Our 10 Top Fitness Tracker Watches for Women

Here are our picks for the 10 top fitness tracker watches for women to help find the best one for you or that special woman in your life.

Which is the best watch for fitness tracking for women?

Women ask themselves this as they try to find out what the best fitness tracker watch for women is when they look for one for themselves or that particular woman they hold dear.

Unfortunately, getting the answer to that is easier said than done.

That’s because a lot goes into women’s fitness.

Most want to lose weight, but some also want help with upgrading their exercise routine, working out more, monitoring their health and keeping a healthy weight.

There are fitness tracker watches designed to achieve specific fitness goals, but narrowing the options down can be difficult since not all women have the same experience level.

So we took the guesswork out of the equation by listing what we found as the 10 best fitness tracker watches for women right here. We’re sure among these is the one with the features that will let you or your special someone crush your fitness goals.

Luxe with Special Edition Gorjana Bracelet

Fitness tracker watches usually feature silicone wristbands. That’s because such wristbands are durable, water resistant and easy to clean. But they aren’t exactly stylish. Not Fitbit’s Luxe.

This limited edition fitness tracker watch for women comes with a bracelet as its wristband, made by famed American jewelry retailer Gorjana, making it quite chic. But if you aren’t into that kind of look, you can easily swap it out for the pink silicone wristband the fitness tracker watch also comes with. If you don’t like that either, there are other options you can choose from.

To help you achieve your fitness goals, the Luxe can count the steps you’d take, track the miles you’d cover, log how many exercise sessions you’d do per week and more.

Battery life: Up to 5 days

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Yes, connected to your smartphone

Find out more about Fitbit’s Luxe or shop it here.

Steel HR Hybrid Smartwatch

Since it looks just like a regular watch, you can say that the Steel HR Hybrid Smartwatch by French consumer electronics company Withings is the exact opposite of Fitbit’s Luxe. That makes it perfect for fitness enthusiasts who want a fitness tracker watch that’s a bit more low-key. But it’s no slouch when it comes to helping achieve your fitness goals. It has several features made specifically to let you do just that:

  • Tracks your activities, like the steps you’d take and distance covered
  • Measures your heart rate
  • Gives you a “sleep score”
  • Health Mate app that lets you dig deeper into your fitness stats

Battery life: Up to 25 days

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: No

Find out more about Withings’ Steel HR Hybrid Smartwatch or shop it on withings.com or Amazon.

Inspire 2

If you’re looking for an affordable, no-frills fitness tracker watch for women, Fitbit’s Inspire 2 could be right up your alley.

Its price ranges from $57 to $80, but it can do everything you need for basic activity tracking. It can count your steps, distance covered and calories burned, making it great for simple workouts, like brisk walking and cycling. To better track your activity, it also comes with a heart rate monitor.

Battery life: Up to 10 days

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Connects to your phone’s GPS

Find out more about Fitbit’s Inspire 2 or shop it on fitbit.com, Amazon or Walmart.com.

Charge 5

Mental health has been a trending topic these past couple of years, with more and more people taking better care of theirs. If you’re looking for a device that can help you stay physically fit and improve your mental health, consider FitBit’s Charge 5.

Not only can the Charge 5 track your steps, distance covered and calories burned, it comes with an EDA Scan app that helps manage stress. Its other related features include:

  • Providing a Daily Readiness score, which tells you whether your body is up for a high-intensity workout or needs a break
  • Sending you menstrual cycle alerts
  • Letting you log your food and water intake
  • Robust sleep tracking

Battery life: Up to 7 days

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Built-in

Find out more about Fitbit’s Charge 5 or shop it on fitbit.com or Amazon.

Vívoactive 4

Most probably brought about by people’s growing need to take better care of their mental health, there are those that try to use their phones less and less. If you’d rather not use yours while working out, the Vívoactive 4 by American multinational tech company Garmin will work just fine without it.

Apart from a variety of tracking capabilities, the Vívoactive 4’s features include being able to store up to 500 songs and having more than 20 preloaded sports apps.

Battery life: Up to 8 days on smart watch mode, up to 6 hours on GPS mode with music, up to 18 hours without music

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Built-in

Find out more about Garmin’s Vívoactive 4 or shop it on garmin.com, Amazon or Walmart.com.

Forerunner 35

Is your preferred form of exercise running or biking? If you’re strictly a runner or cyclist, you’ll find everything you need from a fitness tracker watch for women from Garmin’s Forerunner 35:

  • Auto-records the details of each of your excursions
  • Tracks your heart rate, distance covered, pace, calories burned, etc.
  • Run/walk activity mode along with interval training options

Battery life: Up to 9 days on smart watch mode, up to 13 hours on GPS training mode

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Built-in

Find out more about Garmin’s Forerunner 35 or shop it on Amazon or Walmart.com.

Apple Watch Series 7

The Apple Watch Series 7 is essentially a smart watch, but thanks to its many features, it can most definitely work as a fitness tracker watch for women. Its fitness-related features include:

  • A variety of exercise modes, including cycling, yoga and dance
  • Lets you create group exercise challenges with your family and friends
  • Can take an electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure your heart’s health and give you insights into how your body responds to stress
  • Menstrual tracking option
  • Tracks your heart rhythm, blood oxygen levels, sleep cycles and more

Battery life: Up to 18 hours, but its charging speed has been improved. For example, it can reach an 80% charge in about 45 minutes.

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Built-in

Find out more about the Apple Watch Series 7 or shop it on Walmart.com or bestbuy.com.

Polar Vantage M

The Polar Vantage M by Finnish sports training computers and electronics maker Polar is touted as an all-around multisport watch. That’s because it comes with more than 130 sports modes to choose from—more than any of the fitness tracker watches for women on this list—ensuring you’ll get the support you need from it in the sport you prefer. The rest of its features are:

  • High accuracy heart rate monitor
  • Polar Flow, Polar’s online platform that provides detailed training data
  • Provides sport-specific feedback that helps you fine-tune your performance
  • Being customizable thanks to its wristband that can be easily swapped out

Battery life: Up to 30 hours

Water resistance: 30 meters

GPS: Built-in

Find out more about the Polar Vantage M or shop it on Amazon.

Sense

Fitbit’s Sense is loaded with features for a fitness tracker watch for women. Here are just some we think are worth pointing out:

  • Activity tracking with 20 built-in exercise modes
  • Stress management tools
  • Sleep monitoring
  • Lets you manually track your menstrual cycle and log your symptoms so you can predict the timing of your period and fertile window more accurately
  • ECG and electrodermal (EDA) scanning capabilities
  • Lets you control your music and receive notifications from your smartphone on the fitness tracker watch itself
  • Syncs with Fitbit Pay

If you’re looking for a fitness tracker watch for women that can give you everything you can possibly need to achieve your fitness goals, Fitbit’s Sense might very well be the one.

Battery life: Up to 6 days, but can only last 12 hours on continuous GPS mode

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Built-in

Find out more about Fitbit’s Sense or shop it on fitbit.com or Amazon.

Versa 3

The Versa 3 is Fitbit’s latest watch. Just like the Sense, it’s also packed with features. But what’s surprising is that some aren’t found in the already loaded Sense. They include:

  • Large, “always-on” screen
  • Heart rate monitor
  • Access to Amazon and Google’s voice assistants
  • Tracks your heart rate at night
  • Apart from your steps, distance covered and calories burned, it counts your hourly activity, active minutes and floors climbed
  • Lets you set goals for yourself and see even more of your stats
  • If you forget to manually log your workout, it can detect your activity and input it automatically

Suffice to say, Fitbit’s Versa 3 has it all.

Battery life: Up to 6 days

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Built-in

Find out more about Fitbit’s Versa 3 or shop it on fitbit.com, Amazon or Walmart.com.

References

Images Sources

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Our Top 10 Best Healthy Restaurants in NYC

Here are our picks for the 10 best healthy restaurants in NYC, where you and your loved ones can enjoy food that’s delightfully delicious yet good for you.

New York City (NYC) is known for many things.

NYC is the home of the Statue of Liberty. The robed, blue-green female statue towers more than 300 feet over Liberty Island in New York Harbor. She represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of Liberty. She symbolizes hope for all who see her, like the 3 million people who come to see her in all her glory each year.

NYC is where the Empire State Building is located. Standing over 1,400 feet tall, it was once the tallest skyscraper in the world. It’s among the world’s most iconic high-rises.

NYC also features Central Park. Not only is it one of the city’s largest parks—at more than 840 acres—it’s also one of the most well-known parks in the world.

And the list goes on.

What NYC isn’t so famous for is healthy food.

It’s known for its pizza, bagels and cheesecake—food that isn’t exactly considered healthy.

But there are restaurants here that offer food that is as healthy as it is delicious.

To help you find the places to go for the best and healthiest food in the city, here are our 10 top choices for the best healthy restaurants in NYC.

#10: Avocaderia

Avocaderia pride themselves as being the world’s first avocado bar. They offer seasonal, nourishing and uniquely crafted salads and bowls made by chefs who use nothing but “non-invasive cooking techniques” to make sure their customers can enjoy fresh and healthy meals. To let even more people enjoy their uniquely delicious food, they now offer specialty catering for events of all sizes, from team meetings to corporate conventions and everything in between.

