Nicole

5 Ways To Spring Clean Your Life

Please note, this is a sponsored post on behalf of Lawyers of Distinction. All opinions expressed are my own.

Spring is officially here! And while many of us are knee-deep in the process of Spring Cleaning, I decided to write a post on something that you may have overlooked this season. The need to declutter your overall perspective. Something we should all do each and every Springtime at home.

After all, who couldn’t stand to improve our lives, homes, and businesses with the start of each new quarter? And what better time to give your life a proverbial refresh than Spring. With that in mind, here are 5 ways that you can spring clean your life!

1. Your Home

When it comes to Spring cleaning, its only right to start with your environment at home. There is just something about having a clean, de-cluttered, and organized space that helps improve your life, clear your mind, and to redirect your focus and your mind.

For me, I know that a new season starts with a clean, cleared space. It helps me feel productive and stay more focuses on my business at hand and can do the same for you!

Studies also prove that decluttered spaces increase your happiness and contribute to reducing your stress levels. Which benefit your health and overall well-being.

I love to start my Spring cleaning in my bedroom and then move on to my office area. This ensures that two of the most profound areas in my life, where I work and where I regenerate each day. is what they should be. I also make a point of scheduling administrative days on the last working day of the month. Days devoted to making sure my goals are being met for my home, my business, and my family life too!

Now if you are just starting a season of decluttering, start off with de-cluttering things you don’t need or use anymore. You can also get rid of things that simply don’t bring you any happiness or remind you of a bad experience. Whatever works best for you.

My general rules of thumbs are to donate an item that hasn’t been used for one year, won’t be used during the holidays, or can easily be replaced in the future.

It’s also helpful to make a list of all the areas of your home that you want to spring clean and have a designated day for each task. This helps you make the most of your decluttering time at home.
Re-arrange your home and organize it in a way that will bring in more space to your home.

2. Downsize your Digital Life

As a digital entrepreneur and blogger, I know the idea of downsizing your digital life can be daunting. But think small. Make a list of your digital distractions and see if you can do without any specific apps, social media accounts, or browser extensions. Consider decluttering unnecessary pictures, documents, pdf files, printables, and software that may be bogging down your systems.

If you work from home, be sure to do a legit scan of your mobile devices to make sure that each of your apps still serves a purpose in your business and home life. Deleting any apps that you’ve not used within the last 3 months. Then set a date on your calendar one season from the date of your digital decluttering to reevaluate your progress.

3. Let Go of Busyness

It’s easy to get addicted to the business of everyday life. From overbooking our schedules to taking on too make volunteer responsibilities, busyness can easily creep into your life. To remedy this, look at your planner or calendar and ask yourself if all those To Do’s are truly necessary and cost-effective in your current season of life? Are there places in your schedule that can be decluttered?

Instead, create a daily schedule of small, obtainable tasks. Goals that can not only be marked off your list but help progress your life, home, and business from one hour to the next.

And to give yourself a workable measure, remove just one task from your daily schedule each day and replace it with 30-minutes of self-care time. Then before you add more tasks to your schedule, ask yourself, “is this task worth my self-care time?” More than likely its not!

Because in the end, you sometimes have to say no to others to be able to say yes to yourself. Something that cannot be accomplished with an archaic, overbooked schedule.

We need to learn that we can’t get everything done in just a day, it is best to take it one day at a time. If you find that you’ve overbooked your day with too many things, then try to prioritize them and see which ones can get done the next day.

4. Rid Your Life of Negativity

One of the best ways to Spring clean your life is to rid your exitance of things that may be physically or emotionally holding you back. Including negativity.

A few ways you can easily accomplish this goal is to first and foremost, think more positively. Making a priority out of thinking positively can change not only your perspective, but the atmosphere in your home, and the course of your life too!

Some of the best ways to rid your life of negativity are to get rid of toxic people, online and in real life, and instead choose to surround yourself with positive people. Folks that challenge you in healthy ways. Keeping in mind, that just because you don’t see completely eye-to-eye with someone else doesn’t mean they are a negative person. And that surrounding yourself with only like-minded people doesn’t truly help you grow as a person. Being placated is never a good look on anyone!

