Hello Spring: How To Deal With Change

Even though a little change is always a good thing, adjusting to it is not necessarily the most fun.  It’s easy to say to ourselves, “what do you mean, I love change, the only constant in life is change", however when it comes down to it, we all know some changes are a lot easier to love than others. 

Maybe you recently got a promotion at work, or you’re currently redecorating your home, these are typically pretty exciting changes.  But, sometimes, we all also have to go through those changes that have been inflicted on us and aren’t exactly what we would describe as enjoyable.  It’s important to remember that both types of change, good and bad, can bring stress to your life, but you can also take little steps to cope, and combat this stress before it sets in. 

Even changes for the better bring extra stress to our lives.  Adapting to something new asks a lot of us as a person.  Even though we may not think so, we are all creatures of habit, at least to some extent.  Here are a couple pointers on little things you can do when life takes a little bit of a twist.

Address the problem more than your feelings

This doesn’t mean not to talk about your feelings.  Addressing your feelings is totally okay, however, by only talking about your feelings rather than focusing on the problem itself, it’s easier to get stuck simply dwelling on the negativity rather than thinking about potential solutions to the actual problem at hand. 

By only talking about our feelings of fear, anger, or anxiety towards a situation, then we cause a sort of loop that keeps us stuck in those feelings. Whereas if we talk about the problem itself, we are able to actually seek out potential advice and solutions to actually solve it.  We can’t necessarily change our feelings, and we shouldn’t have to, instead though we can change how we chose to solve a problem.

Stop stressing about being stressed

We put so much pressure on ourselves to not feel stressed, that we actually stress ourselves out even more.  Stress isn’t a bad thing.  It’s how we approach it that really matters.  A little bit of stress can actually be a good thing. 

Think about why you’re stressed, this comes back to addressing the actual problem at hand rather than just the feeling.  Your stress is really just there to help you properly prepare for whatever the problem at hand is.  So, harness it, use it to your advantage.

Look at each change as an opportunity

Every change, good or bad, leaves room for growth.  It is usually a lot easier to see opportunity from positive changes, however it is a result of negative changes as well.  Change forces you to adapt, and by changing your path, you leave room to learn things about yourself and certain situations that you may have never learned should things have just remained the same. 

By approaching all types of change with this outlook, you can help yourself accept it, and the good it is going to bring you, even if it’s not in the most conventional way. 

Don’t sweat the small stuff

Remember, you control your attitude.  Don’t let change get you down.  We know, this is one of those things that is easier said than done, but it’s also nice to remember.  No matter how good or bad something may seem, the attitude you approach it with makes all the difference. 

And, as we all know, change really is the only constant in life, so don’t get yourself crazy over every little thing.  It’s all part of life, and sometimes you just need to remind yourself that everything’s OK. 

While you’re obviously not going to approach each new change in your life with a huge smile on your face, it is important to remind yourself that you can handle anything thrown your way.  These pointers unfortunately can’t prevent you from ever being stressed again, but they can help you deal with the stress of change in a more productive and inspiring fashion.

5 Easy Ways To Go Green This St. Patrick's Day

We all remember to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day (nobody likes to get pinched), but this year, why not go green too?  It’s getting arguably more and more important to do what we can for the environment, but luckily it’s also getting much easier. 

There are so many little things you can do to make a big difference.  So, in the spirit of St. Patty’s, we’ve put together a list of five small steps you can take in your everyday life to go a little greener and help out Mother Earth.

1. Be Conscious of Your Thermostat

You can make a huge difference simply by setting your thermostat a couple degrees colder in the winter and warmer in the summer.  The electricity used to heat and cool your house contributes to the greenhouse gases in our environment, which contributes to climate change. 

So, by making this small change in thermostat temperature, you reduce your contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.  And, as if that isn’t great enough, you also reduce your energy bill.       

2. Switch to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

These light bulbs use 70% less energy than regular Incandescent light bulbs.  You can find them in literally any store right next to the traditional light bulbs, and while they cost about $1 more, they typically last for up to 8,000 hours, whereas standard incandescent bulbs only last 1,200 hours.  So, again you’re saving money (seems pretty on theme with “green”) and doing your part to save the planet.  

3. Swap Out Your Soap and Skincare Supplies

Unfortunately, most household hand soaps, body washes, and deodorants have ingredients like triclosan.  And yep, you guessed it, not only are these chemicals harmful for our skin, but they’re harmful for the environment. 

