Anytime you are considering making a positive change for your overall health, you should also think about addressing your mental health as well. Mental health is something that is not always considered a priority, but in reality, it can affect a number of aspects of your life. This is why you should keep an eye on your mental health. Here are some ways to do just that. When you work towards the things on this list, you may feel that you are happier and more relaxed, which is good for your wellness and your mental health.

1. Do things you enjoy. You need to do everything you can to make sure that you are having fun sometimes. If you spend a lot of time at work, school, or taking care of your family, it might be hard to find the time to do an activity that is entertaining for you. However, you can do something as simple as going for a walk or spending some time outside, and it can make a difference in your mood.
2. Look into therapy when you’re ready. Once you are ready to reach out for mental health support, you should do so. There are many types of therapies that can be beneficial in your life, depending on the reason why you want to meet with a counselor. For example, cbt therapy, or cognitive behavioral therapy, is designed to help you change how you think and act in certain situations, and can also help you lower your anxiety and stress.   You can visit www.betterhelp.com/mental-health/ for resources on mental health and more. If you find yourself in immediate need of assistance, a crisis stabilization facility can provide urgent care and support. These facilities are equipped to handle various mental health emergencies, offering a safe space and professional help when you need it most.
3. Get some sleep. If you are not getting enough sleep, you need to do your best to start getting the proper amount. An adult should get between 6 and 8 hours of sleep at night. The best way to do this is to give yourself a strict bedtime, much like you would a child. Then make yourself stick to it and see if you are able to get the sleep that you need.
4. Address your stress levels. When your stress levels are high, you should do what you can to figure out why this is the case. If you have too many things on your plate, you may need to get someone to help you complete some of these tasks. If you are stressed out because of things happening in your life, this may be something to discuss with your therapist. You can also try other techniques to help you relax like a hot bath, a massage, or meditation. It can be helpful to ask people that you know how they relax, and they may be able to offer you additional ideas.
5. Exercise regularly. Exercising regularly can also be good for your mental health. When you get moving, your body is able to burn off excess energy and you may find that you are better able to process your thoughts and work through issues that were bothering you. Exercising even a couple hours a week may be enough to make a difference. Another option is to go on an adventure in yoga retreats in the UK and participate in the yoga sessions. It will help your mental and physical health. Moreover, take benefit and enjoy the calming and the fresh air that comes from nature.
6. Maintain a healthy diet. Eating right can provide you with many of the vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy and this includes your mental health. Eat a balanced diet and keep your guilty pleasure foods at a minimum. You can also think about learning how to cook some of your favorite dishes, so you will be able to make them healthier, instead of ordering them from a restaurant.
7. Don’t isolate yourself. There are times when you may feel like you want to be alone or you don’t want to talk to anyone. This is okay but you should also do your best not to isolate yourself. Take the time to talk to people you care about and visit with them when you are able to, so you can keep up with your most important relationships. This can also keep your support system intact.
8. Visit your doctor. You should also have yourself checked out by your doctor. Once you meet with them, you can be sure that you are in good health and aren’t experiencing any physical ailments. If you are, you should be sure to get any treatments that are recommended.
9. Keep at it. When you are having bad days, be sure to stick with it. At times, you may have hard times or encounter stressful situations, but these will pass. Once you follow the other tips in this list, you should be able to stay on track. Take a few minutes to slow down and relax when you need to and call your therapist if you need more assistance.

Marie Miguel Biography

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.

Mental health is incredibly important to our overall well being. It is an often-under discussed topic. Despite this, it has an impact on the lives of so many people across the world. In fact, in the USA alone, over 50 million people struggle with some sort of mental health issue or illness. These range from mild cases, to those that are incredibly severe.

While many people will attempt to deal with their mental health problems on their own, this isn’t always the best idea. There are resources and professionals that can help, but many will, unfortunately, come with a steady cost. That is, unless you have the right health insurance plan.

If you are looking for a health plan and suffer from mental health issues, be sure to find a plan that can offer assistance. But just how will a health insurance plan help treat mental health? Well, that is exactly what this article is going to examine a little more closely.

Without any further ado, let’s go over a few ways that health insurance can help treat mental health.

By Helping You Save Money

The first way that having health insurance can help treat mental health issues is that they can help make everything less expensive. One of the biggest reasons many people will avoid treating their mental health issues comes down to not being able to afford it out of pocket. For example, a single session of therapy can often cost well over $100 if you are paying for it on your own. This is simply too much for many people to comfortably afford on their own.

Also, many people are simply not aware that many health insurance plans will cover essential mental health services. While this health insurance will come with its own costs, these costs will generally be much more affordable than having to pay for things like therapy and medication out of pocket.

If you cannot afford health insurance, have been denied coverage, or don’t have it for another reason, there may be other solutions in place to help control the costs. These can vary on a number of factors, such as where you live, so be sure to do some research. A simple search of “mental health services” and your state should be a good way to get pointed in the right direction.

By Getting You Connected With the Right People and Programs

In addition to saving you money, having health insurance can help connect you with the right people and programs, to get the assistance you need. Many of these insurance companies will have helpful resources, outlining the services they provide and how you can get more information. This can help you choose the right therapist or the right program that you’d like to join.

Choosing the right therapist or psychologist to work with can be a huge factor in the success or failure of your therapy. You want to work with someone who is educated, experienced, and someone that you feel comfortable being completely honest with.

When you decide which specialists to see, be sure to know whether your plan allows you to visit out-of-network providers. If not, in order to receive the lowest costs, you will need to visit a therapist or professional who works with the insurance company and is in their network.

By Getting You the Medication You Need

A health insurance plan can also help by getting the medication and prescriptions you need. Some mental health issues can be dealt with without the need for medication, but this isn’t always the case. People may require antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication, mood stabilizers, and a variety of other options to treat their illness and control their symptoms.

Unfortunately, many medications are quite expensive to purchase, which is why health insurance is a good idea. It can give you affordable access to the prescriptions you need and can get you in touch with those who can prescribe them and work with you to improve your situation.

Every Plan is Different

So while there are many different ways that health insurance can help treat mental health issues, it is important to be aware that every plan is different. Just because someone has things like therapy or anti-anxiety medication covered by their insurance plan, doesn’t mean you will.

