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That lifestyle is what drew us here. We wanted to provide a different type of upbringing for our three young girls: one that focused on adventurous time spent in nature. So for the past two years we’ve been committed to finding fun and imaginative ways to spend as much time as possible out in nature. Over time we’ve grown from a family that considered a trip to a local park an adventure, to one that hikes and camps, fishes and skis.

We’ve grown closer as a family as we’ve grown to embrace our new lifestyle. And our difficult daughter? Well, we still have our moments, but almost never outside.

At first we didn’t know exactly why we wanted to raise outdoor loving kids – it just instinctively seemed like a good idea. If we did have a specific motivation, it was the hope that by starting them early our girls would grow up physically strong and healthy, and with a lifelong love for outdoor activity. Over time we’ve come to learn that the emotional benefits of more time in nature probably outweigh the physical ones.

BENEFITS OF SPENDING MORE TIME IN NATURE AS A FAMILY

It builds confidence.

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY WAS INTRODUCED EARLY THIS CENTUARY (2000 and 2005) AND SOME OF IT'S PRINCIPLES CAN BE PRACTICED PERSONALLY - YOU WOULD NOT NEED A PSYCHOLOGIST. IN SOME RESPECTS, THIS KIND OF PRACTICE IS HEALTHIER THAN OTHERS, IF YOU DON'T OVER-DO IT (like most things). IT CERTAINLY HAS IT'S MERITS, YOU WILL SEE IN THIS POST. THESE DAYS, YOU CAN EVEN PRACTICE SOME BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION TECHNIQUES WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A THERAPIST. SOME PSYCHOLOGISTS WRITE BOOKS AND VIDEOS SHOWING YOU HOW TO APPLY THE TECHNIQUES FOR YOURSELVES. THEY'RE GOOD FOR MAKING AND BREAKING HABITS. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY IS INTERESTING TOO. FOR NOW, LET'S SEE WHAT POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY HAS TO OFFER, HEY?

WHAT IS POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Traditionally in psychology, the focus has been on identifying and treating mental health problems such as depression. This is critically important for those facing mental illness however, it provides an incomplete picture of mental health. Positive psychology is a relatively new branch of psychology that shifts the focus from what is clinically wrong, to the promotion of wellbeing and the creation of a satisfying life filled with meaning, pleasure, engagement, positive relationships and accomplishment.

Positive psychology is not about putting on a happy face all the time.…

THIS LAST YEAR HAS BROUGHT MANY OF US INTO MORE CONTACT WITH NATURE WHEN HAVING TO DISTANCE OURSELVES SOCIALLY. I'VE ALWAYS LOVED TO HEAR THE BIRDS WHEN THEY VISIT NEARBY, WAKE UP EARLY IN THE MORNINGS, SEE THEM IN THE PARKS, AT THE BEACHES, FLYING IN FORMATIONS ON OCCASSIONS ABOVE THE HOUSES IN MY LOCALITY WHEN I STEP OUTSIDE. I'VE JUST PURCHASED A SECOND BIRDBATH RECENTLY, SO I HAVE A DEEPER ONE OUT THE FRONT FOR THE MAGGIES WHO LOVE TO SPLASH IN IT, AND A SHALLOW ONE FOR THE BACK, SO THE SPARROWS CAN REFRESH THEMSELVES TOO. I CAME HOME THE OTHER DAY TO SEE A PIGEON RESTING PEACEFULLY IN THAT ONE FOR QUITE SOME TIME - NOT SO QUICK TO FLY AWAY, AYE? WITH A LITTLE PATIENCE, YOU CAN BEFRIEND SOME BIRDS A LITTLE - ATLEAST WE CAN MAKE OUR YARDS INVITING AND EXPERIENCE PRECIOUS MOMENTS HERE AND THERE ON DIFFERENT DAYS.

Being Around Birds Makes Us Much Happier Says New Science

By Andy Corbley

We see them nearly everywhere we go, we hear them every day, they live in every environment, and now, two new studies have shown their mere presence makes us happier.…

Life's Pretty Serious These Days, Find Ways To Laugh And Smile Together, Yawn Together - It's Contagious, It's Fun For Families. It's Good For Stress.