And, studies show that these chemicals don’t even help kill germs better than alternatives made without them.  Try swapping them out for an all-natural alternative.  In the spirit of the holiday, stock up on some natural alternatives, and use the code GREEN for X% off your entire order.

4. Wash Your Clothes in Cold Water

At this point it’s safe to say the not-so-secret trick to going green is saving energy, and washing your clothes in cold water saves a lot of energy.  Not to mention, it saves your clothes, too.  Heating the water uses about 90% of the energy it takes to operate your washer.  So, cut out this step, cut out a lot of energy used.  Plus, you no longer run the risk of shrinking your clothes or fading the colors.  It’s a win, win.

5. Bring Your Own Bag, Bottle, Etc.

Get a reusable bag you love, invest in a nice water bottle, treat yourself to a new to-go coffee mug.  By bringing your own everything, you’ll significantly reduce the amount of waste you’re producing.  And, it’s more fun to have your own little personalized items anyways.

Challenge yourself to make at least one change in the spirt of going green this St. Patrick’s Day.  It doesn’t take much to help out the environment, not to mention, a lot of these tips can help out your wallet, too.

Spring Clean Your Skincare Routine

While January might be the most popular month for detoxing, sometimes you’re not ready to kick your New Year’s resolution into action until well into the New Year.  That’s why Spring Cleaning exists though, right?  March is the perfect time to get a jumpstart on that summer glow by spring cleaning your skincare regimen.

After the holidays, you probably focused on what you were putting in your body and got reacquainted with salads and smoothies, but did you pay attention to what you were putting on your body, more specifically, the different toxins you may be applying to your skin?  Diet and exercise are both super important when it comes to detoxing, but by revamping your skincare routine as well, you can set yourself up to go into summer feeling your freshest.

Here’s a couple things you can do this spring to purge your skin of chemicals and toxins and spring clean your skincare routine.

1. Know what your products are made of

This probably seems like silly advice, but a lot of people actually aren’t aware of the different chemicals in their skincare products.  That’s because most moisturizers, deodorants, and body washes have chemicals in them that we aren’t necessarily familiar with, but that we just assume are necessary to “get the job done.” 

While the chemicals in these body washes and moisturizers may be effective in getting our skin clean and soft, they are also effective in altering our body’s natural bacteria, which isn’t what we want. 

exercise skincare

Most big brand body washes and lotions contain chemical and alcohol based ingredients, which can kill the natural bacteria our bodies produce.  Without these natural bacteria, our skin stops producing what’s necessary to clean and protect itself.

So, what do you do?  You want to detox your skin, but you also want to feel clean and moisturized.  Easy, just shop natural products.

2. Know what natural skincare products are out there

Only shopping natural products feels like incredibly general and incredibly obvious advice…and that’s because it is, but it is also very true.  There are enough options out there now that it is simple to only shop natural products.  You aren’t even stuck with “slim pickings.”  There are numerous natural skincare lines to choose from. 

While ditching your old skin care regimen and replacing it with an all-natural one may feel a little drastic, we want you to think about it this way: the number of different products you use on your skin can be as high as ten, and even if those products are from the same brand – one that you like and trust – that’s a lot of different chemicals you’re using on your skin. 

So, if you are someone who has an extensive skincare routine, you could actually be hurting your skin in the long run, rather than helping it, making it even more important to explore natural skincare options.  If you identify as the person packing more than five face lotions for a weekend, then it is also important to be aware of how much skincare is too much skincare.

3. Know how often to treat your skin

Something we’re sure you never thought you’d hear, but yes, there is a such thing as too much skincare.  Even if you are using all natural products, you can oversaturate your skin and actually reverse the good you’re trying to do.  There are certain things that you need to do every day, such as washing your face with an all-natural cleanser and even applying a daily moisturizer, but that’s about it. 

Skinecare Routine

Washing your face at the end of the day is necessary to cleanse your skin of all the toxins you encounter just out in the world every day, but washing your face more than once a day can dry out your skin. Same with applying a daily moisturizer; if you’re using it just once each day then it will help keep your skin feeling soft, but more than once a day can actually clog your pores. 

Other treatments you can consider for your skin more sparingly include all-natural face masks and detoxifying baths.  Both of these treatments should be done no more than three times a week, seeing as they can actually dry out your skin if performed every day.

So, while you have this relaxing little lull that is spring, do yourself a favour and don’t just detox from the inside, give your body some love on the outside too with a more natural skincare routine.

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