Mindful – Welcome to the here and now

How often are you answering emails while watching a film? How often are you in a meeting while thinking about the outstanding deadline? How often are you calling to a friend while driving? These days, multitasking is normal. We’re doing 2, 3 or even more things at once. And yet, we’re not dedicating our focus on them.

Mindfulness is a great way to fully live in the moment. It’s a deliberate choice to experience that particular moment. Mindfulness allows you to take it all in: What’s happening with your body, mind and emotions. And it’s all without a judgement. You just live in the here and now. How often are you practising mindfulness?

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Stay fit

The older I get, the more I enjoy working out and seeing the positive changes staying fit has on my body and mind. There are so many benefits of being physically active: Reduced stress levels, increased overall health, more energy and keeping weight in balance. Plus, I’ve been lucky to participate in some really cool and fun races.

I admit, at first, it was an effort. But it’s so worth it! What can you do to get and stay fit? Here are 10 tips to an active and fit you:

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Beat stress!

Running or even long walks are part of my routing to blow off some steam. It’s a brilliant way to simultaneously catch up on webcasts. Recently, Authentic Living shared that 80% of Americans are stressed. On a daily basis! I was shocked.

Not having enough time to meet tight deadlines, dealing with ridiculous workloads and the never ending email traffic are typical workday stressors. Being stressed at work is stressful! Add stress outside of work to the mix. Being stuck in traffic, coordinating social engagements, finding the missing tax documents. NAPO found that Americans are losing 1 full year of their life looking for misplaced items.

Here are 7 tips to prevent this horrible feeling of being stressed all the time: 

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Ramadan Kareem

Depending on the moon, Ramadan is set to start next Thursday. Ramadan Kareem! Until a few years ago, I didn’t know much about thia holy month of the Islamic calendar. Sure, I worked with Muslims in the UK. They fasted during daylight. Fasting is one of the 5 pillars or religious duties of Islam. I’m only realising now how challenging fasting in a non-Muslim country must be. Unlike in the Middle East, everyone still eats and drinks in the office, there’re no reduced working hours and we had about 18 hours of day light (= fasting time). Not an easy undertaking.

Ramadan is the most important month for Muslims. In simple terms (and without starting a religious debate), Ramadan is probably as important as Christmas for Christians and Diwali for Hindus. With the expected start next week, it’s high time to get ready for it:

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Own the Weekend!

The weekend is barely over and I’m already writing about the next weekend. Am I nuts? No, though some of my friends may question it at times. Rather than waiting for Thursday night, then debating how to spend the weekend and wasting valuable time, start thinking about it now. To me, it’s also a great motivator which carries me through the week. Are you also looking forward to some of your weekend activities?

When’s that opening of the long awaited restaurant again? Is there an artisan market which you meant to visit for weeks going on? What about this nagging home improvement list that you’ve been putting off? Do you need to complete a proposal for your business?

Follow these easy steps and you’re ready to own the weekend:

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How to take the Stress out of Moving (Part 2)

Congratulations! You’ve found your new home, decided on the moving day and are… anxious about the stress over the next few weeks? Don’t be! In the last post, I’ve helped you with an easy checklist: Things you need to do in your current (old) home before the moving day. Now, let’s focus on your new home. These tips will help you stay organised and relaxed during such this major event.

Get your new home ready before the move:

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How to take the Stress out of Moving (Part 1)

By now, I’ve moved 25 times across 3 different continents. Most of my moves occurred during the summer and many families are also using the end of the school year to move houses. Moving is never an easy undertaking: the heat, Ramadan, the never ending paper work, the hassle until you can settle in and feel at home. It all takes time and energy. Yet, the more prepared you are, the easier and stress-free the move will be. Take the pain out by following this simple checklist, which also includes tips for Dubai based readers:

2-3 months before:

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