Learn more about Avocaderia here.

#9: BareBurger

Who says burgers can’t be healthy? BareBurger is proving that you don’t have to choose among being healthy, protecting the environment and eating mouth-watering burgers—you can have it all. This burger joint’s menu starts with fresh, clean, sustainable, organic and all-natural ingredients sourced from like-minded purveyors and farms. They then let their customers choose according to their preferences. For example, for vegans, they have “meatless” burgers. For picky eaters, they have the “be my burger” option that lets them customize. They even have salads and kids’ meals.

Learn more about BareBurger here.

#8: Inday

Indian cuisine is known for being healthy, heavy on vegetables and light on meat. Inday exemplifies this. Founded by a native New Yorker whose Kolkata-born mother and Hyderabadi father instilled traditional values and ancient practices in him and his life, this fast casual Indian restaurant celebrates the beauty and breadth of Indian cooking. Their approach to this is guided by ancient Ayurvedic philosophy, enabling them to focus not only on sustainable sourcing and healthful cooking but also on daily rituals and mindfulness practices that benefit their well-being.

Learn more about Inday here.

#7: Dimes

Dimes is an eclectic and imaginative restaurant offering healthy, California-inspired food. For breakfast, which is served till 4 PM, the options include strong Counter Culture coffee, fluffy eggs on a breakfast sandwich and Magic Toast topped with tart mandarinquat and permission compote, goat cheese and mint. For lunch there’s bánh mì, BLT and kombucha on tap. There’s also spicy quinoa with various veggies, roasted chicken, carrot cake, creamy pot de crème and some organic and sustainable wines.

Find out more about Dimes here.

#6: The Butcher’s Daughter

The Butcher’s Daughter is a “plant-forward” restaurant, café, juice bar and “vegetable slaughterhouse.” That means they’re a 100% vegetarian joint with many vegan and gluten-free options except they don’t treat fruits and vegetables the same way most vegetarian eateries do. They treat them as butchers typically treat meat: they chop them up, fillet them and carve them into uniquely scrumptious vegetarian dishes.

Check out what The Butcher’s Daughter has to offer here.

#5: The Little Beet Table

The Little Beet Table is a “vegetable-forward” restaurant that offers seasonal, locally sourced and carefully thought-out yet wholesome meals in a relaxed, rustic setting. Options include:

  • Roasted chicken with Tuscan petite potatoes and roasted carrots
  • Crispy salmon with quinoa, asparagus and roasted tomatoes
  • Rigatoni with arugula pistou, butternut squash, roasted mushroom and Parmesan
  • Sunflower hummus with grilled pita bread

Learn more about The Little Beet Table here.

#4: abcV

While it’s one of the many restaurants around the world operated by renowned restaurateur and businessman Jean-Georges Vongerichten, abcV is the one focused on the plant-based movement. The vegetarian, vegetable-forward restaurant features a bright and airy cafeteria-like setting, an open kitchen and pristine white and green decor that all highlights the creativity of their dishes. They include:

  • Warm sunchoke puree
  • Roasted beet salad with avocado puree, chili aioli, pickles and lovage
  • Spinach spaghetti with broccoli, kale, preserved lemon and Parmigiano
  • Beluga lentils with yams and broccoli stems

Learn more about abcV and Jean-Georges Vongerichten here.

#3: Loring Place

Loring Place describes itself as a celebration of New York and all things local. It’s a restaurant that offers farm-to-table dining through the delicious, market-driven dishes created by Dan Kluger, an award-winning chef whose successes and accolades include working as the Executive Chef of ABC Cocina and ABC Kitchen, which was named Best New Restaurant 2011 by the James Beard Foundation. Named after the street in the Bronx where Dan’s father grew up, Loring Place’s fare includes pastas and pizzas made of ingredients sourced from nearby Union Square Greenmarket.

Learn more about Loring Place and Dan Kluger here. 

#2: HanGawi

HanGawi is a Korean restaurant that touts itself as a “vegetarian shrine in another space and time.” True to form, you’ll need to take off your shoes before you can enter its serene, Buddhist temple-like interior and enjoy its simple yet beautifully prepared vegetarian dishes. Some of them are based on the food Buddhist monks actually eat.

See what HanGawi has to offer here.

#1: Dirt Candy

Dirt Candy is one of the pioneers of the vegetable-forward movement. Its team calls it NYC’s only vegetable restaurant. That’s because they serve nothing but vegetables. But that doesn’t mean their food is bland. Their goal is to make them taste better than anything their customers have ever had before. They achieve this by treating their kitchen as a laboratory, where they push veggies further than anyone. They’re led by Amanda Cohen, a James Beard-nominated chef and the owner of the restaurant. Having such a passion for vegetarian cuisine enabled them to become one of the two vegetarian restaurants in NYC with a Michelin-star.

Learn more about Dirt Candy and Amanda Cohen here.

References

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Our 9 Top Self-Care Gifts for Men

Here are our 9 top self-care gifts for men to give you great men’s self-care gift ideas for the special guys in your life.

Men are notoriously hard to shop for.

Why? We don’t make it easy.

Think for a minute about the guys in your life and see whether you can easily come up with gifts for them.

Let’s start with your dad.

Let us guess. He doesn’t want anything.

Then there’s your husband.

He probably told you he’s good and doesn’t need more gifts.

Or maybe you have a boyfriend.

We’re sure he left it all up to you.

The same goes for your brother/brothers, cousin/cousins, uncle/uncles, grandpa/grandpas and guy friends, coworkers and/or classmates.

Yeah, it’s a pain.

But don’t worry. We got your back.

Why not give them self-care gifts for men?

More and more people have started prioritizing self-care. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) started Self-Care Month on June 24 of 2022 in order to encourage everyone to celebrate self-care and how it can make a difference in all our lives.

With self-care having become even more important to everybody, giving your men self-care gifts shows just how much you care for them.

To save you the headache of figuring out which ones would suit them, here are our 9 top picks for men’s self-care gift ideas that any guy would like.

Williams Sonoma’s Ember Mug 2

Williams Sonoma is an American retailer of kitchenware, appliances and home furnishings. Their Ember Mug 2 is the world’s first temperature-controlled mug. Its state-of-the-art mobile app gives you full control over how you enjoy your coffee. It lets you adjust the temperature, add customized drink presets and more.

The rest of the Ember Mug 2’s features are:

  • Convenient charging coaster for all-day use
  • Smart LED that lights up when your coffee’s ready
  • Built-in battery that can maintain your preferred sipping temperature
  • Auto sleep function that can sense when to switch the heating on or off

The Ember Mug 2 is available on Williams Sonoma’s official website.

Moleskine’s Smart Writing Set

Moleskine is an Italian company best known for making high-quality notebooks that have been used by celebrated writers and artists throughout history, including Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh.

Moleskine’s Smart Writing Set features include:

  • Smart notebook with the classic Moleskine notebook shape and Ncoded ivory-colored pages
  • Smart pen
  • Notes App
  • Magnetic charger
  • Pen tip ink refill

Once you download the Notes App for free from the App Store or Google Play and start using it, the smart notebook and smart pen will let you create a digital copy of every page instantly—taking your writing projects to a whole new level.

Moleskine’s Smart Writing Set is available on Moleskine’s official website.

Courant’s CATCH:3

Courant is an American maker of tech accessories. They design their products in-house at their office in Soho, New York City (NYC), but they source their materials from craftsmen based in Italy. Such fine craftsmanship can be seen in everything they make, like the CATCH:3 wireless charging tray. An exquisite and seamless marriage of modern technology and classic design, the CATCH:3 is just the thing for tech aficionados with discerning taste.

Courant’s CATCH:3 is available on Courant’s official website.

Meridian’s The Trimmer Plus

Meridian is an American designer of premium grooming products. One of them is The Trimmer Plus, a body hair trimmer designed specifically for effortless yet precise trimming. Its features are:

  • 5 adjustable settings that all guarantee a gentle glide
  • Anti-nick shaving guard
  • Replaceable ceramic blade
  • Cleaning brush
  • USB-C charger and charging dock

The Trimmer Plus is available on Meridian’s official website.

Solgaard’s Carry-On Closet

Solgaard is an American maker of sustainable travel gear. Some of their most innovative designs include the Carry-On Closet, their award-winning suitcase that folds out into essentially a portable closet. Its features include:

  • Solgaard’s patented built-in shelving system
  • “Indestructible” polycarbonate shell
  • Integrated USB charging port

No matter where you go, Solgaard’s Carry-On Closet will keep your things so organized, they’ll look like they never left your closet at home.

Solgaard’s Carry-On Closet is available on Solgaard’s official website.

Goal Zero’s Nomad 10

Goal Zero is a Massachusetts, Utah-based developer and retailer of portable solar power systems. Their Nomad 10 was made to be used and enjoyed by backpackers, hikers and travel enthusiasts. This solar panel is foldable, light enough to be hooked to your backpack and comes with its own adjustable kickstand—making it the perfect companion for nature lovers who want to enjoy the outdoors without leaving the convenience modern technology provides at home.

Goal Zero’s Nomad 10 is currently available on Amazon.

