Pretties and Underdogs

 Have you ever had a hard time starting a fluent and lasting conversation in a social setting? You look around you and everyone else seems to be doing just fine but no one is approaching you and the few people that do walk away in less than two minutes max. Outsiders and loners I am talking to you. It can be draining, cause low self esteem (mostly if you are of school age) and loneliness to name a few. Maybe it´s because you´re wearing clothes that nobody wears or your preferred topics of conversation and sense of humor are much different than that of your fellow peers. It can be for any number of reasons but in today´s blog I will be sharing my thoughts about why being left out is not as bad as it might seem. 

To begin with, what´s considered acceptable in society is all manufactured and superficial. Someone decides what´s in and what´s out. Fashion trends, up to date slang terms, popular music, even surgery is a trend a lot of people try to keep up with. Most people are speedy fast to purchase clothing that is trending and update it every few weeks when a new trend begins. They start using the new it word over and over like they get paid for it and listen to music they might not even like just to fit in. Listening to it on their way to the surgeons clinic for their botox and lip filler appointment. Keeping in mind that some people do enjoy living this way, this post is targeted toward people who like to live this way and look down on people who do not follow these norms of society and also to the underdogs to inspire them to wave their outsider flag without shame.

 Dressing differently is a way to express yourself. Maybe you are artistic and like colorful homemade paint splashed clothing. Maybe your a rock n´ roller who likes wearing t shirts with your favorite bands names and images. Maybe you just like wearing a lot of black or for some reason only wear blue. You might like to make up your own lango and prefer not to listen to mainstream music because you don´t like the lyrics or it simply does not suit your musical taste or for any other reason. Most importantly, you are one of a rare few who appreciate authentic natural beauty however imperfect it might be. 

 Dressing in high end fashionable clothing does not make you better than someone wearing a thrifted t shirt and vice versa. If you like rock n´ roll have a headbangers ball. If you like hip hop bust a move. If you like mainstream music sing a long with all of your friends. If you like being modern and up to date go ahead and use the latest it word like your life depends on it but if you like playing around and making words up do your thing. Want a smaller nose and can afford one? Go for it, have a wide nose and have no problem with it? Perfect! Each head has it´s own world. Having said that, at the end of the day, generally speaking a majority will take over a minority. I think the root issue is that not only do we need to practice self acceptance but also practice accepting each other as individuals and being kind to one another or at the very least tolerant. My best advice is that if you are ever in a confrontational situation never retaliate with aggression. Class over sass is always better. Also, this post is not meant to further divide opposing groups of people it is meant to provide some food for thought. 

Best Regards

 -Elena 

 

5 Tips for Better Physical and Mental Health

Have you been finding yourself reaching for a second or third cup of coffee in the morning? Maybe you have been having some difficulties falling asleep at night. Binge eating out of boredom? Watching too much television or endlessly scrolling through social media? In other words, have you been feeling fatigued and unmotivated and find yourself being unusually unproductive and slow? In today´s blog I will be sharing 5 tips for better physical and mental health based on key components of a healthy lifestyle.

 #1. Get Enough High Quality Sleep

Sleep needs to be prioritized more. I know I personally feel a lot better when I get a full 10 hours of sleep. My thoughts are clearer and I can even go as far as to say that I feel more peaceful. I would advice anyone to stop drinking caffeine after 12.00 pm. A cup of Joe should be okay occasionally during a rainy afternoon but I would stick to decaf and would rather drink tea without caffeine. Something as easy as squeezing a lime into a cup of boiled water and adding honey to taste should do. Also, adding a cinnamon stick to a cup of boiled water and adding stevia to taste. Anything to avoid sleep deprivation. That brings us  to...

 #2. Limit Screen Time

Limiting mindless online scrolling can do wonders for your mental health. Appearances can be deceiving on social media and comparing yourself to what appears to be unachievable perfection can have a negative impact on your thoughts leading to low mood and that in turn that can have a negative impact on sleep. The light from the screen close to your face in a dark room is probably not a good idea either. We all do it, I admit it and that is why I say limit not eliminate. Now let us move on to something you should add...

 #3. Exercise

 Do not want to pay a monthly subscription fee for the gym when you know you might only go once and quit or possibly twice if you are up for it? Totally fine, don´t want to lift heavy weights or run on a treadmill for an hour. Completely okay, when I say exercise a lot of people roll their eyes. It´s a no brainer even a preschooler can tell you that. Having said that, allow me to go more in depth about what I mean when I say exercise. They key to beneficial exercise is discipline and in my honest opinion they key to discipline is moderation. Do you like to dance? Look up a 20 minute dance work out video. You can switch up the dance video to your liking. Try a different genre of music or learn a new move. Do you enjoy being outdoors? Go out for a 30 minute walk at a moderate pace and switch up your routine every other day. There´s so much information and so many workout videos and images you can find online there really is no excuse to not exercise. Try to exercise at least three to four times a week and eat a balanced diet. Were not going to go from a fat lard to a VS angel diet and exercise regimen overnight either. These changes take time and it´s normal to go through a period of trial and error. Bottom line is exercise combined with a balanced diet will help you maintain a healthy weight and much like sleep can clear your thoughts and improve your mood. (Keep in mind, I am not a licensed nutritionist or medical professional in any way, shape or form. This is based on my opinion.)

