You’re sitting at your desk, holding in one hand a cup of coffee and in the other your smartphone. You’re expecting a phone call from a client any moment now. In front of you, your laptop pings abruptly. You’ve received an email from your boss, wishing your good look with your client and telling you that you should be ready to give 110% to make the project happen. In a few seconds, your stress levels, which were already elevated, seem to skyrocket to new heights. 

If it doesn’t sound familiar, maybe you’re more of a 110% party goer. You’re the kind of person who works hard but who has deliberately chosen to party even harder – within reason, of course.

There’s no real party if you don’t watch the sunrise before going to bed! And you make it your duty to push yourself and explore new boundaries each time your party. In your opinion, if you remember the evening, then it wasn’t a very good party. 

Which of these two scenarios sound more like you? Most people are somewhere in between; they go the extra mile both for work and fun. But there’s something important about giving 110% all the time: It’s not sustainable in the long term. You need to stop working and partying hard. 

Stay away from giving 110%

Because it doesn’t exist 

It’s impossible to trace back where the saying ‘giving 110%’ comes back. But one thing is for sure; it wasn’t invented by a mathematician. There is no such thing as 110%. 100% is all you can give at any time.

Ask yourself one simple question: Where does the extra 10% come from? Next time your boss or a friend asks you to overperform, take the time to measure the meaning of their words. Ultimately, they’re not only asking you to bring all you’ve got to the project. They also want you to bring more than what is humanly possible. 

Because it’s unhealthy 

Let’s assume that ‘giving 110%’ is another way of asking you to invest more time and effort into making something happen, whether it’s a disco night or an urgent project with a client. The only way to reach the impossible 110% is to reshape your schedule to give your new assignment priority.

In other words, that’s how an 8-hour day turns into a 12, 14, or even 16-hour day. Giving 110% goes strongly against the rules for a healthy life by disturbing your habits and routine. It occupies your time, meaning that you can’t relax, focus on your personal goals, or stay in touch with the people who love.

You don’t have the time nor the desire to make healthy food choices, as stress tends to increases food cravings. In other words, you pay the cost of 110% with your health. 

Because it’s not sensible 

What could be wrong about giving 110% to your party nights? Just because it isn’t work-related doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be sensible about having fun. Indeed, there are substantial consequences to the decisions you make, including your party choices.

The usual spectrum of party vices includes alcohol and late nights, which in moderation can be enjoyable. In excess, however, they can affect your sleeping pattern, your health, and your mood. What is the point of partying if it’s going to make you feel horrible in the morning?

There’s nothing wrong with having fun, but it doesn’t need to break either your health or the bank – nobody wants to wake up the next day to an empty wallet and a series of expensive bar bills. 

Because it’s a waste of your energy

Maximizing your productivity is all about making the most of every minute of the day according to business blogs. They forget one crucial detail: People are not machines. We get tired and burned out. You can’t stay focused all the time.

In fact, according to research, not only giving 110% is impossible, but giving 100% is an aberration too when it comes to mental energy. Indeed, you can’t achieve results with the extra desk time. You need to apply the 80-20 rule to recharge your batteries, 80% of your performance comes from 20% of your input. 

Because it’s an unfair expectation

Lastly, expecting someone to go the extra mile in unfair, regardless of whether you’re discussing work or fun. More often than not, meeting your objectives is not about moving mountains, but about understanding which details make a difference.

Real success is in getting the little things right. Additionally, trying to meet unachievable standards is only going to end in disappointment. 

You Shouldn’t Give 110%

In everything you do, you need to put your needs and your health first. There is no need to give 110% when your mental and physical energy can’t sustain the pressure. It’s time to break free from the hard-working and hard-playing cliché to focus on smart workers and sensible players once and for all. 

Is there somewhere in your life where you need to slow down? What can you do to back off a bit?

As the season’s transition, it can be very easy to catch a sick bug. Your body is getting used to the change, and with a busy lifestyle, it’s likely that many people will start feeling run down and will have a bout of sickness. And once that starts, it spreads like wildfire. Check out these five tips to avoid the bug.

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Get A Flu Vaccine

The flu vaccine or anything similar is the best way of avoiding the common cold. It’s usually given to children and those over a certain age, normally sixty-five. Even though anyone who gets a flu vaccine usually gets a temporary bout of sickness, the regularity at which they get sick is greatly reduced. If it’s something that you get offered for free, it’s certainly worth doing, but it’s also worth getting for a fee to help reduce how often you get sick.