Therabody’s Wave Solo

Therabody is a Los Angeles, California-based wellness technology company known for making cutting-edge therapy devices and natural solutions for everyone. One of their most unique products is the Wave Solo. This “ultra-portable smart vibration therapy device” can deliver pinpoint, soothing pressure and vibration to any area of the body in order to reduce tension and improve movement.

The Wave Solo is available on Therabody’s official website.

GSI Outdoors’ Santoku Knife Set

GSI Outdoors is a Spokane, Washington-based designer, maker and retailer of outdoor cookware and gear. Their passion for great food and the great outdoors is clear to see in their Santoku Knife Set. It includes:

  • 4″ paring knife with sheath
  • 6″ chef’s knife with sheath
  • 6″ serrated bread knife with sheath
  • Foldable cutting board
  • Soap bottle
  • Dish cloth
  • Ballistic nylon case

Whether for camping, the beach or just good old backyard cooking, GSI Outdoors’ Santoku Knife Set is the ideal outdoor gourmet prep set.

The Santoku Knife Set is available on GSI Outdoors’ official website.

BioLite’s Campstove 2+

BioLite is a NYC-based startup that produces off-the-grid energy products for outdoor recreational use and emerging markets, like most of Africa. Some of their most cutting-edge designs include the Campstove 2+. This device is basically a portable campfire that can generate electricity. The size of a wide-mouthed water bottle, it lets you cook your meals and charge your gear all at the same time.

  •  

The Campstove 2+ is available on BioLite’s official website.

 

References

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10 Inspiring Self-Care Quotes for Moms and What They Mean

Here are our 10 top quotes about self-care for moms and the meaning behind each to inspire mothers the world over.

There are those who would say December is the time of year moms are busiest. Aside from work and taking care of their families, they need to find the time and energy to prepare to celebrate the holidays. That means decorating their houses, making the food and getting everyone ready for the relatives to arrive.

It’s lovely—no matter how tiring it is—especially when you see the joy on your loved ones’ faces as they enjoy everything you’ve done for them. But it can be really draining. Some even forget they need to keep practicing self-care no matter how busy they get.

Self-care is when you take time to do things that benefit you emotionally, physically and mentally. Those include getting enough sleep, eating healthy and exercising.

We know you have responsibilities as a mother, but that’s no excuse not to take care of yourself. So you always remember, here are our 10 picks for truly inspirational motherhood self-care quotes and their meanings.

“Self-care has become a new priority – the revelation that it’s perfectly permissible to listen to your body and do what it needs.” — Frances Ryan

Frances Ryan is a British journalist, author and activist for people with disabilities. In 2021, the charitable organization Shaw Trust named her one of the UK’s 10 most influential disabilities activists. Global Citizen, an advocacy organization dedicated to ending “extreme poverty” by 2030, called her “a prominent voice for people with disabilities in the media.”

Frances tells women not to be ashamed to tend to their needs. Nothing is more important than making sure their well-being is taken care of. Who better to do so than themselves?

“Self-care is never a selfish act—it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.” – Parker J. Palmer

Parker J. Palmer is a prolific American author, educator and activist focused on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality and social change. He has published 10 books and many essays and poems. He’s also the founder and senior partner emeritus of the Center for Courage and Renewal.

Some women think taking care of themselves is selfish. They believe doing so makes them appear as if they’re more important than others. Parker debunks this. He rightfully says they themselves are the best gift they can give to others, so they must take care of themselves.

“Learning to love yourself is like learning to walk–essential, life-changing, and the only way to stand tall.” — Vironika Tugaleva

Also known as Vironika Wilde, Vironika Tugaleva is an Ukranian poet, spoken word artist, life coach, visual artist and vocalist. She is also the author of the award-winning book The Love Mindset and The Art of Talking to Yourself.

Instead of being ashamed to take care of themselves. Vironika tells women to be proud. Not only is it necessary, it can even change their lives for the better. Once they learn how to take care of themselves, their quality of life will surely improve.

“You are beautiful and worthy of good things, and if you don’t believe that, nobody will.” — Rachel Hollis

Rachel Hollis is an American author, blogger and motivational speaker. She has written 3 self-help books, including Girl, Wash Your Face and Girl, Stop Apologizing.

Some women are so ashamed to take care of themselves they think they don’t deserve any kind of help. Rachel assures them they are. In order for others to realize this, they need to show them by taking care of themselves. Only then will others realize they’re worthy.

“Be kinder to yourself. And then let your kindness flood the world.” — Pema Chödrön

Pema Chödrön is an American Tibetan Buddhist, an ordained nun and the principal teacher at the Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia. She has written several dozen audiobooks and books, including How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind and Living Beautifully: With Uncertainty and Change.

As Pema so succinctly put it, true kindness comes from within. It can only manifest if we take good care of ourselves. Only then can we be kind to others.

“You aren’t doing “nothing” when you choose to put your wellbeing first. In fact, this is the key to having everything.” — Brittany Burgunder

Brittany Burgunder is a certified professional life coach (CPC), specializing in eating disorders (ex: anorexia and bulimia). She is also a best-selling author. She wrote Safety in Numbers: My Battle with Eating Disorders, her first book published in 2016 that chronicles her struggles with having had an eating disorder and recovering from it. Her book is proudly included in the Gurze Salucore Eating Disorders Resource Catalog, the most widely used resource in the eating disorder field since the 80s.

As Brittney’s life experiences prove, women need to safeguard their health. The only way to protect it is by taking care of it.

“You are worth the quiet moment. You are worth the deeper breaths and you are worth the time it takes to slow down, be still, and rest.” – Morgan Harper Nichols

Morgan Harper Nichols is an American Christian musician, songwriter, mixed-media artist and writer. Although she’s autistic, she has positively influenced people all over the world with her art.

Living in such a fast-paced world, many think we need to keep up to do well or not be left out. Morgan makes us realize we don’t have to. There are things in this world that can only be appreciated by taking a break from time to time. Don’t get so caught up with the hustle and bustle that you can no longer experience the simple joys of life.

“There is enough time for self-care. There is not enough time to make up for the life you’ll miss by not filling yourself up.” — Jennifer Williamson

Jennifer Williamson is an accomplished political figure. She is an American attorney and a former Oregon state representative. She served as Majority Leader from 2015 to 2019.

Despite working in such a demanding field, Jennifer makes it a point to practice self-care. As she pointed out, all women can do it if they want to. They’ll never be able to make up for all the times they didn’t otherwise.

“In my own deepening understanding of myself, I find my capacity to serve others is deepened as well. The better I am at self-care, the more genuinely nurturing of others I am able to be.” — Mary Anne Radmacher

Mary Anne Radmacher is an artist and a writer. She has been writing since she was a child. She conducts workshops on living a “full, creative, balanced life.” She teaches internet writing seminars and works with individual clients.

Since she educates people, Mary Anne understands she needs to be nurturing to make her students’ minds and hearts open up to her. She has found that she needs to take good care of herself to do so. Women will become better at taking care of others by doing the same.

“Taking care of myself doesn’t mean ‘me first.’ It means ‘me, too.’” – LR Knost

LR Knost is an award-winning author of several books on “gentle parenting,” including Two Thousand Kisses a Day: Gentle Parenting Through the Ages and Stages and The Gentle Parent: Positive, Practical, Effective Discipline. She is the founder and director of Little Hearts/Gentle Parenting Resources, a children’s rights advocacy and family consulting group. She is also the editor-in-chief of Holistic Parenting Magazine.

Care shouldn’t just be given to others. Like LR said, women should also include themselves. That’s the only way everyone can be taken care of.

References

  1. 50+ Mom Self Care Quotes That Are Inspiring and Uplifting,” I AM STYLE-ISH by Tiffanyish
  2. 30 Self-Care Quotes for Moms” by Hermoine M. for WomenH

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Why Making New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work and What to Do Instead

Whenever it’s a New Year, many of us try to come up with New Year’s resolution ideas. We ask ourselves, “What should be my New Year’s resolution?” We try to figure out what would be a good New Year’s resolution or maybe even the best New Year’s resolution for us, hoping it will make next year turn out great.

What do most people usually choose as their New Year’s resolutions? They decide to lose weight, make strides in their career, pay off their debt, get organized or be more healthy. Any of these are great promises to make to ourselves. Achieving them greatly improves our quality of life. Yet, somehow, many are unable to do so.

A study conducted for two years found that nearly a quarter of people quit after just one week, and only 19% are able to keep going.

Does that mean we can’t ever hope to better ourselves?

Of course not!

We can improve, but not through the usual way we make New Year’s resolutions.

To discover how to stick to your New Year’s resolutions, we explain what a New Year’s resolution is, why we make New Year’s resolutions, why we fail to keep them and what we can do to actually make a change in our lives below.

What’s a New Year’s resolution?

A New Year’s resolution is a holiday tradition where we make a promise to ourselves around December or early January that can have a positive effect on our lives.

It’s usually a choice to either start doing something good or stop doing something bad.

An example of something good for us that could be our New Year’s resolution would be to exercise more. The more we work out, the healthier we’ll be.

Something bad we ought to promise ourselves to stop doing as our New Year’s resolution could be smoking. Once we quit, we’ll no longer suffer the side effects, making us feel a whole lot better.

Why do we make New Year’s resolutions?

