We’re all familiar with procrastination. For as long as humans have been around, we’ve been postponing the tasks we know we should do.

No matter how you experience it, procrastination affects everyone equally. It’s a force that prevents us from creating the life we want.

This article will break down how procrastination reigns over us so you can easily understand and apply the strategies to overcome it.

Why Do We Procrastinate?

The strangeness of procrastination is that we desperately try to avoid a task we’ve picked as the best way to spend our time. Why is it we know what’s ideal but would much rather do anything else? 

There are two answers to that question: Time Inconsistency and The DUST Model.

Time Inconsistency

Time Inconsistency is our brain’s tendency to value immediate rewards higher than future ones.

The easiest way to understand this concept is to imagine you’re made up of two people: your present self and your future self. When you set a goal—like starting a business—that’s your future self. It recognizes that taking action on things with long-term benefits is important.

While your future self can set goals, only your present self can take action. The problem is that your present self only cares about instant gratification. So if your task doesn’t bring an immediate benefit, you’re not going to have any motivation to do it.

This creates a gap between what you want to do and what you actually do. Your future self wants to work on a side business, but your present self wants to watch Netflix. This disagreement is the primary driver of procrastination.

The DUST Model

Despite procrastination being rooted in time inconsistency, our emotions also exacerbate the issue.

DUST is a simple method to identify the emotions triggering procrastination:

Difficult – Challenging tasks lead to procrastination. This usually happens when you lack confidence or skill.

Unclear – Unclear tasks make it harder to start work. This is because you haven’t given yourself a precise outcome to work for.

Scary – Fear is a massive contributor to procrastination. Our brains are designed to keep us safe, so they will use procrastination to keep us in our comfort zone. 

Tedious – Some tasks we procrastinate on because they are boring necessities. They don’t bring any joy or pleasure, but they have to get done—like filling out a spreadsheet at work.

“Putting off an easy thing makes it hard, and putting off a hard one makes it impossible.” – George H. Lorimer

Since our present self isn’t motivated by long-term benefits, we need to move future rewards and punishments to the present.  

That’s exactly what happens when you put off a project until the last minute. You feel a little anxiety leading up to the deadline, but not enough to do anything about it. Then, suddenly, the day before the deadline, the future consequences become a present concern. So you write the report right before it’s due.

In that scenario, the report was no longer a goal of the future self. It became a duty of the present self. 

So to stop procrastinating, we have to make it easy for the present self to feel motivated and get started. These are two methods that do just that:

Measure Something

It’s easy to feel uninspired when you don’t know if you’re making progress. That’s why you need to make your success measurable in some way. Starting is easy when you know exactly how much closer your current actions will bring you to your goal. A great way to make tasks measurable is by using visual cues—like the Paper Clip Strategy.

Let’s say you have to make 100 sales calls in a day. To use the Paper Clip Strategy, you start with two jars; an empty one, and one with 100 paper clips. You transfer one paperclip to the empty jar for each call you make until you’re done. 

Visual cues work because of the Endowed Progress Effect—people become motivated when they see their progress towards a goal. Seeing your progress triggers your next productive action and gives you a short-term target.

Chunking

The most frustrating tasks are the ones that take many days to finish—like writing a report. You can spend all day working and have nothing but an unfinished project to show for it. It’s the exact type of work that induces procrastination.

An excellent technique for overcoming that hopeless feeling is Chunking. It’s when you split your large task into multiple smaller chunks. 

An example of chunking is the 15-minute routine author Anthony Trollope used. Rather than tracking his progress by the completion of chapters or books, he measured it in 15-minute increments. Every 15-minutes, he would write 250 words. His strategy gave him short-term achievements while contributing to the large task of writing a book.

Creating tiny milestones makes it less daunting to start tasks and gives you more momentum while working. It motivates your present self and contributes to your future self’s goal.

Address the DUST Model

To lessen our emotions’ impact on procrastination, we can use the following solutions to address the DUST Model. These aren’t groundbreaking ideas, but they serve as a healthy reminder to take action when you’re facing these emotions (rather than suffer through them).

Difficult – If your task is challenging, giving yourself lots of time to finish is one of the most helpful things you can do. Use this extra time to learn the necessary skills and create a proper plan of action. Doing so will also give you an increase in confidence.

