Do you know that app called Zillow that you can search for places to buy or rent? Yes, that one. What if I told you that it can be used as motivation for the life you want even if you are not thinking about buying a property or renting a new place in the near future. You can go from just browsing potential dream homes in areas you dream of, to turning it into a strategic tool for life inspiration and what it takes to get there. Here’s how to do it: Do you Dream about a Change in Life? If you live in the city and see yourself living in a farm with chickens, cows and horses, or if you live in a small town but would love to have the experience of living in a big city like New York City, or if you currently live in a big house but dream about getting rid of all your belongings and moving to a tiny house in the middle of the woods or are you tired of long winters and want to live in Florida? Then use Zillow to find the place or places that would make that life vision come true. Save your Vision Now that you have a vision in your mind of the life and place you want, make sure you keep it handy. Add the Zillow links to your list of favorites or send it to a person close to you like your significant other. I always send Zillow links to my husband and we love talking about our life dreams. Being able to see your life vision will help you stay motivated on the actions to get there. Always remember that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it and that everything starts with a vision. Create an Action Plan Now that you have a life vision, create an action plan for what it takes to get to that vision. Break it down into categories and by order of completion. For example, start with a timeframe, do you see yourself in a farm 3 years from now? Once you have a timeframe, you’ll be able to create an action plan based on that. For example, do you need to work on your credit score? In which case, get a copy of your official credit report and create a list of items to clean up. Another example, based on the prices you found on Zillow, how much money will you need to put aside each paycheck in order to have a good enough down payment for your farmhouse? Once you know that, then you can create a plan like opening a savings account and start saving money, always keeping your vision in mind. Allow Yourself to Change your Mind Once you are saving money for your life vision, allow yourself to change your mind. You are not locked to a vision you had a couple years ago. People change and so do life visions. It’s never too late to have a new life vision with a new timeframe and a new action plan. The important part is to always keep looking ahead while enjoying the present moment. Regardless of where you are in life right now, it is always a great thing to have life dreams, visions and aspirations as they keep us motivated to keep us pushing forward and working hard. I enjoy browsing through Zillow and dreaming away to different lives I want, some days I feel like a farmer, some I feel like a Disney adult and some days I feel like a New Yorker at heart and this is called living.  

Life can be crazy sometimes and it can take a toll on your mental and physical health. Since most of us are not ready to drop everything and move to a farm then what if I told you that something you already do every second of your day can make you feel healthier if you do it a little bit different and it can be done in seconds while you are busy conquering the world. It’s breathing, yes breathing but I am referring to deep breathing. Deep breathing brings more oxygen into your brain and body which can give you some great benefits and it is something so simple to do. Let’s explore some of those benefits.   Helps Beat Headaches I came across deep breathing by accident. I was suffering from persistent headaches that just wouldn’t go away. At the moment of my worst pain, I closed my eyes and started to breathe deeply while working hard to clear my mind, almost like meditating. The deep breathing gave me an immediate peaceful feeling but what happened a few minutes later was the amazing part, my persistent headache was better. Then a little later while I kept doing the deep breathing, my persistent headache was gone. Deep and slow breaths can help relax tense muscles specially in the neck and shoulder areas potentially helping get rid of headaches.     It's a Stress Reducer When someone is stressed, their breathing pattern changes. A stressed person takes small, shallow breaths, using their shoulders instead of their diaphragm. This style of breathing deprives your body of the much-needed oxygen to function properly. Without enough oxygen our bodies and our minds become weak, so take a deep breath in then let it all out. You might notice a big difference in how you feel in a matter of seconds. Your breathing pattern is a powerful tool to control stress and anxiety making you ready to face any challenge in your day.     Improves Sleep Nothing better than a good night sleep to get you ready for a hectic day ahead, but what if you just can’t get enough sleep? And did you notice the more you worry about not being able to sleep the longer it takes to actually fall asleep? I am here to tell you that deep breathing techniques can be very effective in helping you fall asleep and stay asleep by promoting body and mind relaxation. The diaphragmatic breathing technique has become my favorite. You focus on breathing deeply into your abdomen, feeling your hand on your belly rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale, while you try not to move your chest.   It Helps you Focus Deep breathing techniques can also help you increase focus and improve cognitive function. By including deep breathing in your daily routine, you can calm your nervous system, reduce stress, and increase oxygen flow to your brain, making your mind sharp which promotes improved concentration. It will help train your brain to stay present and focused on the task at hand.   So let’s not forget to breathe but breathe right! If I knew about all these benefits, I would have started deep breathing a long time ago. Find the deep breathing technique that works best for you and consider including it in your daily routine. Some of the techniques out there are the diaphragmatic breathing, the 4-7-8 breathing, the box breathing, the alternate nostril breathing and the counting while breathing. If techniques are not your thing, just close your eyes and take a deep breath. Happy breathing everyone!  

  Feeling stressed or overwhelmed like the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Own less things! This is exactly how I started my new year, doing a detachment of material things by reviewing every single item in my closet and other areas of my house. The feeling of freedom with each full bag that left my house was kind of shocking. Getting rid of the unnecessary things in your home might just give you a fresh start and help you reduce stress, it gives you a sense of freedom, it supports better focus and it might even give you more confidence, let’s expand on these benefits. Reduced Stress and Improved Focus An overfilled or disorganized home can trigger your body to produce the stress hormone cortisol making you feel overwhelmed making it difficult for you to concentrate and get things done. Eliminating the excessive number of things on surfaces, clothes on closets, decorations and even furniture can reduce stress by creating a sense of control and order in your environment. It clears your mind allowing you to relax and a calm and relaxed mind is able to think at its full capacity, focus and concentrate to analyze situations and find solutions.     Feeling Free Are you a slave to your own possessions? Do you feel emotionally attached to material things or have the need to constantly buy more material things? The hardest part is getting started but once you find the power to let go, the feeling of freedom is just amazing. You will find yourself free from the expense of unnecessary spending, free from having a huge number of things to clean, free from the fear of unexpected visitors and free from the lack of space in your house. You will feel like a weight came off your shoulders, a feeling of unexplainable happiness. This is something that most of us don’t realize that by buying unnecessary material things aka clutter you are actually making your life worse.    More Confidence By reducing stress, feeling free and more focused, you could find yourself feeling more confident in many aspects of your life. Owning less can provide a sense of accomplishment and control over your environment, positively impacting your self-esteem. Now you will be able to easily find clothes in your closet which will make getting ready in the morning a piece of cake. You will feel confident feeling like your brain is working at full capacity at work due to your newly found focus. Problems become something easy to solve, just throw me another one! It’s exactly like they say, confidence is everything!     I couldn’t believe these benefits myself and I plan to continue working on my new semi-minimalist self throughout the year. In addition to improving your life, this lifestyle supports cutting back on spending, reducing waste and focusing on what’s really important in life. It’s all about owning less and living more and I am all in for that. Would you dare to try it?