For most of us, New Year’s Eve is more than just a holiday. We see it as a fresh start. When we throw out our old calendars or planners and replace them with new ones, we see the next 365 days laid before us, full of possibility, giving us a chance to make a change.

This sense of having a clean slate, coupled with the high from last year’s celebrations, encourages us to improve ourselves or make improvements in our lives.

A year might not seem like enough time for some to make good on such promises, but the positive vibes usually all around us this time of year boost our chances of seeing them through and reaping the rewards.

Why do we fail to keep our New Year’s resolutions?

There are various reasons many aren’t able to keep their New Year’s resolutions. Those include how healthy they are, their environment, their financial status and the company they keep. But the most common ones usually come from within.

5 Common Reasons New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work Out

 

Not Having a Plan

It was Benjamin Franklin himself, one of the Founding Fathers of the US, who said, “By failing to plan, you are preparing to fail.”

How can you keep your New Year’s resolutions if you don’t know how?

Instead of just winging it, you need to find out the steps you need to take.

Being Overconfident

There’s nothing wrong with believing in yourself. You need to in order to achieve something. It will give you that push you’ll need to keep going when the going gets rough.

Being confident becomes a problem when you become too confident.

Doing something new is never easy, no matter how easy it seems. You’ll run into obstacles you would’ve never expected. If things turn out harder than you thought, you might lose your drive to stick to your plan and fail to make your New Year’s resolutions a reality.

Accept that you have weaknesses that could cause you to struggle. The more realistic your expectations are, the more emotionally prepared you’ll be when challenges arise.

No Accountability

Striving to become better is great and all, but having no means to monitor your progress is a recipe for disaster.

That’s why fitness apps work. Showing you that you’re making progress keeps you motivated. If it shows you’re slipping, that very same motivation will compel you to get right back on track.

Monitor your progress towards making good on your New Year’s resolutions or ask someone to help you to keep your eyes on the prize.

Unwilling to Make Sacrifices

No great thing was ever achieved without giving something up.

Want to get fit? You need to start exercising or exercise more, eat healthy or healthier and consider going to the gym.

These aren’t things most people are willing to do, so you need to commit in order to do them.

It’s the same for any New Year’s resolution. Find out whether you need to get rid of certain things in your life in order to achieve yours. If there are any, ready yourself to make the needed sacrifices and let go.

Not Really Ready to Change

It’s easy to make promises if you aren’t serious about keeping them. They’re just empty words with no meaning. But how are you supposed to enjoy the benefits?

So you can keep your New Year’s resolutions and make your life better, you need to be ready to change your life accordingly. It won’t be easy, but know it will be worth it.

What to Do Instead of Just Making New Year’s Resolutions

To experience meaningful change in your life next year, you need to set goals. Unlike New Year’s resolutions, goals consist of concrete steps you need to take in order to achieve them. Knowing exactly what you need to do gives you the best possible chance at success.

Steps to Set a Goal

  1. Decide on what you want to do.
  2. Commit to it.
  3. Plan on how to achieve it.
  4. Take action.
  5. Monitor your progress.
  6. Keep at it even if it gets hard.
  7. Celebrate when you succeed.

Conclusion

Even though they’ve been done for as long as anyone can remember, making New Year’s resolutions doesn’t always work for everyone. But we can still work towards something better for ourselves when the holidays come around. As long as we go about it the right way, there’s no telling what we can achieve.

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10 Christmas on a Budget Ideas Most People Miss Out On

Check out these 10 Christmas activities on a budget you and your loved ones will love that many typically forget about.

How to have Christmas on a budget. It’s on most people’s minds once December rolls around.

Everyone wants to have a memorable Christmas. It only comes once a year. But it isn’t always easy, especially if you’re on a tight budget.

There’s decorations to put up, food and drinks to prepare or order, family and friends to invite over and, who can forget, the gifts to give them all.

There’s so much to do that you can go way over budget if you aren’t careful.

Good thing it doesn’t have to turn out that way.

There are things you and your loved ones can do that don’t cost much but can teach you how to have a great Christmas on a budget.

Ready to learn how to celebrate Christmas on a budget? Here are 10 Christmas budget ideas you might have missed that can surely make you have a merry Christmas.

Pick Names Out of a Hat

Ever did Secret Santa at work, where you and your coworkers wrote your names on strips of paper that you dropped into a hat or some container and picked one from to give a gift to on Christmas? You can also do that at home with your family. Each of you will have to buy only one gift, drastically reducing how much you usually spend on presents each year.

Give Gifts as a Group

Next are your relatives. Secret Santa might not work with them as they might live far away or there might be a lot of them, so you need to get a bit creative. Why not give them gifts as a family instead of each of you giving them something individually? For example, if your mother-in-law likes wine, you can give her a nice vintage and tell her it came from all of you.

Give Your Time as Your Gift

Getting material things as gifts is nice, but they don’t always have to be the go-to when it comes to Christmas presents. If you really want to show your family and friends how much you truly love them, why not spend time with them as your gift?

We’re not just talking about hanging out. We’re talking something they’d really appreciate. If you’re married, you can give your wife or husband a sensual massage. If you got a younger sibling, you can take him or her ice skating or to the park to play some basketball. Make sure it’s something they like so they’ll always remember it.

Make Your Own Gifts

Who says gifts always have to be bought? Instead of gifting something from some faceless corporation, make your loved ones something on your own.

Say your family loves cooking together. You can buy some fabric and turn it into cute aprons. You can make the aprons Christmas-themed, getting all of you in the holiday spirit.

Wrap Your Gifts Using Recycled Materials

It’s not just the gifts themselves you can find ways to save on. You can also cut costs with the wrapping. But don’t just go with any old stuff you have lying around the house. It’s for Christmas, so you gotta make it special.

For ideas, visit your local thrift store. Look for magazines, comic books, sheet music or old maps. Any of these will make your gifts stand out without burning a hole in your pocket.

Have a Homemade Christmas

Have you seen one of those memes showing a house literally covered with Christmas decorations? It’s nice and all, but we can only imagine how much it must have cost, let alone the electricity bill to light them all up.

You don’t have to get in debt just to dress up your home all nice for Christmas. Instead of buying Christmas decorations, you can make them yourself. Not only won’t they cost as much, you and your family could make them, giving you more time to bond.

Do Something Fun as a Surprise for Your Loved Ones

Most people go out to celebrate Christmas. They eat at a nice restaurant, watch a movie, or go on a shopping spree. That’s fun and all, but the cost and having to make your way through crowds of people celebrating the holidays just like you will have you thinking twice if it’s really worth it.

Why not stay at home and do something special instead? You can pop some popcorn, buy the kids some candy and bust out the wall projector so you can have a family movie night. It’s cozy, fun and not something they’d expect—making your Christmas even more memorable.

Staycation

There are those who travel to celebrate Christmas if they have the time and budget. They fly to another country or go to another part of the US. You and your family don’t have to miss out on this, even if you stay home. You can have just as much fun except with a few creative flourishes.

It’s called a staycation. You can either stay in a nice but affordable hotel nearby or make your house extra nice. Either way, it almost feels like a change of scenery, making it seem like you really went on vacation.

Do Charity or Volunteer Work

Christmas is the season of giving. But not just for those close to you. You also need to spread goodwill to your fellow man. That includes the less fortunate.

To really do some good on Christmas, help out at your local soup kitchen or food bank. You’ll be doing something nice for others and making yourself feel good without spending a single dime.

Enjoy Free Events

Most communities celebrate Christmas together in order to grow tighter as a group. They hold all sorts of events, like block parties and concerts. Aside from being loads of fun, they’re usually free. Take your family to the one your neighbourhood will have to get in on the festivities without breaking the bank.

References

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10 Healthy Snacks for Kids to Take to School

Here are our picks for the 10 best kid snacks for school, specifically snacks for kids’ lunches that are not only tasty but also nutritious.

Choosing which snacks for kids would be okay for your adorable little tots to take to school can be tricky.

On the one hand, children are known to be notoriously picky eaters. Just read the stories some parents share online about how they let their children pick what to eat themselves, but they still didn’t eat it for proof. Maybe your kids are some of those kids.

On the other hand, a lot of snacks aren’t exactly healthy. They’re loaded with sugar, salt, fat and/or chemicals, making them bad if consumed in large quantities.

Does that mean there aren’t any good snacks for kids that kids like?

There are, but you have to choose carefully to find them.

That means taking a good look at how nutritious they are while taking into account whether or not your kids would like them.

That sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, we went ahead and found 10 of the best kid snacks for school, ones that make for great snacks for kids’ lunches, and listed them right here. Not only will your kids enjoy these, they’ll also be healthier for having them.

Fruit Cups

Let’s start with something familiar.

Fruits are known to be very nutritious. Aside from being excellent sources of essential vitamins and minerals, they’re also high in fiber.

What better way for your kids to have fruits than as snacks for kids in the form of fruit cups?

Fruit cups can be healthy snacks on the go, making them one of the best kid snacks for school. Fruits are commonly eaten as dessert, so fruit cups make for great snacks for kids’ lunches. To be sure, pick the ones packed in water or 100% fruit juice, as they don’t have any added sugar.