Unclear – When your to-do list is so unclear it gives you analysis paralysis, you need to define a clear starting point and end goal. It’s essential to make sure the task itself is actionable and can be finished. For example, instead of saying “Prepare for presentation”, say “Record myself presenting so I can get feedback on Tuesday”. This small change gives you a physical action you can complete.

Scary – When your fears prevent you from moving forward with a task, Removing the Ambiguity is one of the best techniques to follow. 

Author Tim Ferriss explains this technique in The 4-Hour Work Week. He takes what he’s afraid of and describes every possible outcome (positives and negatives). Then he measures each potential outcome on a scale of one to ten. One being no impact, ten being permanently life-changing. 

By doing this, he realized most of what he feared were temporary three’s and four’s, and all the positive outcomes were eights and nines. Meaning he’d be giving up a life-changing opportunity, because of potential discomfort.

Tedious – When a task’s nature is boring and tedious, the best solution is to create an enjoyable environment or give yourself an incentive. The key here is adding as much joy as possible.

For example, if you have to fill out a spreadsheet at work, can you listen to music or a podcast? Or make a deal with yourself that every 30-minutes, you’ll take a break to walk or scroll through social media.

Procrastination forces most people to endure life. They sit, suffer, and pass through it—surrendering their opportunity to live it. I hope this guide helps you overcome procrastination so you can create the life you want.

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Today I want to share 12 tips that have been really useful for me to calm my anxiety in everyday life.

Because if you’re anything like me you have been there many times.

You’re sitting in a waiting room. Or just waiting somewhere.

Soon it will begin.

Your leg is starting to shake nervously. Your hands are starting to sweat and maybe your mouth feels a bit dry.

Your thoughts are becoming jumbled, it is hard to focus and to think as clearly as you usually do.

Maybe you have an important test in school. A job interview. An appointment with your doctor or dentist.

A date that you are looking forward to but at the same time you are scared to make a fool of yourself on.

Whatever it may be it is making you anxious.

Now, these self-help tips are for relieving low or medium levels of anxiety. They are not intended for anxiety attacks or anything that serious.

I know nothing about such things and would recommend that you seek professional help in such situations.

1. Breathe.

Sit down, in a quiet place if possible.

Breathe a little deeper than usual and do it with your belly and not with your chest.

For just a minute or two focus on only the air going in and out of your nostrils. Nothing else.

This will calm your mind and body down.

And it will bring your attention back to the present moment instead of it being lost in overthinking scary, future scenarios or bad memories from the past.

2. Get good knowledge.

Dispel the clouds of uncertainty and vague fears by researching what you have anxiety about.

By talking to people who have done what you are about to do or want to do – or by reading what they have written – you can build a more realistic roadmap with both positives and negatives of how things are likely to go.

And learn how to improve in the area that gives you anxiety.

Do research on the best ways to become better at and less nervous when – for instance – doing public speaking, job interviews or presentations at work or in school.

3. Do a quick workout.

I like to lift heavy weights for about 30 minutes when I feel worried, stressed or anxious.

It makes me feel stronger both in mind and body. It releases inner tensions and relaxes me.

Others go out for a quick run, walk or bike ride when they feel anxious.

Find a way to exercise that fits you and lets you reap these benefits and counteract anxiety.

4. Focus on something else.

Sometimes it is more helpful to simply redirect your mind instead of thinking about what creates your current anxiety.

Especially if you have no control over the situation that causes the anxiety like for example an upcoming appointment with your doctor or the dentist.

So focus your attention somewhere else for a while and recharge it with something positive.

Watch a couple of episodes of your favorite sit-com or TV-series. Browse your favorite social media feeds. Have relaxing or upbeat evening with friends.

Do something that takes your mind off the situation that causes anxiety, even if it is just for a few hours.

After that recharge you will not only likely feel better but you will also be in a better headspace and at a higher energy level to handle and think about the anxious situation.

5. Don’t forget to eat.

When I forget to eat because I am stressed and anxious then that only tends to worsen my state of mind.

It becomes harder to think clearly and negative scenarios more easily pop up in my mind.

