Marcela De Vivo

5 Ways to Fight the Monday Blues

August 26, 2019 by Marcela De Vivo

We’ve all felt it. Sunday night, you’re beginning to come down from the joy of your weekend and reality that you have to go back to work the next day is starting to set in.

The feeling of stress or anxiety for the upcoming week is known as, “The Monday Blues,” and if you feel it, you’re not alone. Whether you don’t love your job or class, or you just feel overwhelmed with all that you have to accomplish within the week, its easy to feel negative emotions about the coming work week.

To help get you through, we’ve put together 5 tips to help you stay joyful and motivated throughout the week.

Prepare for Monday on Friday You don’t want to dedicate your allocated down time on the weekends to prepare for Monday. This can make Monday mornings particularly chaotic since a lot of the time is dedicated to playing “catch up” from work that has piled up over the weekend. To help ease some of the burden, make sure you are using the last hour of your day on Friday to prepare for Monday. When possible, hold off scheduling calls or meeting until later on in the day on Monday.
Practice good self-care principles The basics of self care should not be neglected, especially when you have a busy week coming up. This means getting a good night’s rest, eating a healthy breakfast, and fitting in some good physical activity. The better you feel on the inside, the more equipped you are to handle all the outside stresses that the day may throw at you
Add moments of joy to your schedule Your calendar should not only be full of work deadlines and appointments. Make sure that you schedule in fun with friends, work out classes, walks with your dog, or anything else that brings you joy. Even if you don’t have a ton of downtime to spare, there is always an opportunity to carve out some time for joy.
Tackle one task at a time Nothing is more overwhelming than seeing dozens of items on your to-do list. Ease the burden on yourself by working on one thing at a time. Not only will this help you stay organized, but it will also give you the feeling of satisfaction that comes along with checking items off the list.
Evaluate your situation While feeling the blues for a coming Monday sometimes is normal, continuously feeling dread or unhappiness to go into work is not. If you are constantly feeling anxiety about going into the office, it may be time to re-evaluate how happy you are in your position.

Fun Tips To Exercising Outdoors During Spring

January 25, 2019 by Marcela De Vivo

Fun Tips To Exercising Outdoors During Spring

If the ice, snow, and cold temperatures of winter interrupted your exercise routine, the return of the warm weather season should give you some incentive to get outside for some recreation.

According to research from Johns Hopkins University, people are prone to gaining an average of five to seven pounds during the winter season. So a lack of exercise during the winter months, combined with the tendency to put on a few pounds during this same period, means that the sooner you get down to developing an exercise routine, the better. And it goes without saying that you’re more likely to stick with something that you find find enjoyable.

What you’ll see below are fun tips to exercising outdoors during the spring — so that you can get rid of any excess weight, kick-start a regular exercise routine, and enjoy optimal health.

Take a Scenic Walk

Consider that you can burn between 1,000 and 3,000 calories weekly if you walk at least 30 minutes the majority of the days of the week. That statistic alone should be enough to convince you of the validity in getting a good pair of walking shoes, doing some stretching, and hitting the pavement for a brisk walk around your neighborhood. But mix things up by taking a route that you perhaps don’t normally travel. A brisk walk for between half an hour and an hour and a half will help you to burn away excess fat as well as to improve your health and fitness. You can take a few breaks during longer walks by slowing down for five minutes or so before picking up the pace.

Plant a Garden

A fun way to exercise outdoors during the spring season is by gardening. A favorite pastime for many people, gardening will allow you to get a great workout — as you’ll exchange the gym equipment like elliptical machines, weights, and stationary bikes for gardening equipment like wheelbarrows, rakes, and watering cans. In fact, at least one source notes that you can burn around 300 calories per hour by gardening. As well, gardening can help you to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol as well as to prevent heart disease and diabetes. And gardening will help you to give all of your major muscle groups a good workout since it will target the following:

Stomach
Legs
Back
Buttocks
Arms
Neck

So whether you’re weeding, mowing, pushing the wheelbarrow, carrying around the watering can, or moving around bags of potting soil, you’ll get yourself a great workout. And if you plant flowers, your hard work will be rewarded when your garden produces flowers of all sorts of varieties.

Get on a Bike

Biking or cycling is a popular outdoor exercise that you can do this spring. Riding a bike happens to be an activity that is suitable for people of all age groups, and taking part in this form of exercise can help you to avoid diseases such as diabetes, depression, certain types of cancer, strokes, and heart attacks. So if you’re looking for a fun outdoor activity that will allow you to exercise all your primary muscle groups while building stamina and strength, then biking is just the thing.

As you can see, there are various fun outdoor exercises that you can participate in this spring. Perhaps you were one of the people who used the cold weather associated with the winter season as an excuse to do less outdoor activity. But spring has arrived, so now is a great time to get outside for some exercise. If you make it fun, you won’t have any difficulty sticking with it.

