”Have a notebook next to your bed, if you wake up at night with a mind full of thoughts, you can write it down immediately! Within no time you will be sleeping again.” I got this advice a while ago. And as a true thinker, this is exactly what I needed. We all have a lot to do: at work but also at home. Writing things down, in the broadest sense, helps tremendously. Thoughts, feelings, events but also ‘just’ tasks! Here are some benefits of a to-do list:

1. Peace of mind

   Making a list of what you have to do helps you to make peace in your mind. Because once you put it on paper, it is ‘out’ of your mind. This automatically means more rest and being able to focus on the task at hand. You will worry less about everything that still needs to be done, because you have the list as a ‘second’ brain.

2. Work more efficiently

   Besides that you will have more rest, it also ensures that you work more efficiently. You can go directly to task 2 when you are done with task 1. And if you get distracted in the meantime, because you received an email to which you had to respond immediately, you can go back to your list to see what you were doing!

3. Cross that task!

   You might recognize it; crossing a task feels good. It gives satisfaction. You can see how much you get done in a day! Tasks, big or small, fun or less fun, you do it all. You get insight into what you have already done, and that gives a boost to your confidence level!

4. More time and energy

   Rest, the boost of crossing tasks but also working more efficiently ensures that you have extra time and energy! You can use this for example to get ahead at work or to do nice things with your friends, family or maybe something for yourself. Because who works hard, should get rewarded, right?

NiceDay app

At the end of the day, write in your NiceDay-diary what you got done and how you feel about it. Also write some to do’s in your Daily Planner!

The International Day of Positive Thinking this year falls on Thursday the 13th of September, so tomorrow! Although it is nice to always try to think positive, tomorrow we pay some extra attention to this. How do you optimally use that day? We will tell you now!

How to do it

There are several areas in life in which you can practice positivity. Perhaps you have to work tomorrow, or you have plans with your partner, kids or friends, or you have a day for yourself. Below we give a couple of tips for each of these areas of life, to make the best of your day tomorrow!

At work

• Agree with your coworkers not to complain tomorrow but only say positive words about and to each other.
• Play a compliment game at lunch, where everybody writes down a compliment for a coworker at the lunch table.

In your social life

• Send a handwritten postcard today to someone close to you who brings you positivity. Write a personal message in which you tell him or her how important he/she is for you. In this way, you give that someone a special feeling. And by giving compliments, you get a special feeling yourself as well!
• Give a sincere compliment to someone you know (or don’t know) in your surroundings.
• Do you have kids? Tell them today about The Day of Positive Thinking and let them say something sweet about each other and about themselves. If you start, they will follow!

For yourself

• Start a positive journal today! What that is and how you do that, you can find here!
• Before going to bed tonight, write down what you are grateful for and read this again tomorrow morning. In this way, you will start your day full of gratitude!
• Good morning Tiger! Give yourself at least one compliment when you look in the mirror tomorrow morning.
• Be kind to yourself, love yourself. How do you do that? Easy! Just say to yourself you love yourself! You can find some tips here.
• Allow yourself an optimal rested feeling tomorrow by going to bed half an hour early.
• What is your favorite food? Buy/make that for yourself so you can enjoy it tomorrow.
• Take a moment just for yourself. Some ideas are; take a bath, read a book, do some yoga or a meditation exercise.
• It also seems to be international day of chocolate tomorrow. Just saying… 😉

With these tips you will probably have a major positive day tomorrow! Are you up for the challenge to make this a habit? NiceDay can help you with that by planning a positive activity in your daily planner every day! In this way, you will never forget!

Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day.

NiceDay actions

• Keep a positive journal in NiceDay by registering the positive things about the day in your Feelings Registration before going to bed. Notice how you feel after writing down these positive things.
• Use the Daily Planner in NiceDay as a reminder to do of say something positive every day.

The back muscles are one of the largest muscle groups the body has. The training of this muscle group provides a better posture and prevents injuries in the back, neck and shoulders. The Cat pose increases the flexibility and suppleness in the back and the best thing is that everyone can do this pose!

What is the Cat pose?

This is a basic pose; a balance exercise on hands and knees. In yoga jargon this pose is called “Utthita Chakravakasana”. Utthita means stretch and Chakravakasana stands for cat. This asana is also called the ‘cat-cow pose’. Because the breathing the back is first made into a ball (cat) and then hollowed (cow). And this is also where the power lies in this asana. By moving rhythmically on the breathing in and out, this pose is done best and able to train the body.