Yawning Doesn't Mean That You Are Bored Or In Absolute Need Of Sleep. No, When We Yawn, It Means Something More Interesting Than That. Science Has Been Ignorant For Decades About Things They Have More Light On Now. Some Neuroscientists Like Caroline Leaf Has Some Firsthand And Professional Knowledge Concerning The Benefits Of Yawning And She Places Value On It.

Reasons Why We Yawn - Read On!

Some Professionals Choose To Stay Ignorant About It's Merits But There Again, You Always Get Those. Most Times There Is Resistance To New Found Knowledge, So I Am Not Concerned About Those. Because I Have Been Known To Yawn Nonstop Occasionally When I'm Not Tired Or Bored, I Found This Discovery Really Interesting, So I Have Researched It Several Times. Because Yawning Is Also Catchy, I Yawn Sometimes As I Research This Fascinating Topic - I'm Known For Never Missing A Yawn:) And Here's What I Have Come Up With.

WHY DO WE YAWN?

Let’s say you’re sitting in a meeting at work, and you feel a yawn coming on.…

Did You Hear About This Discovery? Our Body Is Home To About 100 Trillion Bacteria And Other Microbes, In And On Our Body Collectively Known As Our Microbiome – 10 Times The Number Of Body Cells And We Have Not Even Known About This In Western Countries Until Recent Times. But Some Countries In Europe Have Been Practicing Healthy Diets Etc To Look After It For Generations. In Doing So, It Confers Many Benefits. This Microbiome Consists Of Healthy And Unhealthy Bacteria And The Ratio Varies From Person To Person. A Healthy Microbiome Is One Of The Reasons Why Some People Are Blessed With Really Good Health. Having A Diet And Sleep And Exercise That Favours Healthy Flora (bacteria) In Your Microbiome Is A Good Way To Ensure Against Things Like Overweight And Cholesterol And Strengthen The Integrity Of Your Immune System.

Looking After Gut Flora (Bacteria)

Have you heard of Kefir and Kombucha, Kimchi and Sauerkraut? They are fermented drinks and food staples you feed and nurture your Microbiome with that favours healthy bacteria over unhealthy bacteria and outnumbers them. So incorporating some practices to multiply them will help them to play a dominant role for you so you enjoy better health.…

WALK FOR PLEASURE OR LEISURE AND TAKE IN SOME FRESH AIR OR SUNSHINE. IT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD AND IT'S GREAT FOR YOUR HEALTH. THE 1O,000 STEPS THEY SAID YOU HAVE TO DO HAS NOW BEEN PROVEN WRONG - NOT EVERYONE IS UP TO THAT - 5,000 TO 8,000 STEPS IF YOU'RE KEEN FOR BEST RESULTS, RESEARCH NOW REVEALS. IN FACT, SOME RESEARCHERS ARE SAYING THAT EVEN 15 MIN WALKS CONFER SOME BENEFITS OR 2 OR 3 TEN MINUTE WALKS IN A DAY. THERE IS SO MUCH SAID BY PHYSIOS AND CHIROS, NEUROSCIENTISTS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS ABOUT OUR NEED TO KEEP MOVING OFTEN THROUGH THE DAY FOR OUR HEALTH'S SAKE - SEDENTARY LIVING WITH VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT CAN SET US UP FOR HEALTH CONDITIONS WE DON'T WANT. BUT SOME 'EXPERTS' HAVE MADE THINGS SOUND COMPLICATED OR LOTS OF HARD WORK AND IT REALLY ISN'T AT ALL. TAKE A SIMPLE APPROACH YOU CAN STAY WITH AND DO ENJOY!

Walking In The Park - Enjoying Nature

The 7 Health Benefits Of Walking Just 20 Minutes A Day

Start walking!