GoGo SqueeZ Fruit and Veggiez

 

While they’re pretty good snacks in and of themselves, fruits can be boring snacks for kids’ lunches for some. If your kids think so, you can still get them to eat fruits at school by giving them some that have been repackaged to appeal to kids.

Take, for example, GoGo SqueeZ Fruit and Veggiez. These applesauce-based fruit snack pouches are made from 100% fruit without any high-fructose corn syrup or added colors and sugar, making them quite healthy. They’re available in apple, banana, strawberry, peach, mango and cinnamon flavors, making them quite tasty as well.

Find out more about GoGo SqueeZ Fruit and Veggiez or shop some on Amazon or Walmart.com.

Drinkable Yogurt

Originating from countries in the Middle East and West Asia, yogurt is a staple food in many different cultures. It’s available in several different types that are all nutritious. Aside from being high in more than a few vitamins and minerals, it’s also an excellent source of probiotics, which can boost the immune system. Get your kids to have some by packing them some for school. Essentially portable smoothies that are tasty and healthy, your kids will love them as their snacks for lunch.

You can get some drinkable yogurt from Stonyfield Farm, an organic yogurt maker and dairy company located in Londonderry, New Hampshire.

Cheese

 

A lot of kids love cheese. They’d scarf them down on pizza, as the flavor of their potato chips or just as cube-shaped finger food. Cheese itself is rich in calcium and protein—nutrients any growing boy or girl needs—so they’d be yummy yet healthy school lunch snacks your kids will eat up. To make sure they are, pack your kids some that are low in fat and sodium. To jazz them up, you can melt them over some pretzels or bread sticks.

Mission MightyMe Peanut Puffs

Are your kids allergic to nuts? If they aren’t, consider packing them some Mission MightyMe Peanut Puffs to have at school.

Nuts are surprisingly good for health. For instance, they’re high in many nutrients, antioxidants and fiber. But they still might not be that interesting to your kids, so give them some Mission MightyMe Peanut Puffs instead. They’ll get the same health benefits that regular nuts provide except in a fun, kid-friendly package, making sure they’ll enjoy them.

Learn more about Mission MightyMe or shop some of their peanut puffs on their official website.

Good & Gather Sweet Potato Kettle Chips

Potato chips aren’t the most healthy snack in the world. For one thing, they’re high in fat and sodium. But they sure are tasty. Let your kids enjoy the same tasty goodness they get from potato chips at school without the harmful effects to health by packing them some Good & Gather Sweet Potato Kettle Chips instead. These look and taste just like regular potato chips, except an ounce only has 150 calories, making them healthier.

Find out more about Good & Gather Sweet Potato Kettle Chips or shop some on target.com.

Quaker Chewy Fruity Fun Granola Bars

 

Granola bars aren’t just adult diet food. They can also be healthy and delicious snacks for kids’ lunches. A great example would be Quaker Chewy Fruity Fun Granola Bars. These soft, whole grain and oats-based snack bars have been described as “better than apple pie,” but they contain just 5 grams of added sugar and 90 calories per serving.

Find out more about Quaker Chewy Fruity Fun Granola Bars or shop some on quakeroats.com.

Amara Smoothie Melts

If you and your kids are a little adventurous when it comes to your snacks, check out Amara Smoothie Melts. These are dehydrated puffs made from fruit, veggies and coconut milk that taste just like a smoothie when they melt in your mouth.

Find out more about Amara Smoothie Melts or shop some on amaraorganicfoods.com.

SKinnyPop Popcorn

There are those who’d say popcorn is the perfect healthy food. As long as excess salt or butter isn’t added to it, it hardly has any calories. But it’s just as tasty as potato chips. Let your kids enjoy this so-called “guilt-free snack” at school by packing them some SKinnyPop Popcorn. Non-GMO and gluten-free with neither any trans fat nor artificial preservatives and flavors, they may very well be the ultimate healthy food.

Shop some SKinnyPop Popcorn on skinnypop.com.

Larabar Apple Pie

Larabar Apple Pies are basically vegan granola bars. That means they don’t contain any food or other products derived from animals. But that doesn’t mean they’re tasteless. Exactly as their name says, they taste just like a slice of good old apple pie.

Find out more about the Larabar Apple Pie or shop some on larabar.com.

References

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10 Unique Self-Care Ideas for Men

Here are 10 men’s self-care ideas most guys don’t think of to help you take better care of yourself or the man in your life.

Isn’t that a girls’ thing?

That’s what most guys assume whenever they read anything about self-care.

If we’re being totally honest, who can blame them?

For the longest time, self-care has been targeted at women.

That’s why you usually see pictures of women in articles, blogs, books, magazines, ads, basically anything that has to do with self-care.

It’s thought of as being girly. As in, why do men have to even think about self-care? We’re tough and strong! Only females need taking care of!!

Before you accuse us of glorifying toxic masculinity, know we’re pointing that out only to prove how much men have been mistakenly neglecting ourselves just to uphold some outdated image of what we should be.

How great that things are changing now. Having discovered its many benefits, a growing number of men now practice self-care.

But since it’s a fairly new concept for us, lots of guys still don’t know how to do self-care.

If you need help to figure out what self-care routine would work for you or your special man, here are 10 self-care ideas for men most guys miss.

Start Using Facial Masks

More commonly called face masks, facial masks are applied to the face to smoothen the skin. They’re made of a cream or thick paste that solidifies into a translucent film after being rubbed on that can be easily peeled off. They contain nourishing vitamins, minerals and fruit extracts (ex: cucumber and cactus).

There are facial masks now made for men. Not only will you look great once the one you choose makes your face silky smooth by getting all the impurities out. You’ll also get better shaves from then on, making you feel great as well.

Have Spa Days

Since they’ve been at it longer than us, men ought to take a page from the women’s playbook when it comes to self-care. One thing we should really start getting into is having spa days regularly.

A spa day typically involves a body massage, a foot massage, a scalp massage, a facial, manicure/pedicure, and a body scrub/exfoliation.

All of this amounts to a day’s worth of getting pampered—just what the doctor ordered for some quality self-care.

Yoga

Yoga is an ancient practice that originated in India. It involves concentrating on performing very specific poses while doing deep breathing. It provides many health benefits, including improved flexibility, better balance, increased strength and stronger bones.

Aside from its positive effects on physical health, yoga also improves mental health by relieving stress, reducing anxiety, boosting cognitive functions and fighting off burnout.

There are many different types of yoga. Choose the one that best suits you to enjoy its benefits.

Journaling

Journaling is simply writing down your thoughts and feelings. People usually do this to record all the memorable events in their life, keep secrets or vent about bad days.

Since it’s a way to express ourselves, journaling is great for our well-being.

If you write about a great day you had, you’ll feel even better by reliving it through your writing and remembering it whenever you want by reading what you wrote.

If you use it to keep a secret, you get to talk about it without being judged.

If you vent about a bad day you had, you’re essentially relieving yourself of stress, making you feel a whole lot better.

Make Art

An even more profound way of expressing ourselves than journaling is making art.

Whether it’s a drawing, painting, or sculpture, a piece of art is a physical, mental and emotional release. It’s physically stimulating because you’ll need your body in order to create it. It’s mentally stimulating because it starts out as an idea in your mind. It’s emotionally stimulating because it’s a manifestation of how you felt at the time you made it.

It doesn’t have to mean anything. Nobody else has to see it. As long as you feel good about it, it would have achieved its purpose.

Take a “Manly” Class

If the men’s self-care ideas we’ve provided are too “feminine” for you, you can take a class intended for men instead.

Common examples of “manly” classes include woodworking, auto repair and blacksmithing. Any of these lets you learn a skill in line with traditional male interests, boosting your confidence and self-esteem.

Do Outdoor Activities

If you’re more of an outdoorsy type, consider making an outdoor activity you particularly enjoy a habit.

Say you like to hike. It’s a great form of exercise as it lets you get a bit of sunshine and fresh air. But if you do it regularly, it will also boost your mental health.

Digital Detox

How will you find time to take classes and do outdoor activities? You can start by doing a digital detox.

A digital detox is an amount of time (ex: at least 24 hours) a person voluntarily avoids using his phone, computer and any other digital devices he owns.

We all know how stressful constantly being online can be, what with all the bad news, trolls and scams we could run into, so “unplugging” from time to time will be good for our mental health.

Volunteer

Self-care doesn’t need to be done alone for it to be effective. It will also have the same effect when done with other people.

A great example of this is volunteer work. Although it’s basically helping other people, doing it makes you feel good, contributing to your well-being.

Do Spiritual Self-Care

Spiritual self-care refers to any activity done to take care of yourself that can nourish you spiritually. Those include meditation, prayer or going to church.

Any of these has a deeply positive effect that no other type of activity can produce, able to make you a holistic self-care routine if added to yours.

References

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10 Proven Morning Routine Benefits

Waking up in the morning isn’t always easy.

There are many reasons it can feel like you’re trying to get out of a swimming pool full of molasses.

Whether you just had to binge that entire new season of your favorite show, rank up in your favorite game to get that cool new skin, or talk for one more hour with the one you love before they call it a night or leave for work while their miles away on a working vacation, you know you have to get up to go to work or get to class once the sun comes up.