Also, consider how you consume information. Consumerism, the news media, and even friends and family can inundate us with information that can leave us feeling drained and in a mood of uncertainty and anxiety.

I personally remedy this by focusing less on social media and online publications and instead ascertain my news information from credible sources in print form. Including my local newspaper, medical journals, seasoned publications such as the New York Times, and my quarterly law school review.

5. Get Your Legal Affairs in Order

No one likes to discuss the harder aspects of life. But it’s one of the most important areas of life as we age and so it bears repeating- In order to properly Spring clean your life one must get your legal affairs in order too!

As a former legal professional, this is a measure near and dear to my own heart!

And what I mean by getting your legal affairs is to first make sure the big tasks are covered by proper estate planning. Including the following questions:

Is your will up-to-date?
Do you have a notarized medical directive?
Does your family know you wish to be an organ donor?
Do your loved ones know you wish to have funds posthumously given on your behalf?
Do you have a trustee appointed for your estate?
Do you have longterm plans for your retirement years?
Will your children be properly provided for, both financially and in terms of guardianship, in the unlikely occurrence of your death?
Are you are your spouse or partner legally mentioned on one another’s wills, records, deeds, business ledgers, titles, utilities, and accounts?
Are your pets and their care mentioned in your estate planning?

All measures that can turn the passing of a loved one into an emotionally draining fiasco. Measures that can be quickly and painlessly avoided by the visit to a legal professional in your area.

And when it comes to finding the right legal professionals, you don’t want to leave your most important issues to change. Make sure to check out the Lawyers of Distinction website. A directory of legal professionals that can quickly help you find the right attorney to meet your personal legal needs in your area.

Lawyers of Distinction also offers consumers tax aid advice and a directory of members for quick referencing this season.

All-in-all, Springtime is the perfect season to make sure your hardest hitting tasks are checked off your list. Especially when it comes to the legal security of yourself and your family.

So, everyone, those are the 5 ways to spring clean your life. I hope you found this post helpful and you found some inspiration to start spring cleaning your life! Now I want to ask, will you be using any of these tips to Spring clean your own life this season? If you are, please share your thoughts below!

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Become A Master Of Bargain Hunting

Bargain hunting is definitely something that you’re going to have to try and master if you want to save a little bit of money. Well, it might not even be a little bit of money if you get really good at it. Why do we think everyone should start bargain hunting? Because life only seems to be getting more expensive, and the more people that come into your life, the more you seem to have to start paying out for.

Considering you most likely won’t be able to bring more money in, it becomes all about controlling the money that’s going out, and we think it’s so easy to do when you get into the swing of things. It isn’t any more time consuming than normal shopping would be, you just have to change your mindset, and change what you look for when you do go shopping.

So, here’s how we think you can really become a master of bargain hunting, and why you should definitely make it top of your list of things to do!

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The Basics Of Bargain Hunting

So, if you’ve never really been one to hunt for a bargain before, then you need to get to grips with the basics of bargain hunting, and how you’re going to be able to do it from store to store. You’re not necessarily looking for a sale, although that would always be handy, you should be comparing the prices of things you usually buy between the different stores you could get it from. Because at the minute, you could be shopping at a store for your groceries for example, without realizing that you’re paying a certain percentage more than if you were to go for a discount store for example.

The best way to do your grocery shop in our opinion is to do it online. It’s so much easier to glance and which store is cheapest in general, and find out how you can make your savings. But generally, if you are going to bargain hunt, you need to think about looking for a sale wherever you can. Even if it means buying store brand items, you’re still going to save a hell of a lot compared to if you were to buy a normal branded item!

Saving On The Big Spends

You’re probably making big spends more often than not. Birthdays, Christmas, Christening… the list could go on. To save on the big spends, you’re going to have to look through discount sites to see price comparisons. People never really tend to go through discount sites, perhaps because they don’t trust the legitimacy of them. But as long as you check the Trustpilot rating and other reviews, they will be fine to shop from, and boy can you save a fortune!

Seeing How Much You Save!

