It’s estimated that 50% of us struggle to get to sleep at night, wake up during the night, or stay up too late. That’s half of us regularly not getting a great night’s sleep. Without sleep, our bodies can’t recover from the day, we start each new day a little below our best, we’re less alert and focused, we’re more stressed out, our immune systems can’t work at their best, we can gain weight, and find ourselves feeling agitated and grumpy. Long term not getting enough sleep can even lead to serious physical and mental health problems. Struggling to sleep, or spending the night tossing and turning is often due to one of these five causes.
Money Worries The average American family owe $8377. Usually, in the forms of credit cards, store cards and overdrafts and more often than not, a combination of all of them. Debt has become a normal part of life. But, that doesn’t mean that it’s stopped keeping up awake at night. So few of us seek help or look at a debt management program when we are having money troubles.
We spend time lying awake at night worrying instead. Don’t make this mistake. If you are struggling with debts, or a change in circumstances suddenly means you can no longer meet payments, get some help.
Not Exercising Our lives can be incredibly sedentary. If you work from home, or mainly online, you may find that you spend a large portion of your day sat down. Many of us also drive everywhere, even short distances. This can mean that even when your mind is tired, and you want to go to bed, your body isn’t.
Try to move more. Walk short distances instead of driving, go for a walk on your lunch break, ride your bike to work or go to the gym when you are done. You may be amazed at how much better you sleep with even a little extra exercise.
Staying Online Late Now we’re all online all of the time; it’s easy to stay up late at night scrolling through our social media feeds or playing games online. Both the blue lights emitted by the screen and the content you are devouring can keep you awake.
For a better night’s sleep, switch off and relax for at least an hour before bed. Then, leave your phone in a different room while you sleep.
Work Worries It’s thought that over 50% of us are unhappy with our jobs. For some people, this is just a phase, or a mild annoyance that passes. But, for others, this is due to severe worries that keep them up at night, dreading the next day.
If you are unhappy at work, speak to your manager about making some changes, or consider a career change in an attempt to find a job that you love.
Environment Sometimes, it’s nothing as deep as worries or concerns. Sometimes your environment keeps you awake. If your neighbors are loud, your partner snores, you live next to a busy road, or your mattress is uncomfortable, you may struggle to sleep. Make any changes you can, or get some earplugs. It’ll be worth it for a good night’s sleep.
I hope you are having a wonderful week. It’s been bitterly cold here in the Show Me State. I hope you are staying warm and enjoying a good book. I have been reading Time Management Magic by Lee Cockerell, who recently spoke at a reception at our church.
Have you ever wondered about who you are and why you are who you are? Have you ever thought about what makes you, you? If you could find out more about your parents, your grandparents and your ancestors; would you do it? If you could take a test that would tell you more about your ethnic makeup, would you be curious to find out the results?
Taking a Journey To Find Out Where We Came From
For a while now, my wife and I have been asking these questions and curious to know more about us. We wanted to know more about the wonderfully unique attributes that God used to make us. We had been hearing advertisements on TV and online about DNA tests that can help answer these questions. To be honest, I was quite skeptical of them from the beginning; but my wife wanted to take the test anyway. After asking colleagues about it, and doing some of my own research, I decided that it would be worthwhile. So, my wife and I decided to take a journey – a journey to find out where we came from.
Of the many companies out there, I decided to use the testing service from 23 and Me. From my research, 23 and Me offered the most comprehensive results and provided the most details. With this test, it will break down your DNA into ethnic percentages; telling you how much of DNA is from a specific region or area of the world. The results and reactions that I had seen from the people who took the test were amazing and made me a believer.
23 and Me uses your own saliva to analyze your DNA
Why Take The Test
For my wife and I, we have very different reasons for taking the test. Yes, we both wanted to know more about where our ancestors came from; but it was much more to it.
Me I previously researched my family and traced my them back to the 1850s when they migrated from Germany. Looking at the family tree, all of my ancestors from that point to now where from Germany. I wanted to know if the scientific research matched the genealogical research. I wanted to know with more certainty if this was accurate or if there were other ethnicities in this mix. I had not researched the family prior to the 1850s, so I didn’t know if other ethnicities were in the mix prior to that time. I have always said that my family was German; but now would I have to add other groups into that. Also, in my line of work as a historical researcher, I help people doing their own genealogical research. I wanted to be give my opinion of the testing if anyone would ask me.
My Wife I just wanted to learn more about my family pure and simple.I first started looking into Ancestry. However, my hubby told me that 23 and Me had a special running during Thanksgiving so we decided to test it out. I have heard some history from family members that I had a Native American great-grandmother and a half-white, half-black Grandfather on my mother’s side, but not sure what region. I know very little about my father’s side of the family. Other than that, I have little known information about my family heritage. I am curious to see what the results will say when I get the percentages back.