You need to go through the details of your plan with a fine-toothed comb to make sure that your plan includes the type of mental health services that you want to use. However, if you have purchased your plan from the marketplace, it is required to cover essential services, which mental health assistance is included in.

If you cannot find the details of your plan online or in your records, don’t hesitate to reach out to the insurance company themselves, to ensure you are aware of what is included and covered.

In conclusion, we hope that this article has been able to help you learn just how health insurance can help treat mental health issues.

Guest post by: 

Ashley Lipman

Implementing healing crystals in your life is a great idea. People all over the world claim amazing benefits and encourage other people to use them. Crystals gained popularity amongst users not only for their beauty but for their reported healing properties.

From a raw stone to a beautiful necklace, that is how versatile healing crystals are nowadays. You can enjoy the benefits of crystal healing, at any time, wherever you go.

Starting your path into a more conscious and relaxed lifestyle can be easy when you follow a few simple steps. For this reason, in this article, we will explain which crystals can help you for a variety of different reasons.

Why Should You Give Healing Crystals A Try

Healing crystals are powerful tools. They heal our energy from blockages by raising and renewing our vibrations. Their molecular composition interacts with our vibrational frequency, and our body's energy starts flowing smoothly, helping us feel better.

Don’t believe it? Just give it a try. While the efficacy of crystals have been widely debated, there’s a growing community of millions of people all over the world reporting real benefits.

People claim significant changes in their health after using crystals consciously.  A lot of people report crystals providing them with increased mental, as well as less stress.

Stress is well known as the cause of most illnesses, and is called "the silent killer" for a reason.

Implementing good practices like aromatherapy, healing crystals and other alternative therapies can be a good solution for many. Healing crystals work wisely by channelizing your energy to heal from the inside. 

How To Find The Healing Crystal That Works For You

There are many ways you can identify the right crystal. Intuition is one of them. As simple as picking the crystal you feel a connection with. However, people who are seeking a healing crystal may want a specific solution to a specific problem. 

1. Crystals That Can Help You Mentally

Many situations in life will require you to have a sharp mind to make the right decision. Using  crystals-like Amethyst, Agate, Lapis Lazuli, Aventurine, and Labradorite can help you by giving you mental clarity.

Next we have crystals for moments where you feel you need the energy to accomplish or finish something in your day to day. Tiger's eyes, Lolite, Opal, and Sunstone can help you get that motivation needed.

For stressful moments at home, work, or any point in your life, you can try Obsidian, Black Tourmaline, Celestite, and Topaz which can help your energy to calm down and clear your head.

Creativity can be improved by wearing or holding crystals like Citrine, Carnelian, Fluorite and Jasper.

2. Crystals That Can Help You Physically

Just to think that we can improve our physical health by wearing consciously a piece of healing crystal jewelry is a blessing. These 5 special crystals can help you improve your immune system. The powerful purple amethyst, bloodstone, celestite, and fluorite, are amazing crystals you can start wearing to give your immune system a boost wherever you go.

Fertility problems are an obstacle for some couples. Couples try the following healing crystal jewelry when they are looking to grow their families. Moonstone is recommended for hormonal balancing and fertility in general. Red carnelian is related to the female reproductive system and sexuality.

It can help to level your reproductive health and enhance libido and the sexual energy between couples. Rose quartz is a precious pale pink stone with great properties. Lots of people around the world consider this crystal as their favorite for love and fertility. It can help you heal from emotional wounds, protect women in their pregnancy, and childbirth.

The powerful Rose Quartz is said to aid sexual dysfunction and reproductive system health.

Digestive problems are common nowadays. Sunstone, Chrysocolla, Labradorite, and Agate can improve your digestion.

3. Crystals That Can Help You Emotionally

Having a very agitated lifestyle is not something new or rare. Most people have stressful jobs or they cannot cope with the number of responsibilities on their shoulders. Luckily, we can help ourselves emotionally with crystal jewelry.

Here is a list of positive crystals that can help you with anxiety, emotional balance, clarity, and negative energies.

Rose quartz is one of those crystals with calming properties and it can turn into your ally when fighting anxiety. Tourmaline and Black tourmaline are also powerful emotional crystals. These two can smooth your thoughts and ease your mind.

It’s commonly said that blue stones heal your energy. In moments when worries are not letting you sleep, you can try Kyanite. This beautiful blue stone can help you calm down and improve your energy for good.

Emotional balance is key when you want to improve your relationships. Amazonite crystal jewelry is powerful for its emotional healing abilities. You can also try Amethyst and Jade. These two help you stabilize your aura, very important for well-balanced relationships.

There are moments in life when we need to choose what we want, need, and have to do to change. There is when you need clarity. The healing crystals that will help you in this path are Clear quartz, Selenite, Fluorite, Labradorite, Jade, and Amazonite.

Negative energies don't only come from negative people. They also come from negative environments and negative self-talk. Amethyst once more is the recommendation.

The purple ally is a powerful emotional protector from bad energies. It also helps enhance your intuition, self-esteem, and courage. Black tourmaline is one of the best negativity blockers. It will protect you from bad energies around you. This intense black stone transforms those bad vibes into positive energy. Definitely, one of the crystals you should use if you feel you need to protect your energy from negativity.

Wearing healing crystal jewelry can be simple, helpful, and stylish. You can implement these beautiful stones in your day by day looks. Go to work wearing a beautiful Amethyst necklace. Or stay at home with a black tourmaline bracelet to keep up with the energy your kids require.

Their multiple colors and forms make crystal jewelry a great fashion item that can help improve your lifestyle by boosting and cleansing your energy. 

 As said before crystal jewelry comes in multiple styles. You can wear them as necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, and even hair accessories. However, you can also use them as raw stones or beautifully polished ones. Like this, they can be placed on your night table, work desk, or your purse. Also, in strategic points of your home to clean the energy.

How To Properly Clear Your Healing Crystal Jewelry

People underestimate the importance of clearing their crystals in general, not only crystal jewelry. The truth is crystals are constantly exposed to different kinds of energies. After you purchase the crystals and when they have been used for healing sessions is when you should clear them. Also, after experiencing heavy emotions or arguments. Or just for maintenance.