If you really want to be able to tell the difference, you should calculate how much you spend now, and how much you spend on big purchases, and compare it what you are going to spend after reading this article. You could put the saved money aside for a rainy day, or put it towards a holiday fund!

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Why It’s worth Living More Frugally Now, in Order to save for the Future

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For a lot of people, living frugally in the here and now and saving up a substantial amount, as a result, doesn’t seem especially “sexy.”

Slogans such as YOLO (the infamous “You Only Live Once”) have been pretty popular in recent times, and there’s a certain Instagram celeb-obsessed idea going around that whatever money you have, you more or less need to flaunt it in the here and now in order to have fun, live an exciting life, and not be bored.

And yet, many people find that once they commit to living a somewhat more frugal life, and saving a higher proportion of their income, they enjoy better peace of mind, greater security in life, greater possibilities for the future, and more satisfaction than they would if they had lived more extravagantly in the day-to-day.

So, here are some reasons why it’s worth living more frugally now, in order to save for the future.

Wealth and financial freedom are a matter of money management, rather than income

If you ask the average person what “wealth” means, it’s likely that will you get a lot of replies along the lines of “wealth means making lots of money.” Intuitively, this makes sense. Everyone has probably dreamt of winning the lottery at least at some point in their life, and no one is against the idea of making more money.

But the simple and counterintuitive reality is that “wealth” is a matter of good financial management, rather than having a larger income.

If in doubt, just consider the many celebrities you can think of off the top of your head, who became incredibly wealthy through their careers, only to then blow it all on extravagant living, and end up bankrupt – or close to it.

What’s more, some research indicates that the vast majority of lottery winners end up flat broke within a few years of their big win.

People are drawn to the idea of wealth, because it offers security, increases prospects, and all that other good stuff. But in order to enjoy these benefits, you need to actually be able to amass and hold onto your money, rather than frittering it away carelessly on daily luxuries.

To that end, adopting a more frugal approach to life in the here and now, and saving up more of your income, can get you on the track early. And, if you do win the lottery some day, you are more likely to be able to use that money to transform your life over the long term, not just as a means of partying hard for a few years.

Saving up now allows you to increase your life security and satisfaction through wise investments down the line

Living a more frugal life in order to save, implies that you are saving for a particular purpose. Ideally, a large part of that purpose will be so that you can enjoy greater security and satisfaction down the line, as a result of wise investments.

If, for example, you review a good mortgage payment calculator, save accordingly, and get your own house, you will be much more autonomous, self-sufficient, and secure in your home, than you would be if you had kept renting indefinitely.

It may be silly to deny yourself any pleasures, or luxurious expenses throughout your life, for the sake of potentially being rich by the time you’re 70. But, even on a much shorter time horizon, saving up for worthy goals can significantly improve your life along with various dimensions.

Living more frugally encourages you to appreciate the simple pleasures of life more

it’s not exactly uncommon for people to fall into a cycle of compulsive spending, in order to try and keep their lives interesting, fun, and exciting.

But if you’re always chasing after the next hot appliance, outfit, or gadget, are you not also at risk of taking the things you already do have for granted?

Living a more frugal life encourages you to appreciate the simple pleasures of life more. It encourages a sense of gratitude and appreciation for the things you already own, and it pushes you to seek fulfilment through things such as your professional and personal accomplishments, your relationships with friends and loved ones, and so on.

Of course, that’s not to say that you have to live like a hermit monk and never buy anything new at all. But a lot of people will testify that it’s better to be more mindful about spending, so as to better appreciate what’s right in front of you.

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11 Ways to Waste Less

Waste is a massive problem in today’s world. Over time, we’ve turned into something of a disposable society. We buy a bottle of water every time we’re out, and we throw the bottle away. We buy a new top every time we go out somewhere nice. We throw socks away and replace them at the first sign of damage. We throw half a meal away when we decide that we fancy something else, without ever thinking about all of the people out there that don’t have a meal in the first place.