So even if you don’t feel that hungry keep an eye on the clock and if you may be running low on fuel.

6. Change your focus to what you can do right now.

When you ask yourself questions that make you feel powerless or like things will only get worse and worse then you take away your personal power.

Empower yourself by instead asking yourself:

What is one small thing I can do to improve upon this situation today?

Write that question down and brainstorm answers for a few minutes. Then take action on one of the answers you find.

It doesn’t have to be a big action, just one small step forward. And when you are done with it then take another one.

This movement forward will make you feel like you are starting to regain control over your life again, it will make you feel at least a bit more confident and it, in my experience, tends to reduce the anxiety.

7. Question your worries and anxiety.

Look to your own past and ask yourself:

How many situations that I have been anxious about in the past have turned out to be exaggerations or me making a mountain out of a molehill in my mind?

Question your anxiety and worries instead of letting them roam freely.

8. Remember: You have handled tough situations in the past.

When you are standing in the middle of anxiety and fear bubbling up within then it is easy to get dragged down with it.

To lose faith in yourself and your abilities.

When that happens focus on your breathing first to calm and clear your mind. Then look to the past for a bit of strength and confidence in what you can do.

Doing this helps me to go from feeling powerless to feeling like I am standing on firmer ground again.

9. Let the feeling in to let it go.

Sometimes an anxious feeling can feel sticky and vague.

You don’t know exactly where it is coming from or what is causing it. It can be hard to get rid of.

A bit of an odd solution that has worked well for me in such situations is this:

When you feel a negative feeling then allow and accept that feeling. Don’t try to keep it out. Don’t try to fight it.

Even though many of us have learned to do those two things to negative feelings throughout life.

Instead, this time, just let it in and observe the feeling in your mind and body without judging it.

If you let it in and just observe it for a couple of minutes something wonderful happens.

First it may feel uncomfortable and more intense.

But then the feeling loses power. It weakens.

Often to the point that it just vanishes. Or so you can let it go without much effort.

Because when you accept the feeling and let it in you stop feeding it with more energy (as you would when you tried your hardest to keep it out or to fight it).

10. Let it out into the light.

When you keep something inside of you then your head can become an echo chamber that magnifies and doubles the anxiety and fear in a situation.

So let it out instead.

Talk to someone close to you about the situation at hand. Just venting to someone who will listen can help you to get a more grounded view on what’s happening.

Or the two of you can discuss it and help you to reclaim your power by making a small, initial plan for how you can reduce the anxiety about this situation by taking some kind of action.

11. Stay in the present moment.

Anxiety is often a fear of something you think will happen in future.

One way to reduce that anxiety is to simply stay with your attention in the present moment as much as you can.

Perhaps you make a small plan in advance to help you out but you choose to deal with the anxiety-creating situation when it happens.

Instead of spending hours each day with imagining and fearing the future and creating monsters in your mind.

The breathing technique at the start of this article is one of the best techniques I have found for returning to the present moment when you get lost in the future.

Another one of my favorites you can try is this one:

Take 1-2 minutes and focus only on what’s right in front of you.

Or around you and on you. Look at what’s right in front of you.

Listen to the sounds around you. Feel the fabric of your clothes. Feel the warmth of the winter sun on your skin.

12. Remember: There is a brand new day tomorrow.

This reminder helps me when today or the last week may not have gone so well.

Because there will be a brand new day tomorrow. A day when you can begin again.

A day when you can take a new step to move towards what you want and likely have a bit more luck.

And when it will be easier to see that this difficult time is only temporary and not permanent (even if it might feel that way right now).

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“Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.”
Benjamin Franklin

“If I don’t train enough, of course I’m nervous.“
Haile Gebrselassie

It starts with just a little tremble within. Then a pressure builds up.

A hand or foot starts to fidget. Your palms become moist and you start to feel not quite like yourself anymore.

The inner calmness you felt has flown out the window.

Nervousness is back, like an old friend you didn’t want to see.

Just in time for that date you had been looking forward to for the past week. Or the important meeting at work or your presentation in school.

So what can you do at this point?

Back down, come up with a poor excuse and cancel (as your self-esteem plummets)?

Plow through the meeting or date while being not quite your best self?