There are many ways to clear them. One of the easiest is smudging.  You can try cedarwood, sweetgrass, sandalwood, or sage. Burning these types of herbs is an ancient cleansing method. People burn them to clean spaces from negative energies. 

Like when you had a home visitor with bad vibes. There is when you can burn some sage for example. Passing your crystals through one of these herb's smoke can clear them. Give it a try. 

That just sums up how to choose the right crystal jewelry and the various different crystals you can use for difference purposes. I hope you enjoyed the article and have fun choosing your jewelry.

Guest post by: Kimmy Schmit

Your emotional, physical and social well-being has a direct impact on your way of thinking and feeling. With a healthy and happy mind, you are more likely to make better decisions academically. The following passage focuses on five student tips to boost mental health and wellness.

Eat healthily

Maintaining a proper diet is crucial for your mental health. Ensure intake of balanced nutrients and do not overfeed yourself at the same time. Nurture and listen to your body so that you do not end up depriving your body of essential nutrients. Potassium in bananas, for example, helps your nerves and muscles to function efficiently. Vitamins enable your body to utilize energy from your food, and thus green vegetables are your best friend if you plan on keeping yourself healthy. Another quick tip to free up your mental space is to have CustomEssayOrder help with your assignments so you can focus on other tasks. Your body requires not only food but also a balanced intake of water. Stay hydrated so that your electrolytes stay in balance. Your bowel movements will also stay optimum and keep you from becoming a victim to constipation and other issues. You will be able to focus on your studies, and this will reflect in outstanding grades. It also keeps you from feeling lethargic and dizzy during the study night shifts, and you cover more work in less time. It is one of the most important mental health tips for college students because your diet is responsible for keeping you alert so that you can grasp concepts quickly and stay among the leading students of your class. You also stay away from a variety of diseases as your immune system is strong and in a better position to fight harmful microorganisms.

Get plenty of sleep

Getting plenty of sleep is as important as a balanced diet to boost mental health and wellness. When you are deprived of sleep, your mind, as well as your body, will be affected, and you are more likely to stay irritated. You will feel overwhelmed and get annoyed at minor discrepancies. There may be days when you have a ton of assignments to submit in the next class, but you are too tired to study. Your mind may be exhausted, and you will be unable to produce creative writings. In such circumstances, it is wise to hire experts from an authentic site like EduJungles. You should not worry about work quality and to meet the submission deadline. This agency has a reputation among students around the globe and has writers with expertise in almost every subject/field. You only have to place your order along with submission details and go to bed without concern as this writing site always comes through. In this way, you will wake up fresh the following morning and will be able to focus better on your classes. Getting proper sleep is an important mental wellness tip as it boosts your performance both mentally and physically.

Be more active

When you are more active, you will be able to complete more tasks in less time. You will also be able to maintain the work quality and come up with engaging articles. Your performance will improve academically, and you will start scoring better grades. You will be active in class, and this improves your focus and enables you to grasp concepts easily. This boosts mental health, and you will become stronger and vocal about your thoughts. Being more active also gives you an advantage in your professional life as you stay ahead of others in the game. You complete work before deadlines and never hesitate to take on challenging tasks. In order to be more active, you will need to bring a few changes in your daily schedule. Stay away from depression and anxiety by incorporating exercise in your daily routine. You can choose from a variety of physical activities like jogging, running, skipping, and swimming according to your desire. Take some time out and give yourself at least thirty minutes to exercise and let out the day's frustration. You will feel calmer and way more active as your muscles get the opportunity to relax for a while. 

Engage in hobbies

It is unhealthy for humans to function continuously without breaks. Every once a while, you will need a distraction from the never-ending work. If you do not engage in a hobby, your mind becomes prone to stress and anxiety. This can harm your work capabilities since you may not be able to produce the same quality work as before. If you do not have any hobbies, you can think of any sport or indoor activity that you like. Many people like to spend time reading their favorite novel and binge-watch a series on Netflix. You can even hit the gym as a hobby or enjoy painting, fishing or hiking in the mountains. Plan picnics with your family or spend time with family while cooking or baking. A hobby is like an escape as it takes your mind away from the chaos of your professional life. It is one of the most beneficial mental health, and wellness tip for college students as students are the most affected by an influx of assignments and online tests. With a stressed mind, you are more likely to lose focus during the lecture, and as a result, you will be unable to clear the challenging concepts.

Reward yourself

Every once a while, take some time out to pamper yourself. In such a busy routine, no one is going to do it for you. People are so engrossed in their jam-packed schedule that they rarely have time to spend on others. When you successfully execute a challenging task or write an article that is going to leave a good impression on your educational instructor, you should acknowledge your accomplishments. Reward yourself for the little progress so that you stay excited and happy to work harder in the future. For instance, after a successful presentation in college, you can treat yourself with a day off. But if you need a resume for your future work, you can hire an expert from ResumeThatWorks.

Conclusion

Stated above are some of the most important tips you need to consider before overburdening yourself with the study pressure. It all narrows down to how you balance between your studies and free time and the measures you take to stay mentally and physically healthy and happy.

Author of the article:

Milton Devonport is a content creator in the company CustomEssayOrder. Milton can contribute any of the following fields as Blog posts to help bloggers and business owners grow their online presence through content marketing, email newsletters, marketing/editing, eBooks, Graphic design. He is responsible for the contribution of information to media and digital media. He usually targets a specific end-user/audience in specific contexts.
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Studies have shown that your favorite color reveals certain traits about your personality.  

Colors do speak louder than words as psychologists will tell you that your favorite color will explain a lot about your mental, physical and emotional persona. 

We adore certain colors because it also reflects our emotional state.  Interesting enough, colors exhibit healing powers because it has a direct impact on our mind.  

So what does your favorite color say about you? Is your color black, blue, green or gold.... ?

This eye-catching and excitingly vivid color symbolizes wealth, success and royalty. Gold people are winners, confident, charismatic and compassionate.