Is there something you can possibly do to make it any less excruciating?

Why, yes, there is! You can create and follow your very own morning routine. Not only can this healthy habit take much of the pain away from having to wake up whenever doing so gets harder than usual, it also helps set you up for a successful day each and every time.

To learn more about this life-changing habit, here’s our definition of what it is followed by no less than 10 morning routine benefits to prove just how good it actually is.

Morning Routine Definition

A morning routine is a set of habits that a person does every day when they wake up to make sure their day starts off on the right foot. They vary from one person to another, depending on their interests. But no matter what they choose to make a habit, the benefits are pretty much the same.

Morning Routine Benefits

 

Lets You Prepare Yourself for the Rest of Your Day

Having time in the morning to focus before you get on with the rest of your day puts you in a positive frame of mind, letting you easily stay focused and motivated throughout the day to do the things you need to do.

This is similar to centering, a widely practiced technique in the martial art of aikido, where deep breathing is used to remain calm, relaxed and grounded in stressful situations.

Energy Levels Boost

Any routine provides those who follow it structure and guidance in their daily life. It lets them act with purpose instead of just going about aimlessly. Doing so helps them stay active, focused and sharp.

That’s why athletes are so good at the sport they chose to excel at compared to the rest of us. By engaging in a pregame routine that involves hours and hours of training, they elevate their game by being able to get into the zone easily.

Increased Productivity

Knowing exactly what you need to do every time you wake up increases the likelihood you’ll accomplish everything on your plate. Having that sense of certainty with what to expect throughout the day keeps you from getting overwhelmed. Such efficiency leaves no room for the possibility of a task getting left unfinished. If you start your day this way, your entire day will surely be productive.

Feel More in Control

Remember the saying: control your day, don’t let it control you? It means managing your schedule in such a way that the sheer number of things you need to attend to doesn’t unravel into a chaotic mess. This doesn’t just apply to work. You can also put it to use as one of your morning habits. Organizing your mornings lets you calmly and comfortably ease into the rest of your tasks for the day, letting you handle them with hardly any issues.

Less Stress

It’s so stressful whenever you need to rush because your work or chores somehow piled up and you have to move fast to finish them all on time. That usually happens when you just let things get thrown at you instead of planning how to deal with them. Establishing a routine lets you put everything in a neat, little order. The less stressed you are, the less likely you’ll suffer from its adverse effects, which include anxiety, high blood pressure, heart disease and even depression.

Not Forget About Things Easily Anymore

Since it’s done every day, a routine is hard to forget. Even if you don’t consciously think about it. If you do it long enough, it will probably become part of your muscle memory, in that you’ll accomplish tasks without being focused on them at all. A great example of this is being able to get dressed for work even if you hardly had any sleep.

If you manage that with taking out the trash, feeding your pet or any chore you need to do in the morning, it’s highly unlikely you’ll forget the other important things you need to do later in the day, preventing it from getting ruined.

More Confidence

Creating a morning routine isn’t just all about accomplishing tasks. It also involves self-care. Whether it’s having time to fix yourself a nice breakfast, do your hair or talk to your kids before sending them off to school, making a self-care habit or habits part of your morning routine will surely lift your spirits right at the start of your day.

The better you feel, the more confident you’ll be.

Stronger Relationships

Speaking of being able to talk to your kids over breakfast before they head on off to school, you can do one better and carve time out from your schedule every morning so your entire family can just sit down and spend time together before going about with the rest of the day. Being able to bond like this every day will bring you closer together, strengthening your relationships as a family.

Become Even More Flexible

But no matter how carefully you plan out your morning routine, there’s always the possibility that something could come up and disrupt it. All you have to do to get back on track is to continue following it. Keep doing this every time something unexpected happens and you’ll get better at anticipating problems. The better you get at this, the more flexible you’ll be.

Easier to Develop More Healthy Habits

The more often you do something, whether it’s good or bad, the easier it is to keep doing it. That’s why bad habits are so hard to break and why good ones get easier and easier to keep, no matter how hard they are. You can think of succeeding at creating and following your very own morning routine as a stepping stone to having more healthy habits. If you manage to keep at it, there’s no telling how great your life could become.

References

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10 Sure-Fire Tips to Have a Healthy Morning Routine

Morning is a very important part of the day. Some might say it’s more important than the afternoon and the evening. It’s when most of us usually wake up and prepare to go to work or class or plan how we’re going to go about with the rest of our day.

That’s why we get so stressed when our mornings get messed up.

Each of us have had at least one bad morning. The alarm didn’t wake us up, effectively throwing our entire schedule out the window. We forgot we needed to do the laundry yesterday, so we don’t have any clean clothes to wear. We miraculously make it out the door looking halfway decent, only to find out we also forgot to pack ourselves lunch. And the list goes on.

Good thing there’s an effective way to avoid keeping ending up in the same situation. You can create and follow your very own healthy morning routine. As a set of healthy habits that can help start your day right, practicing it practically guarantees you won’t have stressful mornings ever again.

Ready to take control of your mornings? Here are 10 tips that make sure you’ll gain a healthy morning routine.

Prepare the Night Before

Unlike what some might think, great mornings don’t start when you wake up. They start the night before.

Pick out what you’re going to wear and lay them out so you don’t have to spend so much time choosing the next day. Place everything else you need, like your bag and dry cleaning to be dropped off, by the door where you can easily grab them on your way out. Then set the table for breakfast.

Having done all this, your morning will surely go without a hitch.

Always Have a Healthy Breakfast

With so many things you need to do later in the day, you might skip breakfast and grab some coffee at Starbucks just so you have more time to tackle everything on your plate. But it would be so much better if you sat down and had a healthy breakfast instead.

It’s called breakfast because you’re breaking your “fast,” or the length of time you didn’t eat while you were sleeping. If you skip it, your body will be forced to conserve energy. Your metabolism will slow down, leaving you with less energy throughout the day.

You don’t have to whip up a huge meal just to have a healthy breakfast, like the ones you see on TV shows. A bowl of oatmeal sprinkled with some cinnamon, nuts and slices of fruit paired with a cup of tea will do just fine.

Make a List

If you’re worried you might forget any of the things you need to do the next day, just write them down. Listing them lets you just take a look if you need to check, keeping you from forgetting anything important. Make the list the night before and leave it where you won’t miss it in the morning, like on the kitchen table or beside the coffeemaker.

Knowing exactly what you need to do first thing in the morning lets you hit the ground running as soon as you get up.

Wake Up Earlier

You won’t be able to enjoy a peaceful morning if you have to rush. Give yourself time to relax by getting up earlier than usual. You don’t have to wake up before sunrise. Just try setting your alarm 10 minutes earlier. That gives you just enough time to comfortably carry on with your morning routine without having to worry whether you can make it to work or class on time.

Slow Down

Having said it would be better if you started waking up earlier than you usually do, all that time you now have to just chill will be wasted if you still rushed yourself. For example, how fast do you brush your teeth? If you don’t even think about it, pay close attention instead. Carefully brush each tooth. Enjoy the minty freshness in your mouth. Look at yourself intently in the mirror. Doing so lets you be present, making sure you relax.

Give Meditation a Try

It’s not just to eat a healthy breakfast and mindfully brush your teeth that you can allot time for in the morning to have a healthy morning routine. You can also start practicing meditation. An age-old technique that helps calm the mind and improve overall well-being, you can practice it a few minutes after waking up to clear your mind and enjoy a sense of serenity.

Exercise

If you like being active more, you could make exercise part of your morning routine instead. Aside from weight regulation and improved strength and immunity, it boosts your brain’s health by encouraging it to release “feel good” chemicals. The better you feel in the morning, the better your mood will be throughout the day.

Do a Proper Warm-Up

Many injuries sustained during exercise were caused by not warming up properly first, so remember to do so beforehand. Aside from stretching, take a warm shower or bath to really get yourself ready. If you have time, you can also go for a jog or brisk walk. It will boost your endurance, but know that it won’t help build muscle.

Make Your Morning Playlist

You’d be surprised how good listening to music is to well-being. It has a lot of health benefits, including mood elevation, stress reduction and increased workout endurance. Listen to your favorite songs while working out or eating breakfast and scrolling your feeds to brighten up your morning even more.

Make Being Grateful a Habit

They say real happiness lies in finding joy in the little things. They can be anything, like getting texted first thing in the morning by your best friend, sipping a freshly brewed cup of coffee, or digging into a stack of warm pancakes dripping with maple syrup. Taking a moment each morning to think about the things you have that you’re grateful for lets you view your life through a positive lens, ensuring you’ll be in a great mood for the rest of the day.

References

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10 Habits that Can Make Up the Best Morning Routine for Weight Loss

There’s always some diet claiming to be the best way anyone can lose weight. Just hop on social media and you’re bound to see at least one celebrity, influencer or guru endorsing a new drink, super food or way of eating that will miraculously let you shed pounds easily in no time. We’re not saying none of them works, but there is one way that’s guaranteed to help you get fit without costing a lot of money or drastically changing your lifestyle:

Create and follow your very own morning routine that promotes weight loss.

Not only is it easy, it can even be fun. Just choose the habits that best suit you so that your mornings become just a bit brighter while you watch yourself slim down.