We waste things every day. Sometimes, you waste a little of your own time, and nothing terrible happens. But, most of the time, our waste is hurting our planet. It’s leading to higher levels of pollution, overflowing landfills and its hurting animal life. Our seas are filled with plastic, our environment is filled with harmful gases, and our bins are overflowing with household waste. It’s a terrible thing, and for the most part, it’s entirely avoidable.

We don’t need to waste. But, we’ve got into the habit of doing it. We’ve become wasteful without thought. We just do it. Once you’ve taken that first step to realizing just how wasteful you are, and how it’s affecting the world around you, the process of wasting less doesn’t actually have to be that difficult. Here are 11 ways that you can start wasting less in your everyday life.

Buy Reusable Produce Bags

Zero waste stores are popping up all over. Shopping in these stores, or directly from farms and other suppliers is a great way to limit packaging waste. But, to make it easier, it can be worth investing in some good quality reusable produce bags to help you to get what you need, take it home safely and keep it tidy in your cupboards.

Collect Totes

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Plastic shopping bags are terribly wasteful. They don’t last, so it’s hard to reuse them even if you wanted to. Instead, collect a few canvas tote bags in different sizes and keep a few in your bag and car, so you never need to ask for a plastic bag.

Find a Good Water Bottle

Plastic water bottles are another massive waste. Buying drinks out is a waste of plastic, and money and they’re not usually good for you (even the ones that claim they are). Invest in a good water bottle that will last, and start carrying tap water around with you.

Meal Plan

Food waste is prevalent but entirely unnecessary. Start meal planning and writing shopping lists to make sure that you only buy what you need.

Use Your Freezer

If you have got leftovers, even after planning, freeze them. If food is close to its use by date, freeze it. Buy in bulk to save money and freeze what you don’t need. In your fight against waste, your freezer can be a valuable asset.

Learn to Sew

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As can a sewing needle and some thread. Being able to fix small holes in clothes and upholstery, and sew on a button can mean that your clothes last a lot longer, and need replacing more often.

Buy Less

Buying less in the first place means that there is less for you to waste. Buy only what you need. Spend a month trying to spend as little money as possible, just buying absolute essentials, to try to get into the right habits.

Eat a Packed Lunch

How much money do you spend each year on lunches? Work it out, and you’ll be horrified. Start taking a packed lunch to work, and you’ll be helping to waste less food, packaging, and money. Use a reusable lunch box, and it’s even less wasteful.

Make and Grow Your Own

Grow your own vegetables and fruit and make meals from scratch and you’ll only ever pick what you need. You’ll also be less likely to waste things that you’ve put effort into creating. You can also make things like gift cards to cut your waste.

Stop Printing

In today’s world, where most things can be saved onto the cloud and accessed on iPads and smartphones, there’s rarely a need to print anything out. If you do need to print something, make sure you do it double-sided to use half the paper.

Use Cloth instead of Paper

We use paper towels to wipe up spills. We also use disposable nappies and wipes. Switch to cloth, and you’ll waste much less. It can seem strange to start with, but you’ll soon get used to washing and reusing. Try going back to an old fashioned cotton hanky while you are at it.

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5 Tips To Better Borrowing With Gladiator Lending

Please note, this post is sponsored. All opinions stated are my own. Thank you.

Loans can be a convenient way to grow your business, to cover unexpected expenses, and protect assets and liabilities during lean times. However, it goes without saying that when you take out a loan you are obligated to meet certain repayment conditions that could negatively impact your home finances and business if you aren’t mindful in creating a repayment strategy for all borrowed sums.

While borrowing money is never ideal there are times when it will become necessary. So for tips to help you be a more responsible borrower this season, here are five tips to get you started:

Consider consolidating debt at a lower interest rate

Debt consolidation is one of the most popular reasons to get a personal loan. As consumers typically use personal loans to consolidate credit card debt, but you can also get a personal loan to pay off other, higher-interest loans that you may currently have. As when you shop for personal loans for debt consolidation purposes, generally for the total amount of debt you have, many borrowers will upon approval used borrowed sums to help pay off all your existing debt with that loan.

