How to Start Your Mornings Off Right!

Mornings are rough.  Trust me I know.  They are rough because millions of people are affected by it everyday.  It takes a toll on us all and for many of us therapy might be needed.  I believe its a syndrome that affects everyone and for many in a very negative way.  So negative that for many even their personality is affected all day long. I have dubbed it the "getting out of bed.....everyday" syndrome!

So now that we are done with the theatrics lets get to the point.  How you wake up in the morning and the attitude that you personify during this time will set the pace for the rest of your day.  I heard that old saying growing up "well it looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed". Truth is no matter what side of the bed you wake up on, what really sets your tone for the day is your mind set from early morning.  I hear a lot of people say "well I'm not a morning person".  This saying really bothers me, because unless you start your days at 12pm and beyond, then we all are morning people as we usually wake up somewhere in the morning hours.  Part of having a healthy day and beautiful outlook on life is setting your tone of mind from the moment you open your eyes.  Remember beauty is a state of mind.  No amount of makeup you wear or clothes you buy will make you feel beautiful if deep downside you are really struggling with who you are.  Sadly, for many these issues start from the moment they open up their eyes.  So here are some tips on how you can achieve a beautiful mind set and turn around your outlook if you are affected by this "syndrome" and are not a morning person.

1. Mediate/Pray/Mindfulness

I will admit I am guilty of not being mindful in the mornings on many occasions.  I am part of that group of people who first reach for their phones, laptops, tablets and what not in order to check their emails and see what is going on the world.  However I have had to take a step back many times and first check on what is going on with me before I can even start to examine the world.  When you wake up in the mornings, don't reach for all your electronic gadgets first.  Truth is whether you check your emails now or five minutes from now; not much will change.  When you wake up in the mornings and before you take your first step try centering yourself.  Whether that be a small 3-5 minutes of mediation, prayer or being mindful of your feelings, sensations, body, and surroundings.  The goal is to catch your bearings before you start your day so you can set your tone for a beautiful mind set that day. 

2. Yoga/Stretch  

Believe it or not, practicing yoga or stretching in the mornings has been found to help follow blood to your body parts, improve posture and help with achy muscles.  However if none of these appeals to you, it helps you at least to get out of bed. If you take a few minutes when you wake up in the mornings to stretch or practice yoga you can actually incorporate point number one and two together!  Part of practicing yoga and/or stretching is again just being mindful of your body and yourself.

2. Hygiene 

I know many people do not shower in the mornings instead at night.  However a morning shower can really help you wake up and feel so much better about yourself.  It also gets your body clean from all the sweating that occurs as you sleep.  It helps to invigorate our senses as the water falls on our body and for many they take this time to reflect while in the shower.  So you can basically do step one and three while in the shower.  Just remember to brush your teeth while you are at it.  Nothing says "good morning" like fresh clean minty breath!

3. Eat Breakfast

Many of us are guilty of skipping breakfast in the morning which is bad.  However many of also eat horribly in the morning which is just as bad as skipping breakfast.  When planning your most important meal of the day, skip on high crabs or fatty food and instead go with low crabs, low sugar and whole grains.  Try having fruits with yogurt, oats and grains with fruit, eggs with chicken or turkey bacon and other health options that are not loaded with sugar.  Fruit smoothies, freshly squeezed juice and juicing is another health option.  Eating breakfast is very important not only for your body but for your state of mind.  If you go starving to work, in my experience I have noticed on how this affects my mental state of mind for the rest of the day. So plan your breakfast meals ahead of time so that way you won't be rushing in the mornings wondering what to eat.

4. Getting Dress

Regardless of what your fashion sense is, you should always feel happy in what you wear.  Don't use clothes to hide yourself and don't wear makeup in order to pretend to be somebody you are not.  Makeup; while it can hide our facial imperfections, it can never mask how we truly feel about ourselves  deep down inside.  Furthermore, while clothes can make you look fatter or skinner, it can never change your real shape.  Use clothes and makeup as a way to accent who you are and not what you are pretending to be.  The point of getting dress in the mornings is to allow the world to see you for who you are and how you represent yourself.  I hear many girls say, "I don't wear makeup because I am to lazy to do it".  Wear makeup because you want to and not because you feel like you have too. However don't use the excuse of not wearing makeup because you are lazy.  We still brush our teeth and shower everyday in spite of being lazy.  So don't skim on yourself because your are lazy.  Instead use your time wisely so you achieve the look you are going for whether that be makeup free or not.  Nobody no matter how smart or pretty you are looks good as a hot mess.  It doesn't represent you as as a person fairly and its not a good look to sport.  Looking like you just rolled out of bed is not a look....period.

