Category Archives: personal care

Turn Your To-Do List Into A Ta-Da List

by Mirahabits, personal carebullet journal, list, ta-da, to-do

I’m a fan of using a bullet journal. It really helps me to stay on track, keep thoughts organized, and is a flexible planner for how my brain works.

One thing I have in my journal is a Ta-Da List — a rolling list of what I did/completed each day. It’s not a To-Do list. It only gets written after things are done. And there are a couple of reasons why.

1. It allows me to see where my time went and, if needed, to adjust my schedule.

For example, at one point I saw that I was getting a lot of unscheduled phone calls (when I have phone calls or meetings I log them plus the amount of time I spent on the call). I then shifted to make Tuesday and Thursday morning phone call times and started telling everyone.

I also set a mental limit on how long I would be on the phone for unexpected phone calls. Letting the caller know that “I’m at work and only have 15 min”. It really helped. Like many in this group, often those who have my phone number seem to think, even though they know I’m self-employed, that I’m always available.

2. I also evaluate other tasks to see if there is a way to improve or make them more efficient.

If there are certain tasks that are repetitive can I automate them? Are there things that I am doing that might be better to assign to a team member? Are there hints I do that I just shouldn’t be doing at all m

3. I can see how long certain tasks actually take.

I use the Pomodoro method to notate how many units each task took. I tend to suffer from what I call time suck disorder. I don’t always realize how long things are going to take. Time management and time flow awareness are one of the difficulties faced by people with ADD. It can get in the way of productivity and a balanced focus. So it’s challenging when I plan for something that doesn’t happen in the time frame I’ve allotted. My Ta-Da list reminds me of what I did get accomplished and has helped me learn to shift my time thinking.

4. I get the satisfaction of getting things done and seeing them in the list.

All too often, when I was doing only a traditional To-Do list, I would be discouraged. Yes, I got things done, but the number of unchecked boxes was overwhelming. Now, borrowing from Brendan Burchard’s High-Performance Planner (which I still use every day also) I track the three most important things that have to be done for the day. This means no. Ore endless to-do lists. It forces me to focus on what HAS to be done. The rest of it is being aware of what I’m doing.

In my opinion, using a Ta-Da List has made my life much more streamlined, easier to pivot where needed, and less stressful.

Who in this group also uses a bujo?

Healthy At Home Journaling Prompts

by Miragratitude, habits, meditation, personal care, questions, stress

Journaling for better health

If you're looking to improve your health and wellbeing there may be a strategy to help that you're overlooking. Journaling. It turns out that there are a lot of ways that using a journal can be good for you. It can be a supportive strategy for stress relief, help you work out problems, boost your memory, and has also been shown to be good for mental health.

Does journaling really help?

There are a lot of studies that have been done around the idea of journaling and its benefits. Here are just a few ways that it can be helpful for you:

Health benefits – a study of undergraduate college students found that journaling increased wellbeing, decreased illness, and, over time, even helped to decrease the ill effects of dealing with trauma
Improves cognitive function – writing, as opposed to typing, has been shown to improve your ability to acquire, process, and recall information. One article found that writing was useful when it came to learning both math and science.
Better learning skills – according to research published in Psychological Science students who wrote longhand, as opposed to those who typed using laptops, were better able to learn material. Journaling can be a way of recording and deepening your understanding of yourself and/or what you're writing about.
Remember significant events – life can be very full and there are lots of distractions. Journaling about moments, events, or people that are noteworthy or important to you can be a way to create an accurate accounting of what you want to remember accurately.
Organizing your thoughts – sometimes there's so much going on that it can be difficult to keep all of your plans and goals clearly in mind. Writing it down can be a positive way to stay on track. Plus writing down your goals increases your chances of succeeding at them.
Better healing – studies have found that journaling can have a positive impact on how well the body heals. According to the research this includes healing from IBS, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and wound healing.
Improves mental health – studies have found a positive shift in mental state among those who journaled, this included those with cancer, Parkinson's, and other health conditions.

Give it a try

With all these benefits from journaling you're probably curious as to whether or not it could work for you. Why not give it a try? History is filled with people who journaled – Beatrix Potter, Marie Curie, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Lewis Carroll, Leonardo Da Vinci, Mark Twain and so many others. They wouldn't have journaled if they didn't get at some benefit out of it.