Here are the top 10 traits of people who like the color gold:

1. You are a loving, giving person and generally very warm. You have a certain charisma that draws people to you.  You do love attention and being around people, but also are great listeners. You appreciate the ones close by to you and treat them with respect.
2. You are a very optimistic person. And because of your positivity, it draws people towards you.  You are usually someone other aspires to be and fill others with confidence.
3. Natural leader.  You are wise and knowledgable and enjoy sharing information with those around you.  
4. You enjoy higher quality of life and comfort which your success provides you access to the luxuries of life. 
5. With gold as your favorite color you appreciate life completely. You tend to have an optimistic attitude in life and dealings. You are not one to passively sit back and wait for things to happen. You take things in your own hands and must be an active participant.
6. You are very selective and discriminating when it comes to choosing your other half.  Quality is important in your life, and marriage is top of the top as it means the rest of your life.
7. However, the downside of gold personalities is your passion and enthusiasm.  Your passion and enthusiasm is your success, but it also may take a toll on you emotionally, as it may bring your stress, anxiety and sometimes overwhelmed.
8. Be careful not to live on the negative side of gold.  If you do, you may find it difficult to trust others and may fear others surpass you in success and wealth. 
9. Don't chase fool's gold, which means don't have unrealistic expectations either.  It's ok to shoot for the moon and miss.  But also find happiness in where you are and what you have achieved in life.  Be thankful of what you have. 
10. You are confident, but don't be overconfident with a superiority attitude. On the flip side of this gold coin, some may become conceited with an inflated sense of self-worth.

Gold is a very strong characteristic.  Think of it as a "power stone", the person who holds this power can do a lot of good if they choose. But if they choose to go the other way, they can also create havoc as well.

The gold personality type are usually organized, enjoys planning, punctual and decision making. Below is a table that includes some of the jobs that may be a good fit for Gold personality types.

Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Gold personalities usually are good businessmen, politicians, real estate developers, celebrities, and finance related backgrounds.

If you dislike gold...

Money, wealth, status and success are just not important to you.  You are probably more practical and down to earth with no desire for materialism.  Deep down, there maybe a hint of fear towards, wealth money and success.  

Not to worry, you probably fit another color personality type.

If you're curious about what color personality fits you, you can look at the other colors in our blog.

It's healthy to discover and understand yourself better.  

Mental health used to be highly stigmatized, but many people are openly talking about it now. Whether you have anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, or another mental health condition, it’s great to be open with your friends about your mental health struggles. However, some individuals are fearful of being themselves. They’re worried that they’ll be judged by their friends for having a mental health condition. Don’t assume that you can’t talk about mental health. You never know what sort of response you’ll get when you open up. 

They will know you better.

You may be afraid to disclose any mental health struggles you have, but it’s important to note that the more candid you are about your mental health, the closer you will become to your friends. They will know you on another level. They will understand you on an intimate level. It’s better to have deep friendships than superficial ones. You can pick and choose what you reveal. You can talk about the fact that you have a therapist. That’s a great way to start. You can then ask if your friends also see a counselor. Take it at your own pace, but just know that the more vulnerable you are, the better they will understand the “real you.”

Vulnerability opens the door to a conversation

You never know what people will reveal to you. When you disclose your mental health struggles, people will likely feel comfortable to share their challenges. You could share that you have panic attacks, and a friend may commiserate. She might have been too scared to say something before, but now she’s comfortable because you opened up. Not everyone will understand, and that’s okay. But that people who get it are real friends. Perhaps they have similar struggles to you. Your friend may have depression and confesses that. It’s great to open up a dialogue about mental health because whether you know it or not, you’re making a societal impact.

What happens if your friends don’t understand?

There’s always a risk that when you talk about mental health, your friends won’t necessarily get it, but that doesn’t make your struggle or experiences any less real. Some people will get you, and some won’t, but it’s worth the risk to talk about your challenges. The more you talk about it, the your confidence and bravery will increase.

Online therapy - where you can freely talk about mental health

If you’re struggling with mental health issues, you can get help in online therapy. It’s an excellent place to discuss mental health concerns. You will never be stigmatized when you talk about your challenges with an online therapist because they are a mental health professional. If you’re struggling to speak to your friends about these concerns, an online therapist can give you strategies to talk to them. You don’t have to cope with your problems alone. That’s one of the reasons your therapist is there. They want to support you. Especially if you’re trying to disclose your mental health issues to your friends or family, don’t be afraid to seek help for your mental health if you need it. You can try a company like BetterHelp, which is available through the app store here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/betterhelp-online-counseling/id995252384  If you’re nervous about trying online therapy, check out the reviews from people who have tried it. Maybe you can refer some friends to it. Mental health is crucial to maintain, and online therapy is the perfect place to make that happen.

Guest Contributor 

Marie Miguel Biography

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.

As advanced in medicine and technology as we are, we still don't have all the answers.  More so when it comes to your mental health, which is not always cured by a pill.  

Instead of using prescription drugs to numb certain parts of your brain, why not try other methods that you can benefit from.  Whether it's meditation, exercise, travel, health journals, or as we are going to talk about, crystal healing. 

Since ancient times, crystals are believed to contain healing properties that purify and cleanse certain energies in your body as well as the surrounding environment. 

Crystal Cleansing, Charging, and Styling

Think of these crystal gemstones like a spiritual air purifier system. It gets to a certain point that the "filter" becomes full and you need to either replace it or empty out all the "bad stuff" it caught.  

For practitioners of crystal healing, they cleanse the crystal in order to work at their maximum potential. 

Here is how to cleanse your crystal:  

Bury your stone in sea salt overnight, so the salt can absorb all the impurities locked within the crystal.  Another method you can use is to pass your crystals through sage or smudge stick smoke to release pent-up vibrations.

There are a few methods to recharge your crystal gemstones. The easiest way to leave the gemstone on your balcony or backyard where it has direct sun or moonlight. Another way is to bury it in the ground and let the Earth's healing powers restore the crystal.  This should take a day or two to complete.

Nature's way of wirelessly charging your stones.

Practitioners often wear these gemstones as a piece of jewelry whether they are bracelets or necklaces or simply leaving on in your pocket.  It is believed that direct contact with the skin brings the crystal to full power.  If you do yoga or meditation, placing the crystals over major chakra points is another popular method of crystal healing. 

