Tips To Eliminate Shouting And Make Your Relationships More Peaceful

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There are many types of drama that can hurt out vital relationships. This has become especially clear during the Covid-19 lock down where couples, roommates, and families have all had to spend the bulk of their time together, sometimes without any space to get away and decompress.

One of the biggest relationship killers – and thus something that should be avoided at all costs – is shouting and/or yelling during an argument. The problem with this is that for some people it is a natural reaction, almost a way to get the conflict over quickly, while for others that raised voice makes them retreat inside to avoid the conflict and thus not get closer to a solution.

Shouting is toxic and it is damaging, so what should you do if you are one of those people that defaults to this emotion when you find your back against the wall? Here are some tips that will help you avoid shouting matches and help make your vital relationships stronger, happier, and more peaceful than ever before:

Take Deep Breaths

This is likely a technique that you have heard of before, but that is because taking deep, calming breaths is important when you are angry and getting ready to shout. Drawing in a deep breath through your nose – allowing your lungs to fill with air and your chest to rise – before exhaling through your mouth is something that will allow you to literally feel the tension flowing out of your body. Expand on this over time by bringing some breathing exercises into your day for a much more relaxed approach to life.

Stop Talking Immediately

This might be the most difficult technique of all, but it will stop someone hurting a vital relationship with angry words that aren’t really meant. As soon as you find yourself starting to raise your voice, simply cut off the flow. This could be mid-sentence, mid-word, or even mid-syllable. The key is just to stop the frustration from pouring out and it will give you a chance to reevaluate whether what you were about to yell is actually what you really mean. In all likelihood it is not and this pause will give you a chance to change words from hurtful to kindness.

Leave the Argument

This is a good technique, but it has to be done right. There is a big difference between storming out of a room hurling words you don’t mean and simply saying that you need some fresh air and will be back soon. Use that time to get outside and feel the benefit of some fresh air in your lungs while you think about what to say next. One thing to do here is to make yourself study the environment around you as you walk. Notice the air temperature, see what animals are around, and take a look at the kids playing on the street. This method of taking your mind off of the anger and onto something tangible will help calm your anger momentum immediately.

Think About Your Reaction

If you are confronted with a yeller, then the best think you can do is not feed into their behavior. The worst thing to do is to mirror their emotions and engage in the yelling. Nothing good can come from this and the situation will escalate and escalate to the point that a vital relationship could be threatened. Staying calm is the single best thing that you can do without looking like you are being patronizing. It can be hard to show compassion and understanding in these situations – without being agreeable to things you don’t believe – but by doing so you will help resolve the situation far quicker than if you feed into the fire.

 

Article by Vital Guidance

Five Tips To Keep Your Pet Cool In The Summer Heat

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As people emerge from lock down into summer weather across most of the nation it can be very tempting to immediately pull out the leash and take Fido for a walk. The problem with that is this is a hot country – June has been insane in some parts of the Midwest – and going from the air conditioned breeze of lock down to a walk in the blazing sun is just not ideal for your pet.

It is vital to give your pet the help it needs to stay cool in the summer sun and here are five tips that will help your pets – both large and small – beat the heat as the temperatures rise:

Avoid the heat of the day

This one sounds simple, but it is a tip that many people still need to be reminded about. The best strategy with a dog is to go for walks either early in the morning before work or later in the evening after work. Avoiding the sun at its hottest is the key here, while also remembering that the sidewalk will have been heating up for as long as the sun has been out to the point where it can burn your puppy’s paws. Know when the heat of the day hits in your region and do everything you can to avoid that time period.

Groom your pets

Having a thick, heavy, insulating coat is ideal for pets in the winter. In the summer, however, it is like a human going for a walk with a thick layer of blankets that you can’t take off without assistance. Be sure to keep your pet neatly trimmed during the summer months, giving them vital help in beating the heat. This isn’t just important for dogs, but also for backyard critters like angora rabbits that can easily overheat because of their fur.