By having only one payment to make every month instead of several, and you’ll save money on interest. Coupled with more comparable loan terms, borrowers may be left with a more favorable timeline to pay off your debt. That can help you not only help you save on interest payments but also to get on track if your debt was previously on revolving lines of credit, such as credit cards.

Keep in mind, if you’re planning to consolidate debt, make sure that the amount of money you save will be greater than any loan fees you need to pay, such as origination fees. Then to keep borrowed sums reasonable. Securing financing that could realistically be paid off within 1-2 years. And for debt consolidation using unsecured lines of credit, including top balance transfer credit cards, look for offers featuring 0% intro APRs offering introductory periods lasting 15 months or longer.

Use a personal loan to make money

As the old adage goes, sometimes you have to spend money to make money. Except for those times when you don’t always have the money to spend. In that case, a personal loan could be a wise decision. Such as when you are financing a business expansion that could lead to greater profits, paying for a home remodel that will boost the value of your home, or taking a course that will improve your career prospects.

Regardless of the occasion, you are taking out a loan for you’re obviously taking a calculated risk here, and there’s a chance that you’ll lose money. As every business expansion or personal venture cannot guarantee successful, home remodels don’t always increase a home’s value, and courses don’t always lead to better career opportunities. If things don’t turn out as you planned, you’ll still be responsible for paying off your loan.

That being said, if you’ve done your homework and know all the risk factors involved, there’s a good chance these opportunities will work out. If this is the case for you, terms of personal loans may be your best option. As some of the best personal loans often have low-interest rates that make borrowing very affordable. While the versatility and low cost of these loans can be considered added perk, be sure that in these situations you are borrowing money that makes sense. So that your loan warrants the risk of adding on new debt.

One way to help you better venture into responsibility borrowing personal loans as a consumer is by checking out various rate generators. Applications that help borrows visualize the debts they are undertaking, the effects these loans can have on their personal credit scores, as well as better understanding their rate of interest and net gain. These free services can be greatly beneficial to those securing personal loans at home this season.

Start by building a solid borrowing foundation

Being a responsible borrower often begins before you ever go to a financial institution for a loan. Establishing good relationships with your lender can be a huge help when money gets tight. Knowing your credit score, maintaining an above-average score, and even having a working, knowing your debt-to-income ratio each month, having a working list of business and personal collateral, maintaining up-to-date insurance information, and having an ongoing relationship with your potential funding institution before securing funding are all great ways to start.

Don’t take the first offer

When it comes to getting the best offer on consumer loans, it’s always best to shop around and compare loan products to make sure you’re getting the best possible terms on your loan. Always make sure to read the fine print, and ask questions about interest rates, early payment penalties, and other fees and charges. This will allow you to know that when it comes to borrowing the funds you need, you’re getting the best rates and terms possible!

When you have emergency expenses you need to pay immediately

You may find yourself in a situation where you don’t have the money for an expense, but there will be steep consequences if you don’t pay. Situations including costly car repairs, medical bills, large ticket purchases, unforeseen home repairs, and to pay for weddings. Instances that would ideally be covered by an emergency fund. But when an expense is bigger than you can afford and you don’t have any other viable options, a personal loan is one solution.

In any of the above-mentioned potential scenarios taking out a personal loan could be the right decision. To figure out if you’re making the right call, ask yourself these questions before applying for a loan: Am I going to save money by consolidating my debt? Will this give me a real opportunity to make more money than I’m borrowing? And is this for an urgent expense that I absolutely need to pay? If you answered yes to any of the above, then you can feel confident in your decision to take out a personal loan.

Once you’ve ascertained your reasons for borrowing, its time to vet the market to find your best options for personal loan providers. Whether you’re looking to pay off debt faster by slashing your interest rate or needing some extra money to tackle a big purchase, you’ll want to make sure you are borrowing from a lender with experience in providing consumers like yourself with the best options for repayment terms and variable interest rates.

One such lender to consider is Gladiator Lending. A company focused on the relationship-based lending process that enables you to create, fund and manage business borrower relationships from one loan experience to the next. It is commercial lending software designed with both borrowers and lenders in mind, incorporating all-digital loan origination. To help consumers like yourself the opportunity to save time, automate payments, and improve the overall borrowing experience.

