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Your New Year's Resolution, Stick with It

Ahhhh, the new year is just days away and you are pretty excited for the new year to come since you’ve conjured up an elaborate plan for your New Year’s Resolution. The new year then comes and you’re off to a good start. But just days or weeks into your New Year’s Resolution plan, you abandon the plan and go back into your old habits. What happened? What went wrong? Why did you abandon the plan? Well here are some tips on how to get back on the saddle and rejuvenate your New Year’s Resolution to make it a success!

Before we can take a look at the tips on how to get back on track, we need to address what happened in the first place. There are a few reasons why we don’t accomplish our goal. The biggest factor why we don’t accomplish our goals is that we make resolutions during the holidays. The holidays’ not good to make resolutions since you will be stressed out, overindulging and will be filled with guilt. We all make the promise that once the holidays are over, it’s time to take control of the situation. Yeah right, the first rule of failure, you waited until after, you should’ve started right away!

Lack of results can also damper your goals. You try so hard and yet you don’t feel like it’s working. Well give it a few weeks or months to start seeing change, change does not happen overnight.

Did you plan? Planning plays a great deal in changing your lifestyle. You have to plan right in order to achieve the goal. You also have to expect that you might have to plan to change your lifestyle, for the rest of your life, not just for a few weeks or months.

Setting unrealistic goals. Your goals should be achievable, reasonable, measurable and specific. You must stick to goals that pertain to your body. Setting unrealistic goals, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Reality bites. It is so fun to see yourself in your mind that you are dedicating yourself to the needs. The problem is, it’s only in your mind. When you set your goals, you have to go ahead as planned not making excuses for yourself or avoiding the plan. You have to stay true to yourself in order for the goal to be achieved.

Now, let’s look at some tips on how to get back on track and help you reach your goal.

The first thing you need to do is to re-vamp your goals. Go back and re-vamp your goals and make the proper adjustments. Break it down and manage it. Should you increase? Should you decrease? What happened to the time? Go ahead and re-vamp your plan to fit your needs and make it more manageable to you.

Second, re-examine your plan. Be honest with yourself and figure out what went wrong. Was it too much? Too hard? Too time consuming? Lowering your standards should not be shameful as we explained before, you might’ve set your goal way too high to start with. In this way, you start with something you can handle and build from it eventually making you stronger and more accustomed to the plan.

Third, stop putting yourself down. You are your own worst critic. With shame and guilt, you will never be able to accomplish your goal. You have to realize that failure is a part of success. Treat yourself with respect and love all throughout. Encourage yourself to overcome the shame and the guilt and success will surely some easily afterwards.

Fourth, Get some help. If you feel alone and think that it’ll help you cope better with someone else, get some help. It doesn’t hurt to get help since they will help encourage you to achieve your goals. Most people can’t go it alone. Get some help from a friend, sibling, spouse, even professional help if that’s what it takes to help get you motivated.

Last but not least, Don’t be too hard on yourself, Lighten up. Time will go on and so will life. No one is perfect. To have a healthy conscience of your surroundings and of your abilities and health will give you a good insight about your resolution. If you are enjoying yourself and are doing the best you can, a little room from exercise is always healthy.

Success is always found in the measure of your failure. As I have previously noted, nobody is perfect. Learn from your mistakes and make better judgement. Don’t give up. Quitting is the first instinct when times get rough but to not give up and continue is gold. Don’t give up.

Shut-Eye Starvation (a.k.a. Sleep Deprivation)

By: Gayle Gatchalian

By the time we hit the age of 18, when somebody shows us a can of Red Bull, there’s no mistaking one constant association we make with that product. All-nighters, be it for school (that damned midterm) or for work (Powerpoint presentations and filing paperwork notwithstanding). You haven’t lived until you’ve watched the sun set and rise in a single waking day, preferably on a drinking binge with friends. Sometimes, we even look forward to those nights when we can arm ourselves with coffee or No-Doz or any one of the energy drinks readily available everywhere because it just goes to show how hard-working we are. And how much better we are at procrastinating than anything else.