It is certainly possible. I have done both.

But an even better approach has – in my experience – been to find strategies and develop habits that help me to handle this challenge.

Here are 7 of my favorite habits for dealing with and overcoming nervousness.

1. Prepare if possible.

A bit obvious. But doing your preparation in time and not at the last minute and doing the preparation well – without trying to do it perfectly – rather than somewhat sloppily make a big difference.

You’ll feel more sure of yourself and relaxed about what you are about to do.

• If you have an important meeting, do your homework so you know what will or may come up in the meeting.
• If you have a date, perhaps try to think of 2-3 interesting topics/questions to bring up in case the conversational flow hits a stop.
• If you have a job interview, think about what they may ask you and figure out some good answers.

2. Ask yourself: what is the worst that could realistically happen?

This question has helped me many times to calm down and to stop building a mountain out of a molehill.

Because the worst that happened when I was dating was that I had a somewhat awkward date with someone I did not have a good chemistry with.

It didn’t lead a second date and sometimes I felt bad for day or two. And that was pretty much it.

But the sky didn’t fall because it is was a bad date. I got up the next morning again and had often learned something good from it.

3. Visualize in a positive way.

It is so easy to get stuck in the usual and habitual negative visualizations in your mind of how a situation will go. And so you get nervous.

Try taking a break from it the next time you are having an upcoming date, party or meeting.

Just this once allow yourself to see things in a positive way.

Here’s how to do it:

• Lie down in your bed or sit down somewhere where it is comfortable. Close your eyes.
• In your mind see how great the situation will unfold – see and hear it – and also how great will you feel at this meeting. See yourself being positive, open and having a wonderful time with a smile on your face. And see the excellent outcome you want in your mind.
• Then release by visualizing that it has already happened, that the meeting is over with the desired result. This is surprisingly effective and will get you into a good, confident and relaxed headspace before even stepping into that conference room, class room or pub.

Try it and see how this exercise works for you. Maybe it becomes something you want keep doing.

4. Slow down and breathe with your belly.

A few minutes before you step into the situation that makes you nervous slow down. Walk slower to the meeting place. Move slower.

Even stop for a minute if you like and stand still.

Then breathe through your nose. Take a little deeper breaths than you usually do. Make sure you breathe with your belly. Not with your chest (a common problem when people get stressed or nervous).

Focus on just your slow in- and out-breaths for a minute or two. Only on the air going in and out of your nose.

This will calm you down, make it easier to think normally again and that singular focus can draw you back into this moment rather than past failures or future worries.

5. Assume rapport in social situations.

After you have slowed down and focused on your breathing I have another good habit if you still feel a bit nervous and you are going into some kind of social situation.

This one worked especially well for me when I was single and was dating. And it is also very useful just before any other kind of meeting.

The habit is to assume rapport.

This means that just before you met someone you pretend and think to yourself that you are meeting one of your best friends.

Then you’ll naturally slip into a much more relaxed, comfortable, confident and enjoyable emotional state and frame of mind. In this state of mind the conversation tends to flow more naturally too, without much thinking.

Just like with your friends.

This is one of the very best and most helpful social habits I have adopted in the past 10 years or so.

6. Remember: people don’t think about you and what you do that much really.

You may feel like everyone is watching, judging and thinking about you a whole lot. And so you get nervous, worried or hold yourself back in life.

But a sobering realization I have had over the years is that people simply don’t care that much about what you do.

Just because you may think a lot about what you do and say doesn’t mean that others do that too.

They have their own plate full with doing the same thing as you: focusing on themselves, on their pets and kids and on their own challenges at this moment in time.

This realization may make you feel a little less important. But it also sets you free a bit more to do what you want to do in life.

7. Tell yourself that you are excited.

Harness the nervous energy into something that will help you.

If you cannot minimize the nervousness in some situations by using the tips above then take a different approach.

When the nervousness bubbles up, tell yourself that you are excited about the meeting, presentation etc.

This helps you to change perspective on what is happening inside of you and I have found that it helps me to get a boost of enthusiasm and openness for a short while.

So I can go into that meeting with that more helpful mindset and emotional state.