Since we know everyone’s different, here are 10 healthy morning routine habits that have been proven to be effective in losing weight. Follow them all or pick the ones you like to make the best morning routine for weight loss for you.

Get Some Sun

As soon as you wake up, open your curtains or blinds and let the sun in or step outside to soak up some rays. It turns out that sun exposure helps with weight loss.

A study revealed that sunlight helps burn fat. That’s why many people tend to gain weight during the holidays, which fall around winter, when there isn’t much sunlight.

Another study also found that the vitamin D we get from sunlight not only helps with weight loss, but even prevents weight gain.

To enjoy these benefits, expose yourself to sunlight for 10–15 minutes each morning.

Have a High-Protein Breakfast

You need to always have breakfast. Considered the most important meal of the day, it keeps you feeling full until lunch, preventing you from becoming sluggish until then. But if you also want to lose weight, you need to make it high in protein.

Whether it’s eggs, cheese, nuts or Greek yogurt, a high-protein breakfast keeps us feeling full longer. The less cravings we have, the less food we eat. The less we eat, the more weight we lose.

Drink Water

Although it doesn’t have any calories, water can make us feel full. If you drink a glass or two before breakfast, you won’t want to eat a lot, helping you lose weight.

Aside from curbing your appetite, drinking water can also stimulate your metabolism, or the chemical processes in your body that turn the food you eat into energy. The higher or faster it is, the more calories you burn.

Exercise

It goes without saying that practically anyone can lose weight if they exercise. But did you know that it will be more effective in helping you keep your weight down if you do it in the morning?

Exercise helps keep our blood sugar levels steady. If they get too low, we’ll get really hungry. We might eat too much if we’re too hungry, making us gain weight.

The best time in the morning to exercise is before breakfast. Not only will you get more from your workout if you do it on an empty stomach, http://localhost/thrivefull-wp/you’ll burn more calories when you sit down to eat.

Weigh Yourself

Weighing yourself every morning is a great motivator to keep with your morning routine.

If you see you’re losing weight on the scale, you’ll keep going even when it gets hard.

If you aren’t seeing the results you want, it will drive you to try harder or change things up with the habits that might actually work.

You’ll stay focused either way, making sure you achieve what you set out to do.

Practice Mindfulness

When you practice mindfulness, you focus on what you’re doing. It’s surprisingly effective in helping keep a proper weight.

Try it out when you eat breakfast. Turn away from your computer. Put your phone down. Chew each bite slowly. Appreciate all the tastes and smells you experience.

You’ll notice you’ll get full faster. That’s because your meal was more satisfying. The more satisfied you feel, the less you need to eat.

Pack Your Lunch

It’s hard to always eat healthy when you’re at work or in class. It’s easier to just have fast food, especially if you’re on a deadline.

Avoid this by making your own lunch. Doing so lets you choose only healthy food to eat.

Since they’re not as processed as most of the “food” we get at fast-food joints and convenience stores, home-cooked meals won’t have any excess fat, salt and sugar. The less of these unhealthy ingredients we consume, the less we’re at risk of gaining weight.

Keep a Food Diary

Many of us used to keep a diary when we were kids. We’d write in it about memorable things that happened to us or our thoughts on certain things we aren’t exactly comfortable sharing with others.

Now that we’re older, we can start another diary. Not to document our day-to-day, but to keep track of what we eat.

Doing so is great at keeping yourself accountable. If you slip up and eat something you shouldn’t, you’ll see it in your diary, showing you need to eat healthy again the next day.

Change the Way You Commute

Driving might be the easiest way to go somewhere, but it’s not great for your waistline. You’ll just end up sitting most of the day, drastically reducing your physical activity.

When it’s nice out, walk or bike instead. It’s effectively another workout session, lowering your risk of gaining weight even more.

Get Enough Sleep

There are those who are proud whenever they have to stay up all night. It’s like a badge of honor for them, proof that they’re hard workers. But it’s never really worth it.

Lack of sleep is awful for overall health. Its negative effects include increased risk of depression, hypertension, stroke, diabetes and obesity.

To make sure you always get enough shut-eye, schedule when you go to bed and stick to it.

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The Billionaire Morning Routine: What 10 Well-Known Billionaires Do Every Morning That Make Them Successful

What sets billionaires apart from the rest?

Is it just their immense wealth?

Sure, having such extravagant amounts of cash at their disposal lets them do, have, own and enjoy things most people can only dream of. But it’s not something they always had.

Most billionaires weren’t born rich. It’s something they gained over time through hard work and perseverance (and maybe just a bit of luck).

But we all have the capacity to work hard and persevere. So, what is it that makes them special?

If we were to guess, it’s the things they do at the start of their day that greatly affect everything else on their busy schedules.

In other words, it’s their morning routines that we believe are the secret to their success.

Curious what a billionaire morning routine looks like? Here are the morning routines of 10 of the most famous billionaires, so you can create your very own that can set you up for success.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk is currently the richest man in the world. He has an estimated net worth of over $170 billion. A business magnate, he is the CEO of SpaceX, a company that designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecrafts; Tesla, a manufacturer of electric cars; and Twitter.

Elon is said to work up to 120 hours a week. How does someone who works so much start his day? He wakes up at 7 AM and gets right to business. He spends half an hour reading and responding to important emails while drinking coffee. He says he’s too busy to eat breakfast.

Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos is the founder, executive chairman, and former president and CEO of Amazon, the multinational e-commerce company that’s considered the world’s largest online retailer.

As head of Amazon, you’d think Jeff would be so busy he’d hardly have any time to sleep. But, surprisingly enough, he always tries his best to sleep a full 8 hours every night. He reportedly wakes up naturally without an alarm. He likes to hold what he calls “high IQ” meetings in the morning, ideally at 10 AM before lunch.

Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg is known as the co-founder of Facebook and Meta, the social media giant’s parent company of which he is the chairman, CEO and controlling shareholder.

Like most kids hooked on social media, the first thing Mark does when he wakes up is check his phone. He logs into Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp in bed.

He says he doesn’t like wasting time on “small decisions,” so he basically wears the same outfit—a grey T-shirt, jeans and sneakers—every day.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates is the co-founder of Microsoft, where he was the chairman, CEO, president, chief software architect and the largest individual shareholder. He’s mostly a philanthropist now.

Bill starts his day by doing cardio exercises. He would spend an hour on the treadmill while watching educational DVDs.

Jack Dorsey

Jack Dorsey is known as the co-founder of Twitter. He is now focused on managing his payments company Block, formerly known as Square.

Jack wakes up at 5 AM. He meditates for half an hour, then completes a 7-minute workout 3 times. Once he’s done, he has his morning coffee and checks into work.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is a talk show host, television producer, actress, author and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which was broadcast across the country and ran from 1986 to 2011. She was the richest African-American of the 20th century, was once the world’s only black billionaire and was ranked as the most influential woman in the world.

Oprah wakes up at 7 AM, brushes her teeth, and takes her 5 dogs for a walk. While waiting for her espresso to brew, she reads a card from her 365 Gathered Truths box, then reads her daily Bowl of Saki. Afterwards, she meditates and does an hour-long workout.

Sara Blakely

Sara Blakely is a businesswoman, philanthropist and founder of Spanx, a female intimate apparel company. In 2012, she was included in TIME magazine’s “Time 100,” its annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people. In 2014, she was listed as the 93rd most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.

Unlike most people, Sara doesn’t drink coffee in the morning. She says she’s never had a cup. Instead, she drinks a smoothie made of frozen wild berries, dark cherries, dates, cinnamon, fresh mint, lemon, spinach, cilantro, kale, water, ice, chia seeds and walnuts. She also tries to get a yoga session in at 6:30 AM before taking her kids to school.

Anastasia Soare

Anastasia Soare is a Romanian-American businesswoman. Known as the “Eyebrow Queen,” she is the founder and CEO of Anastasia Beverly Hills (ABH), a cosmetics company best known for their eyebrow products. She has been listed by Forbes as one of the wealthiest self-made women in the US.

Like Mark Zuckerberg, Anastasia checks her phone when she wakes up at 7 AM. Instagram is the first app she checks every morning. She always has 2 cups of black coffee and eats a light breakfast while replying to her emails. Her personal trainer comes to her house most days,who helps her exercise for an hour.

Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett is one of the most successful investors in the world. Dubbed the “Oracle of Omaha,” he is the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, a multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. The businesses they partially own include Kraft Heinz, Coca-Cola, American Express, Bank of America and Apple.

Warren usually sleeps a full 8 hours a night. He wakes up at 6:45 AM and starts his day by reading newspapers like The Wall Street Journal and USA Today.

Richard Branson

Richard Branson is a British entrepreneur and business magnate. He co-founded the Virgin Group, a multinational venture capital conglomerate that currently controls over 400 companies in various fields.

Richard exercises every morning without fail. He likes tennis, swimming, paddleboarding and kite surfing.

The Healthy Habits That Make Up These Billionaire Morning Routines

  • Waking up early
  • Doing an activity that contributes to physical health, be it working out, meditation or yoga
  • Improving mental well-being by reading or listening to educational or informative material
  • Eating a healthy breakfast
  • Tackling the most important tasks right away

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Easy Guide to Time Blocking for Beginners

Learn the time blocking method along with time blocking benefits and time blocking best practices here.