Here are some of our favorite positivity crystals that are also fashionable:

1. Laguna Blue ( Sodalite)

This shiny deep water blue stone expresses confidence in the carrier. Sodalite brings out a person's self-worth, self-acceptance, and self-esteem.  It promotes intuition and confidence in one's judgment.  The stone is also terrific in achieving emotional balance. So if you are in a position of leadership in any sort of way, this is the stone you want to have on you. 

During your private moments, use this to meditate as it supposed to stimulate the third eye and help you find what you are looking for within.  Wearers of this stone tend to be more logical and have a greater intuition rather than impulsive.  Laguna bluestone can be very helpful in facilitating a career advancement

The physical strength this stone brings helps with easing anxiety, panic attacks, mental confusion, and fears.  

2. Rose Quartz

This pink glossy stone is one of the most popular stones, and I'm sure as you can guess, it is known as the love stone! Pink rose quartz is the crystal of universal love and marriage.  When you wear this stone, it helps you find a sense of self-worth and opens your heart to compassion.  This gemstone will help you balance your emotions, which lowers stress and brings you peace.  Rose quartz has a soothing energy that fosters forgiveness, empathy, and love.  This is really a heart energizing stone as it clears out anger, jealousy, resentment, and brings out the positive healing emotions such as empathy, sensitivity, acceptance, and comfort.  

Keep in mind, these are not meant to be used as a prescription, diagnosis, or treatment. This a spiritual and internal type of therapy that is part of a holistic healing approach.  

Often times, people are depressed, unhappy because of the problems of love. Rose quartz can heal the heart and promote healthy romance in a relationship.  It'll help open up your sight and mind in how you view people. And it will allow you to find how to love yourself as well. 

3. Amethyst

You can trust this purple gemstone to brighten even your darkest moments.  Amethyst is another powerful stone that brings balance to your life, especially during times of anxiety and sadness.  

Amethyst posses one of the most powerful energies to rid your home of negative influences. Chinese have used this stone for centuries. You will often see Chinese offices and homes decorated with Amethyst stone designs to bring good fortune as well as clarity.

This purple gem is a natural stress reliever that encourages inner strength, intuition, and spirituality.  It has the power to attract and harness positive energy to expel the negative charges in your home. 

Here are a few areas Amethyst energy provides: 
• Spiritual insight
• Enhanced Judgement 
• Honesty
• Peace and calming effects
•Deep inner peace when meditating
• Internal comfort
• Aids in sleep and evokes intuition. 

The amethyst is exceptionally powerful in removing negative energies. The protective powers of this crystal are believed to enhance intuition, inspire creativity, and help the users find peace and stability within.  
This is why the Amethyst stone is on our top list of positivity energy gemstones. 

4. Tiger Eye

Eye of the tiger. And just like the tiger, it has courage, strength, and confidence that radiates. This stone will equip you to deal with unexpected negative energy that may have ruined your day.  

This stone brings at the "Alpha" in a person and commands authority.  

5. Jade

Jade is a stone of fortune.  This stone stabilizes the wearer to be more patient, open to new ideas giving them the emotional calm in making proper decisions.  And because it has such strong forces to bring mental clarity, your body will also feel detoxified.

6. Citrine

Citrine is another fortune stone, especially in Chinese culture.  It's known as the merchant's stone.  

The color itself reflects and retracts bright lights bringing joy and happiness to the wearer.  Think of how children are with their carefree attitudes in life.  This is the kind of energy citrine shares. 

You will possess that kind of unlimited energy to conquer the world, but also bring in positivity wherever you go like a ray of light. 

7. Onyx

Black onyx is more of a protective stone, rather than a source of positive energy.  This mysterious stone acts as a shield to help the wearer retrieve their inner strength and protects the negative influences surrounding the environment.

This stone absorbs negative energy and seals it, which is why you need to cleanse this stone regularly.  It's also able to transfer the negative energy into lucky, fruitful energy that turns the situation around for the better.  

Throughout the world, wherever you look, in whichever time period, you will notice that every culture had crystals around. Gemstones were worn as protective amulets, and in later times as society progressed they were even worn as a form of expensive jewelry meant to show off the status of an individual. 

https://www.mikolmarmi.com/collections/bracelets are great items as decorative pieces in the home as well as fashionable jewelry.  The stone itself carries a natural beauty, but it depends on the designer of the item as well as the decorator to bring out its full potential. 

What kind of crystals make you feel good? Comment and share it with us! 

Guest post by WuwuLife

People may think notebook journals are becoming outdated/obsolete and we perform all our note-taking on a laptop, iPad or iPhone.  This is true to some point.  But there are many benefits to keeping a journal that you can enjoy, so don't be too quick to dismiss keeping a few notebooks around.

Many influential people in history and now still keep detailed journals in their lives.  Digital notes often can be mistakenly deleted on your phone, sometimes it may crash, or be hacked. Having hard copies still, presents a certain emotional connection digital notes can’t compare to. 

Even if you don't think there'll ever be a documentary that uses your journal for flavor commentary, there are plenty of reasons to keep one for yourself. Like a nice timepiece, it could be passed down to your children that tell your story and what accomplishments you've made.

Jotting down notes in a hardcover notebook can help you harness creativity along with relaxation therapy. Whatever it is, these are all great reasons. Let's look at each one, and why they matter so much.

Mental Health Benefits Associated with Writing 

Journaling regularly has enormous health benefits. Building a habit of writing can give you a safe, cathartic release valve for the stresses of your daily life. We've discussed some of those mental and emotional benefits of writing before, from the angle of creative writing.

Keeping an awesomeness journal can do wonders for your self-esteem. Regular writing makes you feel good and allows you to re-live events you experienced in a safe environment where you can process them without fear or stress.

This study from the journal Advances in Psychiatric Treatment is a great experiment and summary of how counselors, social workers, and therapists often use writing exercises to help patients deal with traumatic, stressful or emotional events. It's as simple as 15~20 minutes on 3 ~ 5 occasions was enough to help these patients.

