Let us talk about happiness and love

Sometimes you wonder what it is that makes you feel so good.Believe it or not but one of the things that makes a person feeling good, ismaking someone else happy – doing something that brings a smile or a shout ofpleasure to someone else’s lips.

There was the little girl who had been sitting listening tothe conversations of the mother’s bridge club and after they were gone, said toher mother, “Mother let us now talk happy”!

Did you ever realize how much of your conversation – andyour thinking – is taken up with harrowing tales about your annoyances, yourrelatives’ annoyances and tragedies, and all the annoyances that go with livingwith an average husband or wife, or having in a cleaning woman, or going to work, or doing your shopping, or what not?

Many persons get themselves more and more neurotic byconstantly indulging in what is often called “post –mortems”; long detaileddescriptions, many times retold, of unpleasantness,  family rows, and sorrows. How much better itwould be for all of us if we would always “talk happy,” and so far as possibleavoid unpleasant topics. What good does it do to keep constantly going backover the stories of unhappiness?

Drain your mind of the worries, the resentments,irritations, guilt reactions, and annoyances that have collected during the dayjust as thoroughly as you pull the stopper in the sink.

Then you can refill it with refreshing thoughts of emotionalmaturity such as these:

- You are going to free yourself from fears, anxieties, andtensions.

- You find greater satisfaction in giving than in receiving.

- You will contribute to the improvement of your home, yourcommunity, your nation, and your world.

- You seek give-and-take relationships to form. You profitfrom your mistakes and successes.

- You use your leisure time creatively.

Recognize hate for the destructive emotional force that itis. Love is the constructive psychological force of a positive mind. Loveresurrects people who have lost life while they live. It is the force thatgives new hope, joy, vitality, and invincibility. Those of you who truly want apowerful new lease on life will find it possible through love and a positivemind.

Tips on how to deal with stress

Self-confidence and a Good Body Posture

A woman’s self-confidence is evident by her posture. Your posturemeans the way you carry yourself. Your posture is also one of the main factorswhich contributes to the first impression another person may form of you. Makinggood first impressions can be very beneficial e.g. job interviews.

When you stand tall and proud, you portray an image ofself-confidence. Your posture is the way you keep body aligned with its centreof gravity. A good posture is when you have control of your body’s alignment inrelation to the centre of gravity. A person with poor posture can easily be spotted;they tend to slouch with drooping shoulders and head bowed.

It is easy to improve your posture. The important thing isto remember that having correct posture requires a conscious effort anddedication. 

Here are some tips on how to acquire and maintain correct posture:

Whilst at work

• Use an ergonomic chair that fits and support your back.

• Always sit with your back against the seat,  your knees at your hip level and  your shoulders should be parallel to yourhips.

• Regularly, stand up and stretch or just walk briskly downthe passage and back.

Whilst carrying a bag

• Do not overload your bag and regular clean it up of unnecessaryitems.

• If you are using a backpack, make sure that you put theheavier items close to your back, thus providing support for your back.

• The handles and straps of your bags and backpacks shouldbe padded and wide. In addition, backpacks should have hip straps.

Everyday Living

• As far as possible, try to avoid shoes with high heels, ashigh heels can alter your centre of gravity, which could result in poorposture.

• Exercise regularly, which will help the body becomestronger and develop much needed support for your back.

Whilst sleeping

• As far as possible, sleep on your back or on your side.

• If you prefer sleeping on your side, place a pillowbetween your legs.

• Avoid any over-sized pillows, as they can result in neckinjury problems or pain.

To have a good posture requires daily effort and practise.However hard it may seem, it is worth it in the long term.

Exercise your eyes!

Shape your Body with Callisthenic Exercises

Calisthenic exercises do as much for your figure as aerobicdancing – without the risk of injuries.

Calisthenics include both isometric and isotopic exercises:In the first, you flex various sets of body muscles without contracting orrelaxing them; in the second, it is the pull-up, push-up and –out contractionof various muscle sets that produce the training effects. The biggest benefitof doing your daily callisthenic dozen or half-dozen is the increase in bodystrength rather than improvement of cardiovascular of respiratory stamina –something running, cycling and swimming are best for.

