A sight to make you smile - another beautiful, almost deserted beach

We had a rare day out on Sunday.

It was a spur of the moment thing – well almost. The day before I’d begun to realize it had been weeks since we’d had a real day off. A day totally away from the computers and anything to do with the internet, websites, blogs, products etc. And when that type of thought starts flitting around my head I know it’s time to do something about it. My body and brain are telling me their batteries are running low, a recharge is needed.

Apart from occasional festivals the rural area of Greece where we live doesn’t really lend itself to organized activity. There are some ancient archaeological sites, the odd museum, and a few beaches  offer water sports activities when the season gets started, but on the whole it’s up to you to make your own entertainment, and this suits us fine.

After breakfast we made up a simple picnic, put chairs and table in the car and set off. Our mission: to go places we hadn’t been before.

We took a leisurely drive along the coast, past places we knew and into new territory. We stayed on the coast road and turned down track after track to see where they led. Sometimes this was to a dead end, but more often than not we’d find ourselves in a sleepy little village or on a beach. The beaches we found were delightful: long crescents of golden sand, deserted or with just a token human and natural harbors dotted with small boats. We discovered rocks that looked volcanic – an unexpected delight – and lots of different plants surviving happily in the hot, dry, salty environment.

We wandered, calling each other to come and look at the latest discovery: a twisted and weathered plant stem, a delicate butterfly blended beautifully into the flower it was visiting, a colony of snails packed tightly into the spiked leaves of a plant.

Nature never ceases to amaze and delight

After a while we turned inland, driving through towns and villages bright with color from the many gardens and tubs brimming with flowers. Navigating cross-country on roads without signposts, we were never quite sure where we would end up. At one moment we were up high with views to both coastlines, the next snaking down a valley side in a series of switch-back turns.

A search for an abandoned village led us along windy dirt tracks to a different village than the one we were aiming for. Not so ancient ruins that are rarely visited, but open to anyone with the desire to wander. Climbing among the buildings gives you a real feel for how it must have been to live in these remote places, and goes some way to an understanding of why the inhabitants chose to move closer to ‘civilization’.

Eventually we too found ourselves back on familiar roads and headed home, tired but full of new experiences.

A simple day that took little effort to organize and cost very little.

But the positive outcomes were plentiful:

The delight of new people and places discovered

Appreciation of the unending variety and beauty of nature just sitting there, waiting for anyone willing to stop and take a look

Quality time spent together, sharing our experiences and strengthening our relationship.

Next time you’re feeling jaded or harassed, throw some simple food and drink into a bag, open the door and just go look at the world around you. Whatever the weather, urban or rural, by car or on foot, you can always find something new or rediscover something forgotten in the world around you. Leave your troubles behind and step back to childhood, willing to just open your eyes, look and enjoy.

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Does technology stop you really switching off?

When did you last take time out?

Are you one of those people who spends half your two week vacation winding down from work, then the other half gearing up to it again, with maybe a day in between if you’re lucky?

Or worse: have you succumbed to the ‘magic’ of new technology and made yourself instantly available anywhere on the globe, even when you’re supposed to be on vacation?

When you take a day off work can you switch off or are you constantly thinking about things you need to do? When you’re away can you resist the urge to check your email or text messages, or do you phone in to check everything’s okay without you.

Take a few seconds to digest my next comments:

THE ODDS ARE PRETTY GOOD THAT THE SUN WILL RISE AGAIN TOMORROW, AND THE WORLD WILL NOT STOP TURNING BECAUSE YOU’RE AWAY FROM YOUR DESK – HONESTLY!

I know we all like to think we’re indispensable, irreplaceable, a vital cog in the organization or family unit. And we may well be, but this doesn’t mean it can’t get along without us for a while. In fact it, and we, would benefit from regular separation – genuine separation which also means not responding to messages or mails.

Whatever you’re doing, if you do it for too long without a break it can lead to problems.