In fact, this practice is so regarded that there's a Center for Journal Therapy dedicated to the mental health benefits of regular journaling, both in therapeutic and personal settings.

There is even a journaling feature in the BetterHelp app that has been proven to be effective in aiding those in therapy.

In short, it's about how you write, about how you tell your personal story.

Practical Benefits in Writing

Keeping a work diary can serve as a track record of mistakes and successes.  Having a written record of yourself can come in handing in understanding who you are.  You can learn about mistakes/flaw that you don't notice.  Other people may comment about you that you didn't realize. These handwritten journals you can look back and verify if this is a consistent trait. Keeping a journal is a great way to build better habits, as it forces you to be aware of your actions and behaviors.

Another great exercise is to simply write down your daily positive thoughts. Or write down one area you are appreciative every day.  Over time, this brings more positivity to you as a person and improves your outlook on life as well, even during down times.

Harnessing Your Creativity

The best way to get better at writing is to keep practicing. Regular writing can help you learn to process and communicate complex ideas effectively. It can also help you memorize important information, and brainstorm new ideas. Writing down your experiences and ideas allows your brain to take a break and evaluate more information at once, seeing opportunities that may not have been apparent at first.

Plus, it's always nice to just have something on hand to showcase your style.  The magic in writing is YOU.  It's a personal signature in your story that digital just can't replicate yet.

Over the course of history, healing crystals were created to harness the life-giving elements of the Earth and the universe. In modern terms, it is a pseudoscientific alternative medicine technique that uses semiprecious stones and crystals to heal the internal body. Natural stones such as quartz, amethyst or opals are often the go-to pieces. Although there is no scientific basis for these claims, there is a large following that claims these techniques do have certain healing powers.  

These stones are often used to extract negative energy, balance energy or act as an anchor during the meditative process. 

Every gemstone is known to have a unique secret power to induce divine healing. This practice dates back centuries, from Indian Ayurveda to ancient Chinese medicines as well as several other ancient civilizations.  They made beaded bracelets with natural stones to wear to carry this mystical power with them every day. Each bracelet carried a different element, whether it was for health, prosperity, courage, power, fortune or confidence.

We will go over 5 areas of how these stone bead bracelets are beneficial to you and bring you positivity.  Not saying it will cure the Coronavirus, but it may bring some positive influence in your life during these hard times.  If you want to learn more about each stone, you can look into our wellness section for more information.

1.   Healing Properties Of Stone Bead Bracelets

The belief of these natural gemstones having healing powers stems from the idea that energy has been absorbed by the stone for millions of years. Therefore, by creating beaded bracelets for people to wear, these natural gemstones will help create a positive cosmic vibration that will greatly influence the mind, body, and soul.

Beaded bracelets made with natural gemstones help in creating positive cosmic vibrations that greatly affect body, mind, and soul.

For example, the rose quartz beaded bracelet is renowned for attracting love as well as evoking those feelings.  

Another beautiful stone that is known for bringing in positive energies, as well as spiritual protection, is the Lapis Lazuli beaded bracelet.

It's known to be the stone of logic, communication, and truth.  The energy of the stone is believed to enhance your communicative abilities and ideals.  The stone's vibrant shades of blue are full of deep emotions that link to your heart.  

Ancient cultures used natural stones for their ability to not only provide spiritual strength and battle diseases.  But I don't think these will cure the coronavirus.  

The diseases battling powers according to legends are more for healing blood pressure disorders, migraines, heart conditions, cold/warm bodies and so on, rather than viral diseases.  Think more of an internal balancing of the body.

The theory behind it is that natural stones have an unusual way to calm and harmonize people. Tiger eye stones are known to provide courage and give the person a sense of calmness. 

A popular style, as well as spiritual balancing of these stone bead bracelets, are to combine them with silver which is believed to affect hormonal balance.  This means it is more likely to balance certain emotions. It'll come in handy too if you do run into a werewolf. 

2. Meditation

Aside from the spiritual energies that the stone provides. Stone prayer beads have been used for centuries as an anchor for meditation. Monks believe it actively interacts with the subconscious mind.  Spiritual doctors believe the stones increase the internal energy flow of your body to enhance your meditative process. 

The natural stones placed on your body activate and energize your chakras, mind, and body to experience greater creativity and inner peace.

Stones for meditation that resolve inner conflicts and activate your chakras are amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, lava stone, fluorite, tiger eye, turquoise, and amber.

These natural stones ground a person by strengthening one's connection to Mother Earth. It acts as an internal compass that guides you through the emotional strength you need. Through balancing as well as meditation, it will help you rest better at night as it as the power to synchronize your circadian rhythm (body clock).

And regardless of the stone's energy powers, if you have a good night's sleep, it will boost your mood and bring more positivity. This part is actually a scientific fact.

So when you wear a premium stone bracelet that carries agate, it is to enhance your sleep. Native tribes believed it to induce psychic dreams, alleviate stress and increase your brain's blood circulation for a deeper sleep. 

3. Style

Bracelets aren't just a style for women anymore.  We already see men's bracelets have become a major men's fashion trend.  A dash of beaded bracelets next to your watch is considered vogue!

Just like having a stylish watch is a great conversation starter. Wristwear has now become a great way opener for conversations as well on top of luxury watches.  Haven't you felt men with bracelets usually give you the feeling of being a captivating storyteller for some reason?

And since each stone has thousands of years of history behind it, knowing the stones you wear may come in handy as well. For instance, the Tiger’s eye gemstone was a piece of popular jewelry for ancient Egyptian warriors because it gave them strength and courage. And it is believed that it contains the power of the Earth and Sun.

Strictly from a style standpoint, they are comfortable to wear, adds a bit of flavor to your wardrobe and could be a terrific gift. You'll notice many notable Hollywood celebrities have embraced and enjoyed wrist accessories. Actors such as Chris Hemsworth, Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage, Usher, Diddy, David Beckham, Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Michelle Obama and many more. 

4. For a Cause

Natural stone bead bracelets are.....natural! And if you believe in having a green Earth, it shows support as well.  Many wear it for a fashion statement, but also tend to favor in doing better for our world.