These three sports give you twice the aerobic workout, butthey neglect certain muscle groups, especially in your upper body.

An hour of calisthenics does as much to shape your figure asaerobic dancing.

The following calisthenics routine provides both isotonicand isometric fitness. Do it for 30 minutes three times a week and you will befit for life.

All you need is a thick rug, a towel and a pair of athleticshoes. For maximum benefit, do two sets of the exercises explained below:

1. Warm-up:  Jog inplace. To reap heart/lung building and calorie-burning benefits, keep it up for12 minutes. Use music to keep going or go outside and jog a few blocks, walk afew, jog a few, walk a few. Cool down with 5 minutes of walking.

2. Firm-up: Stand about 75 cm from a sturdy table (bookcaseor counter). Keep your back straight, lean forward and grasp the table top. Bendleft leg at the knee and raise foot behind you. Without twisting back, liftbent left leg to side, and then slowly straighten leg. Hold for a count of two,bend knee and lower. Build up to 20. Reverse legs and repeat exercise.

3. Leg –Shaper: Lie on left side, resting on left elbow.Place right foot in front of left knee. Lift left leg 

as high possible, then lower without allowing leg totouch the ground. Build-up 20, holding the last “lift” for 10 seconds. Repeaton right side.

4. Abdomen Strengthener:  Lie on back, fingers laced behind neck, elbowsout. Lift left leg straight up and raise fight leg 10 to 12 inches. Then do the‘scissors’- alternatively raising legs, dropping  lower leg only to point that back is stillflat to floor. Build up to 20 with each leg, holding the last lift 10 secondsfor each leg.

5. Waist Trimmer: Lie on back with knees bent, legs slightlyapart, arms at sides. Contract stomach and curl up halfway reaching to left ofknees. Repeat twice. Repeat to right side. Then reach to centre for 10 seconds.Add a second set when you master this.

6. Hamstring and Across-the Chest- Stretch. Stand with feeta shoulder’s width apart, arms out to the sides. Reach right hand down andacross body to outside of left calf, twisting torso and bending left kneeslightly. Point left arm to ceiling.

You should feel the stretch in your straight leg and acrossyour back. Hold for 30 seconds, repeat with the other leg. Then stand with feetslightly apart, arms at sides. Hold one end of a bath towel in each hand. Raisestraight arms up, over, and behind you and hold for 30 seconds. 

Woman to Woman

Women and Their Mental Health

Even if we are eating well, exercising, getting enough rest,and avoiding substance abuse, we still need to consider our mental healthneeds. This is one aspect of healthy living that is often ignored moremisunderstood.

We can touch our bodies and see and feel when something iswrong with them. When we know how they work, we can even imagine what is goingon inside them. However, our emotions, thoughts and beliefs - the things thatshape our mental thoughts and beliefs – are more difficult to pin down. Inaddition, because some mentally ill people are unpredictable and dangerous, we areafraid of people are mentally ill. It seems safer to shut them away and toforget about them. The last thing we want to consider is that we too might beat risk of mental illness. However, mental health and mental illness are partof everyday life.

We need the love of our parents or a stable, availablecaregiver to grow into healthy human beings. Love teaches us to trust and totry new things so that we can acquire new skills for growth. When we are loved,we can also love in return and help others grow. We need our family, friends,and the community to give us support, to tell us that we are okay. Only when wehave support can we grow into happy, healthy, productive adults.

Mental health is not possible without physical health. You needto eat well, be active, and sleep well to enjoy good mental health. You alsoneed to feel loved and worthwhile, and in control of your life. On top of allthis, most women already have problems with confidence and self-esteem   because we are not valued as much as men are.Fortunately many of us are loved and supported by our parents, our  caregivers and our families. This gives us agood start and helps us deal with difficulties.

Woman to Woman