In the workplace you may stop giving your best efforts, the ideas stop flowing, relationships with co-workers suffer. What was once interesting becomes routine and boring. Your enthusiasm for new projects wanes. You may find it more difficult to meet deadlines or hit targets because you’ve lost the motivation for achievement and success.

In the home you may become a creature of routine, allocating certain tasks to certain days religiously, and putting off other activities to keep to your routine. Adventurous cooking is replaced by a set pattern of standard meals and take-away pizza every Friday. You feel your efforts are unappreciated by others. New activities with the kids become daunting, it’s easier to let them sit in front of the TV or computer screen.

You meet up with the same crowd every Thursday evening at the same restaurant. You talk about the same things, tell the same jokes, have the same arguments. You even order the same menu each week, never trying anything new. It used to be something you looked forward to, now it’s no different to staying at home watching the box.

This isn’t a life, it’s an existence.

But it’s not difficult to change it.

People seem to think change has to be significant but it doesn’t. Change is so easy that it’s within anyone’s ability. Changing the circumstances of your life in ways you want to (as opposed to being forced to change through job loss or relationship breakdown) can be as simple as deciding to do it, especially when we’re talking about small changes.

One of the best changes you can choose to make is to get the right perspective on life: making sure you don’t have too much work and not enough play. Here are some simple steps you can take to start yourself on this new adventure:

* Always take a lunch break and get away from your workplace if you can. You are legally entitled to breaks, and for health and safety purposes you should take these or you could be a liability in your workplace. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, you can and should unlock the chains every day.

Get outside and give your senses a break. Recover from noise, bright lights, dust or fumes, too much air conditioning or too little. Even if you only have 10 minutes you can get some fresh air, rest your eyes and your ears. A walk round the car park is better than no walk at all. Change your immediate environment – even for a short while – and you’ll really notice the difference when you get back to your desk.

* Don’t leave urgent tasks hanging. If you’re about to take time away from work and have an ongoing task you’re likely to find yourself distracted by it while you’re away. Do as much as you can before you go, and if necessary find someone else to caretake in your absence so that you won’t be worrying about it.

* Leave your technology behind. This is easier if you have devices you use just for work, but if you combine all access through a single cellphone, Blackberry or laptop then you need to discipline yourself more. When you’re on vacation, sick, or taking any authorized leave you should view yourself as ‘not available for work’. Don’t initiate contact with your workplace, and don’t respond to anyone trying to contact you.

If co-workers are used to calling you when you’re not in work you may need to prepare them for this change. You’re entitled to make it so don’t back down if anyone tries to discourage you. Set up messages that direct people to colleagues who can help in your absence. Make people see that you’re not abandoning your responsibilities, but asserting your right to some time away from them.

* Leave ALL your technology behind. Remember holidays before cellphones? Those halcyon days when you had to remember to give people your airline and hotel contact details but only expected them to contact you in an emergency. Remember the postcards you wrote while drinking coffee in a quiet little cafe, that always arrived back a week after you? If you don’t remember these things you’ve a real treat coming.

You may want to let someone know you’ve arrived safely but do you really need to give all and sundry a blow-by-blow account of each day? And do you need to check how they’ve spent every hour out of your company. If you’re honest you know which are important communications and which are just habit. The whole point of a break is to get away from habits, so don’t take them with you.

* Change one activity. Suggest a different venue for a regular social activity, or a different activity altogether. Switch the TV off and do something different — play a game with the kids, read a book, go for a walk. Watch a different type of TV program, preferably one that makes you think rather than deadens your senses.

* Give your cell phone a break too. Doid you know you should turn your phone off occasionally to let it re-establish the signal? If you usually keep it on all the time, try taking it with you, but only switch it on if you really need to. Break the ties that have made you dependent on it. If you’re used to using your cellphone as a clock, alarm or other device, find alternatives.