We down shots of espressos just as easily as we down shots of good tequila, taking the jumpstart caffeine provides for granted, not realizing that daily Starbucks expenditures are part of a larger problem than afflicts 47 million American adults today. That’s almost a quarter of the population, according to the National Sleep Foundation. The problem? Sleep deprivation.

“Bullshit,” some might say. Four hours gets you through the day, and that’s usually enough for the productivity-obsessed denizens of the urban metropolis. A little thing like not getting enough sleep isn’t going to trip up your great plans to be the next Bill Gates or win the Nobel Peace Prize. Think again.

Let’s look briefly into what sleep is, more importantly, what sleep deprivation is, some of its effects and finally, some tips on better sleeping habits. And no, the answer is not Ambien or Lunesta or Excedrin PM.

Sleep is, in a few words, necessary for survival. Stanford University professor William Dement describes sleep as ‘the behavioral state of complete perceptual disengagement from the environment.’ (Wikipedia.Com) There are many theories regarding the uses of sleep, but of immediate interest to us is something intuitional. Sleep is ‘rest’. The brain's frontal cortex relies on sleep to function effectively. Now this is the part of the brain generally thought to be where higher level thinking, planning, and goal formulation take place.

What about sleep deprivation? Obviously, not getting enough sleep. We all know that the recommended amount of sleep daily is 8 hours, give or take an hour, depending on the person’s needs. And just because you can go on four hours of sleep doesn’t mean you should. Why?

First of all, remember that little thing called the frontal cortex and what it does? Insufficient sleep messes with your brain’s “ability to control speech, access memory, and solve problems.” According to sleepdeprivation.com, “Concentration levels drop, and memory becomes impaired. Speech becomes slurred and fragmented, and mental reaction time slows.”

It shows in one’s mood as well. Coming from an all-nighter doesn’t really make you Little Ms. Sunshine, does it?

Physically, fatigue is the most immediate and noticeable effect of sleep deprivation. Generalized weakness, inability to focus, lessened endurance are all familiar, and rightfully associated with lack of sleep, so is an increase in appetite, hence weight gain. A big no-no these days, especially to us here in Hollywoodtown. Also, lose enough sleep and you are at a greatly increased risk for acid reflux disease, ulcers, and hypothyroidism which include sensitivity to cold, depression, muscle pain etc. etc.

Last but not the least… Sleepiness! It’s what we call that heavy-eyed feeling accompanied by yawning and stretching. It’s that lazy limbo between waking and passing out, that is a nuisance, as well as a danger to yourself and people around you.

Remember, 55% of drowsy driving fatalities occur under the age of 25. So if you’re sleepy and you get behind the wheel, just think that you have a 1 in 2 chance of getting into an accident.

What then, can we do to avoid sleep deprivation and its posse of effects like mental incapacitation, fatigue, weight gain, irritability and such?

Well, The National Sleep Foundation has come up with the magic 7 tips for getting a better night’s sleep, so you won’t need to wait for the Sandman to sprinkle his mojo dust on you.

1. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends and vacations.
2. Regular exercise improves sleeping habits, but take care not to exercise within five hours of bedtime.
3. Worrying about falling asleep actually keeps many people awake. Get up and do something else until you feel sleepy.
4. Nicotine and caffeine are both stimulants, and should be avoided up to six hours before bedtime. Alcohol is a sedative, and may appear to promote sleep, but in fact, once the sedative effect wears off, sleeping patterns become erratic.
5. A heavy meal before bed can cause indigestion and drinking fluids before bed can make you to get up and pee in the middle of the night. Try to avoid these two for at least two hours before bedtime.
6. Relax. Spending some down time before bed helps falling asleep come easier. Try meditation. A warm bath works, or quiet reading. Course readers will get you sleeping in no time.
7. Watching TV, paying bills etc. create the expectation in your mind that the bedroom is for activities other than resting. Your bedroom should only be used for sleeping and sex, and that is according to the National Sleep Foundation.

But in the end, we don’t really need the credibility or justification of a nation-wide group of scholars to tell us something that is so fundamental, so necessary to being alive that it is quite a wonder sleep deprivation has become an affliction. All you need is a couple of Zs to keep the mind sharp and your game tight. Just do in the bedroom what needs to be done in the bedroom. Nothing more, nothing less… sleep, that is.