How to Use Emotional Intelligence to Become Your Ideal Self

January 5, 2019 by Marcela De Vivo

Though emotional intelligence does not measure intelligence in the same way that an intelligence quotient (IQ) test does, it can be just as revealing about certain aspects of a person’s personality. Such intelligence can be measured by calculating the ability model, which analyzes a person’s emotional information processing abilities and recommends ways in which they could improve their social navigation accordingly. There are marked benefits to this type of self-analysis. People with higher levels of emotional intelligence demonstrate stronger mental health, leadership skills, and overall job performance. The link between the two comes from the ability to read people’s emotions, and by better understanding one’s own mind and feelings.

For many, this is easier said than done. While people often know when they are feeling happy, angry, excited, or sad, they are frequently less successful at understanding their more complex emotions, and cannot employ or comprehend such high-level complexity. Once these skills have been attained, however, a person can quickly become capable of managing their emotions, and harnessing them in productive ways. The easiest way to assess a person’s base level of emotional intelligence is to solve a series of accepted problems using emotion-based logic. These problems are taken from the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, which is not designed to be a hard test to solve. In fact, there are no “correct” responses. Instead, the score is calculated by comparing a person’s responses to the most popular response to the question. Once a person has taken the test, available online from several different resources, they will receive customized feedback on areas in which they can improve. With this guidance in mind, learners can understand how to adapt their own emotions and react to others’ emotions in more positive ways.

For students and children, one of the most applicable uses of emotional intelligence is during instances of bullying. Studies show that children with lower levels of emotional intelligence often bully others in order to let out excess anger and frustration. While this reaction is not constructive, the good news is that it can be corrected. Children who are easily upset can learn the practices of emotional intelligence to control their aggressive responses toward other children, and channel them into more positive outlets. Similarly, this way of using emotional intelligence to become one’s best self can be as equally as useful for adults as well.

Seeing as certain tenets of emotional intelligence include empathy, sincerity, and compassion, adults with higher levels of emotional intelligence are more likely to be in healthier relationships. Because of their ability to control emotional outbursts, they are less inclined to vent frustration on an undeserving partner, or say something in the heat of the moment that they might later regret. Basically, partners with high levels of emotional intelligence likely know how to “fight right.” They can communicate their own thoughts and feelings freely and easily, without emotionally wounding the other partner. Subsequently, their conversations are more constructive, and are much more focused on problem-solving, as opposed to blaming or name calling.

Another positive application of emotional intelligence is in the area of self-control. Individuals with higher levels of emotional intelligence are significantly less likely to develop problems with drug or alcohol addiction. While this might seem a likely correlation without causation, research shows that individuals with higher emotional intelligence are better at self-diagnosing the root cause of their distress, and can help themselves work through that emotion without resorting to harmful or illegal self-medication. More commonly, the same principle applies to eating healthily. Individuals with higher amounts of emotional intelligence are more likely to make health-conscious decisions when grocery shopping or eating out, as they can evaluate and redirect their unhealthy cravings.

These principles and applications of emotional intelligence are just the beginning, and can be put into practice at any age. For parents who want to instill these same values and skills in their children, emotional intelligence is an excellent starting point. Children who grow up and learn to improve their emotional intelligence will have a markedly easier time getting along with their peers. Later in life, these same children will accumulate leadership skills and opportunities more easily, which will eventually translate into better job performance. While children who learn to cultivate their emotional intelligence early in life generally have an easier time of applying this skill, emotional intelligence can be learned at any time. So, when considering ways to truly become your best self, start with your emotional intelligence for a lifetime of successful interactions with others.

Best Ways to Become a Happier Person

January 1, 2019 by Marcela De Vivo

There is a popular story circulating about a time when musician John Lennon was a boy and he was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”. Instead of answering with the expected firefighter, police officer, or doctor, young Lennon proudly proclaimed, “Happy!”. Today, many of us can relate to this outlook and in the grand scheme of things, we just want to be happy in life. Thankfully, with a little mindfulness, there are ways we can become a happier person.

For more information, scroll through the following best ways to become a happier person:

Be present.

It’s no secret that many of us are always running from appointment to appointment and never get a chance to disconnect from work, friends, or emails. To be happy, we need to slow down, take a breath, and be aware of what’s happening now. Take a moment to notice the color of the sky, our child’s toothless grin, and enjoy the song playing on the radio.

Reflect.

Take time to be in touch with ourselves and why we do, what we do. Our “why” matters, because it affects everything ranging from our group of friends to our inability to stop overeating. Understanding why we do things can help us focus more clearly and help us find ways to get the results and happiness we desire. Set aside a few minutes everyday to reflect, meditate, practice yoga, or journal to find our true motivations, desires, needs, and dreams.

Eat to be happy.

One easy way to boost our happiness is to be mindful of what we consume and how we fuel our bodies. If our bodies are lacking essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it is difficult to feel well, which affects our happiness. Also, levels of some vitamins, like B12, and nutrients, like alpha-linolenic acid, can affect our moods and happiness. Strive to intake foods that are full of mood boosting properties, such as: clams, walnuts, dark chocolate, flax seed, coffee, radishes, oysters, pomegranate, yogurt, kefir, and shiitake mushrooms.

Avoid comparing yourself to others.