And a few minutes into the meeting the excited energy has usually been used in a helpful way and I go back to feeling more relaxed and centered again.

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“Certain flaws are necessary for the whole. It would seem strange if old friends lacked certain quirks.”
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

“People throw away what they could have by insisting on perfection, which they cannot have, and looking for it where they will never find it.”
Edith Schaeffer

One of the most common challenges that people email me about – and I myself have had quite a bit of trouble with – is perfectionism.

It’s an issue that can hold you back in life. Not only from achieving and finishing what you want.

But sometimes from even getting started. While at the same time draining your self-esteem, causing self-doubt and getting you stuck in a negative spiral where it can become harder and harder to start moving forward.

So today I’d like to share 6 things that have helped me – and still helps me to this day – with this destructive and distracting thought habit.

1. Go for good enough.

Aiming for perfection usually winds up in a project or something else never being finished.

So go for good enough instead.

Don’t use it as an excuse to slack off. But simply realize that there is something called good enough and when you are there then you are finished with whatever you are doing.

So find a balance for yourself where you do good work and don’t slack off but at the same time don’t get lost in trying to improve and polish something too much.

How to find that balance? I have found my own balance through trial and error and experience.

2. Realize that you hurt yourself and the people around you by buying into myths of perfection.

By watching too many movies, listening to too many songs and just taking in what the world is telling you it is very easy to be lulled into dreams of perfection.

It sounds so good and wonderful and you want it.

But in real life it clashes with reality and tends to:

• Cause much suffering and stress within you and in the people around you.
• Harm or possibly lead you to end relationships, jobs, projects etc. just because your expectations are out of this world.

I find it very helpful to remind myself of these simple facts.

Whenever I get lost in a perfectionist headspace I remind myself that it will cause me and my world harm.

And so it become easier to switch my focus and thoughts because I want to avoid making destructive choices and avoid causing myself and the people closest to me unnecessary pain.

3. Accept that you are human and so are everyone else.

Set human standards for everyone and accept that life is like that.

Everything and everyone has flaws and things don’t always go as planned. You can still improve things but they will never be perfect.

And realize that you won’t be rejected if things or you aren’t perfect.

At least not by reasonably well-balanced human beings, like most people actually are in reality.

4. Compare yourself to yourself.

Comparing yourself to other people on a regular basis can easily lead to feeling inferior. There will always be a lot of people ahead of you in any area of life.

So compare yourself to yourself…

• See your improvement and how far you have come.
• Look back at what you have overcome.
• Appreciate yourself and focus what you have done and are doing rather than what everyone else is doing.

5. Do what you think is the right thing.

So you realize that perfectionism will harm you and you try to avoid it. But people and media and the society around you have an influence over how you think and feel.

One of the best ways I have found to practically lessen that influence is by doing the right thing as much as possible.

When you do that other people’s expectations have less and less power over you and you take more charge of your life.

Because by doing the right thing your self-esteem and self-confidence goes up and other people’s opinions about you and life will matter less to you.

You have become stronger, more certain in who you are and you are not so easily swayed by external forces.

6. Shape an environment of human standards around you.

Emotions are contagious. So is perfectionism.

And even though you can lessen the impact that your environment has you can also work at the other end of things.

You can reshape your environment by for example:

Reducing or cutting out the sources that try to reinforce perfectionism in you.

Take a little time to review what websites, magazines, podcasts, TV-shows and books you spend a lot of time with. Take a look at if they have realistic and positive expectations or views on you and on life.

And if not, choose to spend more of your time with the sources that lift you up and support you.

Spending less time with nervously perfectionistic people.

And more of your time each week with people who are trying to improve themselves and/or are living a good life in a positive, healthy and relaxed way.

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The ocean is a wild, enormous, mysterious, and untameable thing, and having a healthy respect for its power and even its dangers is understandable and sensible. But for some people, this respect can tip over into fear and become a problem.

A minor fear of the sea is usually not a problem and something that most people who worry about its dangers can overcome quite easily. However, for some, a fear of the ocean is a huge issue and can have a negative impact on their lives. If being afraid of the ocean means that your day-to-day life or vacation choices are being affected, you might have thalassophobia or a phobia of the ocean.