In all, responsible borrowing, for both business and personal loans, can be one way to help make your future financial goals possible. And one of the most important advantages of following these tips is that they provide you with even better opportunities down the road to expand your business, borrow at better rates, or even sell.

Friends, do you have tips for better borrowing practices for your home or business? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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10 Must-See Documentaries on Minimalism

Humanity. The greatest story our world has ever known. The shared narrative of our shared social conditioning, that for better or for worse, has helped weave of all that we have become. But now our society needs a new story to share.

For far too long, the story of empirical dominion over our home, our planet, has been looked at in less than full light – with humanities cultural stories and values having been taken for granted. Leaving the stories of this world’s richest resources, the simple and the free, left invisible and unviable.

Modern technology has helped change this dynamic. No longer is mankind without knowing our planet’s ambient history. We have resources on hand that can help us better understand ourselves, one another, our planet, and the need for movements such as non-consumerism, ecology, and the sustainability movement. And the greatest of these tools is that of film.

The film offers us a powerful tool to inspire awareness and action and break our dependence on the mainstream media and become outlets for the media ourselves.

A film, particularly documentaries, allow people to understand that creating a better world really does start with an informed citizenry. That our country has to come to terms with the true impact of Western civilization. From our abuses of basic ecology to understanding the impact of coal mining, peak oil, and misnomers about capitalism and governments.

Documentaries give us the promise of alternatives – exciting ways that people could live, better ways to change the social paradigm, and effective ways of saving money too.

Personally, documentaries have provided my personal journey with newfound streams of introspection, dreaming, questioning, and discovery areas of my life that mean the most to me. Ways to raise a family, human rights, non-consumerism, tiny living, cultural awareness, gender issues, and sustainability.

The knowledge that was vitally necessary to becoming debt-free, minimalists at home. Taken together, this knowledge will help lay the foundation for future conversations for you too!

Best of all, all of the following films can be viewed on Netflix. My go-to when I’m ready to dig deep and learn something new.

Here are my top 10 Netflix documentaries, and trailers, on minimalism so you can get a better idea of what each film is like. So break out that popcorn and get ready to learn something exciting about the world we live in.

10 Must-Watch Netflix Documentaries on Minimalism

The True Cost (2015)

“The True Cost” pulls back the curtain on the fashion industry to give viewers an honest look at the human and environmental costs of producing fast fashion. After watching this documentary I haven’t been able to look at the clothes in my closet the same way.

Planet Earth (2006)

This David Attenborough documentary celebrates the amazing variety and beauty of the natural world. Filmed over four years and across 64 different countries, there are few films that compare in terms of scope. It’s a classic and a must-see!

Cowspiracy (2014)

I firmly believe that watching “Cowspiracy” should be a requirement for every student studying environmental sciences in school. This movie is not just about saving animals but environmental degradation, consumer health, and the environmental impact as the leading cause of carbon emissions, global warming, deforestation, and just about everything else. This is the film that caused me to become vegan at home.

Happy (2011)

Filmmaker and director Roko Belic set out to travel the world with the intention of discovering the meaning of happiness. Belic was inspired to make the film after coming across an article in The New York Times entitled, “A New Measure of Well Being From a Happy Little Kingdom.” The article ranked the United States as the 23rd happiest country in the world. This film will help you see your life, works, and personal pursuits in a new light!

More Than Honey (2012)

Did you know that if bees were to disappear from the globe, mankind would have only four years left to live? In “More Than Honey,” Oscar-nominated director Markus Imhoof tackles the issue of why bees are facing worldwide extinction, hive collapse syndrome, and what can be done in our own homes, yards, and communities to encourage bees.

Forks Over Knives (2011)

Watching “Forks Over Knives” changes my life. If you’ve ever struggled with a chronic disease like obesity, cardiovascular disease, or cancer, “Forks Over Knives” can help you see plant-based diets in a new, healthy, and economical way to live the rest of your life!