Does time blocking work?

Many people ask this very question as we try to figure out whether or not the said time management technique is the real deal.

After all, with the world as it is now—filled with all kinds of distractions that can lure or tear us away from what we should focus on—can we really learn to set aside time to not only do deep work, but finally manage our increasingly busy schedules and calendars?

Yes, we can. Actually, more than a few of us have already pulled it off.

Take Richard Branson. An entrepreneur, business magnate, and billionaire, he wakes up at 5 AM to work out. According to him, it boosts his productivity significantly.

We doubt you have the same amenities as Richard that he uses to find the kind of focus time he works with in your workday. But that doesn’t mean your time management skills won’t greatly improve if you learn time blocking. And once you fully get a handle on it, your quality of life will surely improve as well.

To help you get started, here is the time blocking method itself defined, three of the best time blocking benefits, and seven of the most effective time blocking best practices.

Time Blocking Definition

Time blocking is the time management technique where you methodically plan out your day by dividing it into smaller blocks of time. During each one, you work on a single task or a group of similar tasks. You do away with any and all distractions as you focus. Doing so ensures you not only get the job done within the block of time you’ve set aside for it, but how well it turns out.

Time blocking isn’t just simply making a to-do list. It’s part of it, and an important part at that, but you can’t just list out the things you need to do and call it a day. You also need to figure out when best to work on each task in your schedule and how they all fit in your calendar. Having such a clearly defined schedule prevents others from infringing on your time and giving you more work than you can handle. The more confident you are that you can complete all the tasks on your plate, the higher the quality of your work.

Time Blocking Benefits

The advantages of time blocking aren’t just all about becoming better at work. As you’ll see from three of its benefits listed below, they extend even to the most important parts of our lives.

Master Your Schedule

No longer will you have to constantly switch between tasks just to make sure you meet the deadlines. Focusing on each one for a specific amount of time lets you spend 100% of your energy on getting them done, keeping you from wasting time on unrelated things. The better you get at it, the easier it will be for you to gauge how long you need to work on each task. By then, you’ll probably never mess up your schedule ever again.

Become More Efficient

Most people end up procrastinating rather than working when they’re overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work they have. Aside from being given too many tasks, that arises from not knowing how they’ll be able to fit them all into their tight schedules. Time blocking lets you find time to finish them, keeping you from ever becoming unproductive.

Have More Time for What Matters Most

Since time blocking essentially teaches you how to effectively manage your time, you’ll end up having time to enjoy yourself simply by always getting your work done on time. No more spending countless nights stuck in the office just to meet deadlines. You can now look at your calendar, not to simply schedule work, but to see when you can take time off to be with your loved ones.

Time Blocking Best Practices

Effective time blocking isn’t all about figuring how to neatly break down your work into the limited time you spend at the office. As it’s a method, there are ways to go about it that leads to the desired outcome—with some being better than others. Below are seven of the most effective.

Make a List

Start with your high-priority tasks, then work your way down. Make sure you specify each block of time (ex: “meetings” and “emails”) to avoid any confusion. Include personal time blocks (ex: “family time”). They serve as bookends to your work, keeping it from encroaching on your time for yourself and loved ones.

Become Good at Task Batching

Task batching refers to working on groups of similar tasks one at a time. It lets you get work done faster, making you more efficient.

Experiment with Day Theming

An advanced form of task blocking, day theming is where you not only do task batching, but spend an entire day working on tasks with a similar theme. For example, if you’re an executive, you can spend your Mondays focused just on tasks related to sales and marketing. Doing so lets you focus on a larger area of work, letting you handle it more effectively.

Try Timeboxing

Timeboxing simply means blocking out a specific time on your calendar to work on a future task. Say you work in the accounts payable department. You can do timeboxing by boxing out time in the mornings of certain weekdays to focus on completing payment runs for the vendors of the company you work for. This gives your work days more structure.

Figure Out When You’re At Your Best

Some people are early risers while others start their day at night. The same goes at the office. Some are most productive in the morning, while others only get going in the afternoon. It’s dictated by our biorhythms. Find out what yours is so you can schedule your tasks when you’re most productive during the day.

Have a Contingency Plan for Emergencies

No matter how well you schedule the time you spend at work, it will all fall apart if you don’t have a plan for when urgent tasks suddenly crop up. Create time blocks to have time to address them so your whole schedule doesn’t get thrown out of whack.

Use the Tools Available to You

You don’t have to do time blocking all by yourself. There are plenty of tools out there that can make it easier. You can use a planner or calendar made specifically for time blocking, like the one well-known computer science professor and author Cal Newport made, which provides a grid that lets users block out every minute of their day.

Ready to Finally Take Control of Your Schedule and Calendar?

 

Our calendars filling up with work each and every year shows how we need to better manage our busy schedules. Good thing there’s time blocking to serve as a time management solution to our overwhelming work lives. The more control we have, the better our lives will be.

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Deep Work Explained: Uncovering the Secret to Achieving Peak Productivity

Discover the concept of deep work, who the deep work author is, the benefits of deep work, and how to do deep work here.

It goes without saying that most people are distracted. It feels like we’re constantly wading across a river of seemingly endless ads, notifications, emails, videos, GIFs, memes, and articles just to be able to do what we need to do. But do you know just how much the noise of our lives has impacted us?

If you spend a lot of time on social media, know that it’s hurting your ability to focus. Our attention spans have been diminished due to the sheer amount of information overload social media allows. According to scientific research, it has shrunk to 8.25 seconds from 12 back in 2000. No wonder it’s getting harder and harder to concentrate during meetings, especially the ones that should’ve been emails.

That doesn’t erase the fact that being able to focus remains as important as ever. It’s so valuable that it’s now considered a superpower that can practically guarantee success in the workplace for those who can manage it.

You can accomplish the same feat through deep work, an increasingly rare skill that lets you achieve extraordinary results. Read on to learn all about it and start reaping the rewards.

Deep Work Meaning

While deep work itself might sound a little vague, the concept of deep work is pretty easy to understand. It’s basically a state of peak concentration. It can be achieved by avoiding or getting rid of anything and everything that can distract you from the task at hand. A fairly common example of this is when writers would retreat to some remote place, like a cabin in a forest, to work free from distractions.

Once you’ve achieved peak concentration, your brain will be able to work at its maximum potential. Not only will you be able to learn complicated things easily, but also create quality work in practically no time at all.

Who Is the Deep Work Author?

The term deep work was coined by Cal Newport, an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University. He wrote a book about it, titled Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, which was published in 2016. Such was the need to learn how to have such an ability that it became a bestseller. It was a Wall Street Journal Bestseller, an Amazon Best Business Book selection for January the same year it was published, and 800-CEO-READ’s Best Business Book of the Week. Some of the notable publications that have given it praise aside from The Wall Street Journal include The New York Times Book Review, The Economist, and The Guardian.

Cal went on to write more books, several of which have also become bestsellers that have been translated into more than 40 languages. Apart from being a New York Times bestselling author, Cal is also a contributing writer for The New Yorker and the host of Deep Questions, a podcast where he answers the questions of his listeners and shares case studies with them.

Benefits of Deep Work

 

Eliminate Distractions Easily

Avoiding distractions is easier said than done. For example, adults in the US check their phones more than 300 times a day. Doing so prevents us from getting anything done efficiently. Instead of focusing all our energy on getting work done, we waste time regaining momentum each time we switch between tasks. Learning how to do deep work greatly improves our ability to tune out distractions, enhancing the quality of our work while decreasing the time it takes to get it done.

Strengthen Your Brain

Every time we concentrate deeply, our brains cement learning pathways and strengthen the connections between neurons so they can fire faster. So whenever we focus on a specific skill, we’re literally rewiring our brains to be able to perform that skill as effectively as possible. That’s why deep work is one of the best ways to learn a new skill quickly.

Feel Great

When athletes perform at their best, they call it getting in the zone. It’s a positive mental state where they feel they’re on autopilot, http://localhost/thrivefull-wp/but are still able to accomplish their goal. Deep work is pretty much the same thing.

How to Do Deep Work

You can only succeed at deep work if you do it according to a plan that fits your personal schedule and work preferences. In his book, Cal Newport outlines four “philosophies” or approaches you can follow to be able to schedule your deep work for the best results:

  1. Rhythmic Philosophy, where you schedule time for deep work then establish it as a “rhythm” or habit. You can, for instance, schedule yours between 8 and 10 a.m. every weekday.
  2. Journalistic Philosophy, or the approach that lets you fit deep work whenever you can in your schedule.
  3. Monastic Philosophy, in which you drastically reduce or completely get rid of “shallow work,” or work you can do even if you’re distracted, from your life. Say you’re an author. You can avoid doing any speaking engagements so you can focus on writing. The more time and energy you dedicate to your passion, the more productive you’ll be.
  4. Bimodal Philosophy, which involves setting aside long stretches of time (like a day or two) for deep work then dedicating the rest for everything else.

Ready to Do Deep Work?

 

We can’t stop distractions from finding their way into our lives, but we can learn how to deep work to easily avoid them and do our best work. Once you make it part of your life, not only will you be more productive. You’ll also be able to realize your full potential.

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