Swathy and Sky

Stop cracking your Knuckles

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Well, I thought it would be a good idea to do a series of posts on habits which are unconsciously done but they effect out body and skin or even hair in harmful ways.
Habit: The first which comes to my mind is cracking the knuckles. Well, it is true and I have this very terrible habit. I have tried to stop so many times but I do it unconsciously whenever I’m nervous or brooding.
Result: The result is an extremely wrinkled hand which looks at least 10 years older to your present age.
Remedy: If you are already suffering from the wrinkled hands, a very good option is to massage your hands with coconut or almond oil at night for five minutes regularly. And, keep your hand moisturized all day long with use of either the hand creams or body lotions or my personal favorite, body oils.And, of course, avoid the habit.

How to get rid of this habit?
I am pretty sure it is in heads of many of you but this is something which I would not be able to answer because I have been trying to get rid of this habit since quite some years but I have not yet succeeded. Even one of my friends has asked me in the comments about how to get rid of this habit. I wish I could help but the only thing I have succeeded in is to be attentive to what I am doing and if I find myself cracking my knuckles, I try to turn my attention to some other work I have. I would definitely appreciate if anyone can suggest some way to get rid of this habit.

When to remove Face Masks and Hair Packs?

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Hey guys!! I am really sorry for not being at all particular with the posts. Kinda really busy these days so I’ll probably even miss the first birthday of my blog which is on December 14. I can not believe a whole year has passed. I definitely have been very lazy in writing my posts many a days but I have tried to be as regular as possible. In case, I do miss the birthday of my blog, I shall do the festivities along with the Christmas and New Year or may be Pongal even. Gosh!! That will be really late but I am sure you will all forgive me. So, for today, I have a very simple tip to share with you all regarding the face packs and the hair packs. Now, I had shared the correct procedure for applying face masks. So, this is one additional procedure which should be followed stringently.
Always remove the face masks and hair packs as soon as they are close to drying. When the face masks and hair packs dry completely, they start absorbing water from your skin or hair to compensate the loss of moisture in them due to the reverse osmosis process. And, this becomes very drying for your skin and hair in the long run. So, always remember to wash off as soon as the mask is close to drying. For hair, I have a tip that wash off your mask after an hour. One hour is enough to let your hair get the nutrients from your mask. If you are applying henna, always remove when the mask has dried otherwise you will find that your hair has become dry in nature. This is especially true for dry hair. Whenever you apply a hair mask, always put a shower cap on. This helps to hold the moisture inside. When you keep the hair packs and face masks beyond stipulated period, they can causing aging of your skin and drying of your hair. This holds true with the home remedies too. So, follow this tip and reap the benefits.

How to combat stress?

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Stress is something which you can never avoid in your life. It is a part and parcel of life. The only thing is not to let it get you down. So, how to avoid stress and help deal with situations. I have already discussed some of the best ways to beat stress sometime ago. Today, we will talk about some more ways. Just to recount, stress can cause you to lose your appetite, sleep and smile, hair and even skin can become bad during stress. So, combating stress in a natural way is very important. A long term solution is better than a short term. 
Speaking of short term solutions, a short break, a journey, an outing, an indulgence, going for shopping, eating chocolate are all temporary solutions for stress.So, how to start on a long term solution in our hectic lives.
  • Certain changes in your daily life habits go a long way in making you strong enough to deal with situations and keep your mind calm. Changes in attitude is very important.
  • Right foods, regular exercise, good sleep and positive thoughts are a way to beat stress.
  • Let us get a little psychological here. Accept the situation how so ever bad it is and try to learn something from it. I know that it is not easy. But, that is the only way to deal with the situation. Being in denial does not help anyone. The next step can be how to improve the situation. 
  • Many a times we get stressed out without knowing it. We do not know what we want to do. And, that happens to the best of us. So, a little reflection on everything you have done in your life, what you love, what your priorities are is very important. Take time out and think of these things. Most of your solutions are hidden in these questions. 
  • If you are too stressed out to do anything, do something which makes you happy. This is where a hobby becomes important in life. Creativity focuses your mind and relieves it. Achieving something bolsters your confidence how so ever meager the work might be.
  • Crying is not an answer to any problems. It just increases the frustration and then you need to vent out your feelings. Keep a diary. Writing things which are bothering you helps a lot. If you have someone to talk to, of course, it is just the best but not everyone are so lucky. Many times it is just our fears and weaknesses that prevent us discussing our problems with our loved ones.
  • Many people are addicted to emotional eating. You can change this habit or modify this habit by eating stress busting foods.
  • A short walk can also calm you down.
Now, I have repeatedly talked about stress busting foods.
  • Water: helps you coo down when angry.
  • Fruits: Seasonal fruits can help your anxiety and fear levels.
  • Milk and Curd: Helps with insomnia due to stress.
  • Peanuts: Aids with stress during PMS.
  • Cheese: Can help you with stress.
  • Coffee and Cocoa (Chocolate): Calms you mind but only temporarily and anyways it is not good for skin so be moderate with it.
A balanced diet is what you need when you are dealing with stress. A lot of fruit juices an also help you. Proper food controls the stress hormones in the body. And, one very tried and tested method for stress is kissing, cuddling and the act of making love. The act is culmination of number of things including a sense of touch, intimacy and physical exertion which produces a stress busting hormone called oxytocin in the body. The production of oxytocin in the body decreases to a large extent when a person is under stress.