

15.  Self-Kindness: Do one kind thing every week for yourself. Enjoy a treat you love, exercise, eat a healthy meal, or do something you love and rarely have time to do.

 


(c) Copyright 2014-15. Robyn M. King. All Rights Reserved.