* Relax and enjoy it! At first you may feel uncomfortable with some of these changes but fight it. Learn to enjoy the freedom you get from not being at everyone’s disposal. Refresh your mind and body with different experiences. You, and those around you, will be better for it.

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Many organized activities for kids can be expensive, and in the current financial climate they could be an area of household expenditure that can’t continue to be supported.

But you don’t want the alternative to be kids with their eyes glued to a TV or computer screen several hours a day, especially if they’ve given up something that kept them active.

Here are some suggestions of things to do with your kids that cost little, if anything in terms of money. They may cost you time, but when it’s time spent on an enjoyable activity with your kids, it’s got to be a good investment.

Let’s Go Fly a Kite

Kite flying is enjoyed by children and adults

A windy day, some open space, what more do you need – a kite or two, of course! Simple ones can usually be bought quite cheaply. Leave anything fancy and expensive until you’ve reached a reasonable level of skill.

Pack some refreshments, take a camera to catch those special moments, and enjoy…

Walk with a Purpose

Walking is great for exercise and fresh air, but sometimes it can seem boring. So give your walks an objective: related to where you’re walking, the time of year, or both.

You can often get guides for country walks free or at low cost. Or visit your library for local guidebooks that include detailed walks.

In the country look out for seasonal plants and animals. See how many different colors there are in the flowers, the leaves or the trees. In woodland areas look for different fungi growing on trees, plants in flower at different times of the year, plants you don’t recognize.

Look for shapes and shadows created by different amounts of sunlight.

In cold weather look for frost covered plants, spiders webs covered in dew, fringes of ice around pools of water. Take a camera and photograph patterns and details, rather than the whole scene. See how nature plants her garden when left to her own devices.

In built up areas look for things that tell you about the past. Street names, decorations on buildings, architectural styles all tell their own stories. Seek out the unexpected – the old house standing defiantly among new buildings, the green spaces in what seems to be a totally urban area, the touches of nature and color that people bring with window boxes or climbing plants.

If you’re able to get to the beach search out unusual stones and shells, driftwood and other offerings from the sea. Look at the shapes in the sand, and the marks left behind as the waves recede. And — of course – make footprints and watch the sea claim them.

Teach your children to observe the world around them, and to find interest and enjoyment in simple, natural things.

Care for Something

Maybe there’s an area near you that needs, or is getting, a face lift. A river bank that’s become overgrown and impassable, a green area that’s gone to waste, old walls and hedges that have fallen into decay. Get involved and teach your kids to give something back to the environment and their community.

Find a conservation group that welcomes children and adults.

Children may not always be welcomed at organized activities but don’t let that stop you. Turn your attentions to your own garden. Choose a new project that the kids can get involved in. Or give them their own area to manage as they want.

Find an elderly neighbor or relative who would appreciate help in their garden.

Teach your children commitment and year round responsibility through maintaining a garden or other outdoor area.

Explore Family and Local History

Sort through your old photographs and other mementos and start to build a history of your family. Use websites and libraries to research further back into your history, seeking out births, marriages, and deaths, and census returns to see how families changed over time. Learn about the places your ancestors lived and the work they did.

Try and build as comprehensive a picture as you can of your family and draw it out on a colorful  chart. Talk to older relatives to find out what and who they remember.

Do the same for the place where you live. Local libraries or book shops often have books written about the local area which were only published on a small scale. Local councils or public record offices may also have interesting records that you can view. See how far back you can trace the history, and how much the area has changed.

Back copies of local newspapers can be found in libraries and sometimes on the internet. These are an excellent source of information on how things have changed over the years. Were there any unusual events or colorful characters in the area? Elderly residents may have forgotten stories to tell.

Visit the church and cemetery to seek out names of notable local families. Are there lots of people with the same surname? Are there any well-known families represented?

Give your kids a sense of history, and the past of their own family and locality.

Make Things From Paper

Templates for a wide variety of projects are free to download from several websites. Get started by visiting those in this article. You need to provide the paper for printing, but you could save money by printing out in black and white rather than color, then getting the kids to color the pieces before putting them together.