Stay Hydrated

Water is a great way of flushing out the toxins in your body and keeping you feeling energetic and generally healthy. As summer rolls around, it’s important to keep up your intake and if you can, to increase it to cater for the heat. Your body is going to be losing more water during these summer months, so it’s good to stay on top of it so you can continue to feel the best you can be. Always carry a bottle of water around with you and if you don’t like water as it is, just flavor it with something like cucumber or lemon.

Eat Healthy

Eating junk food is certainly not good for your body and too much of it is going to make you sick. To keep your body feeling good on the inside, it’s good to maintain a healthy diet. Think lots of fruit and vegetables and being aware of what’s going onto your plate. Alcohol is also a big weight gainer, so it’s a good idea to cut down or at least to choose options that are less calorie heavy. 

Wash Your Hands

Germs and bacteria can travel very easily from person to person and if you’re living in the city, just brushing your hand past a handrail can bring you into contact with potentially harmful germs. Practice washing your hands after commuting to and from work and if you can, make sure you have a small bottle of hand sanitizer on you for when your on-the-go and don’t have access to a sink!

Get Plenty Of Sleep

And finally, sleep is your friend. During the year, there can be peaks in your social and work calendar where you’re out a lot, and that can have a knock-on effect with your health if you don’t get enough shut-eye. Try to get at least seven to nine hours of sleep per night and catch up on weekends if you’ve not had enough during the week.

Take Advantage of These Tips to Avoid the Bug

Take advantage of these tips to avoid the bug so you and your family can stay as healthy as possible!

Photo by Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash

Science suggests that people should sleep on average of 7 – 9 hours a night – morning. Sleeping this amount of time amounts to one-third of your life; asleep. As part of having a balanced active lifestyle and diet, sleep is another important thing to keeping well and maintained. There are five main stages to sleep that will range from mild light sleep all the way to the deep sleep state. Sleep is important to every biological lifeform on earth but what does it mean to get the right sleep?

Understanding the cycles of great sleep helps identify where you might be losing vital parts of your natural bodily function.

The Cycle Of Sleep

Usually, the stages of sleep are broken into two sections, stage 1 and 2 are when light sleep occurs, then transitioning into a deeper sleep which is stages 4 and 5.

Stage 1

During this first stage, you drift from being awake to being asleep. The brain will start transitioning into the frequency of Theta which allows a person to calm themselves. This is a light, NREM sleep that doesn’t last very long. You may start to relax and lightly dream. Occasionally people may also twitch or jump as you transition into the second stage.

Stage 2

Stage 2 of the cycle is still a form of light sleep, but you will be still drifting in and out, and physically, with the body, aligning into more of a routine. Your breathing and heartbeat slow down and your muscles relax. Many people are unsuccessful in getting into this stage early on in the night because they aren’t able to stay comfortable. Having problems getting past light sleep can be down to many things surrounding sleep apnea.

Breathing problems are another recurring factor for why some people fail to fall into a deep sleep and require assistance from a breathing machine. CPAP nasal masks fit over the mouth of the person suffering from broken sleep from breathing problems and it allows them to breath clear and then falls into a peaceful deep sleep.

Sometimes we go about our days not realizing the tension certain parts of our body endures and stores. This could be down to numerous factors. If you notice your jaw or stomach tensed, take a few deep breaths and quick stretch and then retry. Your body temperature will slightly decrease and your brain waves become less active to respond to the environment.

Stages 3 and 4

In stage 3, you will enter deep sleep, and stage 4 is the deepest sleep stage. During deep sleep, your respiration, blood pressure, body temperature and brain waves reach their optimal levels for deep sleep to occur.

Stage 4 is typically known as the ‘healing stage’. This is when tissue growth and repair take place within the body. Depending on nutrition intake, important hormones and substances are released to do their jobs, and cellular energy is restored.

REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement)

Your first REM cycle of the night begins about 90 minutes after you fall asleep and recurs every 90 minutes. The eyes will move around quickly behind your eyelids and your brainwaves look similar to those of someone who is awake and in an alert state. Your breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure rise to near-waking levels because of the level of thought the brain is in while processing the information incredibly fast. This is usually down to REM sleep often being referred to as stage 5; when you are most likely to dream.