One of the biggest hurdles to being a happier person, is falling into the trap of comparing ourselves to others. This is especially true in the age of social media when we are constantly viewing the seemingly picture perfect lives of our friends, family, and acquaintances online. These moments of feeling envious can lead to greater stress, anxiety, depression, and self-defeating choices. It’s important we remind ourselves that we are enough and that everyone, even those who appear perfect, are struggling with something.

Pamper yourself.

Relaxing is essential to happiness and it doesn’t matter how, as long as you take time to pamper yourself. Consider taking a long bath, creating a home spa, going for a run, getting a pedi with a friend, listening to relaxing music, or reading a book. Simply rewarding yourself is a great way to boost self esteem and happiness levels.

Nurture your passions.

Think back to what brought you joy as a child and revisit those activities. Maybe you enjoyed painting, riding horses, working with animals, writing, or ice skating? Whatever it was, take a cue from your inner child and do the things that made you happy to rekindle those same feelings today.

Forgive.

We need to give ourselves permission to bury old grudges and forgive people who have hurt us. While many of us assume this is for the other person, forgiving is beneficial for our mental health and physical well being. It’s difficult, but give yourself permission not to dwell on anger, hurt, or vengeance. This will allow us to focus our energies on being happy.

Control your reactions and choose happiness.

This frame of mind will help us in those moments, you know the ones where you want to scream or cry. While we can’t control the world happening around us, we do have the choice to rise above or let it beat us down. If someone at work is bothering you, you get a flat tire, or you are having a disagreement with a friend, step back a moment and don’t give these events the power to derail your day or mood.

Think positive.

For years, experts have all been proclaiming the benefits of positive thinking. However, being positive on a daily basis can be difficult. To build a little more positivity in our lives, we need to be kind to ourselves, grateful, adaptable, and optimistic. Take this one step farther by surrounding ourselves with positive people, sending positive vibes out to others, being grateful for our blessings, and looking for the silver lining in our everyday lives.

What tips can you share for becoming a happier person?

Education and Mindfulness

December 25, 2018 by Marcela De Vivo

Mindfulness is practicing a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. It’s rooted in Buddhist meditation, but has made a resurgence as a secular application in the American mainstream in recent years. This can be largely traced to the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn and his Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program.

This program, launched at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1979, has sparked thousands of studies which have documented the physical and mental benefits attributed to mindfulness and the MBSR program. As such, these techniques are being implemented in schools, prisons, hospitals, and clinics around the country.

Kabat-Zinn asserts that mindfulness is related to meditation – or paying attention on purpose. In a presentation given to the Greater Good Science Center, he suggested that when we hear the word mindfulness, “You should understand that it means presence of heart.” Mindfulness is a process of focusing on the present versus rehashing events in the past or planning for the future.

Elementary school teachers, like Argos Gonzalez who teaches teens in one of the poorest districts of New York City, used mindfulness techniques to begin English class. Student sit for 5 minutes and are guided through a mediation exercise to help them focus and become aware of their emotional state. In classrooms like Gonzalez’s, students are dealing with very troubling life circumstances outside of the classroom and using techniques like mindfulness are one way schools are trying to reach troubled students and help them focused more specifically on school.

The approach is capturing attention as advocates such as Mindful Schools offers training for teachers on how to apply mindfulness strategies. Started in 2007, the school believes that incorporating the mindfulness approach at the primary and secondary school level will help teachers address toxic stress and other problems that hinder the educational process.

Daniel Rechtschaffen, Founder of Mindful Education Institute and the Omega Mindfulness in Education conference, works with Mindful Schools primary in the San Francisco area. He believes that through emotional regulation and stress management children can be taught how to pay attention and focus which will in term lead to improved performance in the classroom.

When practicing mindfulness, it’s important to incorporate the following components:

Pay close attention to your breathing. This is especially important during times of intense emotions.
Identify anything you are sensing in a given moment. This includes sights, smells, sounds, etc.
Recognize that anything you are feeling is temporary and does not define you permanently.
Pay close attention to your body’s physical sensations.

By doing the fours steps mentioned above you can tap into the benefits that a mindful approach to learning can produce. For instance, mindfulness can help with:

Reducing Negative Motions: Studies show that mindfulness can improve positive emotions and reduce stress. It can be a powerful alternative to antidepressants and fighting depression and preventing relapses.
Reforming Our Brains: Some studies show that these techniques can increase the gray matter in our brains linked to learning, emotions, and memory.
Improving Focus: Mindfulness has been shown to help people block out distractions is naturally aids with memory and retention.
Reducing Behavior Problems: This is a significant benefit in schools because a reduction is behavior problems allows teachers to spend more time focused on teaching the entire class. Less disruptions means that entire class can use class time more productively.

Mindfulness is not a new technique, but new focus is bringing this approach to the forefront. It offers tremendous potential to improve the way we learn, how much we’re able to retain, and how schools and classrooms are managed overall. Research is showing that practicing mindfulness, even for just a few weeks, can bring a variety of physical, psychological, and social benefits that are difficult to ignore.