No Impact Man (2009)

Self-proclaimed “No Impact Man,” Colin Beavan swore off plastic and toxins, turned off his electricity, went organic, and started riding his bicycle exclusively for an entire year. Reviewed as a “sensational, funny, and consciousness-raisin story,” “No Impact Man” change the way you view zero impact living. In a funny, relatable kind of way!

The 11th Hour (2007)

Leonardo Dicaprio’s 2017 film “The 11th Hour” explores how humanity has arrived at the 11th hour – the last possible moment that change is possible for our planet and its ecosystems. Featuring ongoing dialogues of experts including former Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, and sustainable design expert William McDonough, “The 11th Hour” is a dense film that is likely to make you rethink global climate change.

Minimalism (2016)

“Minimalism,” from the popular due that brought you the minimalists, explores how our lives might be better with less by taking viewers inside the lives of minimalists from all walks of modern life.

Fed Up (2014)

Did you know that there are well over 600,000 food items in the Standard American Diet and that 80% of these foods contain 1 or more added, processed forms of sugar? Did you know that our current generation of youth is the first expected to live a shorter life than their parents? “FED UP,” as a documentary, looks at the American food epidemic and will change the way you eat forever.

So those are my top 10 minimalist documentaries. I hope you will take the time to check them all out and come back and let me know what you think. Share in the comments below!

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5 Ways to naturally minimize migraine symptoms at home

Migraines aren’t typical headaches. If you experience them, you’ll likely understand just how this particular fresh shade of hell experience, including pounding cranial pain, nausea, neck and upper back tension, and sensitivity to light and sound can be. You’ll also know that when a migraine strikes, you’ll do almost anything to make it go away.

I am also a fervent believer in trying to find a drug-free way to reduce migraine symptoms. Including natural at-home treatments that help prevent migraines, or at least help reduce their severity and duration. Keeping in mind, severe migraines may require treatment with prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medication.

As with any serious medical treatment, you should always speak to your doctor about a treatment plan that works for you. But for those looking to help alleviate your at-home migraine symptoms, here are few tips to help you get started.

Tips for preventing migraine symptoms at home

Avoid foods that may trigger migraine symptoms

Diet plays a vital role in preventing migraines. Many foods and beverages are known migraine triggers, such as foods with nitrates including hot dogs, deli meats, bacon, sausage (cured and dried), as well as chocolate. Other foods including cheese contain the naturally-occurring compound, tyramine, such as blue, feta, cheddar, Parmesan, and Swiss cheese, as well as other dairy products including buttermilk, sour cream, and yogurt. Chemicals commonly found in red wine, that have been known to accelerate migraine symptoms.

Other foods to avoid are that containing monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer, commonly known to increase migraine. Other foods to avoid include extremely cold products, such as ice cream or iced drinks, and heavily processed foods.

A quick rule of thumbs when it comes to helping to alleviate migraine symptoms at home by way of food is to strategically start omitting specific foods, such as the above-mentioned varieties, from your diet as a method in helping you to decipher which foods and beverages trigger your migraines.

A great way to do this is by keeping a daily food diary. Record everything you eat and note how you feel afterward. Then, omit foods on a more consistent basis to help you further limit debilitating migraines at home.

Try holistic measures

When it comes to alleviating migraine symptoms at home, there are numerous natural, holistic methods to try. Including the use of lavender essential oil. As it has been found that inhaling lavender essential oil may ease migraine pain.

In a 2012 research study, people who inhaled lavender oil during a migraine attack for 15 minutes experienced faster relief than those who inhaled a placebo. Lavender oil may be inhaled directly or applied diluted to the temples, alongside a carrier oil, such as sweet almond oil, olive oil, or coconut oil. Ginger and peppermint essential oils have been known to help in a similar capacity as well.

Acupressure is another great migraine preventative. Acupressure, the practice of applying pressure with the fingers and hands to specific points on the body to relieve pain and other symptoms, has been used. Helping relieve stress, tension, anxiety, improve sleep, reducing digestive issues, helping to minimize headaches, and alleviating chronic pain.

According to a 2014 systematic review, acupressure is a credible alternative therapy for people in pain from chronic headaches and other conditions. A separate study found acupressure may help relieve migraine-associated nausea symptoms at home.

