Spending time on your personal grooming can help you feel better – physically and emotionally. And feeling better can give you strength. Lets face it, there are many things that can put pebbles on your path – and we all know the occasional boulder 🙂

Don’t let them get you down or let them prevent you from getting out and enjoying life.

You might be invited to a family event, a friends BBQ, a date? or to the footy. Whatever you have on, don’t stay at home because you don’t feel good or quiet yourself. In fact, health experts agree that making an intentional effort to look after yourself will bring about both health and happiness if you just stick at it. Some tips to get you started and back on the happy are:

Body
Yes, that’s exercise. Working out can decrease stress, increase energy and definitely loose some weight. It’s always a great idea to check into your doctor for a chat about what your going to do and get all the regular tests done. That in itself can give you peace of mind.

Skin
Us blokes get into lifetime habits, if you have always washed with the same soap, maybe its time to change to something more sensitive to skin. If you were to ask around there are so many of us already onto it. We are using a gentle face wash, we don’t scrub like we are trying to take oil of the driveway. Treat your skin with respect. Remember skin loves moisturiser and hydration.

Hair
I started losing my hair in my twenties, I went from combing it every day and using “Uppercut” products made by Uppercut Deluxe Australia, I thought I was the coolest guy in my suburb to having it clipper-ed short every other week, i was still happy. I started with a number 3 a year later went No.2, then 1 and now its a full shave every 2 days. Lets face it, hair on your head (or without) or on your face represents who you are, its your trademark…it’s your brand! It gives you a look that people can make assumptions on. Are you Conservative, Formal, Rock star, Hipster or just however it falls? Take the hair quiz and find out a little more about what your hair really represents, click here: which facial hair style best sums your up?. Check out Uppercut deluxe video:

I recommend use a barber and get some of this product, it will make you feel good 🙂

Mind
You must find a way to relax your mind. Look for peaceful things to do, quiet times and times where you can be just on your own. Try massage therapy or even a simple head and shoulder massage at one of the many that are now located in our local markets around town. Unwind with some music or guided meditation. Other techniques such as yoga, deep breathing and meditation may also be useful: discuss the options with your doctor when you book that appointment.

How many times have you felt stressed lately? Stress is the body’s physical, mental, and chemical reaction to circumstances that irritate, frighten, excite, confuse, or endanger us.

Stress can come from many different directions.   It can be a truck wheeling around a corner toward us, a move to a new home, loud music, divorce and separation, plus many other things such as trouble at work?

Be kind on yourself and follow these basic principles to help handle personal and business stress.  Review this list from time to time and become familiar with your own personal coping strategies when stress arrives and be aware of ways to reduce stress in your own life.

1. Have fun to reduce stress.

Do things for the sheer fun of it. Each day, plan to something “just for you.” Even if you only have 30 minutes of fun time, don’t let anything stop you from your 30 minutes.

2. Laugh to reduce stress.

Interact with people who make you laugh to reduce tension and boost the immune system.

3. Learn to say “no” to reduce stress.

Too much fun can become boring and stressful in itself. When requests and invitations become a burden instead of being enjoyable, it is time to say “no.”

4. Simplify your life to reduce stress.

Move closer to your work or hire a house cleaner, or shop by internet.

5. Delegate responsibility to reduce stress.

Sharing duties allows time together and gets the job done faster.

6. Learn to relax to reduce stress.

Periodically visualize calming scenes; stretch and take deep breaths, a favourite of mine has always be guided meditation CD’s, there are plenty to download on the internet.

7. To reduce stress, don’t be a workaholic.

Find a healthy balance between work and play.

8. Break tasks into segments to reduce stress.

Break down tasks into easy-to-handle segments and problems. It is easier to eat an elephant one bite at a time.

9. Take care of your family and friends to reduce stress.

Having relationships in your life is less stressful.

10. Examine work habits to reduce stress.

If you are constantly stressed at work, examine your work habits. Maybe you are wasting time.

11. Drink water to reduce stress.

Consume 8-10 glasses of pure water daily to reduce stress.

12. Go for a walk

Exercise reduces stress, go for a long walk around the block or the park and breath, you will be amazed how much fresh air helps, make this regular even when you dont feel stressed.

13. Visit a Bunnings store

Find your nearest Bunnings, grab a sausage and a latte and walk around for an hour, choose a D.I.Y project that you can do and have fun!

There are plenty more ways of reducing stress, feel free to comment and add more…

Australian Nurse Bonnie Ware writes of the phenomenal clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives, and how we might learn from their wisdom. “When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently,” she says, “common themes surfaced again and again.”

1. I wish I‘d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

“This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.”

2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.

“This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.”

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

“Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.”

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

“Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.”

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

“This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.”

This insightful information from people who were about to die is hopefully a strong message to all of us. Does your road need changing?  If so, don’t have unfulfilled dreams – get on it NOW.

R U OK? Day, Thursday September 12th 2013 is a national day of action dedicated to inspiring all Australians to ask family, friends and colleagues, ‘Are you ok?’ By regularly reaching out to one another and having open and honest conversations, we can all help build a more connected community and reduce our country’s high suicide rate.

R U OK? Day is on the second Thursday of September (12th September 2013).

More than 2,200 Australians suicide each year and men are around 3 times more likely to die by suicide than females (ABS 2012). For each person that takes their life, another 30 people attempt to end their own life (SANE Australia).

Most people don’t openly share their feelings, particularly if they’re struggling. The best thing we can all do is regularly talk to the people we care about – regardless of whether they are at risk – because connection is good for us all.

In the time it takes to have your coffee, you can start a conversation that could change a life.

Dads, who will you ask?