Saturday, March 5, 2011

Improving Your Life, Positive Emotions Increase Life Satisfaction


Most everyone would prefer to experience positive emotions such as joy, interest, love, serenity, awe, amusement or pride rather than negative states such as fear, depression or anxiety. Simply put, positive emotions feel good. The latest research reports that they can also make you healthier and happier if you take the time to cultivate them.

The 3 to 1 positivity ratio
If you life isn't quite how you'd like it to be, researchers studying human emotions report that you can start improving your life by increasing the ratio at which you experience positive to negative emotions, know as your positivity ratio. Scientists have even determined the "tipping point", or the minimum positivity ratio necessary for your to improve your life. That ratio is at least 3 to 1. For each negative emotional experience you endure, you need to experience at least three positive emotional experiences that lift you up.

The benefits of positive emotions

Broaden and build. Barbara Frederickson, Ph.D., has been studying positive
emotions for over 20 years. According to Frederickson, when we experience a positive
emotion our thinking expands. (Negative emotions, on the other hand, narrow our
thinking.) “We literally see more,” she says, “allowing us to face our problems with clear
eyes, make creative connections and see more possible solutions for problems.”
Frederickson has named this the “broaden effect.” Additionally, says Frederickson, as
we make a habit of seeking out positive emotions we change and grow for the better. We
discover and build new skills, new knowledge and new ways of being that allow us to live healthier and happier (the build effect). “Positivity presents an opportunity to step up to the next level of existence, to broaden your mind and build your best self,” says Frederickson.
Healthier and happier. According to current research, those who practice a steady diet of positive emotions:

❍ Report fewer aches and pains, headaches and other physical symptoms. They also have lower blood pressure, fewer colds and sleep better.

❍ Are better able to rebound from adversity and stress. Positive emotions create a calming effect in your body that can lower blood pressure, dissipate stress energy and lift your mood.

❍ Develop more positive and closer relationships with others. They tend to have more friends and a larger social network to rely on during crises.

❍ Become more optimistic, more resilient, less depressed and more satisfied with life. In a study tracking the outcomes of patients undergoing treatment for depression, the patients whose positivity ratios rose to 4 to 1 showed no signs of depressive symptoms and displayed optimal functioning.

How to increase your positivity ratio

1. Track your positivity ratio. Take the “Positivity Self Test” online at www.PositivityRatio.com. Track your positivity ratio nightly for two weeks to see what your average is. Tracking helps you become more mindful of your sources of positive emotions and the triggers for your negative ones. The self test is also available in the book Positivity, by Frederickson.

2. Increasing your positive emotions. Some practical ways to increase the frequency of positive
emotions in daily life include:

■ Focus more on the present moment. Frederickson says that most moments are positive and that we miss many opportunities for positive emotions by thinking too much about the past or worrying about the future.

■ Find positive meaning more frequently in your daily life.

■ Savor the good things in your life and the good things that happen to you. Keep a daily list of the things you are thankful for.

■ Practice altruistic behaviors and small acts of kindness.

■ Focus on your personal strengths and follow your passions. Give yourself permission to play and find activities that uniquely engage you.

■ Connect with others. Scientists have documented that people gain more positivity by being with others than by being alone.

Spend more time outdoors and/or in nature. According to a recent study, people who spent twenty or more minutes outside when the weather was nice boosted their positive emotions.

■ Learn and practice meditation.
According to Frederickson, meditation opens your mind and an open mind breeds positivity.

3. Decreasing your negativity. At times, negative emotions are appropriate and can serve useful functions. The key is to eliminate negativity that is neither helpful nor healthy. The following suggestions can help:

■ Dispute negative thinking. Ask yourself: What are the facts of my situation? What negative thoughts and beliefs got triggered and how did they make me feel? How do those thoughts and beliefs compare to reality? By examining the facts you can bring a calm and rational manner into the picture. Rather than suppressing negativity or attempting to push negativity out of your mind, you are simply checking it against reality and often will find it is not as bad as you first thought.

■ Stop ruminating. Don’t keep going over and over your negative thoughts and feelings. Doing so only gets you stuck in a rut and continues to fan the flames of your negativity. Learn to recognize when you are ruminating on negative thoughts and then stop it by finding a healthy activity to distract you and break the cycle. Go for a walk or jog, do yoga, read a book, or anything that fully absorbs you and takes your mind off of your negative feelings.


■ Avoid the circumstances that trigger your negativity.
Examine your typical daily routine and ask yourself which circumstances create the most negativity. Then, do whatever you possibly can to eliminate or diffuse the situation. Do certain people bring you down? Avoid them. Look for positive solutions. You can’t diffuse or eliminate everything, but the more you can eliminate, the higher your positivity ratio will rise.

