6 Tips to Overcome Procrastination

Are you having trouble with focusing on the tasks at hand? Maybe you got occupied chatting with a coworker that popped into your office a few minutes ago. Or maybe you've found yourself catching up on industry news by looking through a stack of trade magazines. Regardless of the cause, we all struggle with procrastination in one form or another. So how can you overcome procrastination? Below are six helpful tips to follow:

1. Thinking "have to" vs "choose to":
You may be procrastinating because you feel that you are being forced to perform a task that you don't want to do. For example, you may tell yourself that your spouse is trying to manipulate you into washing the dishes or doing the laundry. Because you don't like being manipulated, you procrastinate by:

-Playing video games
-Watching TV
-Walking the dog

Instead of telling yourself you have to wash the dishes, tell yourself that you choose to wash the dishes to make your spouse happy.

2. Don't blow tasks out of proportion:
Stop telling yourself that the future of your business, your career, and even your success all depend on the outcome of this one action you have to take.

3. Reward yourself:
For example, tell yourself that if you sit at your desk and work on your taxes for an hour without interruptions, you'll reward yourself with that delicious slice of cake in the fridge. Giving yourself the incentive to complete a task makes it a lot easier.

4. Three questions to ask yourself:
Before you start working on any given task, ask yourself these three questions.

-Am I the best person to perform this task?
-Is this the best use of my time at the moment?
-Am I using this task as an excuse to avoid working on something that's more important?

5. Get rid of overstaying visitors:
Struggling with dilly-dallying visitors? Follow these three steps to get rid of them politely.

-As you're talking, suddenly interrupt yourself. It's okay to put your task first!
-Take control of the conversation.
-Look at your watch and say "Oh no! It's already 3:30 PM!"

6. Keep asking yourself what needs to be done next:
You don't have to wait for the perfect, detailed plan of how you're going to achieve your goal before acting on it. Center yourself in the moment and ask:

-"What can I do right now to move forward?"
-"What's right in front of me?"

Practicing these six tips can help you become a more productive person!

The Differences between Vegan and Vegetarian

For some, a vegan diet and a vegetarian diet are difficult to differentiate. Neither diet includes beef, but what about brownies, pizza, and yogurt? So what's the difference? In short, Vegetarians don't eat animals but eat many products which come from them, such as eggs and milk. Vegans, on the other hand, avoid poultry, meat, seafood, and all animal products. A vegan diet eliminates foods produced using animals or animal products in any way. Many vegans also avoid clothing, household products, or other items tested on animals or made from animal products.

What are the different types of vegans and vegetarians?:
-Ovo vegetarian: Eats eggs but not dairy products.

-Nutritional vegetarian: Doesn't eat meat for health reasons.

-Lacto Ovo vegetarian: Eats both dairy products and eggs. However, many Lacto-Ovo vegetarians will only eat free-range eggs because of welfare objections to the intensive farming of hens.

-Ethical vegetarians: Doesn't eat meat in deference to animals or the environment.

-Lacto vegetarian: Eats dairy products but not eggs.

-Vegan: Doesn't eat eggs, dairy products, or any other animal product.

-Raw vegan: Doesn't eat any animal by-products, including anything cooked above 46 degrees Celsius.

Health considerations:
One suggested downside of choosing a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle is developing a deficiency in calcium, zinc, protein, and iron. However, both groups can choose specific foods to ensure their nutritional requirements are met. Popular food choices include grains, kale, nuts, and legumes. Vegetarians and vegans can also get additional sources of protein from soy products (tempeh, tofu, edamame, soy milk, and miso), beans, grains (bulgur wheat, quinoa), seeds, and sprouts. Spices such as dill, fennel, poppy, and celery seeds are also excellent sources of calcium. Other calcium supplements include figs, peanuts, sun-dried tomato, soybeans, almonds, peanut butter, and tofu.

What are the health benefits?:
Plant-based diets are well known for being rich in protein, calcium, potassium, iron and other essential vitamins. These vitamins and minerals are typically low in saturated fat and sodium, packed with antioxidants and high in fiber. It is suggested that vegetarian and vegan diets could reduce the likelihoods of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and obesity. Researchers have also found that vegetarians typically have lower blood pressure than non-vegetarians. It is proven that that following a vegan diet reduces the risk of diabetes by 78 percent compared to individuals that eat meat on a daily basis.

Would you try a vegan or vegetarian diet?

The Benefits of Biofeedback Therapy for Seniors

Biofeedback therapy is performed using muscle relaxation, mental exercises, and breathing. But how does this mind-body therapy work? Neuro-feedback therapy helps reduce a wide range of symptoms by lowering sympathetic arousal, which is done through changing and identifying certain mental activities and physical reactions. This acts as a natural headache remedy and a natural painkiller. 

Who benefits from Biofeedback Therapy? 
Conditions that are commonly treated with neuro-feedback therapies now include: 

-High blood pressure 
-Anxiety and depression 
-Eating disorders 
-TMJ symptoms (temporomandibular joint dysfunction) 
-Trouble sleeping or insomnia 
-Epilepsy 
-Autism spectrum disorders 
-Cancer recovery 
-Muscle tension or spasms 
-Heart disease 
-Urinary incontinence 
-Digestive symptoms including IBS, diarrhea, and constipation
-Migraine headaches 
-Muscle tension 
-And almost any other condition worsened by stress 

What relaxation techniques would benefit your loved one?: 

-Tensing every muscle in the body, one by one, then relaxing them. 
This technique can help take your mind off of images and anxiety-provoking thoughts.
-Prayer 
The appeal of a higher power calms and relaxes some people. 
-Massage 
A massage therapist will knead your body into a state of relaxation, which reduces stress, anxiety, and pain. Your loved one can try different techniques to see which are most effective. 
-Hypnosis 
The goal of hypnosis is to achieve a state of relaxed concentration. During this state, the mind is more receptive to suggestions which block the awareness of pain. Hypnosis can even change the sensation of pain into something positive. The hypnosis should be performed by a trained psychologist or psychiatrist. 
-Focusing on an image, concept, or word 
This technique can be used to take the mind off of anxiety or pain and focuses on something more calming such as the image of a child smiling, ocean sounds, or the thought of "I will get better".
-Biofeedback and relaxation 
Neuro-feedback involves electrical equipment used to help a person to learn how to control muscle tension, blood pressure, and heart rate. This method is commonly used in conjunction with other relaxation techniques. 
-Slow, rhythmic breathing 
This refocusing helps change thoughts of pain and anxiety into peaceful and positive images. 

The origin of biofeedback goes back to the 1970's. Neuro-feedback machines have come a long way since then, but for at least four decades, biofeedback care has focused on muscle tension, temperature, brainwaves, sleep and the cardiovascular system. Will you talk to your loved one about biofeedback therapy?