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INTRODUCTION

Life is full of unforeseen changes, challenges, and chaotic times. It is easy to be swept away by the seemingly endless list of chores, tasks, and deadlines that seem to pile up without you even realizing it. This can cause you to feel rundown in your body, mind, and spirit.

Once you find yourself feeling this way, it can seem nearly impossible to wake yourself back up to the beauty and benefits of life. This can then cause you to feel completely hopeless and tired of your own life, and your health, both physically and mentally, may suffer.

Luckily, there is a way to improve your life even during the most chaotic or stressful of times. Studies have shown that mindfulness is a key technique for improving your body, mind, and spirit no matter the situation, even times of chaos.

In short, mindfulness is the act of being in the present, but there is more to it than that. In this book, we will learn what mindfulness is and key techniques for becoming more mindful. As a result, you will learn how to improve your entire essence during these chaotic and challenging times.

Who Should Read This Book?

This book will be especially helpful for those who have never tried or practiced mindfulness before. We have specifically created this book with the inexperienced user in mind, allowing it to be a beginner’s guide of sorts. Even if you have practiced mindfulness before, this book may be useful. We offer a variety of unique practice ideas, tips, and tricks that will help you enhance your current mindfulness practice.

Book Layout We begin by looking at mindfulness and what it means to be mindful during chaotic times. Then, we move on to discuss how to use mindfulness to improve your body, mind, spirit, and personal growth. In the last two chapters, we discuss how meditation can affect mindfulness and offer key tips on how to bring together all of the tools we have learned in the book. Without further ado, let us get started learning about mindfulness and how it can improve your entire essence and well being.

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?

Mindfulness is the ability to be completely in the present, as opposed to thinking about the past, future, or any other event that takes us away from the present time. Being mindful includes being aware of where we are, what we are doing, and how we feel. More so, it includes being in touch with ourselves, knowing our limits, and understanding our goals and desires for life.

As humans, it is easy to get swept away by other thoughts and events than the present. This causes us to be the opposite of mindful, wreaking havoc on our physical, mental, and emotional health. For example, stress in the workplace can distract us from appreciating our family, causing problems in the home. Mindfulness can help.

All people are capable of mindfulness, even if it seems hard. Our brains are completely capable of focusing on the present and honing out the distractions of life. With that being said, it can be incredibly difficult to do this, which is why mindfulness practices are so helpful. Practicing mindfulness can teach us and train us to better focus on the present, allowing us to ignore anything else that may be a distraction.

Understanding The Point Of Mindfulness

Before starting your mindfulness journey, it is important to understand what mindfulness can and cannot do for you. If you have unrealistic expectations about mindfulness, it can be incredibly easy to feel like mindfulness is not working and give up on the practice completely.

Many people believe that mindfulness is about attaining some state of bliss. Bliss is often described as some state of perfect happiness that is oblivious to other factors surrounding it. It is important to recognize that mindfulness is not about reaching a state of bliss. This state is impossible to reach because there will always be challenges and difficulties in life that disrupt this so-called state. In other words, bliss does not exist.

With that being said, mindfulness can and should make you feel happier and more content with your overall life, but it is more realistic about it. This allows mindfulness to be geared towards appreciating your life and self better. It helps you see past short-term struggles and appreciate the life you have, even in the bad times.

For this reason, the point of mindfulness is to help you live a better life. Living a better life includes being more content in your situation, responding more compassionately and rationally in difficult situations, and being more compassionate with yourself and others. Mindfulness is not about creating a perfect life, but it is about creating the life you want and are excited to live.

If you understand that this is the point of mindfulness, you can more easily set realistic goals for your mindfulness training. These goals should reflect your current abilities and future wants so you are actively pursuing your ideal life.

It is important to note that mindfulness is not about being in the present all the time. As humans, we would become completely overwhelmed and overloaded if we stayed in the present all day, every day. There are times in our lives when we should think about the past, future, or nothing at all.

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No one wants to get older but unfortunately, until they discover an elixir of youth, it’s unavoidable.

But just because you must get older, no one said you had to do it quickly. And no one said you couldn’t age well and keep your youthful good looks, energy and health!

Many of us assume that getting old automatically must mean getting covered in wrinkles, losing our ability to walk around and eventually developing incontinence and dementia. As it happens though, none of these things are inevitable and most of them are only partially related to age!

