3 REASONS PROCRASTINATION CAN ACTUALLY BE GOOD FOR YOU

Sometimes big life decisions need to be made and they need to be made very quickly or on a less dramatic note sometimes there are smaller decisions that need to be made on a day to day basis. And sometimes we really do not know what the best decision is and simply do not want to think of it much. Any way you slice it there will always be decisions that will have to be made and things we will have to do and a lot of the times we will encounter some form of procrastination. Before I delve in to the reasons procrastination can be good thing, I first want to define what it means. The best way I can define procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing something. I have to admit that I am a self-diagnosed procrastinator – even when I know a certain task HAS to get done I can sometimes procrastinate a bit. However, once my procrastination phase is over I always give the task 110% of my attention and effort. But, I digress; my point is that there is good procrastination and bad procrastination. As long as you can tell which type of procrastination you are encountering you will be able to know how to best manage it.

Here are the reasons I feel procrastination is actually a good thing:

Listen to your intuition

Sometimes you are not exactly sure why you are dragging your feet on something. This is a great time to sit back and do your best to put your finger on the reason you may be putting the thing off. Maybe it is your gut telling you that you should probably not move forward with the task or idea. In this instance, procrastination is actually a very good thing because your mind and your gut know what is best for you before you logically know it. If you give yourself some time to mull it over you’ll soon know what the best option for you is.

It’s not your thing

Other times you may procrastinate on doing something because you truly do not like to do it. Now don’t confuse that with laziness, if you’re lazy about doing something you know you will eventually get to it. But I am talking about a task that has just really never been for you. As an example, let’s say you absolutely do not like to do laundry, like seriously despise everything about it – well you can then consider to hiring someone to do your laundry (if you can afford it, of course) on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. If outsourcing a chore you really do not enjoy then you can use that time in a much more productive and enjoyable manner.  

Gives you time

The beauty of procrastination is that it buys you time. And if you ever need to make a hard decision the best thing that can happen to you is have a little more time to think about it in order to arrive to the best decision. Giving yourself time to make a decision is a good thing as long as you don’t go crazy with the amount of time you give yourself – my suggestion is to allow yourself 1-3 nights to sleep on it – this will give you some clarity and breathing room to arrive at a good decision.

Are you a procrastinator? Have you gotten better at managing your procrastination habits? Share your tips below!

IMPORTANT REASONS TO BE HAPPY AND KEEP YOU GROUNDED RIGHT NOW

If there is one feeling that connects all human beings my wild guess would be that it is the aspiration to find happiness. This topic has been top of mind the past few days after a very interesting and inspiring conversation I had with my brother. After that conversation, we came to the conclusion that it is our duty to find happiness within our current situation. Sure, we can aspire to have more – more money, a better job, more vacations, more houses and that’s fine. In fact, I think it’s great to have those aspirations because they keep us intrinsically motivated to keep pushing our own envelopes and do bigger and better things. But they key is to let those aspirations be just that – aspirations – and be thankful, grateful and humble for that you DO have today. 

While there are many, many reasons to be happy at any given moment – I have boiled it down to my top two reasons: the people around you and your health. These are the two things that are the highest on my priority list and they are the things that really propel and motivate me whenever I am having a doubtful or not-so-happy moment.

People

The people you have in your life and the people who love you unconditionally are the people who truly want to see you happy. So be happy and grateful to have them in your life. Be present when you are talking to them and cherish those moments because as much as we want them to be around forever they will not always be there. When you are around these people who love you, be sure to consistently engage in meaningful conversations with them. And that means you get to put your phone down, shut off the TV and focus on them and your conversation, yes, you read that correctly, as difficult as it is giving undivided attention nowadays you need to do it. You will be surprised and how much you will learn from them and how much more you will learn about yourself.

Health

Be grateful for your health and your well-being. Sure, you may have those few stubborn pounds you want to drop but that is small potatoes compared to the challenging lives people all over the world lead due to some type of illness or unforeseen accident. So, be grateful for the body you have and treat it well. Feed it quality food and get your body moving to keep your blood circulating. Drink lots of water and stay far, FAR away from soda and processed foods. Trust me, your body will thank you immensely for that.

