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Your body benefits greatly just by the simple act of deep breathing. A slow, controlled breath will not only soothe the central nervous system to make you more relaxed, but also helps your body in these ways:
People who get inadequate sleep are more vulnerable to infection than those who are well rested. In one study, researchers injected healthy volunteers with a cold virus. Those who slept less than 7 hours a night for the previous week were 3 times more likely to develop symptoms than those who got 8 hours or more. In another study, people who got only 4 hours sleep for several nights in a row had a weaker immune response to the flu vaccine than those who slept between 7.5 and 8.5 hours.
Don’t skimp on your sleep. It’s only going to de-rail you down the line. People seem to wear sleeping to little or working too hard as a badge of honor. It’s not. It’s a sign of being unbalanced. In actuality, it’s a sign of not handling your life properly. So the next time you hear someone bragging about how much they work and how little they sleep, let them know they are setting themselves up for failure. Buy them a box of tissues, because they’ll be needing it for the cold they are about to get.
Sonia Kashuk, celebrity makeup artist to many stars, including Cindy Crawford, lists her 10 commandments for great skin.
Want happiness? Try music. Music activates parts of the brain that can trigger happiness, releasing endorphins similar to the ways that sex and food do. Music can also relax the body, sometimes into sleep, as it stimulates the brain’s release of melatonin.
A study of older adults who listened to their choice of music during outpatient eye surgery showed that they had significantly lower heart rates and blood pressure, and their hearts did not work as hard as those who underwent surgery without music. A second study of patients undergoing colonoscopy showed that listening to their selection of music reduced their anxiety levels and lessened the dosage required for sedation.
Case in point, listen to this song and try not to start immediately salsa dancing. It’s absolutely impossible to listen to this song and not start instantly dancing.
Sun damage, stress, and lack of sleep can contribute to uneven skin tone. Take care of your skin with a super-high SPF sun block every day.
A quick 15-20 minute nap can recharge your day and your mind. Slow your mind and body down to deeply relax and de-stress. You’ll have better mental processing, stress less, have better reaction time, create a brain that’s hungry and susceptible to learning, and have better overall health.
A study published in the Archives of International Medicine found that people who napped for at least 30 minutes three or more times a week reduced their risk for dying from heart disease by nearly 40%.
In an economic time when most magazines are packing their bags and calling it a day, Organic Beauty magazine comes along. Organic Beauty magazine is a new, eco-conscious magazine not exclusively focused on beauty products. Organic Beauty is, in many ways, a complete lifestyle magazine, well-rounded with articles on style, health, fitness, parenting and business—but always with its lens on beauty. I love the idea of an eco-chic magazine! It’s truly the wave of the future, so get in touch, get in tune, and find out what eco-friendly is all about. Organic Beauty is on newsstands now.
Ah, luxury bedding. Is there anything better than luxury bedding? You could have the worst day in the world and your mind could be in 25 different places, but something about slipping into a bed dressed in luxury makes it all go away. There’s something very meditative and calming about beautiful bedding. It’s very zen.
Your bedroom is a place you don’t want to skimp on. It’s the ultimate spot for indulgent “me” time. I throw “me” time around like I get a lot of it. I don’t. I probably get as much ”me” time as you do. But remember the term “quality, not quantity” coined by guilt-ridden parents in the 80s? I’m not sure how effective that was on children, but it certainly applies well to other areas. So we all can’t lay around in bed all day, but at least six hours a day will be spent in your bedroom, so make it your sanctuary. Your ultimate “me” time place.
Luxury bedding means something different to everyone, it’s all relative obviously, but to me, it’s about thick, ultra-soft cotton sheets (flannel actually feels like the thickest, most soft cotton you’ve ever felt after you’ve washed it several times and use lots of Downy.) A luxurious blanket made of the softest material you can find, and a fluffy white down comforter rolled down to make it look tripled in size. Back in the day, I had tons of accessory pillows on my bed. Today, I go with what works…practical and beautiful. I use three king sized pillows pillows for each side of the bed, meaning six in total (see picture.)
If your mattress hasn’t seen new sheets in a while, it’s time to stage a bedroom intervention. Stick with simplistic colors, like white or camel, as it’s (A) more zen and (B) easier to accessorize the rest of your room with. Keep the overall goal of zen/beautiful/luxury in mind when shopping. Don’t get too far off track . Yes, Calvin Klein will try to tempt you with wild animal prints and Laura Ashley will tempt you to sleep in the land of precious with dainty flowers, but that’s not zen. And, it’s just downright mean making your husband sleep in Laura Ashley. Seriously! Men do not want to wake up like a princess.
And no time like the present! Tomorrow is Valentines day, so do a room intervention tomorrow morning so your luxury bedding will be ready for your Valentines picnic in bed. Just watch the red wine on the sheets.
*If you adore interiors and homes as much as I do, you’ll love my friend Julia’s blog, Hooked On Houses. Such a great blog if you are hooked on houses like we are! Go say hi to Julia, she’ll be glad you stopped by.
December can be maddening. Almost every day of the month is dedicated to making someone else happy…which is a great thing, but don’t forget about yourself. Take some time to reflect, to appreciate your life, your family, and the good things around you. Make this year your “first annual” whatever. Make some memories, start some traditions, do something to make people remember you when you’re gone. Stay positive and happy this month. That’s what it’s all about, after all. This holiday was created around a great and joyous event (remember?) Fill your home with great scents, indulge in at home spa treatments, take a nap, just take a second for yourself. Throw an hour of Yoga or Pilates in, and you’re set, girlfriend. Now go on and take a sec!