We started the journey back in November. We submitted our salvia test and we should be getting the results back anytime now. When we do, we post the results and our reaction. Let us if you have taken the same test or a similar one. Were the results what you were expecting? What did you learn from it?
Borrowing money seems like it’s just a natural part of life these days. Where it used to be considered a last resort, now most of us just factor debt into our monthly finances. The cost of living is going up but our income isn’t going up at the same rate so there’s often a shortfall that needs to be made up with borrowing. But are we too quick to borrow money? If there’s something that we need to buy, we’ll often just reach for the credit card without thinking about whether we actually need to spend that money. We’ll take out a student loan for college even though we have a job and can pay for it. There are some circumstances where it is sensible to borrow, but others where it just isn’t necessary. So, how do you know which it is?
Do You Need To Make The Purchase? This is the first question you should be asking yourself. If you are borrowing money because the boiler is broken and you can’t afford to fix it right now, that’s fine. You need heating and hot water so borrowing money for it is fine. However, if you’re spending the money on a new car or a vacation, you don’t desperately need those things. You can still buy that stuff, just put it off for a few months and actually save up the money. That way, you aren’t paying all of that expensive interest on top.
Can You Get A Good Rate? Speaking of interest rates, how high are they on the loan that you want to take out? If you’ve got a poor credit score, you’ll only get accepted for loans that have a high interest rate on them. That’s just going to get you into more financial trouble. If that’s you, look at how to improve credit score and try to make some changes. Once you’ve increased your score, you’ll be able to borrow that money at a much more affordable rate.
Have You Got Savings? A lot of people make the mistake of borrowing instead of using their savings because they think that, as long as they’ve got savings, they’re doing well financially. The thing is, if you borrow money and then start paying loads of interest on it, you’ll have less money to put aside in your savings anyway. It’s far more sensible to use your savings for whatever urgent purchase you need and then top it up again later on. You won’t have debts hanging over you and you don’t risk getting yourself into serious financial trouble by taking out lots of loans.
Can You Make Cutbacks? If you find that you’re borrowing and using credit cards every month just to make ends meet, you’ve got a problem somewhere; you’ve got more going out than coming in. Finding a job that pays more money is one solution, but the obvious thing to do is just spend less money. People will often tell you that they absolutely can’t afford to make cutbacks but this is rarely true. If you tracked every single penny that you spent for a month, you’d be surprised at just how much you’re wasting on stuff you just don’t need to buy. Cut those purchases out and you might find that you don’t need to borrow any money.
There are certain times when borrowing is the right thing to do, but make sure you answer these 4 questions before you do.
Depression is a word that is being brought into the spotlight more and more everyday as we become more in tune with mental health and emotional awareness. Being depressed can make you feel like you are helpless, unworthy and unable to participate in everyday society. It’s not something that anyone can fix for you, as depression is something that blooms in different ways for different people. The important thing to know is that you are not helpless. You are not unworthy, and you are able to participate, if only you are willing to fight back against the black cloud over you.
image courtesy of pixabay.com
Trying to find remedies for depression that don’t include a cocktail of medication isn’t always easy, as medication is the go-to fix for doctors and professionals. The thing is, not everyone likes being medicated. Sure, you can feel less depressed for the tablets that you are taking, but you can also end up with side effects that are far worse than the depression that you felt in the first place. If medication is out of the question for you, then you need to consider natural remedies that will change your life. We’ve listed three natural depression remedies to help you to combat depression and give you a piece of your life back.
National Service Animal Registry. It may not have been something that you have considered before, but an emotional support animal is probably one of the best natural depression remedies there is. Getting an emotional support animal registered is important and the benefits are simply amazing. Not only can you rely on your emotional support animal for your well being, you can bring them with you wherever you go. Depression can make you feel numb, as if you cannot feel, but a dog or other pet specifically trained for your emotional health is there to help break through to those feelings while giving you a companion to rely on.
Exercise. Whether you choose to get a support dog or not, you still need to get outside and into the fresh air. Depression makes you lock into a box in your mind; you can see and hear, but you are numb and cannot connect to those around you. Being outdoors in the elements can force your body to connect with your surroundings while releasing endorphins. Those feel-good hormones have a lot to answer for and you can help to encourage your brain to rewire itself.
Sleep. Have you found that your depression makes you want to stay in bed all day? Taking advantage of that by sleeping as much as you can will help. Get yourself into a solid bedtime routine, where you would be able to help yourself relax into a decent night of shut-eye.
These are not exhaustive ways to dig yourself out of the hole of depression, there are plenty of others out there that would also help. The trick is to find out what will work for you and stick at it. Depression isn’t like a cold, where you sneeze into a tissue that can be thrown away. Give yourself time to heal and go natural with your remedies.