Light Up The Holidays With Christmas Lights

By: Gian Erguiza

Christmas is the most celebrated holiday of the year. Whether it’d be here in America or all over the world, the birth of Christ, hence the word Christmas, is the most celebrated holiday to date. There is one thing different about Christmas in America though which is, people really go all out to decorate their houses with Christmas lights. I mean all out. Back in the old days, people really did not decorate their houses with Christmas lights but instead considered Christmas lights as the candles they provided to their trees and such.

Christmas lights were first introduced back in 1882 by a young man named Edward H. Johnson. Edward worked for Thomas Edison back in 1882 as an inventor. For months, Edward worked on an invention that will eventually become the first ever Christmas lights. When Christmas came that year, Edward presented his invention of 80 red, white and blue electrical light bulbs entrenching a shimmering Christmas tree to the public. By 1895, the first electrical light bulbs were lit at The White House Christmas Tree.

Forward to present day where people try to out do each other with Christmas lights design and decorations. The most common type of lights used these days is LED lights because of their low maintenance and long life. Some people go as far as lighting up the whole house, inside and outside with lighted decorations such as mechanical animated deer’s and blow up bigger than life snow globes with fake snow in tow. Some people add different styles of Christmas lights from all colors blinking, one colored icicle lights, to lighted angels, stars and Christmas balls. In other words, Christmas lights have come a long way from when Edward first introduced them back in 1882.

Things to know before decorating your house with Christmas lights:

1. Check each and every single LED light to make sure that there is no breach on the lead fuses or tearing on the wires connecting them to prevent any cause of fires. Make sure that you do a thorough check before placing the lights anywhere where it can cause a fire to start.
2. You have to find a safe spot where to plug in your lights. Obviously, there probably won’t be any electrical outlets at roof top height so buy an extension cord long enough to reach the top of the rooftop. If you don’t have an electrical outlet outside of the house, we suggest drilling a hole in the wall so you don’t have to keep your window open at night or when you are not home. We do not suggest leaving any Christmas lights or any other decorations lit up while unattended. It is good safe practice.
3. You also need to secure your light wires and extension cords with fasteners. We suggest using rubber or plastic fasteners. Metal fasteners tend to rust and are not suited for the outdoors. Go with the rubber or plastic for convenience. When draping the cable, make sure that it continues along the lines of the fasteners and is fastening tightly while you are going along. Making sure that the light wires, cables, and extension cords are fastened tightly are important to secure them from wind, your pets, or away from things that can cause a fire.
4. As I previously said, only have the Christmas lights lit when you are present. Not only is this good safe practice but it is also keeping with energy saving. Keeping energy saving in mind will help make the world a better place. Christmas lights are also for use on special occasions only and not for the every day use.

Once you have figured out the plan of the Christmas lights and where it is going to be placed, it’s time to pick out the colors. You should select bold colors that will make a splash on the eyes especially since most walls are of light color for better illumination. The colors can also determine the theme of the house so choose your colors wisely but remember that there are no rules in choosing which color the lights should be.

Christmas tree lights are a different ball game all together. When choosing your Christmas tree lights, make sure that it goes well with the interior of the house for the full effect. Choosing a Christmas tree is also part of the game. You have to make sure that you choose a tree that has sufficient space to hang lights and decorations to make it appealing to the eye. If you are cutting the tree from your backyard, make sure that you cut the tree with the same aspect of choosing a tree, leaving enough space for the lights and decorations. When cutting your own tree, you should also keep in mind the space of where the tree will go so that it fits and doesn’t take up all the space in your home. In recent times, mini-Christmas lights have become the craze in decorating the inside the house for their array of colors and reliability. They are also known to go for about 10 years or so.

Light it up! See where you have to adjust and make changes to accommodate your taste and make it work. The last thing that I will mention is: Before you go to bed, always unplug your Christmas lights, inside and out, for safety. If you are using candles to supplement the Christmas lights, don’t forget to put them out as well.