Print off 3 dimensional cards (a vase of flowers or pop-up birthday cake, for example), or templates for small boxes, then you have an activity that results in a useful gift.

Print off the template for a picture frame, make it up and add pictures of your family, then give it to an older relative.

Help your kids develop hand to eye co-ordination, practical skills and patience through making these models

For more low cost activities for kids, read this article: Cheap and Cheerful Activities for a Wet Weekend

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Two recent news stories add further weight to the importance of getting in the right frame of mind for successful weight loss:

A recent study from Brookhaven National Laboratory, reported by Time Magazine, found that men were more successful in weight loss than women because of their greater ability to repress their emotional cravings for food. The study involved volunteers fasting for seventeen hours, then being presented with the sight, smell and even taste of a favorite food, but not allowed to actually eat it.

Instead they were told to think about something completely different for 40 minutes while certain parts of their brain, that have a role to play in eating, were monitored.

Could you not think of your favorite food for 40 minutes?

Mental torture or what? Imagine fasting for a whole day before being bombarded with sensations of a favorite food (chocolate in my case), then hearing those immortal words: ‘Don’t think about  chocolate for the next 40 minutes’. And to cap it all, the chocolate is left there in full view and you’re not allowed to close your eyes except for normal blinking!

I’m surprised the researchers survived to write up their findings.

It seems that all the volunteers were able to lower their sensations of hunger, but the women struggled to repress their emotional cravings for the food, while the men were better able to do this. Here’s a method that can help anyone get their mind onside for successful weight loss.

The second piece of research was carried out by Dr Sarah Armstrong, director of the Healthy Lifestyles Program at Duke Children’s Hospital , and reported in Time Magazine. Dr Armstrong took a group of obese teen girls through a 6 month weight loss program, dividing them into 3 groups.

The only difference in the program followed by each of the groups wasn’t about food at all.

One group read a novel about an overweight teen who learned about healthy eating and lifestyle. Another group read a novel without this heroine, and the third group read nothing at all. At the end of the study, girls in the first group had lost more weight than those in either of the other two. Seems they had identified with their overweight heroine without realizing it.

Read more about how your mind can influence weight loss here

The Journal of the American Medical Association recently reported that the proportion of overweight and obese 6-11 yr olds appeared to have plateaued at about 32% between 1999 and 2006. So if you’ve got 3 or more kids between age 6 and 11, statistically speaking one of them will be obese. It doesn’t bear thinking about.

Obesity across all age groups costs billions in health care costs and lost productivity. Experts predict that overweight and obese people will form the majority of the population in the UK in 10 -15 years.

Excess weight brings with it so many negative factors related to physical and emotional well-being, but so often dieting and exercise alone aren’t enough. Here’s a method that makes sure your mind is fully supporting your weight loss strategy.

Other Articles That May Interest You

Using Your Mind for Weight Loss

Want to Give Up Chocolate?

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When did you last take a walk around where you live, or work, or where your family live? When did you last really look at nearest town or city?

A strange question maybe, but it’s a fact that people often take their own neighborhood for granted, and only get to know it if they’re showing a stranger around, or taking someone to see the ’sights’. And that’s a shame because so often there are interesting things to see. Things that we miss as we go about our everyday lives.

For a couple of years I worked in the English town of Leek, in the Staffordshire Moorlands. A small town, past its heyday, that seemed to have little to recommend it despite its proud claim to be the ‘Queen of the Moorlands’. In fact on a winter’s day, when the wind swept down from those same moorlands and the rain lashed the rows of terraced houses making them look especially unattractive, there was little to recommend it.

But Leek is full of hidden treasures, which I found just by walking around with my eyes looking ahead or upwards, rather than at my feet. There’s a small college which started life as a municipal & technical school and a silk school, both opened in 1900 as an addition to the earlier Nicholson Library and Institute. These buildings had links with William Morris, who lived in the town for a while, and others from the Arts and Crafts movement. Oscar Wilde gave a lecture on ‘dress’ at the Institute in 1885.