Copyright 2011 Sum-Bo-Shine, Inc.. All rights reserved. This newsletter is not intended to provide medical advice on personal wellness matters, which should be obtained directly from your physician.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Composting at the Sum-Bo-Shine house.


I love to compost, or should I say I love chopping vegetables and gathering up the non usable parts and placing them in the compost bin I keep on the kitchen counter. Taking the compost outside requires a trek down the deck stairs and out into the back yard (this is Sunshine’s job, she’s the Shine of Sum-Bo-Shine) where I have two large compost bins. I alternate between the two bins which allows one bin to cook or compost and the other bin is available for receiving non protein kitchen waste and green clippings.
Composting is something I have done since I was a child. We always gathered the table scraps and placed them in a bucket that was emptied each night either on a compost heap or we fed the contents of the bucket to our farm animals. Nothing went to waste in our house. We were recycling long before we knew what recycling was.
Instead of re inventing the wheel by listing the "how to’s" of composting I’ve attached a link to a very good site that describes everything you need to know about composting.
http://www.composting101.com/how-it-works.html
I find it so amazing that I can make dirt! Each spring I add the rich, earthy smelling compost to my flower and vegetable bins and I rest easy knowing I made the planet a little safer by not using harmful fertilizer.
Carolyn Deal

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Press Release

Press Release
I’m HAPPY Here® Recycled, Reusable Bags
Press Release
Contact:
Carolyn Deal
Sum-Bo-Shine, Inc.
678-213-1487
info@sumboshine.com

SUM-BO-SHINE DEBUTS I’M HAPPY HERE® 100% RECYCLED BAGS
Atlanta, May 2010 - Sum-Bo-Shine (www.sumboshine.com) will introduce their line of “I’m Happy Here”® reusable bags. I'm Happy Here ® Bags are made of 100% recycled material, 80% recycled cotton (pre-consumer) and 20% recycled soda pop bottles (post-consumer) and proudly carry the Made in USA label. Our reusable bags are eco friendly and come in a variety of sizes: Yoga Bag, Fashion Shopping Tote, Grocery Bag, Small Carry All Bag, and Boat Bag.
“We, at Sum-Bo-Shine are “happy” to introduce our line of recycled, reusable bags as we continue our efforts to to recycle, reuse and save the planet for our children.

Our tag line, "I'm HAPPY here!" was spoken by my grandson at the tender age of two. While playing quietly by himself, he looked up and simply said, "I'm happy here!" And we hope you are happy here too!

For more information on Sum-Bo-Shine and its line of recycled, reusable bags, visit www.sumboshine.com or call 678-213-1487.

I'm Happy Here Bags


I'm Happy Here Bags are made of 100% recycled material, 80%recycled cotton (pre-consumer) and 20% recycled soda pop bottles (post-consumer) and proudly carry the Made in USA label. Our reusable bags are eco friendly and come in a variety of sizes: Yoga Bag, Fashion Shopping Tote, Grocery Bag, Small Carry All Bag, and Boat Bag.

Why we chose recycled cotton and recycled soda pop bottles for our bags?
Pre-consumer (material that is recycled before it is used by a consumer) recycled cotton is non-useable leftover cotton material that would normally be dumped in landfills; these discarded fibers are more environmentally friendly than conventional or organic cotton. Using recycle cotton reduces the pesticides and herbicides needed to grow conventional cotton, and even though organic cotton is a better choice than conventional cotton, energy, water and land is still needed to produce it. By using "table waste" cotton we are able to take a discarded material and turn it into a useable item resulting in a twofold sustainable action; waste becomes a useful product.

Post consumer soda pop bottles (the plastic bottle you put in the recycled bin) is made into a fabric and when combined with recycled cotton creates a durable fabric that produces a strong and sturdy bag. Recycled bottles mean less waste in landfills.
It has been estimated that less than 5% of shoppers use a reusable shopping bag and that only 1 -2% of plastic bags are recycled, and a 15 year old tree is needed to produce 700 paper grocery bags. So you can see how a lot of waste, time, energy and resources could be avoided by using reusable bags.

I'm Happy Here bags are made in the US, and according to MadeInUSA.com, if every person living in the US shifted just $20.00 per month in spending from foreign made to American made products, more that 5 million new US jobs could be created to meet the demand.
Our mission is to help keep this planet alive and well for future generations.

Our tag line, "I'm HAPPY here!" was spoken by my grandson at the tender age of two. While playing quietly by himself, he looked up and simply said, "I'm happy here!" And we hope you are happy here too!