And you can see this too just by looking around! While some people seem to be struggling to stand up straight and remember their name at age 65, others are still playing sports and writing books well into their 80s and 90s. Is the difference entirely genetic? Not at all! In fact, there are numerous lifestyle changes that can make all the difference to the way you feel as you age and many of the problems that are associated with old age can be avoided entirely.

So yeah, Aging is still inevitable. But the way you age is almost entirely up to you!

The difference comes down to your knowledge and your ability to apply that knowledge to make the most of your own body and health. YOU have the choice and the sooner you act, the more effectively you can stave off the most unappealing aspects of getting older.

Yes, that’s right, this isn’t just a book for ‘old people’. It’s for young people too. In fact, it’s more aimed at young people because you are the ones who have the time to ensure you get the very most out of your body and mind as you get older.

But How Do You Slow Aging?

Anyone can claim that Aging is something you have control over. The hard part is backing that claim up with some hard evidence.

How can you really slow down your Aging? And how can your decisions end up putting your body in ‘fast forward’ mode?

Here are some examples…

Mobility

A lot of people will tell you that your knees have a finite amount of time before they start to tire out. The same goes for your back. But more and more, we’re discovering that’s not true. The ‘functional strength’ crowd are making it very apparent that you can keep on training into old age and that in fact, things like running should give you more longevity.

The problem is just the way we’re training. And our lack of activity generally.

The way it goes for many people is that they stay very fit and healthy when they’re younger because they run around, play sports and generally engage in activity. Once they’re middle aged though, they slow down and they start sitting at the computer all day long. Their metabolism slows down yes but most of the changes they see in their body are really a result of being constantly stressed and constantly static. This results in muscle imbalances caused by maintaining the same posture for so long and it results in injury when they do get active. Don’t use your back long enough and it’s sure to go when you try and lift that suitcase!

This injury then leads to ‘corrective’ posture and biomechanics. You have a bad knee or back, so you put more weight on the other leg/you hunch over. This in turn means that you exacerbate the muscle imbalances that you already had. And the longer this goes on, the more of a hunch and a limp you can start to acquire and the more pain you can expect to experience. The solution is not to be less active but to be more active – while making sure to use the correct technique.

Energy

Meanwhile, staying active can also boost your energy levels and help you to start feeling better. That means the tiredness and sluggishness that we feel as we get older again isn’t inevitable.

When you combine the right exercise regime with the right diet, you can increase not only your heart strength and circulation but also the efficiency of your mitochondria. Mitochondria are the small ‘energy factories’ of your cells. They exist to help you convert glucose into useable energy (ATP) and their number and strength is one of the big determining factors that influences your energy output and the way you feel.

In fact, differences in mitochondria have been suggested to be one of the main differentiating factors between the energy levels of young children and those of older individuals. Its why kids seem to be able to run around and around in circles for hours screaming, without ever tiring out.

Nutrition

Nutrition is also responsible for a large proportion of the problems you’ll struggle with as you get older. Contrary to popular belief, many of the health issues associated with old age are cumulative and result from years of poor nutrition. A lack of nutrients can lead to problems with vision, problems with hormone production, problems with bone density and much more. Thus, by eating the right diet, you can stave off numerous conditions and stay healthier and stronger into older age.

Toxins, Cell Damage and Heart Problems

Many of the health complaints associated with old age can also be combated with the right lifestyle. Sure, it’s always possible to be unlucky and to suffer from cancer with no cause’ as such. But this is much less likely if you can protect yourself with the very best, healthy lifestyle choices. For example, heart disease is one of the leading killers in men by far but it is very much possible to reduce the risk of this problem by getting plenty of exercise and sticking to a diet designed to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol at the most desirable levels.

Brain

The same rules apply to your brain as to the rest of your body. In other words, if you keep your nutrition up and keep using your brain it will stay nimble.

We’ll get into all of this and a lot more in greater detail in the subsequent chapters but hopefully this is enough of an explanation to make a believer of you. The point is, you do have control over the way you age and if you take the right precautions then you can stay healthy, mobile and able well into older age.

This book is going to act as your road map and your blueprint to help you do exactly that. Follow these tips and you’ll be able to fortify your body against the invading forces of old age!

Chapter 2: Fine Tuning Your Mental

Clarity daily

So where to start? How about with the mind, seeing as the mind leads and the body follows? If you can keep your brain sharp and your mind nimble, then you will be able to enjoy life in at least some capacity and maintain your dignity. What’s more though, is that a healthy mind will help to automatically give you a stronger and healthier body. Your mind controls your movements after all, and this is the key to maintaining good biomechanics and muscle control.