Phobias are tricky things to deal with, but there are a number of steps you can take to mitigate your ocean fear and make beach holidays and even a short cruise itinerary manageable. Read on, and discover some of the best ways to overcome your thalassophobia.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help overcome phobias by helping you alter negative thoughts and damaging behaviors to make them healthier and more positive. CBT is not just ‘the power of positive thinking,’ but rather has an impact on the neural pathways of people suffering from phobic disorders, helping to overcome fears like thalassaphobia long-term.

Exposure Therapy

Another option when it comes to treating phobias is to face them head-on and confront their power over you, often referred to as exposure therapy. Almost everyone who has phobias makes an effort to avoid their fears, which can actually worsen the disorder as the object of the phobia becomes greater and more concerning in the imagination than in real life. Exposure therapy forces you to expose yourself to your fears, gently and gradually, in order to help you overcome them. With a fear of the ocean, this might involve watching videos of the sea in the company of a therapist, moving gradually forward, and eventually facing the ocean in real life.

Anti-Anxiety Medication

While medication is not necessary in most cases of thalassophobia and does not constitute a ‘cure’ as such, anti-anxiety medication can be helpful in certain cases. If you find yourself in a situation where avoiding the sea is not an option and therapy has not had time to help, medication can deal with the symptoms of your phobia and help you relax.

Relaxation Strategies

Relaxation strategies can also be useful in dealing with phobias. If you find yourself experiencing symptoms of anxiety when confronted by the ocean, try using strategies that can relax your mind and body to deal with them. Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and positive visualization can all be helpful in managing your fears.

*collaborative post

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According to the North American Menopause Society, the number of post-menopausal women is likely to rise above 1 billion by 2025. It means over one billion women are undergoing perimenopause as you read this.

Women are often unaware of changes they may face during the period preceding their menopause. The truth is that menopausal symptoms emerge years (sometimes a decade) before you stop having your periods. So, an understanding of this phase can help you overcome it with grace.

What Is Perimenopause?

Nowadays, people call perimenopause the “new midlife crisis”. It is the time when your hormone levels gradually start declining, before coming to a complete halt at menopause. For most women, it typically begins in their 40s, but some may have an earlier onset.

The rapid decrease in estrogen and progesterone results in a litany of symptoms, ranging from irregular periods to mood disorders.

Symptoms You May Experience During Perimenopause

In perimenopause, your periods tend to be heavier or irregular instead of being completely absent. These symptoms may vary significantly depending on race, genetics, body mass index (BMI) and other factors.

The majority of women face the following issues:

• Irregular periods
• Heavy bleeding
• Hot flashes
• Vaginal itching or dryness
• Sleep disturbances
• Low sexual desire
• Fatigue
• Mood changes
• Pain in the breast (mastalgia)
• Urinary incontinence

Due to a progressive decrease in hormones, these symptoms may become intense as menopause approaches.

5 Practical Tips To Ease The Perimenopause Phase

The list below compiles simple changes you can incorporate in your life to embrace perimenopause positively.

#1 Know Your Triggers For Hot Flashes

According to estimates, up to 70% of women experience hot flashes during the perimenopausal time. They manifest as flushing, sweating,  sudden warmness of  skin, or rapid heart rate.

A study published in the Journal of Women’s Health concludes that alcohol intake or cigarette smoke (active and passive) may induce hot flashes. Other possible factors include spicy foods, wearing tight outfits, or caffeine intake. Identify your triggers and avoid them actively to reduce the frequency and duration of hot flashes.

#2 Recognize And Manage Your Mood Changes 

Mood disorders are quite common and appear as fatigue, mood swings, body pains, or insomnia.  Many women also suffer from depressive disorders.

Staying mindful and taking a holistic approach to counter stress enables you to overcome it with strength and confidence. Walk at least 150 minutes per week, and generally engage in aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, or swimming. Regular yoga or meditation also helps manage stress and promote a positive outlook towards life.

#3 An Appropriate And Balanced Diet 

The perimenopause phase brings many nutritional deficiencies. You can deal with these through adequate hydration and a balanced diet.

Drink plenty of water every day, add fiber to your diet, cut down on sugars and unhealthy fats, and fill your plate with more proteins.