It feels more like summer than fall these days, however seeing the leaves change and the mums in full bloom is a sight to behold.
Do you think we need more love and kindness in the world today? Well I don’t think so, I know our world needs it.
Do you think that people deserve to have a second chance?
God is a God of a second chance, third chance, fourth change and those chances go on and on. We all mess up and fall short. When that happens, we feel that there is no way to get up and dust ourselves off and move forward again. Many times we feel that God is mad at us and we can’t possibly be forgiven. God loves us and He is not mad at us. This movie will tug at your heart because it hits home and makes us think of the unforgiveness in our lives and in order to forgive others we have to forgive ourselves for complete reconciliation.
Do you have any unforgiveness on the inside? We can’t be totally free until we cast those cares of unforgiveness into the sea of forgetfulness. It’s not easy but we can’t quit.
Bubbling with Elegance and Grace is teaming up with LEV3L Digital introduce you to the latest movie from PureFlix — SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME. You will have a chance to win two tickets to see the movie for yourself. Here is the movie’s trailer to let you know more about it.
After that movie trailer I know I am drawing you in with captivation to go to see this movie when it opens in theaters on.
“Based on an unforgettable true story of forgiveness, friendship, family, and faith, SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME opens in theaters on October 20th. With two Academy Award® winners and two nominees, the film’s outstanding cast brings to life the New York Times bestseller that interweaves stories of international art dealer Ron Hall (Greg Kinnear), his grace-giving wife Debbie (Renée Zellweger), their unexpected friend Denver (Djimon Hounsou), and Ron’s estranged father Earl (Jon Voight).” It is rated PG-13.”
SKDM Ministry Stills
My hubby and I have not seen the entire movie, only a five-minute clip. It was long enough to get an idea of its themes and it left me wanting to see it.
The movie touches on acts of kindness that can change the circumstances for the people who need them. A smile, opening a door for someone, or volunteering at a homeless shelter. There are many ways to pay it forward. No act of kindness showing God’s love is too small.
One theme that resonates throughout the movie is second chances. We all have at some point in our life needed a second chance. Whether it is from our spouse for mistakes we have made; or from events out of our control. This movie will have you thinking about how you can care for those who are hurting and in need of that second chance. It is not just the act of kindness, but it is something that chance a person’s life forever. Knowing that makes it a heart thing.
GIVEAWAY
Thanks to LEV3L Digital and Fandango, one of our readers will receive two tickets to see the movie in the theater.
How To Enter: Leave a comment below. State why Acts of Kindness and Second Chances are important in today’s world.
Deadline: Comments must be received by Sunday, October 15th at midnight (CST).
Announcement: The winner will be announced on Monday, October 16th.
SKDM Ministry Stills
We all need more kindness and a another chance. We cannot wait to see Same Kind of Different As Me in its entirety to see how these themes changed the lives of the characters in the movie; and how we can incorporate them in our own life.
FTC Disclaimer: Bubbling With Elegance And Grace did not receive any monetary payment to write this preview. However, we will receive to see the movie when it released at the theater. All opinions about the movie are our own.
Have you ever noticed that the world is so noisy today? Everywhere we turn, we are faced with fake news stories, television reality shows, and viral social media videos. The list goes on and on (and on). With so much happening, it is hard to get rid of the noise. Televisions are constantly on, smart phones are at the ready and the people around you are always saying something. Have you also noticed that most of the time what we are hearing is not positive and it does us no good?
With so much going on at one time, it is important that you find that quiet place where you can have some time devoted just to you and what is important to you. It could be time spent with your spouse talking about your relationship. We need that quiet time with the Lord each an everyday. Or it could be time thinking about self-improvement. Whatever you do in your quiet time, it is important that you make the time for it. For my wife and me, we believe that it is important that we turn off the television, the computer and the smart phones about an hour before going to bed. This is time when we talk, read or listen to the Bible. This is something that we try to do each night and are working on making that happen.
Finding Your Quiet Place
Ironically, for me the place where I find the quietest place is in the yard while I am cutting the grass. Oddly enough, the roar of the lawnmower’s engine drowns out the world’s distractions and I can focus my attention on me. I am talking to God about what is going on, mediating on decisions that I have to make or thinking about how I can make adjustments to my life to improve my life. For that hour when I am cutting the grass, the outside world is a million miles away and I am at peace.
The Quiet Place
Where is your quiet place? Do you even have one? What do you do when you there? Let me know in the comments section below.
Learn More About JT Bubbling with Elegance and Grace is a place for life long learners. The Bubbling With Elegance And Grace team was created 14 years ago. A passion for fashion sparked a lifestyle blog for our Elegant Community to enjoy. We are thankful and in gratitude to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for those who have been with us from the beginning and those who have just started riding with us on this lovely journey.
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