What is the effect of the Cat/Cow pose?

This asana increases the flexibility and suppleness of the back, also stretches the muscles in the arms and legs, and makes the hips and abdominal muscles stronger. It is an active basic asana that is done on the breath. By making the back convex and then hollowing, you emphasize the natural curvature of the spine and, in particular, relieve any tension in the lower back, shoulders and neck. It is important to breathe in and out through the nose. A hurried breathing creates tension in the body and has a counter-effect.

This is how you do the cat / cow attitude

• Sit on your hands and knees. Important is that the knees are at hip width, arms are stretched and the hands under the shoulders, fingers spread for a better balance. In case of sensitive or painful wrists you can alternatively make two fists and rest on them.
• The shoulders are pushed backwards, away from the ears, which directly reduces strain on the neck and shoulders.
• In the starting position the back is straight and you look at the ground.
• The toes are stretched or if that feels more comfortable, place the toes in the ground.
• At the inhalation you push the chin towards the chest and you arch the back. Here you stretch the arms and push the weight with your hands (or fists) away from you.
• On the exhale push the chin towards the ceiling and make the back hollow and push the shoulder blades towards each other, as in the picture above.
• Repeat this least four times or more when you have sat a lot in one day.

Do you want to train your back more after doing the Cat pose? This video will help you

Today it is the international day of friendship. This day is an initiative of the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It is based on the recognition and appreciation of the belongings of a friendship. To bear in mind friendship causes respect and are building bridges between communities and other people.

The meaning of international day of friendship

The international day of friendship is not only for people, but also the relationship between countries. The value between you and other people can give you a feeling of satisfaction. The Central Bureau of Statistic (2013) has researched the experience of happiness when people have social interaction every day, or at least sometimes in a week. In conclusion, the level of happiness is higher when someone has daily social contact with family or friends then when the social contact is not daily. Also research has shown that if the contact with someone is close, then the level of happiness will be higher.

Why having friendships?

As people, we are driven to make contact with other people. Research of Kovacs has shown that social contact support your brain activity. In particular the highest brain functions have belongings with social contacts. These brain functions is also called as executive functions, these are most likely for planning, initiative and being able to self reflection. For example, trying to plan an event with someone. If you would like to do this you do not only need to plan it, but you also need to know where it takes place and what you are going to do. With all these skills you are using the executive functions. To maintain the social contacts you are stimulating these areas of the brains. Like you have read before, when you are maintaining your social contacts, you are using a lot of areas in your brain. Maintaining your contacts is not that easy as is thought. By practising more, you can train your brain areas.

Tips for making friends

Making friends is not easy for everybody. The next tips can give you more confidence in making friends. Try to have enough time and attention for making friends. Also remember that it is not possible to become friends with everyone in a short time. Start with expressing interest in the other, how was the day or week of them? Be active with maintaining your social contacts because it will be easier then when you are passive and waiting for someone else to take initiative. Keep in mind that not all the initiative has to come from you, but also from others.

NiceDay: plan an event in NiceDay to do an activity with your friends. If you have done that you can note in NiceDay your feelings before the activity and after.

Everyone experiences stress sometimes. Things at work or at school aren’t going that smooth and even at home you have trouble finishing small tasks. Everything seems to pile up, which also strengthens the way you experience stress. You lose track of what you need to do and this will make you feel even more lost. It’s a vicious circle that you find difficult to break because where and how do you start?

Four practical tips

1. Writing helps!
   You have a lot of different thoughts throughout your day, between forty and sixty thousand a day! In addition, you also have a whole list of tasks you need to finish each day. To create more space in your mind and thus reduce your stress level, it helps to write things down. It can be difficult to start, try to let go of the idea that you need to write down a story and just start with the first thing that comes to mind. Continue with thought number two, three and so on. You will see that you feel calm(er) and you will have clear overview of the things that need to be done.
2. Clean up your bedroom, living room, or desk
   Yes, really, clean up. There is a Dutch saying: ”A mess in your house, equals a mess in your head”. This might sound cliché, but think back to when you cleared your entire closet or cleaned your entire house thoroughly. Most people felt calmer!
3. Stop procrastinating
   Everyone procrastinates sometimes. You set up a nice to-do list for yourself, but you keep postponing these tasks. And that is okey. However, when procrastinating causes stress it’s time to do something about it.
4. Enjoy the little things
   We are often thinking about 100 things at once. Try to be here and now. When you are cycling, focus on the sun on your face or the wind through your hair. Do not try to live too much in your mind, but pay close attention to what you are doing at the moment.