By Carina Wolff   2016 - SimpleMost.Com

Exercising has many benefits beyond weight loss, but many people skip out on workouts because they can’t seem to find the time to fit it in.…

ABC Science By science reporter Belinda Smith

4th January 2021

Welp, after what felt like the longest year ever, it's 2021. And with the new year often comes resolutions — maybe more so this time round.

Perhaps you want to lose some of those "corona-kilos" or simply maintain the good hygiene behaviours drummed into us during the pandemic.

There are ways to develop good habits — and make them stick — that are backed by scientific evidence.

And it all begins — where else? — in the brain. But first: what even are habits, and why do we need them?

We Really Are Creatures Of Habit

A substantial chunk of daily life is made up of habitual actions. This is the stuff where once you get going, you pretty much run on autopilot.

A classic example is driving to work (back when regular commuting was a thing). You might remember getting in your car and then suddenly, you're pulling into your office's car park.

But the first few times you drove to work were a different story. They required more brain power: planning and memorising the best route to your destination, paying attention to your surroundings and thinking harder about your actions and their consequences.…

By Janet Vargas - Owner of this Website

Humanity has become a restless tide with unseen influences affecting our values, choices and peace of mind, not to mention the way we relate as families, friends and citizens in daily life. Even the way we work has taken on phenomenal changes for countless employees, office workers and tradesmen and business owners.

We need to stand back from it all sometimes and say “hey, wait a minute”............ we need to find composure aside from the rush and bustle of things that place claims, so to speak, on our time and energies. We need to determine our values to make our lives meaningful and balanced - finding a happier and healthier existence for doing so, in this stressful generation. 

We all have values, big or small, constructive or destructive, beneficial or otherwise, yet many of us have not taken much time to think of our values, to actually determine a set of values.

 This is a Good Thing and a Healthy Practice for everyone to engage in - even to take a look at our values periodically. 

Actually, many of us in our upbringing  have not not been encouraged to establish values, having been brought up with two busy working parents, single parent managing things on their own or business parents - that takes a considerable amount of time and attention.…

HOW IS IT THAT JAPANESE PEOPLE OFTEN LIVE TO 100 YEARS OR MORE? AND HOW IS IT THAT THEIR KIDS ARE SO HEALTHY? COULD IT BE THAT THINGS START AT AN EARLY AGE AND CONTINUE AS A LIFESTYLE THROUGHOUT LIFE? COULD WE REAP SOME OF THE BENEFITS BY ADOPTING SOME OF THEIR SECRETS INTO OUR LIFESTYLE? WE SHALL SEE. RESULTS VARY WITH THE INDIVIDUAL OR FAMILY.

Two Articles Here - 12 Tips!

Want To Live Longer? Borrow These 6 Healthy Habits From The Japanese

By Samantha Cassetty, RD from Today.Com August 2020

Japan has more centenarians than almost any other nation on earth. Take  these 6 secrets to a longer, healthier life.

Want to live to 100? Take a page from the Japanese. Japan has the highest number of people per capita over the age of 100 than anywhere else in the world. There may be some genetic differences at play, but there are also diet and lifestyle practices that lead to longer lifespans with fewer of the chronic illnesses — like heart disease and type 2 diabetes — that are common in the United States. You can improve your health by borrowing these six habits that are rooted in Japanese culture.…

By Zoe Victoria April 2020

It’s been 16 days since my university shut down classes and I went into social isolation. Those first days of isolation felt like the end of the world. I felt constantly on edge. I was in a terrible mood most of the time and I resented the fact that I was stuck inside the house for everything. My work was online, my studies had transitioned online, I could only see and talk to my friends online. And amidst all of that, the internet bubble of news only seemed to be getting more and more anxiety-inducing.

I spent those sought after minutes of freedom walking my neighbourhood in an attempt to rid myself of the negative feelings of anger and anxiety that seemed to be constantly swirling around inside me. 

I have begun to look forward to my daily walk not just as an escape but as an enjoyable activity in its own right

And so my daily walk began as a way to escape the confines of the four walls of my house. If I didn’t leave I felt I would go stir crazy. One morning I woke up and did my level best to eat breakfast and change into my gym gear without encountering any of the other three people who live in my house.…