I try to follow these four easy steps in order to achieve a beautiful mind set everyday.  At times I fail and miserably.  However I always remind myself that there is always tomorrow to start over again and beauty continues to be a state of mind!

Keep Smiling!

Dayana  

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Is Beauty Really Only Skin Deep?

They say that beauty is only skin deep.  Maybe.  However what happens when the color of your own skin is no longer considered beautiful by you.  What happens when we start to equate our beauty not by our intelligence, facial features or character, but instead we base it on just how "white or dark" you can get your skin to be.

In the last few years just about every cosmetic company you can think of, has launch some form of whitening product for their skincare line.  The cosmetic industry is a 50 billion dollar a year industry that only keeps growing.  They push the idea that you need certain products in order to look your best.  However lately the idea is that whiter skin AND these products truly equates to real "beauty".  

 Skin whitening products became very popular in the 1990s.  From then till now, they have rocketed to stardom and are basically used by men and women from every walk and class of life.   These products have taken a life of their own to the point that some individuals are willing to use them regardless if they are proven to be carcinogenic.  The idea that making your skin lighter and whiter is so beautiful and desirable that many women (and men) are willing to go to great lengths regardless of the adverse effects on their health.

Now, lets take this a step further.  What happens when you are raised in a culture where you have been taught to believe that lighter skin is truly beautiful.  In India, fair skin is considered not only beautiful but it plays a part in their cast system.   Marriage and employment in many parts of India are entered into depending on just how "white" the individuals skin really is.  Could you imagine being hired or granted an interview for a job based on the color of your skin?  The idea that whiter skin reflects intelligence and beauty is so ingrained in their country, that you can find in their local store baby whiting oil in order to help your child from birth have a higher chance of moving up the ladder once they reach adulthood by "bleaching" their skin from an early age. 

 I recently spoke to a prominent and well respected psychologist in Toronto who informed me that she wrote her undergrad thesis on this topic.  Does having whiter skin produce higher self esteem and (distorted) sense of beauty in darker or lighter skin individuals.  After collecting data from the survey the results concluded that darker skin women felt less attractive and had lower self esteem then whiter skin ones.   

Now lets flip this.  What happens when whiter skin women decide that they prefer a darker complexion and are willing to unrealistically tan, fake tan and/or take injections in order to reach this "healthy glowing" look?  A new drug has come on the market called Melanoton II also known as the Barbie drug which promises you a tanned complexion.    

   

Melantotan II was developed at the University of Arizona in order to provide individuals with a "safer" way to tan they using tanning beds or exposing themselves to the harsh rays of the sun.  This drug when injected allow your skin to produce a darker pigmentation then your natural one in order to get that glowing tan.  This drug can be found on the internet for sale.  However it is not approved by Health Canada as it has not been tested by them and therefore has no DIN.  The USA has not approved this drug either though it was created in one of their own universities and has been tested in clinical trials.  Nonetheless even with the lack of evidence in regard to its safe of the use of the drug, that hasn't stopped many individuals from using it in order to change their skin color.  This image enhancing drug has become so popular in Britain and British Columbia that they are rampant even in gyms.

Now lets flip this again.  Many people are against whiting creams and see them as a dangerous product for women and men with self esteem issues.  However how is a whitening cream any more or less dangerous (in regard to self esteem) then a tanning cream is?  I have seen people raise their nose at whitening cream products, yet those same people are walking out the door with a tanning product in hand or visiting tanning salons even when they are aware of the harmful UV rays.  So if a whitening cream and a tan creaming will temporarily change the color of your skin and make you feel more "beautiful" then where exactly does the argument lie?  Is either considered acceptable or has it become no different then one dyeing their hair?  Why is one ok and the other one not?  You are still changing your skin color either way you see it.  So what's the big problem, really? 

So this makes me wonder.  Is beauty really only skin deep, or have we reached a whole new level of distorted beauty that now we believe the whiter or darker skin makes us more attractive, intelligence and desirable.  Is beauty really equated to skin color and does it effect how you see and view your role in society and if so, do you believe this to be true or are you perfectly fine with how your skin color looks?  I invite anyone to really consider both sides of the coin and establish a proper argument if both whitening and darkening your skin color plays a role in societies self esteem and view of individuals.   Has this phenomenon distorted our view on beauty or is it just cultural or simply just a thing to do now a days?

Keep Smiling

Dayana     

     

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