Mindfulness

Do you feel stressed out regularly? Perhaps mindfulness is something that fits you . It is a way to focus attention on the here and now. We’re happy to help you! You can find a good practice to get started here.

The weather has been beautiful and we hope that the summer stays warm and sunny. Sports in the summer can be quite a challenge, how do you keep it fun and healthy for yourself? I myself have a little bit of trouble with this, but I still want to continue to exercise, because exercising makes me feel better. Below 8 cooling down tips to put on t those running shoes.

Drink enough

Jup, open door, but oh so important. Drink plenty of water in advance, drink water while running and drink plenty of water after running. What is enough? This depends of course on your construction (weight, height, etc.),the temprature and how long you will be exercising. You should do the following: drink about half a liter of water in the two hours before you exercise. During the exercise you can choose to take a sip of water from time to time, take it easy, a slobbering belly is really annoying, but you can also get serious cramps. Than you can drink more.

Do not put on too many clothes

Wear light clothing and especially not too much. If you feel insecure in shorts, wear three-quarter pants or airy longer pants. Running is not a fashion show (this is a wise lesson from my mother). Put on a cap, so your head stays cooler. Wear a sweatband around your wrist, nice and retro, but very practical.

Listen to signals from your body

There it is again: take it easy and see what your body can handle. Do you feel dizzy, take that seriously, go for a walk for example. Your body needs time to get used to the heat, give it time. I personally find it a challenge in the first warm days, that’s why I give myself the time to get used to it.

Lubricate yourself

Another open door, but many forget to lubricate during exercise. You are outside and your skin is exposed to the sun: so lubricate yourself.

Do breathing exercises

Because of the heat, your heart rate may be slightly higher, so before you start running, do a 2-minute breathing exercise. You start your training in this way. You can also consciously listen to your body: how do you feel at this moment? Make sure during your training that your breathing is not too high, this can be annoying, especially in the heat. While walking, you can consciously keep an eye on your breathing so that your heart rate is not too high. Breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. After the training you can sit down for another 5 minute breathing exercise. This way you give your body time to recover and your heartbeat will become a bit quieter again. So you immediately sweat out. A breathing exercise looks like this:

BREATH IN (through your nose)
BREATH OUT (through your nose)

Break

Repeat (2 to 5 minutes)

Try to take a breath, focus on this. Make sure it is a natural breath, so not very deep and the break does not have to be uncomfortable. Learn more about breathing here.

Take a cold shower

There is nothing nicer than a fresh shower after a workout. Start with a normal temperature and put the shower on the last moment very cold: keep breathing quietly. Your body cools off nicely and at the same time gets a frightening reaction. This creates energy. In addition, every day a cold shower is very good for the resistance. Later follows a more extensive blog about this!

Sweat

If you start practicing sports, it sometimes takes some getting used to suddenly sweating a lot. Sweating is not bad and just a sign that your body is draining your heat well. After all, sweating is not something to be ashamed of when exercising. From the heat you can become very languid, but by still going you will get some energy and sweat the languid feeling out of  your body.

Walk at a cool moment

Finally: in the early morning or late evening it is often cooler, the sun is not so bright and it is also nice and quiet on the street. A good time for sports.

Do you have cooling tips yourself? Let us know below.

So, I have mastered this pose, I am thinking very enthusiastic. My yoga teacher walks by and asks me to lift my toes. I  try to do it and then wiggle in all directions. Hmm, funny guy my teacher… A few years ago I tried the mountain pose for the first time, I thought that it would be a really simple exercise. how difficult can it be to stand upright? I was wrong. For this pose you need active abdominal muscles. When you tighten your muscles, not only will you stand more stable, it also has a detox effect.

What is the mountain pose?