Take advantage of the fact that this is a low-cost, easy to do activity that can be good for your health. Spend the next 30 days engaged in a journaling practice and see how you feel at the end. Chances are you'll notice some benefits and want to keep going.

I don't know what to write

If you're stuck for something to journal about I've got your covered. Here are 50 topics, pick one at random and spend a few minutes each day journaling about it.

1. What does it mean to you to be healthy?
2. What have been your biggest health struggles while being at home?
3. How has your mental health been?
4. What has been giving you anxiety?
5. What are your biggest fears during quarantine?
6. How has your physical health changed?
7. What weight trends have you noticed recently?
8. How has your diet changed since spending more time at home?
9. What is causing you the most worries?
10. How has your exercise routine changed?
11. Are there any home workouts you have tried?
12. Pick at least 3 new at-home workouts you can try in the next week.
13. Pick an exercise you can do with others you live with.
14. What do you think is the most important aspect of nutrition?
15. What are some healthier food items you can add while at home?
16. To improve your nutrition, try adding some structure to your day, then journal about your experience.
17. How have your cravings changed since you have been home?
18. Do you feel you are a boredom eater?
19. Have you noticed any emotional eating tendencies?
20. Go outside to walk and get fresh air, then journal how you feel afterwards.
21. What is a way you can embrace and take advantage of being at home?
22. What are the main sources of your stress lately?
23. What are some stress-relieving activities you have tried?
24. What hobbies have been keeping you busy?
25. How are you dealing with your kids’ health and wellness while being at home more often?
26. In what ways are your kids getting exercise?
27. How are you focusing on proper nutrition for your kids?
28. Try creating a new daily routine that encourages healthy habits.
29. What are 5 things you miss from before you were quarantined?
30. What are 5 things you look forward to when things get back to normal?
31. Name 5 people you can’t wait to spend more time with.
32. What are 5 things you can be grateful for right now?
33. Make a list of healthy snacks you can add to your diet.
34. How have you been socializing lately?
35. List some ways you can reach out to people more.
36. What is something you have always wanted to try?
37. If your productivity is suffering, what are some reasons you think that is?
38. Give yourself a break – what are some things you believe you have done right?
39. List self-care activities you have participated in it while being at home.
40. List some NEW self-care activities for your shelter-in-place time?
41. What is a creative activity you can try while being at home?
42. List the main things that have been on your mind lately.
43. When you think of how you spend your time when you are bored, what comes to mind first?
44. When the shelter in place orders are lifted, what is a way you can get out more?
45. How has quarantine changed your mindset?
46. What do you think you took for granted before quarantine?
47. Have you read any books while in isolation?
48. How do you think life will be different moving forward.
49. What are some changes you have made that have improved your health so far?
50. List 10 ways you can be physically and mentally healthier while at home.

Feel free to share this post, and list of ideas, with the people you love and enjoy journaling!

Sources

King, L. A. (2001). The Health Benefits of Writing about Life Goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27(7), 798–807.

Mueller, P. A., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking. Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159–1168.

Murphy, M. Neuroscience Explains Why You Need To Write Down Your Goals If You Actually Want To Achieve Them. Forbes. April 15, 2018.

Willis, J. The Brain-Based Benefits of Writing for Math and Science Learning. Edutopia.org. July 11.2011. Accessed June 5, 2020.

The Self-Care And Pampering Box

by Mirahealth, ingredients, Lean Clean Green Box, personal care

I'm thrilled about the contents of this month's Lean Clean Green Subscription box. This first box has some great products and the theme for this month is self-care and pampering. Why? Because let's be honest, most of us are so busy taking care of others that we often forget to take care of ourselves. And it's difficult to carve out that time for yourself. Well now I'm sending you a self-care kit.* In a box. Delivered right to your door. So there's no excuse.

This month's products

Valor Facial Lotion - LCG Box Valor Facial Lotion

This amazing lotion is so smooth and wonderful (and it smells absolutely fabulous). One of the things I love best about it (aside from how great my face feels when I use it) is that you can actually read all of the ingredients without needing a magnifying glass. And even better, they're all real words. No degree in biochemistry needed to understand what you're putting on your face.