Despite recent modern additions many original features remain, including a number of friezes on the outside of the building depicting different areas of the arts, which look like they’ve been lifted from Wedgwood vases.Other buildings in the town have similar friezes.

Detail from a frieze on the Leek and Moorlands Cooperative Society building

There are almshouses and similar buildings with fascinating plaques, telling you who built them, when and why. And the Ragged School, which always made me wonder how the poor children felt to be given such a label. In true Victorian fashion the benefactors were proud of their philanthropy and wanted to broadcast it to the world (or at least that small proportion of the world that visited Leek!).

Many rows of terraces had names and construction dates built into them, each one having a story to tell I’d guess.

And my final memory is of a beautiful 17^th century cottage just off the marketplace, almost overgrown with ivy and other climbers, with the most beautiful ironwork gate. It housed a tea room on market days, now sadly closed as the owner pursues his love of old clocks instead.

Detail from the gate of a 17th century house in Leek

Once I’d started to uncover these treasures I made a regular habit of taking a walk at lunchtime, and going down different streets each time. There was always something new to see if I looked carefully. Something, however small, to add to my knowledge and enjoyment of the town.

Most urban areas have their stories to tell. Street names are often clues to past activities, and when a development has grown out from an older center it too will have its share of memories from the past. Names of long defunct banks and insurance companies still adorning their original premises, scraps from old advertisements painted on the sides of buildings, even unexpected areas of green – a peace garden in the middle of a busy town center for example.

You can seek out the buildings that have defied modernization or large scale development, nestling in amongst newer, brasher neighbors; glimpses of architectural styles from past centuries, and early industrial buildings that haven’t yet been converted into trendy living spaces.

You just don’t know what you might find, or the stories it might tell. So stop watching where you’re putting your feet, lift up your head, and start discovering the world around you.

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A little while ago I was checking out websites to include in the article Cheap and Cheerful Activities for a Wet Weekend, and found a number of sites where you can get free paper craft materials. The range is amazing: buildings including the Empire State Building and Sydney Opera House, pop-up cards, 3-d pictures, globes, vehicles, picture frames, gift boxes, bugs and dinosaurs are just for starters.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth I downloaded some of the models and sent them off to younger family members as part of their Christmas box, for when they get bored with the expensive toys and want something they can get a real sense of achievement from.

And then we went a bit mad...

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Lots of Free Books for Everyone

What have Sherlock Holmes, Jemima Puddleduck, Peter Pan, David Copperfield and Huckleberry Finn got in common?

If, like me you’re an avid reader you’ll know that the price of filling your bookshelf with new acquisitions is high. Even with low prices from Amazon. eBay and similar sites, you can spend a small fortune feeding your habit. Public libraries are okay, especially for the latest offering from a best selling author if you’re willing to join a waiting list to read it for free.

But maybe you’d prefer a well written classic, or you want to keep the book, to pull it from your bookshelf and read it again, free of the time constraints imposed by a library? Or maybe you’d like your children or grandchildren to enjoy stories that have been loved by the generations before them?

Here's how to have a constant supply of new books for all ages at almost no cost...

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A Christmas Plea

It’s no surprise that Christmas is one of the most stressful times of the year. There is so much pressure on people: to spend money they may not have, to socialize more than they normally do, to spend time with people they don’t get along with, to produce magnificent meals for large numbers of people, the list of stressors is endless.

Sometimes what’s right for one person is wrong for another so too much tight planning in advance can just fall apart on the day.

These tips can help you cope with different situations, and keep stress away from your Christmas celebrations:

Don’t leave it all to the last minute

Stagger food and present shopping over several trips. Plan food and entertainment in advance, and prepare as much food in advance as you can. If you don’t have the room to store things, or want to keep presents away from prying eyes, ask a friend or close relative if you can leave things with them.

