Hi, My name is Marlana and for the longest time I put self care on the back burner.

How many of you can say the same thing?

How many of you still do this?

I think most caregivers probably do.

Being a co-caregiver for my brother, I put his needs above my own.  Until that lead to me being burnt out. 

I never realized how important self care is.  It is a necessity.

Unfortunately we do not live in a world where people will volunteer to help if you don't ask.

So ask.

Make sure you take time for you to relax from the duties of caregiving. 

It will lessen your stress to take a walk, go to the movies or do something else fun for a little while.

I know what you're thinking. That's selfish. I can't do that.

It's not selfish.  

If you do not take time to do this, you will end up needing care.

Don't be like me.

Put yourself first.

It will make you a healthier and better caregiver.

Why are people so angry today?

One reason I think people are so angry is because I do not think most people express their anger.  Anger is seen as a negative emotion by some people so they suppress it.  Years and years of doing that leads to that person just exploding and then thinks like road rage happen.

Another reason why I think people are so angry is because a lot of people are unfulfilled in their lives. They are in jobs that they hate or relationships that are unhealthy and not being able to leave those situations or feeling like they cannot do anything about those them turns into anger.

A third reason which I recently read about is a deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids. According to an article written by Dena Schmidt on the NaturalHealth365 website,. when people are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids they are more prone to anger and hostility.

The last reason why I think people are so angry is because of the gut brain connection. Most people have digestive problems. Since our brain is connected to the gut through its own nervous system (enteric nervous system), anything that happens in the gut affects our mood.  

Even though it does seem that people are angrier today, there are things that they can do.  

1. Express their anger in a healthy way.

If someone has angered you, talk to them about it.  A lot of times people do not even know that what they did made you angry. Use "I" instead of "you" when you discuss what made you angry.  

Example-I became angry when you said this...

2. Don't settle for an unfulfilled life.

No one knows how long we have on this earth.  Make the most of it.  If you are in a job you hate, find one that you love doing most of the time. If you can't leave that job, try to find time to do what you love in your spare time.

3. Get your omega-3 fatty acids on.

You should be getting at least 1000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per day.

If you can afford to eat some seafood three times a week.

If not, then consider taking an omega-3 fatty acid supplement.  If you are on medication, check with your doctor to make sure that is okay to do that. When looking for an omega-3 supplement, make sure you it states that it is molecularly distilled and in the triglyceride form.  That is the form that is best absorbed by our bodies.

4. Take care of your gut.

If you are having digestive problems, don't just ignore them. Get seen by a naturopathic physician or functional medicine practitioner so you can find out what's causing them.

References:

Schmidt, Dena. "DHA deficiency increases anger and hostility" NaturalHealth365.com, Nutrition News, December 10, 2016. Accessed on 21 January 2017.

Do you like spending time in nature?

I do. 

I always feel more at peace when I am able to take a walk outside and really observe nature. 

Be in the present moment.

Are you in the present moment when you are walking or running?

Or are you listening to music or talking on your cell.

Your time outside is better spent when you are in the present moment.  It is actually a form of mindfulness.  When you really pay attention to your surroundings, all your problems seem to melt away. You are just in that moment.

Another way you can practice mindfulness when you are active is to pay attention to your breath.  Is it fast or slow?  Deep or shallow?

Breathing through your nose actually is better than breathing through your mouth.  You can actually walk or run longer when you do this.

Are you being mindful when you are active? If so, does it make for a better run or walk.

Comment below.

I used to hate when someone would say everything happens for a reason. At the time I did not understand what that statement really meant.  

One meaning for the statement everything happens for a reason is that most things that happen in our lives are lessons. We can either learn from these lessons or continue to make the same mistakes.  

The second meaning for everything happens for a reason is that certain things that happen in our lives steer us in a certain direction.  When I originally had a health crisis, I thought why me?

Looking back on it now, I know that it led me to my current path becoming a health coach.

What do you think? 

​What does this statement mean to you?

Even with all the awareness of what it means to be an introvert, I think there is still a lot of things that people think about introverts that are not true.

1. We don't like to be around people.  
False. We don't like to be around a large crowd of people. We do better in smaller groups.​    
2. We are always quiet. 
This is partly true. We are quiet in situations in which we feel uncomfortable. If we                 are in a comfortable situation, we will talk your head off. If we don't have something  to say, we don't say anything.
  
​3. We are not friendly.
 False. I cannot speak for all introverts but for me I struggle with small talk.  It becomes  awkward and it makes it hard to try in future social situations.

 4. We cannot be leaders.
 False. I thought this was true until I read an article about leaders and introverts on the           Quiet Revolution website.  We just lead differently. 

 Not sure if you are an introvert.  Take the quiz.

Even with all the ways for people to stay connected, they don't stay connected.

People are busy. 

It always amazes me that people think that just because you are single you are not as busy as they are.  I am a co-caregiver, I work and I am trying to start two side businesses but I still take the time to reach out to the people who I want to stay connected to.

Did you know that staying connected can reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's? 

I found that out while watching The Brain Fog Fix with Dr. Mike Dow on PBS. Even though I didn't agree with all of the advice he gave on there.  That surprised me.

Maybe it shouldn't have though.  We are social creatures.  Even introverts like me. Once you get out of college, it is hard to make friends and remain connected with them. 

I remember when I was talking to someone and they said they still had friends from when they were growing up.  I wish I could say that but I can't.  

They often say that people come into and fall out of your life for a reason.  Maybe that is true. Maybe it isn't . 

All I know is I think people wouldn't feel as lonely if people would at least take five minutes to connect with them.  Not via text or FB either.  Actually talk to someone on the phone or via Skype. I don't know about you but I love to hear someone's voice.

I challenge you to stay connected.

Christmas is almost here.  I used to really enjoy Christmas until it became so commercialized and people started asking me how many Christmas gifts I had received. 

Whatever happened to this being the season of giving instead of receiving.  

Christmas has become the season of stress.  People are rushing around trying to get the perfect gift. Trying to get everything so they can serve the perfect meal.  Have the perfect Christmas party. 

I was at Walmart the other day and I almost was run over by someone rushing around the store with their cart.  Thinking more about all the gifts they needed to buy instead of being in the present moment.

To me, Christmas should be about spending time with your loved ones.  Getting gifts for people who are less fortunate.  Helping people out who are having financial troubles. Being in the present moment and really enjoying your loved ones while they are still here. Inviting a neighbor over for Christmas dinner if they have no one to spend the holiday with. Being grateful that you are still here to enjoy another Christmas.  I can only hope that other people will see Christmas the way I do and the tide can shift from it being so commercialized.

What do you think?

​When Thanksgiving comes around every year, we all express the things that we are grateful for in our lives.  We do not have to wait until that time of year to do that.  You can express gratitude for the things that you are grateful for everyday.

You can do that by keeping a gratitude journal or writing a list of 5 things you are grateful for everyday in a journal you are already keeping. That is how I start out every morning.. I write in my journal and then I list what I am grateful for.  A lot of times they are the same things. Sometimes they are different.

Some times things happen during my day that make me appreciate the things that I take for granted more.  Like walking. Talking. Having a place to call home.  Having food to eat. Being able to breathe.

These are things that you can hold onto when times are tough. No matter what is going on in your life you can always find things to be grateful for.

What are you grateful for?  Comment below.