Phytoestrogen – Some foods have abundant phytoestrogen, which can replace deteriorating estrogen levels in your body. These dietary constituents promote bone health and alleviate other perimenopausal symptoms. Foods rich in nutritional elements -Soybeans, legumes, red clover, tofu, flaxseeds, edamame, red beans, chickpeas, etc.

Iron and Magnesium – Many women experience heavy bleeding, which causes anemia and manifests itself as fatigue, dizziness, or lethargy. Diet rich in iron and magnesium assists in alleviating this deficiency. It also improves hot flashes, irritability, palpitations, and insomnia. Foods rich in nutritional elements – Whole cereal, lean meat, pulses, legumes, eggs, nuts and seeds, spinach, etc.

Calcium and Vitamin D – Estrogen depletion in the body leads to significant bone resorption and demineralization. The efficiency of bone-eating cells (osteoclast) increases, making them osteoporotic. Estrogen-rich foods extract calcium from your diet. However, you also need to increase the source of calcium. Vitamin D also enables abruption and activation of calcium. So, it is always a good idea to bask in the sun for a dose of vitamin D or incorporate a regular supplement. Avoid red meat and carbonated beverages because they reduce calcium absorption in the body. Foods rich in nutritional elements – Milk and milk products, green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, and seeds, etc.

#4 Take Control Of Your Vaginal Health

It would be unfair to talk about perimenopause in the context of physical health only. It is mentally challenging to see your sexuality undergoing a significant change. You experience not only low libido, but also visible changes in your vagina.

Hormonal fluctuations cause vaginal dryness, itchiness, and thinning of the vaginal tissue. So, prioritize your vaginal rejuvenation and health.

• Estrogen creams for vaginal dryness

You can use a topical estrogen cream to combat thinning and dryness of vaginal tissue. It improves pain during intercourse and improves the overall health of the vagina during perimenopause and afterwards.

• Vaginoplasty for vaginal laxity

If aesthetics are your concern, you can minimize the thinning and laxity of vaginal tissue with vaginoplasty. It is a minimally invasive surgical or laser treatment that tightens the soft tissue around the vagina, vulva, clitoris, or labia. The technique and results depend on  individual circumstances. However, the whole experience can be liberating for many, because it allows you to take charge of your body.

#5 Practice Sleep Hygiene To Avoid Sleep Disruption

You can resolve your sleep disturbances with appropriate sleep hygiene habits. Incorporate these, and you won’t need to count sheep to drift into sleep!

• Eliminate the use of mobile phones or other devices during your bedtime.
• Do not use caffeinated beverages or alcohol at least four hours before bed.
• Reduce noise or light from the room.
• Listen to relaxing music or an audiobook.
• Take a relaxing hot water bath.
• Practice stretches or yoga before bedtime.

The Final Verdict

The perimenopausal period precedes menopause, and varies in duration and symptoms. Overall, it can be a challenging time due to hormonal fluctuations and corresponding life events. However, an insight into your body changes and correct lifestyle choices can make it, and the approaching menopause, an empowering experience for you. You may even start looking forward to being free of your monthly menses altogether!

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Author Bio

Dr. Hira Shaheen is a doctor and passionate health writer. After graduating from medical school, she continued working as a medical officer in OB-Gyn and gained extensive expertise in obstetrics and fertility care. She is a fierce advocate of women empowerment and takes a keen interest in women’s wellness. She takes pride in making evidence-based health education accessible to the public through her medical writings and a holistic clinical outlook. Currently, she is a part of the content team at Labiaplasty NYC Gynecology Clinic.

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Marital life is not without its challenges, and whether you are part of a new marriage or one of many decades, you are likely to have faced difficulties at some point along the road already. Fortunately, almost every problem that you and your partner might face during your wedded days is resolvable.

Here are four challenges you could face in your marriage and how to go about overcoming them.

1. Infertility 

If you and your partner waited until marriage to begin trying for kids, then this problem is possibly something that neither of you has previously had to think about. That said, the ability to have children can be a deal-breaker for some when it comes to a relationship.