 #4. Don´t Do Harmful Substances

Want to grab a drink with the girlies or the bros? It´s your life, go ahead do what you want on your own terms. I must warn you though don´t binge drink, the anxiety hangover is not worth it. Social drinking has become more and more popular. It always has been but alcohol has become the epicenter of socializing for a good while now. Some people are more prone to the anxious hangover than others but those that do get them know that they are not fun. They tend to happen more often when a higher amount of alcohol is consumed so my advice is think twice. Are you sure you even want to drink or are you just under peer pressure? If you are don´t be afraid to say no and definitely don´t drink beyond your limits, for the first time or at all just to impress someone. That can end very badly... puke everywhere and possibly urine and worse. If that does not happen good for you but if that´s the way someone is going to be impressed by you it´s time to reevaluate who you are surrounding yourself with. Adding on, everyone and their mom knows crack is wack. I mean it, some people can be high functioning drug addicts but I would not recommend that lifestyle to anyone. Waking and baking with cocaine and mimosas on the side are definitely not key components of a healthy lifestyle. All sarcasm put aside, alcohol and drugs can have disabling side effects when abused. In some cases leading to very unfortunate events and even death. Homelessness, mental health problems and overdose to name a few. So stay clean cool beans.

 #5. Seek Spiritual Growth

I personally believe Jesus Christ is God and believe in the Rapture and The Holy Bible but I don´t discriminate against anyone with opposing views. If you don´t believe the same thing that´s okay. Although, I do strongly recommend you reflect on why you choose not to believe and inform yourself on the actual belief itself and not on common misconceptions and misinformation. Also, as a fellow Christian I must say there are many out there who make us all look bad but all I can do is hope that I´m not one of them. Moving on, if were on different pages seeking spiritual growth can be different for everyone as a Christian it can mean singing along to your favorite worship song, saying a prayer or reading The Scriptures. For someone else it might be something more like volunteering, a relaxing day of self care or simply practicing mindfulness. 

In conclusion, with these 5 tips combined and put to use I hope at least one person notices an improvement in their physical and mental health. If not combined all at once, you can try starting small and using one at a time and taking it from there. I desire the best of health for everyone and may everyone be blessed.

 Best Regards

-Elena 

High Value and Declining Morals

Do you consider yourself a descent person yet find yourself wondering why people don´t treat you the way you would like to be treated? If this hits the nail on the head for you then read on. I will be giving a few examples of the day in the life of a woman who finds herself in this situation and by the end of this article I hope to have successfully inspired some thought provoking ideas. 

It´s early in the morning and she stops by the gas station to buy snacks and something to drink. People working the cash registers make rude comments with a raised tone of voice as she gathers her items to leave the store. ´´Hurry, can´t you see that there´s people behind you!?´´ they yell at her. She continues collecting her items and once she is done she calmly replies, ´´Thank you for your patience.´´ says ´´Excuse me´´ to the person behind her and exits the building with her purchase. 

She enters the break room at work and sees two female co-workers of her same age whispering and giggling in each other´s ears. As she is about to enter the room she hears one of them say ´´See I told you her outfit was awful´´ and they both continue giggling. She ignores what was said and reaches for a coffee cup when one of them says to her ´´Oh hi, we were most definitely not just talking badly about you´´ and they both burst into laughter. To which her reply is silence. She does not want to deal with work related bullying and would much rather ignore it. She thinks it´s childish, obnoxious and a waste of time anyway. She prepares her coffee and heads towards her designated work area but before she leaves she tells her co-workers ´´Have an excellent lunch break.´´

It´s the weekend and she decides to do a recreational activity. She is not quite sure what to do so she logs into social media to see what´s available near her. She finds something that sparks her interest. It´s an art gallery exhibition. She prepares herself for the day, purchases her ticket and starts to view the art pieces. She particularly takes interest in one abstract art piece with very intricate color placement. She is very intrigued as it reminds her of a dream she had and she starts to ask herself all types of questions like what the colors might represent and what the shapes symbolize when she hear a man´s voice say ´´Hello´´ and she feels a light tap on her shoulder. She turns around and says ´´Hello´´ with a bit of confusion as she was previously lost in time looking at the artwork. He gently laughs implying that he notices her confused state of mind. ´´What is your name?´´ he asks her. She politely replies and asks him his name. ´´Nice to meet you´´ they both say. ´´I´d like to invite you to grab drinks with me later on tonight´´ he says. ´´I appreciate your invitation but I don´t drink´´ she tells him. ´´That´s lame´´ he says with a smug grin. To which she replies ´´To each their own´´ and walks away. 

As individuals we are often told to value ourselves or in other words to love ourselves. That we will be treated the way we treat ourselves. In the examples given above I see the description of a strong, unbothered independent women with good manners. Is she treated well by others? The obvious answer is no. In my personal opinion before we assume we are being treated unfairly by society even though we are descent individuals because we do not value or love ourselves enough let us flip the coin and question what society actually values. Generally speaking, does society actually hold mature people who avoid problems to a high esteem? Does society value individuals with good manners or mock them for being too traditional? Does society promote social drinking or otherwise binge drinking or does it look down upon it?

I think the answers are quite clear. As each generation goes by people are generally becoming more vulgar and profane. While there is nothing wrong with drinking responsibly and in moderation excessive alcohol consumption is a very bad thing and it appears to be heavily advertised. People are increasingly becoming more drawn to drama including physical fights and starting problems where there were not any problems to begin with. So before you question yourself as an individual question if you are in fact the problem or if society´s declining values and morals are.