Today I went and got a manicure, OK there it is. I have to admit it was not an easy thing to do, not because it hurt or it was to expensive but in my mind for some reason I was really nervous about it. As a man in America we are taught that taking care of our self is not manly, this is not the prevailing thought in most other countries, but in America it is and given this sort of mental trap I struggled with going in and getting a manicure. Finally I was able to do it and honestly the work done by a small women from Vietnam named Lee was impressive, I could have never done it myself, without seeing it first. I don’t know much about nail care, it is not something that I was taught growing up. After breaking the ice I can now say that I will not be doing it again not because it was too embarrassing or anything, the reason being that I think that it would not be something that hard to learn, I watched her taking care of nails and thought jeez this looks kinda easy, so next time I need my nails fixed I am going to do it myself. Now how can one know if they have bad nails or not, is the question I asked myself, but the thing is I knew was that I surely had bad hands, ever since I was small child I have been biting my nails and in doing so I sometimes would bite the skin causing bleeding and on the sides and top. So I knew I had bad nails, and this was the reason I felt that I needed a professional to come in and do something about it. I want to also add I feel that this while small in a way, was a personal victory over self conscious, in the sense that I went in and did it.
Thinking about personal hygiene and overall general health, I wanted to add some tips that I have read and agree with, or have tried and have worked for me. Take care of yourself cause that way you will be happier and a happeir you going about the world will transfer happiness to the world.
Wake up at the same time everyday.
Including weekends. This sets your body clock. Otherwise, you’ll be wide awake when you should be asleep. Or worse, asleep when you should be awake. The key is to go to bed at the same time every night. If you need to reset your sleep cycle in one day, stop eating for the 16 hours before the time you want to wake up.
Play to relax.
Playing a game keeps your mind working (versus, say, watching TV), but doesn’t have any of the energy-sapping stresses of work.
Enjoy a cup of tea.
In a recent study, University College London researchers noted that drinking a cup of tea 4-6 time a day reduces stress hormone levels in your body. The study’s results suggest “drinking black tea may speed up our recovery from the daily stresses in life.”
Get your world organized.
When your world is organized, you don’t have to expend mental energy keeping track of a million things.
Stand up, stretch and take a couple of deep breaths.
Stretch your arms, back, legs, and neck. Take a deep breath through your nose, hold it, and let it out slowly and forcefully. Repeat several times. This will take 30 seconds and will be an instant fix. When you sit back down, you’ll have the clear head and fresh feeling needed to power through the tough/boring task in front of you.
Move gym time to the morning.
A lot of people go to the gym after work. Try going to the gym in the morning instead to get energy that lasts all day. Sure, you’ll have to wake up an hour or two earlier, but you get that time back at night. That exercise in the morning gets the endorphins flowing, which keeps you happy and productive the rest of the day. By exercising in the morning instead of at night, you spend the same amount of time at the gym, but get the added benefit of having more energy at work.
Get a massage.
Loosen up those tight muscles and you’ll feel more relaxed. A more relaxed you means a happier and more productive you. Trade a quick shoulder rub with a coworker after lunch to perk both of you up for the rest of the afternoon.
Dress up.
Feeling better about yourself has a magical way of giving you more energy. Put just a tad more effort into looking your best for work, and you’ll get compliments from coworkers that will make you feel better — and make you a perkier, more energetic worker bee.
Don’t drink yourself to sleep.
Alcohol keeps your body from entering deep sleep, so even if you get the same hours of sleep, you won’t feel as rested. Limit alcohol the hours before bedtime to get the best night’s sleep.
Lower your blood pressure.
Besides being a risk factor for a heart attack, high blood pressure makes you fatigued. If you haven’t seen your doctor lately, go in and get your blood pressure checked. (When I was fat I had high blood, once lowered energy levels are increased a lot.)
Rotate yogurt into your diet.
Yogurt with live cultures keep your digestive system clean, which helps your body absorb all the nutrients from food. That makes you healthier and more energetic. Yogurt is also a good low-fat snack.
Have a laugh.
Laughter is great medicine for exhaustion. Make sure you laugh regularly to keep your mood up. Seek out funny people or subscribe to a daily email joke. I like the geeky comic xkcd for a quick smile. What’s your favorite quick funny pick-me-up?
Add more cardio to your gym time.
The aerobic exercise gets your blood pumping. It builds stamina and endurance, which is useful for both triathalons and neverending department meetings.
Take up yoga.
The stretching, slow controlled movements, and focus on breathing reduces tension (and stress). The benefits include better sleep, feeling more relaxed, and being mentally sharper.
Get on your toes.
Roll up and down on your toes. This stimulates your circulatory system, which will deliver much-needed oxygen and fuel (glucose) throughout your body. You’ll be more energized and sharper. You can do this right now.
Thank you very much for you time… This has been BrotherShine coming to you from the limitless void in the back of your mind. Peace.
brothershine@gmail.com
. I highly recommend you go and check out some videos.
(Picture Break, ha longish post I guess.)