Essential Living Witch Hazel - LCG Box

Essential Living Witch Hazel Toner

This wonderful toner is made from 100% American witch hazel. There's no alcohol or preservatives in the bottle, just witch hazel. Of course, I've never understood why anyone would put alcohol into something that's supposed to be good for your face, alcohol just dries out your skin. Witch hazel is useful for:

Nourishing for dry skin. And if used immediately after a shower can help seal in moisture
Reducing acne and redness
Helps to relieve sunburn discomfort
Supportive against itching and inflammation from eczema
Soothing against razor burn
Can help reduce bruising (apply 3 times per day to the affected area)

Turkish Makeup Towels

I love these towels. It honestly never occurred to me to wonder why we always use white towels to remove makeup. But after 2-3 months of daily use, you just throw it out. Even though you've been running it through the wash, it looks like an art project, with lipstick, eye-liner, eye shadow, blush, foundation, whatever you wear. And it just looks gross. Even if you don't wear much make-up, white towels still get stained with skin oils and daily pollution exposure. Now with this wonderful, soft, Turkish cotton towel, you don't have to worry about that.

Turmeric Tea and If You Care Tea Filters

This tea is amazing!! I wish I had smell-o-vision right here on the screen so you could enjoy the fabulous aroma of this incredible 100%-organic-no-added-crap tea. It's delicious hot or cold and I can't make up my mind if I like it better as a morning cuppa or in the evening (even though it's called Dawn).

And these filters? They're unbleached, durable, and really wonderful. The great thing is that you can use these filters for more than just tea. Check out this video on my Facebook page to learn how else you can use them.

Himalayan Salt

Rounding out this month's amazing box is this bag with CHUNKS of Himalayan Salt. Use this to make Sole (pronounced solay) an adrenal support drink. It is very supportive for those with low energy, fatigue, or anyone who needs a good mineral boost. Here's how you make it:

Fill a glass jar about 1/4 of the way with Himalayan salt chunks
Fill the rest of the way with water
Let sit 24 hours so that the water becomes super-saturated
The salt will still be visible at the bottom of the jar
Take 1 teaspoon of the sole, mixed into some room temperature water first thing in the morning (if desired this can be put into a cup of nourishing broth)
Keep refilling your jar with water when it runs low
As the salt run out add another chunk

This bag should provide around 9 months of sole if used daily.

When you join the Lean, Clean, Green Subscription box family you'll get a themed box filled with holistically healthy, well-sourced products personally curated by me. Each month you pay only $47.

The August 2019 Self-Care Box is worth $78.62!!

* The best part about the box is that you're in control of how often you get it. Monthly, every other month, every three months, it's up to you. And if you miss a box, or need a refill on any of these fabulous finds, as long as you're a subscriber you have access to the Marketplace. That means you can log in and still get the items you want.

If you've just found this post and you're not a member of the Lean Clean Green family, join us, you'll be glad you did.

Six Reasons To Love Adult Coloring Books

by Mirahabits, health, ingredients, meditation, personal care, stress, Uncategorizedcoloring book, mandala

When you first think of coloring, you might picture children with bunches of crayons excitedly coloring in books with their favorite cartoon characters. But there’s a growing trend of adults that enjoy coloring. This has brought about the release of more complex coloring sheets and books designed exclusively for adults.

Many adults have discovered that not only is coloring fun, it also has health benefits, too. As a form of self-care (and self-care is one of my "ingredients for a healthy life") coloring books are right up there for a simple, easy way to take a break. If you’ve been thinking about adding coloring books to your self-care strategy, here are some of the ways this hobby can help support better health:

Stress reliever
Elevates mood
The Un-tech Effect
Improves focus
Anyone can color
Highly portable

1. Stress Reliever

According to a study published in the Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, coloring in mandala or geometric patterns appears to lower stress and anxiety levels.

When your body is stressed it produces cortisol. In small doses this hormone can be beneficial, helping you get through a nerve-wracking speech or boosting your energy when you're in the middle of a crisis such as a car accident. Too much cortisol over an extended period of time can lead to health problems. Problems like type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and anxiety.

While coloring doesn’t prevent you from producing cortisol, it’s believed to help lower your cortisol levels. This may be because coloring allows you to get into the creative zone and focus on something enjoyable, rather than worrying about your problems. This, in turn, can help you to relax and release the tension in your body.

One of the conclusions of the Art Therapy study was that “It seems that the complexity and structure of the plaid and mandala designs drew the participants into a meditative-like state that helped reduce their anxiety.”