Get the Right Sleep

These are what it means to have a successful nights sleep. Some people are natural born sleepers, others are overthinkers and need more time to unwind. However you sleep, getting the right sleep is so important. What helps you to get the best nights sleep? Let us know in the comments below. Can you tell when you’ve gotten the right sleep for you?

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One thing we all want to be during our adult life is confident and happy. Confidence is one of those things which we can sometimes have an issue with in our day to day lives and it can often be something we struggle with. Today we are going to take a look at some of the really small things you can do today to make you feel confident and ready to tackle the day even in the smallest of ways.

Easy Beachy Waves

Early in the mornings when we wake up and get ready for work, it can be difficult to bring ourselves to wake up early enough to do our makeup and style our hair as well as creating a stunning outfit. If you always end up with your hair in a messy bun on top of your head, it can make you feel a little unkempt and unfinished. However if you braid your hair loosely before bed and sleep with a braid overnight, all you have to do is take out the braid in the morning and you will have a stunning head of soft waves! You can leave the house feeling much more confident and put together in no time.

Accentuate Your Curves

We all want to feel confident with our body, and all of us have our hang ups when it comes to our figure. If you want to feel stylish and confident every day, it is a great idea to choose clothes which accentuate your curves or your features. For example fit and flare dresses are great for those who are curvy, and for those with an athletic build, peplum or frilled items can be brilliant. You can take a look online for clothes for every body shape and this will help you find items which make you feel confident.

Avoid Accidents

One of the more discreet things we might deal with as an adult is either discharge or incontinence. These are common issues and when we are living our day to day life it can be really disheartening to live with each day. You can actually get pads and diaper coupons for this issue and this will allow you to live out each day feeling more confident because you know that you will always be able to change and stay feeling fresh.

Eat Fruit

This one will sound strange, but hear us out. Do you ever get that feeling after eating something like a salad where you feel like a fabulous goddess of health and fitness? Come on, we know you do.

Swapping out your regular mid morning snack for some berries will not only be great for your body but also your mind. When we feel like we are being healthy, it helps to boost our confidence and it can make a big impact on us.

Smile

If nothing else, smile! Smiling releases happy hormones in our brain and it makes us feel happier! The more you smile at your colleagues and strangers, the happier and more confident you will feel each day!

Improve Your Confidence Today

Confidence is so important! It helps you overcome obstacles, pursue your dreams, and be the best you possible!

Adding these tips to your life will help improve your confidence today!

Want to focus on confidence building? 1:1 coaching may be perfect for you! Check out my coaching options today!

How many times have you been told “just drink more water”? You’ve heard it for years, but you still struggle to get enough into your body. Enter: Hydrant hydration!

What Is Hydrant?

So, what is Hydrant and what makes it unique? Unlike the alternatives that contain way too much sugar and artificial ingredients, Hydrant is an explosion of electrolytes and contains just a small amount of sugar to turn on the sodium glucose pump and increase your body’s hydration.

Other reasons that Hydrant is so unique:

• Hydrant is underpinned by science to optimize hydration.
• Incorporating Hydrant into your daily routine, once in the morning and once before bed, leads to optimal hydration and a better you.
• We all know the importance of drinking water, but drinking enough water is hard and can become a chore. Hydrant’s unique ingredient blend allows you to absorb water more efficiently, think of it like a hydrant that sends water quickly and efficiently to your cells.

Who Is Hydrant?

Hydrant was created by an Oxford Biologist. The Optimal Hydration Mix fights the fatigue that 75% of us experience from dehydration every day. Formulated to make water work better, instantly and conveniently, Optimal Hydration Mix keeps you healthy and hydrated.

How Do I Use Hydrant?

Mix! Mix! Mix! Then drink! The colder the water, the better the taste. If you like a more concentrated flavor, stay closer to 8oz of water/packet. If you want a more dilute taste, you can fill up to 16oz for that one packet.

This is also great to use during workouts, after drinking alcohol, and when your body is dehydrated from vomiting/diarrhea.

Are You Ready to Try Hydrant?

From a wellness perspective, I know how important hydration is to our minds, bodies, and even complexions. Too many people get fooled by companies claiming to offer healthy and safe “waters” or alternatives.

Hydrant is a fantastic addition to your health and wellness routine! I can’t wait to try the lime flavor! Just in time for summer, am I right?!

Use promo code: HYDRANT33 to save 33% off your first order at Hydrant! (Restrictions May apply and offer is valid through 5/3-/19)

What flavor will you be trying?