It is a standing balance asana. In yogi jargon this pose is called ‘Tadasana’; tada means mountain. In the picture I do a variation of this asana called ‘Samasthiti’, also called ‘Bid pose’. Sama means ‘equal’ and shiti ‘standing’. The standing pose is unique to humans because we are the only two-legged mammals on the planet. Humankind is the least stable of all beings. We have the smallest basis to stand on (the feet), the highest center of gravity and proportionally the heaviest brain that balances on top. In short, it requires good footwork to do this posture effectively.

What makes it difficult?

The biggest challenge in the mountain pose is to distribute your weight evenly on your feet. You have to put your feet hip width. Hip width is placing your feet right under your hip bones and then putting the weight on your soles. It is important that you can still move your toes freely and not put weight on them. When you stand upright, this posture has a detox effect. Because when your entire body takes on a good shape there is room for your organs, which makes them do their work better. By gently breathing in and out through your nose, you stimulate your metabolism and that has a detox effect.

What is standing up right?

Although we do not think about standing upright, there are just few people who have a good standing posture. We often do not strain the muscles that are so important in this posture, which means that the back is more dense than natural and you raise your shoulders higher than necessary. When you are not standing upright, your metabolism can not do its job in the most efficient way and waste substances accumulate in your body. This can give all sorts of complaints such as weight gain, bad night’s sleep, chest tightness, joint and muscle pain. The following tips have helped me to learn what a good active body posture is. At first it was tough, because the abdominal muscles (my weak spot) had to work hard. Now I am aware of which muscles are needed to perform the mountain pose properly. And a nice additional benefit is that you also get more energy from it, because your metabolism can work optimally.

1. Put your feet on hip width and put your hands together. Your thumbs pressed against the chest bone.
2. Close your eyes and inhale deeply through your nose a few times.
3. Lift your toes up and divide your weight on the part of your feet that is on the floor. Then gently put your toes back.
4. Push your tailbone towards the ground and automatically tilt the hips forward. To keep your hips in this place you have to tighten your stomach muscles.
5. Your shoulders are pushed down and your shoulder blades slightly towards each other.
6. Your chin is slightly towards your chest so that your jaw can relax.

When you stand like this, you have an active standing posture. Your organs now have plenty of room to do their job. When you hold this pose for a few breaths, you stimulate your metabolism which has a cleansing effect.

The mobile phone is, for most of us, part of our daily lives and is gaining in popularity. Especially, the number of smartphones is on the rise.  With a smartphone, you are always reachable and you have access to all kinds of apps, sites and social networks.

The problem is that people nowadays are more and more dependent on their mobile phone. One of the reasons for this is the ”Fear to miss out”. This may result in compulsive checking for status updates and messages, for fear of missing an opportunity. Although telephone addiction is not yet included in the manual for the Classification of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), it does show similarities with classic addictions. In this article we will discuss characteristics as well as some tips to help getting your phone use under control.

Phone addiction
There is no clear definition of phone addiction. However, there are a number of characteristics and symptoms resulting from phone dependence.

Addicts feel restless if they don’t have their phone in the neighborhood. Many people don’t have any attention left for other things, because the person is busy with WhatsApp, Facebook, or by scrolling down Instagram. This is often at the expense of performance at work or school. School performance, in particular, seem to suffer because, just as with classic addictions, the younger target group is vulnerable to the addictive properties. An example of this is that many students do not pay attention to the lesson, because they using  their mobile phone. In addition, research shows that sleep problems, stress, fearful feelings and in a light form even depressive feelings, are all related to smartphone dependence, Hacker, 2011; Chen, 2004(Augner; Jenaro et al., 2007).

Tips for controlling your phone use
Because most of the people have a smartphone and also used regularly, it can’t harm to have more control on your phone use.
Awareness: It sounds contradictory that apps can help, but there are a number of apps called screen time trackers that show how often and how long you every day your apps. This way you can determine which apps you use too much.
Push Notifications: ” 3 new messages on facebook’, reinforces the tendency to check Facebook again. Put these notifications off, so you become less tempted to check your phone.
Off Time: In the article  ‘’Virtual sleeping’’  we discussed what the effects are of blue/screen light on your sleeping pattern. To improve this, it may help to turn off your mobile before sleeping and not to use it after you just woke up. Plan in Off Time” where your phone is turned off for a certain amount of time. For example, leave your phone at home when you go grocery shopping or put all the mobile phones on a pile when you are having a drink with friends. This way there is also more attention for each other instead of everyone staring at his or her phone.