What are the things that keep you grounded and happy? Share below!

8 TIPS TO SIMPLIFY AND BALANCE OUT YOUR LIFE

Life is full of distractions and never ending to-do lists and chores that are essential to keeping your life moving forward but these things can sometimes take over our lives and leave us feeling like we are in a middle of a whirlwind tunnel. BUT the good news is that there is light at the end of the tunnel and there is hope if we can figure out the ways we can make our lives simpler to manage.  I would even venture out to say that a big piece of the struggle I find in myself but also in those around me comes down to basic time management skills.

Make a list of your values

There is always and there will always be things to do and people to see, which is great! But we have all been through exhausting days and weeks and overtime that can prove to be unhealthy for your health (on several levels). My point here is that having a clear understanding of what your values are whether they be your family, friends, career, religion, whatever they are just be aware of them and if you ever have to pick one event that falls in your values category and one that doesn’t the choice just became that much simpler.

Declutter

I have been a huge proponent of declutter-ization (if that’s even a word!) here on the blog. I went through a huge declutter exercise on my wardrobe about 6 months ago and I must say that after the whole ordeal was over it felt amazing (even though the process was a whole different story). Having gotten rid of so many clothing options that I never even wore has dramatically cut down on the amount of time I spend even thinking about what I am going to wear. But also note that the idea of decluttering goes way beyond a wardrobe – decluttering your office, your car, your kitchen, your bathroom, your laundry room. Go through these places and get rid of anything you did not even remember you had. Rule of thumb here is: the less number of options you have the easier the choice.

Get rid of debt

Owing money to anyone can feel like a constant burden on your shoulders and is also mentally draining. Not to mention that, having debt can delay certain goals in your life like purchasing a home.  Having a healthy financial life will seriously make decision making that much simpler

Unsubscribe

If your email inbox looks anything like mine then you are used to getting promotional emails every five minutes from stores you have shopped at once in the last 3 years. I have been unsubscribing from those emails as much as I can this has decreased the amount of unnecessary emails I receive throughout the day which also allows me to devote more time to the more important things that come through my inbox.

Eat healthy meals and exercise

This may not seem like it belongs on this list but yes, my friend, it does. Eating healthy is a necessity for your body and the happier your body feels the healthier your mind will feel and the more productive you will be with your time and attention span. So, the better your body feels the more of a positive impact that will have in other aspects of your life.  You can also never ever go wrong in doing some type of exercise – pick a time a day that works for YOU – and think about all of the positives that are coming out of getting your blood flowing and your heart pumping.

Make your own lunch

I usually (meaning 3-4 times a week) make my own lunch the night before and bring it to work. This has not only saved me a lot of money but it has also eliminated the difficult (and sometimes unhealthy) decision of wondering what I’ll eat for lunch. I’ll also have to admit that I’m not all of that creative when it comes to preparing lunch for myself and often stick to a few of my signature dishes that I can whip up in 20 minutes or less.

Keep your wallet organized

Knowing what you do and no not have in your wallet will save you so much time when at a checkout counter. I used to have a messy wallet full of coupons and receipts but I have done away with all of that madness. I now keep receipts in an enveloped a keep in a drawer at home and coupons neatly tucked away in my Ink Well Press planner.

Run all of your errands at once

I run my errands on either Saturday mornings or Sunday mornings while most people are probably still sleeping or just waking up. I know, it may sound a little crazy BUT it feel so good when you have run your errands for the week before noon time and then you have the rest of the day to yourself. This may take a little bit of planning on your part but overtime it will become so easy you will never be able to go back to running small errands throughout the week.

What changes have you incorporated into your life to make is more simple and manageable? What are you hoping to change? Do share below!​ 

5 NATURAL PRODUCTS THAT HAVE DONE WONDERS FOR MY SKIN AND HAIR

For a couple of years now I have been trying to minimize the amount of unnecessary chemicals I put on my skin and on my hair. In my list of favorite books I talked about The Green Beauty Guide written by Julie Gabriel. Side note: every time I think of this book I think of sitting at the beach vacationing because I read this while on vacation in Costa Rica over 2 years ago! Now back to the topic at hand, this book really opened my eyes to the outrageous amount of chemicals we put on our bodies and not only is that bad enough but some of these chemicals have been proven to be carcinogens. The fact that these chemicals are even allowed to be used on every day household products is extremely worrisome to me but that is a big topic for another time. 