Hydration is paramount

Pets need their water and they need it to be cold. Just as you wouldn’t be refreshed by water that has been sitting in the 90 degree sun for hours, neither will your pet. Make sure that any water bowls, troughs, or bottles are in the shade as much as possible. It’s also a good idea to throw an ice cube or two into a water bowl to really keep your pet’s water as cool as it can be.

Watch for signs of distress

You can take many steps to prevent your pet from overheating, but sometimes that might not be enough. That’s why it’s important to quickly notice if your pet is too hot so you can find ways to immediately cool them down. Some early signs of overheating include excessive panting, disorientation, excessive drooling, and overall weakness. If you see any combination of these symptoms then take precautions such as getting into the shade and getting your dog water as soon as possible.

Don’t take your pet in the car

There is a small window during the year when it is safe to take your pet in the car when you go shopping or out for lunch. The summer is not the time for this. Leaving your pet in the car – even with cracked windows – is simply a no-no. Researchers at Live Science ran tests and found that in just one hour at 95 Fahrenheit temperatures the average temperature inside the car was 116 F. The dashboard – a favorite place for some dogs to rest – reached a staggering 157 F in that hour. The hot car is no place for a pet to stay and it’s vital you make the correct decision to leave them at home for their own safety.

 

Article by Vital Guidance

Cycling Helps Your Body In Many Ways

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Cycling has become the new normal for many around the world with the Covid-19 pandemic continuing to wreak havoc on exercise and transport routines. Bike sales in the US were up 50% in March according to market research firm The NPD Group.   Overall bike sales – including stationary bikes – grew 31% in the first quarter according to the same firm year-over- year from 2019. Market experts expect that trend to continue through the second quarter as people look to bikes to replace their scaled down exercise regimes.

It makes sense that bikes have become such a big deal. Even as public transport begins to reopen, consumers have found that they prefer the open spaces and fresh air of a bike ride to work or to a local pub over the same trip in a packed bus or subway car. Biking has become so popular during the crisis that some major cities – including London in the United Kingdom – have shut off entire areas to cars with no plans to reopen them post-pandemic.

Cycling helps the body in many ways. Some of these are obvious and some a little more obscure, but your overall health will be helped by adding some cycling to your routine as lockdowns allow. The most obvious way that cycling helps is because it’s an aerobic exercise that increases your metabolism and burns calories at the same time, which is why cycling is so good for those looking to achieve weight loss goals.

According to a Harvard University study, 30 minutes of mountain biking will burn around 316 calories for someone weighing 155 pounds. This is a number that will be higher if you way more and lower if you weigh less. If mountain biking is a little too extreme – or if there are no trails around to ride – then don’t worry. Outside biking will burn around 298 for a 155 pound person, while stationary biking will burn around 260 calories assuming you are going at what is considered a moderate pace (around 12 miles per hour).

Biking is especially useful for exercise if you are rehabbing from an injury or if you are someone with joint issues. It’s a low-impact recreational activity and one that doesn’t involve high impact to the joints. This is very different to running on the road or the majority of team sports, all of which put far more wear and tear on the body.

Cycling is also an exercise activity where it’s easy to scale up or down depending on your fitness needs and goals. Sometimes it can be hard to push the pace while running, but on a bike you can work in sprints and hills to make your session as challenging as you like. On another day you can just take a leisurely ride to another activity or event. Cycling can help our health in any way you want.

Perhaps the best reason to cycle in this new normal, however, is because biking is a great form of stress relief and a study in Mental Health and Physical Activity showing that people who exercised slept better.  Other factors show that a healthy, stress free way of thinking is boosted by exercise. Cycling helps lower the levels of stress hormones (cortisol) in the body, allowing for a more peaceful night and a more productive life.

Cycling – and outdoor cycling in particular – is amazing at pushing away stress. There is something about the air whipping past your ears as you fall into a pedaling cadence that allows you to focus on nothing other than the sights and smells you are passing through. Getting out into the country and getting on a bike is one of the simple pleasures in life, perfect for socially isolating with your family while having a picnic lunch in the middle of a field or for training on your own for a return to your regular sporting routine when things return to a more normal level.

Article By Vital Guidance