At MIKOL, we created the company to raise awareness through our products to show that we have the technology available to use less natural resources and be more environmentally friendly.  Another company that makes bracelets for a great cause that we like is 4Ocean.  Their style of bracelets represents beach clean up and cleaner oceans. The money is raised to cleaning up the waters we have polluted with trash.

5. Finding Meaning in Life

Another fun and beneficial fact about the beaded bracelet are, everyone has a birthstone based on his birth chart.

The birth chart will identify which stone is best suited for him or her and elevate the natural hidden strengths for this individual.

Matching the relevant stone to your zodiac sign will help bring about a thrust of positive energy that will bring you more joy and happiness. 

The above seven benefits of natural stones help to establish a peaceful, healthy, mindful, satiated and meaningful life to the wearer.

Conclusion

It is the combination of everything that these stone bead bracelets bring to you that will complete the positivity in your life.

You need to be spiritually balanced, and to ensure your emotions are in equilibrium. internally.  And on the outside, if you look good, it will reflect inside as well as boosting your confidence.  Once you feel good emotionally, physically and mentally, all this will bring you a lot more positivity and happiness in your life. Finding a good cause or helping others have shown to bring joy and purpose to one's life.  Tony Robbins says it's one of the best feelings in life!  I hope this will give you a sense of direction to help you find that positive feeling in life.

The quality and intensity of lighting in a house have a significant effect on people’s social and health lives. That is why it is helpful to have sufficient lighting in your home at all times.

 Building experts argue that the best indoor lighting system should be a combination of natural and artificial lighting and, as much as possible, the artificial lighting should be adjustable both in intensity and position. That way, a house occupant is able to control the amount and intensity of the light in the house depending on the time of day and individual preferences. Being able to adjust the position of the lighting source (either closer or further away from the user) is also important for the wellbeing of every occupant in the home.  

This post explores 6 ways through which house lighting affects our daily lives and our general wellbeing. Please read on to understand why you should make your house lighting appealing and comfortable for all occupants.

1. Focus

Bright lighting can significantly improve your focus and alertness. This explains why you are able to get more done when working in open spaces than when confined in a dark room. Being alert and focused is essential to your mental health. 

2. Improves the quality of your sleep

Sleeping in a dimly lit room as opposed to a totally dark setting will greatly improve the quality of your sleep. This may be due to the fact that darkness breeds fear and insecurities. Everyone will agree that sleeping in the dark can be terrifying and uncomfortable. Too much lighting, on the other hand, will interfere with your sleep as it is hard to sleep in a highly illuminated environment. That is why you need to invest in enough dim lights for your bedroom. Also, in order to get a good night sleep and enhance the quality of sleep, install some soundproofing materials in your room so that no noise disturbances occur during the night. If you live in a busy and dynamic area, which boasts a lot of nightlife noise, then these soundproof materials will stop the noise to a considerable extent and allow you to have a quiet room.

3. Increases productivity

Moderate lighting enhances concentration in a classroom, library, offices, and even at home. Proper morning lighting, for example, can help you to have maximum productivity throughout the day. Because your day starts in the house, you should ensure that your next home remodeling project maximizes the amount of natural light.

Away from home, rooms that are meant for optimal productivity such as in schools, hospitals, and offices should be well lit to enable all workers- as well as learners- to achieve maximum productivity. Personalized lighting options also increases productivity as people feel more in control of their work. In such cases, if the room does not have enough natural lightning, then some immediate renovation is needed in your exteriors to let natural light enter. Make sure to hire a siding contractor to open a window that allows the natural light to penetrate in the room.

4. Health hazards

It is important to note the health hazards that could emanate from a poorly controlled lighting system. Artificial lighting, in particular, has many negative effects to our wellbeing when uncontrolled. For starters, too much artificial light may cause eye damage in the long run. Sitting in front of your computer or the TV for hours on end could also cause headaches, fatigue and stress. On the other hand, dim lighting can cause frustrations especially when a reader is forced to strain their eyes for long. Excessive stress and frustrations can easily cause depression.

Lack of natural sunlight can have adverse effects on the human body and mind. One such effect is a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). In respect to that, therefore, it is advisable to have a designated “basking” area in the house (the balcony, maybe) where you go to expose your body to direct sunlight. This is particularly relevant for people who work indoors all day long and the city dwellers who live in small apartments.

5. Emotional stability

Good lighting keeps your emotions in check. Everything feels stable and relaxed. Your spirits are always high. All these are ingredients for a happy and stress-free life. You probably have noted that light from the window has a unique calming effect.

Darkness in a home, on the other hand, may trigger emotions of fear, making you constantly defensive. Living with the fear that something bad will happen any minute makes people pick fights easily and be unnecessarily rude and aggressive. Emotional instability can significantly hurt your social life.

6. Eating patterns/behavior

Multiple types of research have shown that light actually affects our eating behavior and patterns in more ways than one. Dim lighting, for example, may slow down your feeding rate or reduce your normal food intake. On the flipside, people will tend to eat more when in a sufficiently illuminated room.

Conclusion

The main takeaway from this post is that good indoor lighting is vital to your happiness, body comfort, and general health. Don’t leave your wellbeing or that of your loved ones to fate. Ensure that your home is well lit both artificially and naturally.

Guest post by: 

Lena Linetti

Technology has transformed our lives mostly for the better.  But there are still benefits to occasionally revert back to a trusty notebook.  Let's take a look at 5 solid reasons to use a physical paper notebook:

1. DISCONNECTING IS GOOD FOR YOUR BRAIN.

My iPhone has become my life! And I'm sure many of you are relying heavily on your smartphones for work and personal life. 

Studies have shown that overusing your smartphone is not only damaging to your vision, but it also leads to sleep issues, anxiety, decreased productivity and many other issues. Instead of having the habit of checking your iPhone for new notifications every few minutes. It is suggested to take a break and focus on other activities.  Using a paper notebook forces you to use other parts of your brain and also forcing you to disconnect from your phone.

Here are 7 reasons why writing benefits the brain. If you don't' know where to start, you can always begin with using a notebook as a planner or organizer.  Slowly write down little thoughts, ideas or daily activities just to build up those good habits.  Over time, it will trigger the creative areas of your brain where information flow will become more natural.