NiceDay: Use the app to plan in reminders for mobile off time. Use this off time for a fun alternative activity!

Just saying ‘no’ can lead to stress and fatigue. Especially, when you already have a lot of tasks to do. Many people feel obligated to say ‘yes’, they’re afraid of the consequences; ‘What would colleagues and friends think of this?’. Also people think that they will be egoistic if they say ‘no’. Always saying ‘yes’ isn’t good for yourself, but what is the best way to say ‘no’?

1. Rules
   Keep calm and remember the fact that it’s just a request, you’re allowed to say ‘no’ to the request. Also you don’t have to explain or give a reason to it. Only ‘no’ is enough.
2. Take thinking time
   When someone ask you to do something, you don’t have to answer the question right away. You can say that you’re thinking about it. For example, you can say: ‘I’ll think about it , and I’ll get back to you’. Thinking about the request is useful because you can see: ‘What’s in it for me if I say ‘yes’?’ or ‘What’s in it for me if I say no?’. Because of this you don’t question your decisions.
3. The way to say ‘no’
   Say kindly ‘no’. You can do this by looking at the person when you’re saying ‘no’. You  can choose to give an explanation. If you’re doing this, first say ‘no’ and then give the explanation. Of course, you don’t have to say ‘no’ with a straight face. Another option is to give an other possibility.
4. Repating
   If someone is also insisting after you said ‘no’, you can repeat your answer again. You can do this by saying: ‘as I just said, ….’. This indicates that you have already told it and you’re not changing your mind.
5. You can say ‘no’
   You should say ‘no’ to something if you prefer to do it. Many people don’t mind if you say ‘no’ to them. And not at all if you almost never reject anything. Maybe they’ll be surprised because they’re not used that answer from you. But try to say ‘no’ and look how this is for you, and how people around you react.

NiceDay app: the various tips can help you with saying ‘no’. Of course, it can be still hard  to say ‘no’ to someone. You can discuss this with your Coach, and together you can look for the best way to practice.

Everybody needs some relaxation from time to time, one way or another. For one person that is exercising, for the other it is knitting. Anyway, we all need something to distract us from daily life. Just some me-time.

For me a day in the spa is the ultimate relaxation. Preferably with my best friend or father. But I also enjoy going there alone. A day without obligations and without my phone. Just a moment for myself, wonderful.

The first time after therapy

Last monday I went to the spa again. A day to De Zwaluwhoeve in Hierden with my friend. There were a lot of cars parked in front of the building. We look at each other hoping that it is less crowded inside. We came here to escape from the crowd! It is even the reason we go there on mondays.

But once we get inside we can see that it is okay. We put our stuff in the lockers and walk inside. We see beautiful saunas, great pools and also the restaurants look fine.

The first sauna we enter feels great in terms of temperature. I lie down and hope to find relaxation today. The last time I came here I was in the middle of therapy and I was not able to sit still and relax. My thoughts were everywhere but here and I left still feeling tired.

However this time I could relax, although it felt a little awkward. It has been so long since I allowed my muscles to relax. I started to think that this is the day it might actually happen!

Chitchatting and wine

We alternate saunas with pools and smoothies. Later on the day we start to feel hungry. Time for prosecco and some good food! We toast on taking rest and on our friendship.

After eating it is time for another round. We start drinking wine, that is part of our sauna experience. And after the wine we decide to go outside and swim in the salt water pool. Which was not a good idea! We suddenly realised we had to get out there to get our towels and it was so cold!

When we left we decided that we have to do this more often. One day away from the outside world,  it was wonderful!

The men around me

Most men do not like to knit. However, my father really enjoys going to the sauna. My partner on the other end relaxes by assembling kits, fussing around a bit.

Relaxation for me and my partner together is the motor. A day off, getting an ice cream at the beach, go out with friends or just a simple motor ride. Music on and enjoying the view and each other.

Seeking relaxation

It might be hard to find something you like to do. Ask around what your friends and family do to relax. Is it reading a book or making puzzles? Or maybe you like to get outside, like cycling, lying down at the beach or dining out.

This week I choose a song I wanted to share for a while already, but it never corresponded with my blog posts. It is JP Cooper  – Passport home. This song calms me down and makes me smile, because the chorus suits me so well.

Love, Renée x