I saw an article in the headlines on the internet today re a study that shows that a flexible work life is good for your health. I’m so glad more and  more is coming out about stuff like that because I think society has gone so far overboard in the opposite direction that it is about time employers wake up to the fact that it is NOT healthy to work yourself to death and not have time for children and family.

The article states that people who are allowed to job share and work from hom, are more likely to make healthier lifestyle choices, for example, they tend to exercise more.  Employers will get much more productivity out of happy, healthy workers than those who have no time, flexibility and freedom to create  a more balanced existence. Money is important but money isn’t the only thing that is important. If you have money but you don’t have your health or time to enjoy it then the money is worthless!

Flexible scheduling is not just a woman’s issue, this is important for men as well. Men want and need time away from work and time to live healthfully as well.

I seriously see that there will be a shift with the technological age to the majority of people working from home. People really want that and I think it will come about sooner rather than later.

Are you getting ready for the holidays? I hope you remember to do some things to take the stress off of yourself for the holidays. Take the time to exercise, relax, spend time with your family. Make sure you continue to eat right and take good care of yourself.

It’s really important that you don’t let yourself go over the holidays and find yourself fatter and more broke than before. Don’t overspend or overeat. You will have a more enjoyable time before, during and after if you don’t get way off track for the month, so with December approaching, be dilligent in staying on a healthy path. You’ll be happier and feel better in the long run.

The world is very demanding especially for women and even more so for single moms. It’s very difficult to juggle all your responsibilities and take care of yourself in the process. It is important to take care of and nurture yourself. I’ve put together information on 10 ways to nurture yourself so that you can be a healthy, happy woman. 

Two of the main things are eating breakfast and eating right. So many women skip eating in the morning because they don’t have time. In my opinion, you need to plan better and make the time no matter what. It will help your energy level all day and help you to not overeat later in the day. In the morning, eating “breakfast” is breaking the fasting you have been doing all night so it is critical that you replenish your body with some nourishment to keep up your stamina and vitality throughout the day. 

Healthy habits need to take priority in your life because without your health, you have nothing else. If you don’t voluntarily make time for your health now, you will be forced to make time for sickness later. It’s your choice. Once you get used to healthy habits, your quality of life will skyrocket and implementing healthy habits is actually becomes fun! 

Ten great ways to nurture yourself are:  1) Eat vegetarian at least three times per week—more is better so if you want to do it 100%, that is even better but do it at a minimum of three dinners per week, 2) Exercise 30 minutes per day—get a pedometer and then just walk, park further away, take the stairs, walk while blow drying your hair and brushing your teeth, 3) Meditate 20 minutes per day—find 20 minutes in everyday for quiet time completely without interruptions to go within and get inner guidance on what you need to do to reach your full potential, 4) Hydrate yourself—drink plenty of water, this doesn’t mean pop, tea, coffee or lemonade but actual water. Green tea actually counts but the iced tea you get is black tea and that doesn’t count as water. 5) Increase your intake of fruits and veggies by adding spinach and cooked chopped broccoli to everything, keep frozen fruit on hand to add to cereal and smoothies, add dried cranberries and raisins to cereal and oatmeal, 6) Spend 30-60 minutes per day doing something you love—you should make time each day to do something enjoyable, it could be playing in the park with your kids, watching a movie or reading an uplifting book, no one knows how much time they have so spend your time doing things you love, 7) Take a bath once per week—baths are very nurturing and pampering, get some nice bath stuff (special soaps, scrubs , body wash and so on) and treat yourself to a relaxing, exhilarating bath once a week at a time when you aren’t in a hurry to get somewhere, Cultivate Your Friendships and Support System—make time for friends and family and develop those connections and then when you need someone to talk to or help you , you will have a bunch of people to turn to , 9) Music, Incense, candles and aromatherapy—these four items can be used throughout the day in a myriad of ways and they will uplift your soul and nourish your spirit and 10) Pets—pets are very healing and a great way to unwind and de-stress, pets are great companions if they are part of the family,. Pets are forgiving, kind and loving while the humans you encounter, might not always be

What does your day look like? Today, my son is with his dad so I can actually veg out a little.  The great part about that is that this is the perfect time to nurture myself. I can spend time doing things I love, going places or just relaxing…I’m not a big nap taker but if I feel exceptionally tired, I could even nap!!!

Sunday Oct 28, 2007

I will spend the morning relaxing, writing and taking a bath and then alittle later, I will go shopping for some groceries. Later, my son will be home and then things will get really busy!

I will write what my whole week looks like as a single mom and maybe some of you could share yours…

I think I have found the absolute best pedometer on the market, The Omron HJ112..although it is a bit bigger than some of them, I can wear it comfortably everyday and it is highly accurate. I have tried lots of them and I LOVE this one! Any comments on this one or any others?

I find the pedometer to really enhance my exercise experience. It is one of the best things I have ever purchased!

 I would love to hear others’ thoughts on what you have found works for you with regards to exercise and what are the roadblocks to exercising? What do you need to know more about with re to exercise?