If you and your partner both agreed to have children later in life, but are struggling to conceive now that you are married, then all hell could break loose. Most of the time, it is just a case of persevering and ensuring the romance does die out when trying for a baby. However, you may need to take matters into your own hands if problems persist. Consider IVF treatment to ensure you overcome infertility and can still welcome new life into your marriage.

2. Stress

If you and your other half both work in high-intensity, stressful roles, then bad tempers might occasionally be brought home from the office from time to time. This is normal – and resolvable – but takes work to ensure you don’t ruin your marriage. Trying to achieve a calmer mind is not easy, either. Think about your quality of life, do you really need that fat pay cheque, or would you rather have less responsibility and more time to spend with your family?

Equally, is there more you can be doing to tackle your own mental illnesses and defeating stress? Practising yoga regularly is a fantastic way to lower stress levels, improve your sleeping patterns, while also making you more flexible and mobile.

3. Finances

Money is often the elephant in the room in a lot of marriages. Presuming you haven’t signed any sort of prenup agreements, then it is important to talk openly about your finances. If one of you earns far more than the other, then you will need to have a frank discussion about the level of support that person may feel they need – or are entitled too. Naturally, this sort of touchy subject can cause friction in any marriage. The only way to resolve it is through clear, frank, and honest communication, along with the ability to compromise and share generously with your partner.

4. Infidelity 

Infidelity might well be the hardest problem to overcome in a marriage, and for many, once this line has been crossed, there is a reluctance to even try to save things altogether. Sometimes infidelity can be a drunken mistake, born out of more underlying problems in an existing marriage. The key to overcoming this – if the two of you choose to do so – is to rebuild your levels of trust and to work collaboratively together to fix the underlying issues that caused it to happen in the first place.

*collaborative post

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We can all get nervous from time to time. It could be the day before a job interview or a college exam. It might be when we’re about to ask somebody out on a date with worries that they might say ‘no.’ And we might feel nervous because of an upcoming driving test, a dental appointment, or some other nerve-wracking experience.

When we feel nervous, our palms might get sweaty, and we might experience an increased heart rate. Butterflies in the stomach are another common symptom of nervousness, as is accelerated breathing. These are all brought on by the body’s response to stress and many of us have experienced such bodily changes.

Chances are, you are relating to what we are saying. As we said, everybody gets nervous at some point. Thankfully, there are ways to stop your nerves from getting the better of you.

Prepare Yourself In Advance

What you do to prepare will depend on whatever it is you are nervous about. If your stomach is all of aflutter because of a trip to the dentist, you could find out what to expect from your appointment. This might put your mind at ease. If you’re nervous about a job interview, you could role-play interview scenarios with a friend or family member to get yourself ready for the big day. And if an upcoming exam is giving you the jitters, you should work hard beforehand to make sure you’re equipped for it. The more prepared you are, the more at peace you will be, so be as proactive as you can to help yourself.

Take Something That Will Calm Your Nerves

Certain types of drinks can provide anxiety relief, such as green tea and chamomile tea. Your local health store will recommend herbal supplements to you, so pay them a visit or look for something online. And CBD oil is a proven way to induce feelings of calm, so visit Simply CBD for the range of products they have available. These are just some of the things you can take to reduce your feelings of nervousness, although your doctor or pharmacist will also advise you on things you might take.

Try A Relaxation Technique

The last thing you want is your nerves to get the better of you moments before your exam or job interview, so for situations such as these, find a way to relax beforehand. You can do this through breathing exercises or certain forms of meditation, some of which you might be able to do at a moment’s notice. So, find out what works for you, be it a deep breathing exercise or a guided meditation that you can download on your phone, and focus on these to give you the instant calm you need.

Distract Yourself

Talk to your friends on the phone, walk your dog, watch something funny on YouTube, or do anything else that will take your mind off the way you are feeling. When you can distract your mind, you will get into a different headspace, and that might distance you from the nervousness you experienced. So, do whatever is right for you, even if it’s right before the event that is causing you to fret.

These are just a few of the ways to overcome nervousness, so we hope they were useful to you.  Take a look around our website for other helpful advice, and do whatever else you can to get a handle on your nerves. It is possible to let go of your fears, so be positive, and remember that whatever it is you’re nervous about won’t last forever!

*collaborative post

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