2. Elevates Mood

Besides easing stress, coloring can also improve your mood. This could be due in part to the fact that no one is judging your art. In many ways, coloring is a freeing experience for adults. It may also be because coloring can lead to something called flow.

Developed by positive psychology cofounder, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, flow is the concept of a highly focused mental state. When in a state of flow you are removing outside distractions. Using coloring as something to create that flow, you let go of stress (as mentioned above) and are focusing the simple act of coloring. This can provide space which allows you to unwind. Your flow state can then boost creativity, productivity, and positivity.

3. The Un-Tech Effect

Let's face it, our lives are immersed in technology. Your phone, your watch, your computer, tablet, and television are all highly technical and always pulling for your attention. Even our homes are becoming smarter and more high tech. Doorbells, lights, heating systems, refrigerator, and more are requiring us to tap into technology. All of that technology interface can be overwhelming, overstimulating, and somewhat stressful. It feels like you are always surrounded. That's because you are.

Yet with just your imagination, some paper, and a few coloring tools you can set aside some me-time and take a break from all that technology. Your brain will actually function better after a break and you'll feel calmer too.

4. Improves Focus

Another advantage of coloring is that it improves your focus. Many people find that coloring while listening to webinars or lectures makes it easier to absorb the information. Some of this may be due to an innate tendency to be a kinesthetic, or hands-on learner. But even those who aren't typically kinesthetic learners may benefit. Many people find that keeping their hands busy, means their mind is less likely to wander.

Because coloring gives you better focus and more clarity, it can also be a good activity to do before you sit down to set goals or develop new strategies. Many highly creative people, such as Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison, found answers to problems they were working on when they took a break and didn't focus on the problem. The creativity required for coloring may help you think of new ways to tackle your goals and get the results you're looking for.

5. Anyone Can Color

Many people suppress their artistic impulses telling themselves that they simply aren't creative. The truth is we are all creative. We all have that spark within us. The beauty of adult coloring books is that when you're coloring it's a no pressure situation. You're not expecting to have your coloring pages hung in a famous museum. You're simply coloring. And you don't even have to color inside the lines if you don't want to. You can make green clouds, pink skies, or anything your imagination can conjure up. It's a totally personal choice of what you color, what colors you choose, and how you put everything together.

6. Highly Portable

Coloring is one of those activities that can be done anywhere. There are even small books or tiny coloring kits that can be tucked into a purse or a backpack to have at the ready. Perfect for long waits at the department of motor vehicles or alone at a coffee shop. Wherever you are and whatever time you have available, coloring can fill in the gaps and give you a healthy break.

If you love to color and are looking for new sources of coloring material be sure to check out my ebook, Mira's Marvelous Mandalas with 55 ready to print beautiful mandala designs to bring you hours of creative fun and mindfulness.

Get the ebook

Goats Milk Soap

by Miraingredients, personal care, reviews

Recently I went to a health and wellness event at a retreat center in Montgomery, TX, Three Goats Farm. Melissa Humphries, the owner of Three Goats Farm is a Nutrition Therapy Practitioner and in the process of building her retreat center is connecting with holistic wellness providers of all kinds. It was a great event and I can't wait to see what else she offers out at the farm.

One of the people I met there was a lovely woman named Traci who runs Four French Hens, a skin care company. She makes fabulous soap from goats milk (from the lovely goat-girls at Three Goats Farm), beeswax candles, bath products and more. We had a wonderful conversation.

I was given a couple of bars of soap as a gift, to try them. The scent is clean and, I know this sounds odd, delicious, even the unscented version. I'm really enjoying using this soap. Made from fabulous clean ingredients and naturally homogenized, it lathers well and is very moisturizing. With just a few simple ingredients — Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Sodium Lardate, Goats Milk, Lye, Essential Oils. Honey Oatmeal: Also contains Raw Honey, Oats — the allergen possibilities are lower and the chemical burden is very low.

As my long time readers know, I advocate eating clean and avoiding as many chemicals as possible in our food. However I am also a big proponent of clean personal care products. Our skin is our largest body organ, what we put on it gets into our system. Making sure you have chemical free personal care products is an important part of health. Enjoying a hand made, locally sourced product, in my opinion, is even better. For those who don't want to make their own soap (or don't have access to such fabulous ingredients) this is a really good option.