So, let’s look at the issues that you might struggle with in this department as you age and how you can keep those problems at bay…

Cognitive Decline with Old Age

The thing we most often associate with age-related cognitive decline is forgetfulness. When you reach a certain age, you start to forget where you left your keys a little more regularly and eventually you start to forget the names of your family. Just call everyone ‘Frank’, it’s easier.

Some degree of memory loss is normal with age and is referred to as ‘age related cognitive decline’. However, in some cases it might take the more serious form of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. The latter is caused by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, which are caused by a buildup of protein fragments attaching to the cells.

This can lead to confusion and severe memory loss, which we know as dementia or Alzheimer’s. In some cases, confusion and memory loss are exacerbated by damage to the brain caused by a stroke or traumatic brain injury.

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Facebook is the biggest social network on the planet by a long way. It is the third largest website in the world after Google and YouTube and it has billions of users that use it regularly. Now you can leverage the power of Facebook to drive free traffic to your website.

To successfully drive free traffic from Facebook you have to know what works and what doesn’t. It is much tougher to get free traffic these days as Facebook want marketers to spend money on ads instead. This guide will explain which methods to use to get the most free traffic.

We have worked hard to provide you with everything that you need to know to use the Facebook platform to generate free traffic. You will find it an easy and engaging read and we encourage you to read it from start to finish and then start to implement the tips and advice you find here.

You will learn what successful Facebook marketers do to drive free traffic. What they have done is not rocket science and you can replicate their success easily. Engagement with your audience is essential and this guide will show you how to achieve that.

Other marketers have tried driving free traffic from Facebook and failed. We do not want you to make the same mistakes that they did so follow the steps in this guide and you will maximize your chances of success.

It is more difficult to get free traffic from Facebook now than it ever was before. Marketers that have shared a lot of high quality content on Facebook for some time now have seen their engagement numbers dwindle.

Facebook is a business at the end of the day and they want marketers to spend money on advertising. So they have taken steps over the last few years to ensure that advertisers have a much greater advantage than those that only use an organic reach approach.

If your content is not appearing in the news feeds of your target audience then you are not going to get the results that you want. Facebook users are not going to visit your website as much as they used to.

So this begs the all important question – is it still possible to get free traffic from Facebook and not have to spend money on ads? The answer is YES as long as you use the right strategies. You need to follow the same strategies that we will reveal in this guide.

Develop a Growth Mindset

The most important thing that you can do first is develop a growth mindset when it comes to Facebook. Without this you are very unlikely to succeed. It is very tempting to try and find the latest tips and tricks for free Facebook traffic, but these are usually very temporary and will not help you to become a true influencer on the platform.

Being a true influencer is your aim. With the reduced amount of visibility of your content forced by Facebook, you want to ensure that the content that does appear in the news feeds of your target audience will be consumed passionately.

Changing your mindset is not easy to do but it is definitely possible. You are going to have some limiting beliefs which will hold you back as far as growing your Facebook profile is concerned. You need to address these on a regular basis to eradicate them.

It’s all been said before

Do you believe that you have nothing interesting to contribute on a consistent basis? After all it’s all been said before right? Most unsuccessful Facebook marketers suffer from this limiting belief. You can certainly eliminate this belief fairly easily and quickly.

A lot of Facebook marketers make the mistake that their audience really cares about their opinion. The harsh reality is that they don’t and they never will (unless you are some kind of global superstar). So what do you do? You need to share the facts with your audience. Provide data and evidence that what you are saying in your posts really works. This is a lot easier to do than you may think.

Yes it will take a little more work – but going to your audience with a proven idea is always going to trump your opinion about something. Your audience wants to achieve a specific result so show them that you are the person to help them do this.

Everything has to be Perfect

This is another classic negative belief. Facebook marketers think that they have to create perfect content every time. Perfectionism is a real success killer. There is no such thing as perfect Facebook content.

Perfectionism will just hold you back. It is better to put content out there that is not quite perfect than to agonize over that “perfect post”. You will end up posting nothing with this belief. Just add regular posts and then use Facebook Insights to test your engagement levels.

Not having the right amount of Proof

You should always go for a proof strategy with your content. But what if you don’t have enough proof? This is another negative belief that will hold you back. Obviously it is better to have more than one source of proof – but if that is all you have then go with it anyway.