Since around the time I read The Green Beauty Guide I have been a lot more conscious when purchasing any type of beauty or skin care products. One of the ways I do this is reading the ingredients list and even doing a quick online search whenever I see a questionable ingredient listed. But my main rule of thumb when it comes to the products I use on my skin and hair and what I eat is that I cannot pronounce it I do not want it on my skin or in my body. Yes, there are times I give in and use products that may contain harmful chemicals or eat foods that I know are not so great but those are the exception rather than the rules.

Before I go into the products I have used and now swear by I want to tell you guys a little bit about my skin and hair. I have combination skin (oily t-zone) and I am prone to the occasional breakout especially during THAT time of the month. My hair is naturally curly (even though I typically blow dry it) and if you are familiar with curly hair I am in between a 2C and 3A hair type and I have A LOT of hair not in terms of length (I have my hair a little past shoulder length) but in terms of quantity. Let’s put it this way, whatever the average number of hair strands on a head are multiply that by 2 or 3! Not kidding.

jojoba oil

The first thing to note about jojoba oil is that it is not really oil but rather more like a wax. This oil is non-comedogenic, non-toxic, and non-allergenic and it is an anti-bacterial. Jojoba oil also has a high content of vitamin E and natural minerals. I have been using Jojoba oil as a nighttime moisturizer after I wash my face by applying 2-3 drops or just enough to cover your face with a very thin film of the jojoba oil. In the mornings I wake up with baby bottom smooth skin.

rosewater

Due to the high levels of anti-oxidants and vitamins found in rosewater it is a great product to use for anti-aging purposes. I use rosewater as a toner a few times a week by simply using a cotton ball to gently apply the liquid to my skin. I used to use a drugstore toner and for a while I used it almost every day and I did not find that it was helping my skin in any way. While I do not think toners are necessary I do like to use rosewater a few times a week due to the anti-aging qualities it has along with the added benefits of it having anti-oxidants and vitamins.

coconut oil

This oil has become such a household name in the past couple of years and for good reason! Aside from using this oil as a substitute for olive oil when I cook I also love, LOVE using this for my hair. Coconut oil is another natural product that is rich in minerals and vitamins and very inexpensive. Using coconut oil does take a certain level of planning on my part – meaning that when I want to apply coconut oil on my hair as a mask I need to plan to leave it in my hair for at least a couple of hours. So I use that time to do a few chores around the house – it’s a win-win! In order to prep the coconut oil I melt it but putting the jar or container in a bowl of warm water for about 20 minutes – once I see there is enough melted oil to cover my hair I take the container out of the bowl and begin applying the oil to my hair in sections. As I mentioned above, I have a lot of curly hair that tangles VERY easily (which is why I usually keep it blow dried – held me manage my hair much better). After washing my hair when I use the coconut oil (which is about once a week) my hair is SOOOO silky smooth and I can untangle it so easily it feels like a dream!

raw honey

The first thing to note here is that not all hone it created equal – there is your typical honey that you can find in a liquid form and then there is raw honey that has a much more of a solid and crystalized consistency . As also mentioned above I have acne prone skin and using a raw honey mask once every couple of weeks for about 15 minutes has really helped me clear out my acne. It is important to use raw honey here and not conventional honey because raw honey is an antiseptic and anti-microbial that targets the bacterium that causes acne in the first place.

aloe vera

I have to thank my mom for this one. For some reason I was very hesitant to try this on my skin but moms know best! I was looking for a product that would help me get rid of some acne scars I had caused myself during my teenage years and after trying several products to no avail my mom told me to try the Aloe Vera gel from the actual Aloe Vera plant. My scars have just started to slowly fade away (I’ve applying Aloe Vera inconsistently aver the past 5-6 months). However, I am sure that with consistent use this plant can heal any scars you may have on your skin whether it is on your face or other parts of your body.

Do you use natural products on your skin and hair? If yes, do share below your experiences with natural products!