I'm Happy Here is a register trademark of Sum-Bo-Shine, Inc.and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of Sum-Bo-Shine,

Recycle, Reuse, Save the Planet for our Children; after all, I might come back someday!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Tips To Improving Work and Family Balance

Tips To Improving Work and Family Balance

Finding the right balance between work and family is a difficult and ongoing challenge for all working parents. If you're struggling with the demands of work and family, the following ideas and suggestions may help:

The most important thing to know
Work and family don't "balance" automatically. Achieving balance is an on-going process that
takes careful listening and communication, planning, joint-decision making and effort.Understanding this can reduce frustration and help you take the actions necessary to create and maintain the right work-family balance for you.

First things first
First and foremost, clarify your values and use them as your guide for planning and making choices regarding work and family demands.

Ask yourself these questions:
◗What is most important in your life?
◗What gives your life meaning?
◗What do you want to be and to accomplish in your life?
Clarity on these issues is critical because the answers to these questions affect everything else
in your life - especially the decisions you make regarding work and family and the way you spend
your time.

Establish priorities
There is not enough time to spend doing things that aren't important to you or your family. Identify
your various roles and attach a level of priority to each. Make sure you are putting your time and
energy into only those things that are truly most important to you.

Make a plan
Discuss work and family balance with your partner on an on-going basis. Develop a plan that
integrates your individual and mutual goals with the responsibilities and issues of work and family.
Start from a macro perspective that includes your values and goals and work toward a micro view
that describes in detail the roles and responsibilities for each family member.

Discuss expectations
Unspoken expectations and assumptions about how things "should" be done are often the cause
of work, family and relationship conflict and stress. When our partner or others do not meet our
expectations, often we feel hurt or anger. To avoid upset and improve work-life balance, discuss
with your partner what you want and expect of each other. In particular, discuss your expectations
and attitudes about the following: housework, house maintenance, meal preparation and meal
times, child care, elder care, parenting roles and parent involvement, the nature and amount of couple and family time, time devoted to work and career, money or financial issues.
Involve the whole family
Make sure your family knows that their needs take a high priority despite the demands of your job. Talk about the difficulties of meeting work and family responsibilities and let other family members try to help find solutions. Children can also be given tasks that will help the family accomplish what needs to be done. This sharing of tasks not only teaches children responsibility but also gives them a sense of belonging.

Share responsibilities
Divide parenting and household tasks appropriately among family members. Be sure that everyone
in your family understands that household tasks are a responsibility for all family members to tackle.
Organize the division of labor with your partner so that you each cover those tasks that are the easiest
and most enjoyable for you to accomplish. Make a list of "don't-want-to-do" items that are aversive, a waste your time, or sap your energy. Delegate these tasks or consider paying for some services to be done.

Bolster productivity at work
Organize your work life to maximize your productivity and minimize workplace distractions or productive work habits. If you're putting in long hours at work are you making your time count? Working long hours causes stress that often finds relief naturally through workplace distractions or procrastination. Learn to better manage your time at work and avoid procrastination. Not only can you create more time for amily, but you'll find that you're less stressed and performing better at work.

Keep clear boundaries
Whether you are at work or home, do your best to stay fully invested in that place during that time. If you are at home with your family, set aside thoughts of work, turn off your cell phone or Blackberry, and give your full attention to your family. Spend some time each day with your partner and each child. Even if it is only for a few minutes, talk, read or participate in an activity together. Everyone, including you, will feel refreshed and loved in such a positive environment.

Recognize the benefits of balance
Balancing the demands of work and family will have positive pay-offs for your children, your relationships with your spouse/partner and children, and everyone's future happiness. Recognizing this can help you keep in mind the critical need for balance in
your life.
Copyright © 2010 Sum-Bo-Shine, Inc.. All rights
reserved. This newsletter is not intended to provide medical advice on personal wellness matters, which should be obtained directly from your physician.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Sum-Bo-Shine Shampoo & Body Wash Customer Review!


"Thank you so much for your miracle product- shampoo and body wash. My 3 week-old baby had a bad case of baby pimples, not only on his face and scalp but most of his back and upper chest area as well. His pediatrician said its normal and it should go away in a couple of weeks or so however, it seems like it was getting worse and worse every day. One night while searching the internet about baby pimples, I stumbled on your website. My order arrived here in Hawaii sooner than I had expected. As soon as we used your product, the reddish coloration on his skin disappeared, the next day of use; most of the pimples were gone. By the 4th day his back has cleared up completely! Now his face is clear, almost like the day when he was born. I and my wife are so grateful, and thankful to your miracle product.
I will recommend your products to anyone that I know who has babies."

E.S.
Ewa Beach, HI

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Sum-Bo-Shine Cyber Monday Sale!


Check out our Cyber Monday Savings! All items 20% off until December 31, 2009!