A single source of proof will be enough to hook people into your Facebook content. After that it is down to your personality. When people know, like and trust you on Facebook they will not be at all concerned that you do not have enough proof. There will always be some people that don’t like your style – that’s OK you don’t want them anyway.

My Website and Branding isn’t good enough

A lot of marketers believe that they need the fanciest website and branding to succeed with Facebook marketing. The truth is that you don’t. We are not saying that you shouldn’t pay attention to your website and make it the best it can be, but it really doesn’t have to win any design awards to be effective.

As before, if people know, like and trust you then they will not care about how fancy your website is. You have put yourself out there on Facebook and provided valuable content to your audience and they really appreciate that.

You can eradicate all of these limiting beliefs. If you have any fears about marketing on Facebook then you need to work on these to overcome them. It will take time for you to totally eradicate them but you must do this.

Post regularly and focus on Value

The most important thing that you need to remember is that the quality and consistency of your content is your chief concern. You do not need to post content several times a day like some large organizations do. But you do need a regular posting schedule and the value that you provide is everything.

It is still possible to drive a lot of traffic from Facebook to increase your leads and sales but you need to accept that your exposure will not be as great as it would have been a couple of years ago. This makes it even more essential to provide value to your audience so they will start looking for your posts.

In the next chapter we will discuss how to optimize your Facebook Page so that you get the maximum amount of free traffic…

As you probably already know, you need a Facebook Page to perform successful Facebook marketing. It is very easy to setup a new Facebook Page and there are many out there that are not well optimized for free traffic.

Have a Great Profile Cover Photo

All businesses that have Facebook Pages should use their cover photo as a way to getting users into their sales funnel. This is very valuable real estate that you must use wisely. It’s the first thing that a new visitor will see on your Facebook Page.

You need to use a photo that is really eye catching here. If you need help with this then there are some good sellers on Fiverr.com that can help. Add text to your cover photo that your audience will resonate with.

In the text tell them what you can do for them – the results that you can help them to achieve. Add the link to your sales funnel on the cover photo as well. Do not waste the opportunity you have here. Sure it is nice to have a picture of you and your partner on the beach but that will not drive more free traffic.

Add a strong Call to Action in your Intro

Your Facebook Page intro is another area that really stands out so make good use of this. Add a benefit here and then your website URL so that they can find out more. As an example your intro could say:

“How To Make $10k A Month From Facebook And Your Website – Learn More At yourdomain.com” You do not want your visitors to spend too much time on your Facebook Page. Your goal is to drive them to your website so that they can really get involved. So use your intro to the best effect.

Add Links to your Website

There are many Facebook Pages out there that do not have a link to their website. This is just unbelievable but it happens a lot. People tend to be really lazy when it comes to completing their Facebook Page profile. You do not want to do this.

There is an About tab on your Facebook Page for a reason. It is your opportunity to tell people who you are and what you stand for. It is also a chance for you to add a link back to your website. A lot of people that visit your Facebook Page are going to check out the About tab. They will also be interested to have a look at your website so put in the effort here.

There are other places in your Facebook Page that you can add a link to your website as well such as the Personal Information and Biography sections. Use all of these opportunities to showcase different parts of your website.

For example, you may have a post on your website that provides a lot of value and gets a lot of traffic. You can add a link to this post directly from your Facebook Page. Maybe you have a special offer right now and you want to link to this? Just make sure that you use all of the available links available to you.

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Introduction

Whenever you aren’t ready to do something, you’ll look for a thousand reasons why you shouldn’t do it. However, whenever you’re ready to get something done, only one reason is enough to accomplish the task. Even when you fail to admit it, you desire to have a physique that will make you proud. You want to look at yourself in the mirror, all smiles, because you admire your body shape.

If we all desire to look fit, why then do many people not commit to carrying out exercises that can help them? There are many contributing factors to this reluctance. One of them is that many people aren’t aware that they can keep fit in the comfort of their homes. Some people think that they can only develop their body shape when they visit a gym or hire a physical trainer. However, this is far from the truth.

You can have an effective workout plan that will enhance your muscles and physique without leaving your home. How? It requires access to the right information, dedication, and commitment. This guide will help you with the knowledge aspect. You’ll find quality information regarding how to create your home workout plan and tips that will help you stick with it. In the end, you’ll be able to enjoy the numerous physical and mental health benefits that come with these activities.

