Posts Tagged ‘ balance ’

Who Holds the Sponge?

Oct 27th, 2008 | By Sexy Snob | Category: Sex, Love, Relationships
Rating 4.00 out of 5

Who does the dishes?Every household is different but living with your significant other surely will bring issues regarding housekeeping.  In some homes, couples split the chores.  In other homes, the women do all the housework.  Then there are those who opt to hire maids and housekeepers to take care of the dirty work for them.  Where do you stand?

There should be a balance on who does what and, most importantly, there needs to be a compromise.  If you feel you are doing way too much, don’t hesitate to voice that you need help.  There is a thin line between being a significant other and a maid, especially if you are living with your boyfriend/husband.  Figure out a system where both of you can contribute.  This prevents developing resentment and allows you guys to avoid nasty words like “nag,” or worse yet, “mom.”  If both of you work full-time, then chores should be shared.  Look at both of your schedules and the amount of free time you guys each have — then divide housework accordingly.

Physical limitations also effect the chores you do. If you have a back problem, perhaps he should help with groceries or taking out the trash.  Having a new manicure is no excuse.  Suck it up, put on some gloves, and wash those dishes.  Make the most of your skills.  If you’re more savvy with budgeting and finances, then you can take care of the bills and overall spending while he cleans the cars.

In the end, your relationship is more important than who cooks dinner.  It’s about figuring out what works for both of you, putting effort into making one another happy, and making each other feel special.  This is the person you are choosing to be with, through thick and thin, laundry and dusting.

Again, where do you stand?



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Stressed? Start Moving

Oct 8th, 2008 | By Health Snob | Category: Sustainable Living
Rating 3.00 out of 5

keepmoving4 Stressed? Start Moving

We talked about finding balance in our day-to-day lives, but what about managing stressful days? We need stress, so there is no point in wishing it away. Stress is a huge factor to getting things done. From deadlines to going to work to finishing up papers, our bodies require that extra energy that stress releases to execute and complete our tasks. But what do we do if the stress is too overwhelming?

Stress causes the body to go into an adrenaline rush, that flight or fight mode that is innately in all of us. It was what made cavemen run from the dinosaurs. Today, we don’t stress about risk of death, but we stress about bills, our jobs, our futures, things that spike up our adrenaline but do not allow us a release for that energy. This gets our heart rate up, our blood pressure rising, and our skin to heat up. Too much stress will lead to long term health effects, such as hypertension and increased risk of stroke.

The best method to reduce your stress levels when stressed is to start moving. Your body is fueled and ready to go, and sitting at your desk trying to work out that program will not do your health good. Some great ways to relieve stress include:

Taking a walk or walking your pet-Something about the great outdoors and smelling the fresh air just helps relieve some of the psychological pressure that we built up.

House Cleaning-The British Journal of Sports Medicine published an article last month stated that working around the house or garden for about 20 minutes one to three times a week reduced the odds of psychological distress by 24%.

Exercising The benefits include a reduction in risks for stress, diabetes, and heart attack. So take that step!

So when life just sucks, go exercise. I would say go to the mall and do some retail therapy, but only if you are positively sure you will pay off that credit card in full. What do you do to manage your stress?

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Balance: No Day Like Today

May 20th, 2008 | By Wise Snob | Category: Sustainable Living
Rating 3.00 out of 5

balance4 Balance: No Day Like TodayTake charge of your life by organizing what is really important to you and focusing on those areas.

You are what you do. It reflects what you value. So when you are fighting with your boyfriend, are you valuing the person you love or your own agenda? Every hour we spend angry is another hour lost that could have been filled with laughter. When we stress about deadlines, get upset over uncontrolled things, get jealous over friends’ fortunes, you are putting importance on something over your own well-being.

You forgot to take care of yourself. Time is precious. Some people can say that they have more money than time, but hardly anybody can say they have more time than money. You cannot get another hour in a day, so be clear about what is important to you, and set the foundation for change.

We are a society that takes on too many responsibilities and have way too many high expectations about how things should be, so we live and put ourselves through hard work to meet the expectations of perfectionism. We aim to be perfect, and through those endeavors, we become overworked and tired.

What we need to learn is to put our self-care first. We underestimate how important taking care of ourselves really is. Here are ways to do so.

1. Learn to say no. A lot of times, saying “yes”means you had to say “no” to something else. Saying “yes” to an hour of television is saying “no” to writing a letter to a friend.

2. Focus on today. We need to focus on today, and realize that today is the only day to make our dent in the world, so spend it well. Focus and be in control of our thoughts and choices, which reflect upon our actions.

3. Do what you feel is right. Make that conscious choice to do what is right, to do what you believe. Take that time of the day to yourself and reflect on who you are. Do you feel satisfied with your finances, your body, your relationships, your environment, your career? If not, what few things can you do differently that can make you more satisfied?

4. Do what you want to do. This runs into the part about saying “no,” but it’s crucial. Do the things you value the most and forget the other things until later.

5. Allow time to yourself. Make sure you set aside some time every day to yourself. Whether it’s going to the gym, reading a book, writing a letter, or eating chocolate-dipped fruits, set that time on your agenda and don’t skip it.

Let’s be present in today and stuff every second with value and meaning into what we have and what we value most. Be an individual and forget what everyone else thinks is important, and stop comparing. By doing so, we not only improve ourselves, but we can impact others with our attitudes and determination.
Balance: No Day Like Today

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Is Technology Making Me Dumb?

May 18th, 2008 | By The Conscious Snob | Category: Sustainable Living
Rating 3.00 out of 5

Is Technology Making Me Dumb?Our company, a health care services provider, is going to roll out a computerized documentation program starting in June, eliminating all paperwork and scheduling. This new program will create our daily schedule, our tasks, and automatically remind us of when deadlines are due or if we made an error in our documentation or billing. Sure, it may save time after we figure out the system, but it also makes us think less.

It makes me wonder whether some of the digital tools are making our generation the most empty-headed? Most of the technology we are using in today’s culture include cool gadgetry, from snazzy cell phones to colorful laptops, that only immerse us into a digital world full of distraction. Instead of opening a novel, we read blogs, which are small bites of commentary and news. Instead of writing complete sentences, we use “ROFL” or “WTH.” We may be gaining speed in our typing skills, but are losing enriching opportunities to build our character, as well as our vocabulary.

We are focusing more on ourselves. Networking sites, YouTube, and blogs have made everyone feel as if their lives and words matter the most. We are intensely into ourselves, our friends, and what is happening now. The content is pretty anticlimactic on most sites. Do your friends care how you feel today? Do they really check your status symbol? Probably not, as they are more focused on how they feel and their own status. We may be interacting more using the internet than, say, watching television, but the value added from all this daily media saturation is probably not making us any smarter.

Something we can all do is to cut down on digital time. Check out the article regarding interacting with life. Going to the gym, watching a play, reading a book, cooking a new dish, dining out with friends at a new restaurant, and even taking a small vacation is a good start to less time in front of the screen. I am definitely a culprit to spending too much time online, and have started to shut down my laptop at a certain time so I can read, exercise, or just laugh with my boyfriend. It has definitely made me more aware of my time online, and while I have yet to find a good balance, I believe I am taking that conscious effort to making my life better, one less click at a time.