The important part is starting and setting a daily routine to build up those good habits. Think of it like going to the gym to work out your muscles. Your brain is the same, it needs to be worked out and it needs a consistent schedule to get "fit". 

2. MORE BENEFITS IN HANDWRITING THAN TYPING

Having a notebook around is a great way to maintain those writing skills.  Studies have shown that writing by hand improves memory, stronger ability to process information and think faster compared to typing.  

It'll feel uncomfortable at first, but there are huge benefits to writing. Jotting down your thoughts or small notes in your notebook is a great way to reinvigorate parts of your brain that haven't been used in a while when you use technology. 

Technology has simplified our lives in many ways, it also has simplified our thinking, making it very easy and accessible.  Depending on your age, if you remember your mother telling you watching Tv makes you dumb.  Although not entirely true, the reason behind it is because it's a brainless activity. In order for your brain to grow, you not only need new information, but to actually think and solve problems.  To give it a bit of a challenge.

If you want to learn more about important tips to start journaling, you can read more here.

3. YOUR MEMORY IS UNRELIABLE.

One of the most practical reasons I carry a notebook around is to use it as a memory aid. It's the perfect place to jot down something and refer back to it later.  Yes, you can do the same on your iPhone. But for the creative souls, there is just something missing on a digital app compared to a paper notebook.  The creativity flows onto the paper with words, diagrams, and drawings that bring together this creative unity.  

4. WRITING IMPROVES MENTAL HEALTH.

Keeping a journal has shown to combat mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.  It allows people an avenue to express their inner thoughts, fears, desires freely.  On top of that, it helps the individual identify any negative thought patterns and so they can track their progress.   You can see how you were feeling in the past and revert back to your memories through this journaling technique to reflect. It may be troublesome at first carrying a notebook around and physically writing.  The best method is to dedicate 15 minutes of your day to writing.  It's always about building proper habits or "rituals".

5. TIME MACHINE

If you can properly document your life activities, thoughts, emotions, and ideas into a journal. This notebook will act as a time machine that you can always revert back to. It provides easy access to a certain time period of your life.  You will find a deeper connection to this memory after seeing how you were writing at that moment, and reflecting on how you were feeling.  These emotions are harder to arouse with a digital print.  Give it a try for a couple months and see where this journey takes you.  

Natural stones and crystals are beautiful shiny objects that appeal to the eye.  But the truth is that they do so much more than look amazing!  2018 has been quite the wellness trend. But it has actually been around us for thousands of years.

If you pay attention to yoga studios, spiritual shops, you will always notice some crystals around.

In the spiritual world, every rock, tree, and creature carries their own spirit that we can all channel.  Since it's available, why not tap into this magical power and improve your feng shui?

Since ancient times, crystal therapy has been around to help heal us because of the natural properties it posses.  Each stone has a different power and meaning that is considered sacred.

How are they used?

The belief is that our body has a natural flow of energy going through in various patterns and densities. Chakra which simply means the energy the is center to the human body. 

There are seven major chakras that run from the base of the spine to the top of the head, called the root, the sacral, the solar plexus, the heart, the throat, the third eye, and the crown

Another term you will often hear is "aura".  This is an energy that emits or radiate out of your body like a protective layer that filters harmful energies. When you have a weird vibe about someone or a place, that would be negative aura you are feeling. 

And if you stay around these places or people too long, your positive energy could be drained.

Negative feelings arouse stress, anxiety, and uneasiness. This can be anything from a headache to a fairly serious illness over time.

This is why crystals are important. They can help rebalance the chakras and cleanse the aura. Each chakra regulates physical vitality and emotions so once it is balanced a person will improve their health and experience more harmony.

Crystals are formed through millions of years from combining nature's richest minerals and energy.  Therefore the crystal's energy pattern cannot be disrupted. This is why people use it to retune their original organic pattern of energy.

What are healing crystals?

Although crystals appear to be inert objects, they are conduits of energy which is why they are often used for home decor use to adjust the energy in our house. Through modern technology, they are now used in watches, some medical devices, notebooks, iPhone cases, jewelry, bracelets, wallets, purses and many more! 

Natural stone and crystals are formed typically through a blend of pressure, chemicals, and temperatures to create each specific type of stone. 

A few popular crystal stones:

Amethyst – assists with psychic abilities, calms, and promotes calm, balance, and peace.
Citrine – promotes success, abundance, and mental clarity.
Rose Quartz – enhances love, communication, and truthfulness. Perfect for the heart chakra.
Emerald Jade – assists with love, fidelity, generosity, and abundance.
Kunzite – removes stress, helps heal a broken heart, and promotes loyalty.
Quartz – enhances personal power, protection, and restores balance and energy.
Ruby – promotes happiness, prosperity, devotion, and integrity.

Now that you know our bodies possess natural energetic patterns. As mentioned earlier, these energetic patterns could be distributed by people, places, work, stress, unaccounted situations, major events and so on. 

 Aren't their days you just feel down or can't shake off a low energy feel? Sometimes it lasts days, weeks or months.  When this happens, you need to not only correct your thoughts, focus but also restore balance to your energy. This is when people fall to crystal healing to absorb unwanted energies, which has a profound effect on the body.

But your mind has to be aligned as well. You need to be receptive to these energies and open yourself up so there can be a natural wavelength, frequency, and harmony with mother nature.

Stone healing

Stones can help heal trauma, past life wounds, manage stress, and so much more.

In a traditional Inipi ceremony or sweat ceremony, stones were used in a lodge to produce steam. The sacred stones were heated with sacred fire and brought into the lodge seven at a time.

They are then blessed with healing herbs during the sweating time. These rituals had profound healing and lasted for centuries.

Three of the most common crystals are clear quartz, rose quartz and amethyst. 

Clear quartz is the master healer or cleanser.  It draws off negative energy of all kinds and can also be used to cleanse other crystals.

Rose quartz is the love stone, it connects to the heart chakra and so restores trust and harmony in relationships. It can bring you feelings of peace and self-love.

Amethyst is good for clarity of mind and releasing stress. You can try meditating with amethyst if you have a hard time focusing.