Chapter 1: Keeping Fit: A Route to Sanity

In a world where many people act based on what they see, it is vital to focus on both the outward and inward aspects of your life. Many people will judge you based on your appearance. In fact, some people of the opposite sex can turn you down because they feel you aren’t sexy enough for them.

Indeed, it is not ideal to judge people only based on their physical appearance. Nonetheless, you need to realize that we aren’t living in an ideal world. So, while developing your intellect and emotional strength, you’ll do yourself a lot of good by also investing in your physical appearance. Some people will never give you the chance to show what you can do because of the way you look.

Therefore, it is critical to improve your physique. Besides, the insensitive comments you can get, especially on social media because of your body shape, can be depressing. Therefore, keeping fit is a route to sanity in the modern world. This chapter will explore what a workout plan is and the link between your physical and mental health.

What is a Home Workout Plan?

Indeed, we cannot deny the added advantages of visiting a gym or hiring a physical trainer to develop your physique. An expert has both the knowledge and experience to give you a customized routine that will get the requisite results. Nonetheless, you don’t need a gym membership to build your muscle or lose weight.

If you’ve been observant enough, you’ll notice that many people post pictures and videos about their home workout routines online. It is true that you shouldn’t believe everything you see on the internet because many people post false information just to get likes and positive remarks. Nevertheless, the reality is that many people are improving their physical appearance without leaving their homes. You can be one such person if you’re ready to pay the price.

A home workout plan is a deliberately structured routine to improve your physical appearance by carrying out various exercises. Indeed, there are equipment and facilities that can make this process easier. Nonetheless, you don’t have to break the bank to get a good sweat, lose weight, or develop your muscles. You can still lose weight or build your abs with minimal or no investment by choosing the right plan and tasks.

Vital Features of an Effective Home Workout Plan

Just like any activity, there are vital components that are integral to the success of your home workout plan. Once these features are missing, you’ll only have a plan but will never execute it. They include:

Purpose

When you fail to define the reason for an activity, it will eventually become redundant. You need to ask yourself why you need to start regular exercises. Do you want to start so that you can post a picture on your social media profile? Do you want to do it because it is the current trend? If your reason is flimsy, you’ll stop very soon.

Therefore, you have to ensure that you have a clearly defined objective before starting your plan. Endeavor to write your targets down so that you can tailor your plans in the right direction. Your goals will also help you to develop an effective diet plan that will support your commitment to physical activity.
Vision

A vision is something you see long before it happens. Having a clear vision about the kind of person you want to be determines the kind of commitment you’ll have today. It enables you to channel your energy and resources in the right direction.

The purpose of starting a workout will affect your vision. Meanwhile, your vision will determine the kind of exercises you’ll perform. For example, if you’re doing exercise to develop your abs, you’ll not have a workout plan that encourages the development of butt muscles. The kind of physique you imagine yourself having is what will determine your routine.

Gradual Process

Nothing you do in a hurry can stand the test of time. Rushing may earn you some quick results, but you’ll not be able to sustain it.

Besides, impatience often leads to desperation, which often leads to disastrous outcomes. In the context of physical activities, it can make you engage in strenuous routines that can have adverse effects on your health.

You must never forget that developing your physique is a gradual process. Impatience and desperation can make you injure yourself or become discouraged along the way. You need to enjoy the process to make your home workout plan a success. It is good to use the body shape of others as inspiration, but you must never forget that it took them time to achieve that physique.

Motivation

The fuel of any aspiration is passion. Zeal spurs you to follow up on a plan or strategy to ensure that you succeed. Your home workout plan will never become a reality when you lack motivation. You must be excited to do your press-ups every day.

Once you lose the desire to go on, you’ll quit. So, use your vision as a springboard to get going, especially during days when you’re tired or in a bad mood. Joining a fitness club may encourage you to sustain your momentum. Nonetheless, if you’re self-motivated, you can still be consistent all by yourself.

Commitment

You cannot separate motivation and commitment. When you’re motivated to carry out a task, you’ll commit to it. A plan that lacks commitment will only remain on paper but will never be executed. Laziness is one of those factors that can stop you from achieving your desired body shape. So, ensure that you don’t allow laxity and boredom to set it. Anyone can start working out, but only committed people can sustain the momentum in the long run. There are some critical tips that can help you sustain your plan. You’ll learn about them in subsequent chapters.