Don’t expect too much of people

If you have relatives who don’t get on, chances are that things won’t be that different if they’re thrown together for Christmas. They may make an effort to get along, but there’s no guarantee they will succeed – or that they’ll be willing to try, for that matter. If you’re having a large gathering make sure the warring relatives are spread out. If numbers won’t allow this, make sure you have activities on hand to keep people occupied. Children can be good at getting adults to suspend their prejudices and join in. And if you’re a guest and spot potential arguments brewing, help out by distracting the participants.

Don’t try too hard

Whether you’re a host or a guest, it can seem like you have to be on your best behavior, which can be very stressful. Be sociable and friendly, but don’t go too far out of character or you could find it hard to maintain. If you’re responsible for the food, try to relax. Christmas lunch isn’t a competition, and no-one should be judging your efforts. It doesn’t really matter if things don’t work out as perfectly as you want them to. Everyone will appreciate the tremendous efforts you have made.

Don’t do it all yourself

Christmas should be a time for sharing. Whether it’s buying presents, writing cards, putting up decorations or preparing food make it a shared experience. If the tasks are spread out among a few people there’s less chance of anyone getting stressed trying to keep all the balls in the air. And when someone offers to clear the table and wash the dishes accept gracefully, don’t fight them.

Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses

Set your own spending limits for presents and food that fit your budget. You don’t have to exceed, or even equal, what someone else has done. Be happy with what you’ve done, and don’t worry what anyone else will think.

Don’t provide – or consume – too much alcohol

When faced with an endless supply of their favorite tipple some people just won’t (or can’t) refuse another drink. And that’s when they can change from their normal mild selves into difficult, embarrassing or accident-prone guests. You don’t want to spend part of your Christmas break sitting in casualty because Uncle Peter fell down the stairs. Make sure you offer lots of non-alcoholic drinks, and keep the alcohol in the background whenever you can.

Don’t get serious

Stop people getting into discussions about politics, religion or any other serious topic as this can quickly lead to disagreements. Keep distractions such as popular movies on standby.

Don’t leave people with nothing to do

Not only are they likely to drink more, or snack on that tin of chocolates, but idleness offers the ideal opportunity for bickering and quarrels to break out. Organized activities don’t appeal to everyone but even if they don’t join in with the charades they’re probably going to watch. If the weather is okay try and get people out for some fresh air after a heavy meal, rather than vegging out in front of the TV. Even a quick stroll round the block will help to clear heads and give people some space.

Don’t expect everyone to stay together

People who live on their own, or who don’t have young children, can find the sudden onslaught of excited youngsters daunting. They may cope for a while, but if there’s somewhere they can go for a bit of peace and quiet they’re likely to appreciate it.

Don’t make things complicated

Let things flow naturally if you can. You shouldn’t be working to a schedule or you’re bound to get into hassles. After lunch on Christmas day isn’t the best time to try to learn a difficult new game, or lay out that race track on every inch of available floor space. Make sure you’ve got some simple games and activities that everyone has a chance to join in, even if it means not letting the kids play with some of their presents right away.

Don’t try to score points against divorced or estranged partners

Christmas is not the time for snide comments, or retelling the wrongs of the relationship. Children are likely to suffer from not being with both parents at Christmas, and may feel guilty towards the parent they’re not with. Don’t make them feel any worse by rolling out the old dramas.

Don’t give a pet on Christmas day

There’s enough to cope with, you don’t need a new addition to the family to worry about as well. If you want to give a pet, don’t pick it up until after the festivities are over, when things are more or less back to normal. You may then get the pick of new pets that didn’t survive the stress of Christmas in another household.

You may also be interested in:

Save Money This Christmas
An Ideal Gift for Someone Trying to Lose Weight
Save Money By Giving More this Christmas
Make an Elephant Sneeze this Christmas
Save Money on Christmas Presents

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