Consuming ginger products can help as well. Ginger is commonly known to ease nausea caused by many conditions, including migraines. It also has other migraine benefits including decreased migraine severity and duration as well as the prescription drug sumatriptan, and with fewer side effects.

Adding magnesium to your diet can also help. Magnesium deficiency has been linked to headaches and migraines. Providing evidence that a diet rich in magnesium oxide can help prevent migraines with aura and also prevent menstrual-related migraines. Foods rich in magnesium include almonds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, cashews, peanut, oatmeal, and eggs.

Practice yoga

Yoga utilized applied, varied methods of utilizing breathing, meditation, and body postures to promote health and an increased sense of well-being. Research shows yoga may relieve the frequency, duration, and intensity of migraines. While also thought to improve anxiety, release tension in migraine-trigger areas, and improve vascular health.

While it’s far too soon to say with complete accuracy that yoga could be a go-to, singular treatment for migraines, many who practice yoga believe it to be beneficial as a complementary therapy to existing migraine-relief methods at home.

Try biofeedback

Biofeedback is a relaxation method that teaches you to control reactions to stress. Biofeedback may be helpful for migraines triggered by physical reactions to stress such as muscle tensing.

While this therapy is generally given under the guise of a trained therapist, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a biofeedback device, Resperate, for reducing stress and lowering blood pressure. Resperate is a portable electronic device that promotes slow, deep breathing. However, the FDA doesn’t regulate many biofeedback devices marketed for home use to date. But such measures can certainly be worth discussing with your physician.

For those looking for a more techie route, there are also several app-based biofeedback methods available including:

Belly Bio: A great app that uses the iPhone’s accelerometer to monitor proper diaphragmatic breathing.
eSense Temperature: This app provides skin temperature feedback with guided practice for Android and iPhone. To use the app, the monitoring instrument, which connects to the phone, must be purchased.
My Calm Beat: A very nicely designed, inexpensive app for the iPhone or Android that personalizes and monitors paced breathing practice. Including relaxation-based games.
Breath Pacer: A simple, inexpensive, paced breathing app available for iPhone or Android devices.
Inner Balance: An app and a heart-rate sensor that plugs into your iPhone or iPad and guides you through paced breathing while providing you with feedback about your ongoing heart rate variation and stress levels.

Self-Massage

A weekly massage can help reduce migraine frequency, improve sleep quality, and aid in lowering cortisol levels that can trigger migraine symptoms at home. But often migraine symptoms occur at home without a window of opportunity to booking a massage. Which is why self-massage can be of help during the onset of early migraine symptoms at home. A few techniques to try include:

Using your thumbs, press firmly onto the bridge of your nose, just underneath your forehead. Point your thumbs in opposing directions (meaning one is a thumbs up, and the other is a thumbs down) Hold firmly, but gently, for 10 seconds, breathing deeply. Repeat the process 2-4 times as needed.
Place thumbs upwards, like in a thumbs up position, just below your eyebrows. Hold firm but not enough to cause pain. Take deep breaths and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat as necessary.
Using both hands, pinch skin tissue just below your eyebrows away from your face and hold. Hold for 5-7 seconds and repeat.
Use your middle three fingers and press firmly into the sides of your temple. Then slowly rub in a circular motion. Then hold still for 7-10 seconds using steady pressure.
If you’re suffering from sinus pressure, press into the sides of your nose and move your fingers firmly away from the nose, towards the cheekbones. Work on both sides at once and work multiple points along the bridge of your nose. Direct the pressure towards your face and move away towards your cheekbones. Flush away fluid as you go.

When a migraine hits my world seems to halt to a stop. But many of these natural methods have helped me to greatly reduce my migraine symptoms at home and may be of use to you as well.

As always, the best source for advice on treating your migraines is your own migraine specialist. These descriptions of natural remedies are provided only for informational purposes. You should begin no medication or supplement without first checking with your physician.

No, friends, I want to ask, do you utilize any natural methods to help control migraine symptoms at home? Share your methods in the comments below!

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