It is more important than ever to make our families the center of our lives and the top of our priorities. Why? Because our families provide a foundation for much of the growth we experience in life.

In last week’s blog, I shared with you not only the importance of having a best friend(s) in your life, but how that has been such an important part of my life.

On a completely separate note, yet entirely the same, my family members are individuals that have not only helped shape my life and myself into what and who I am today but are people that I truly cannot imagine entering motherhood without.

In our families we love, serve, teach and learn. Our families are there to share our joys, our sorrows and our most embarrassing moments with. At times, family ties will bring us difficult challenges, but no matter how difficult they may seem, our families teach us some of the most valuable life lessons.

Though today’s families live very busy lives, spending quality time as a family is a very important investment to make. Here are some reasons why.

 1. Develops Stronger Emotional Bonds
Spending time together asserts a stronger emotional bond than time spent apart. Regardless of what you are doing, time spent together brings a family closer as a whole.

 2. Asserts Confidence & Strength
Quality family time creates a safe environment where you can feel accepted and valued for who you are. A strong family bond communicates availability and fosters a sense of security. It also establishes a solid ground from which you can launch out into the world with more confidence and strength.

3. Helps Better Communication
The more time you spend together, the better your communication with each other will be. The better the communication, the more you will understand how each other deals with certain situations.

4. Relieves Stress & Anxiety
According to a 2010 study conducted by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers, spending some quality time with your family member makes you feel generally better and could also help to lower stress.[1]

5. Creates Happy Memories
Quality family time creates warm memories for both parents and children alike. In fact, children with happy family memories are more likely to create a loving environment for their own children when they grow up.

Spending time with your loved ones is one of the best ways to create memorable life experiences. Nothing can replace the time you spend and the bond you share with your family.

So, I encourage you to spend as much time as you can with your family. Don’t know where to start? Try looking out for opportunities to do things that everyone would be interested in.

I also invite you to share your favourite family activities and experiences in the comment section below. I’d love to hear your input.

 Xo Paula

References 
[1] 8 Reasons To Spend Time With Loved Ones. < http://huff.to/1xWXZGP>

We all know how important a best friend is. A best friend can help you celebrate good times and provide support during the bad times. A best friend also prevents loneliness and gives you a chance to offer needed companionship. Having a best friend is a huge bonus in life and the bond between two best friends is something to cherish. Why? Here are the main reasons.

1. Comfort
A best friend is someone who knows you inside and out. They already know all the inner details of your life and won’t pass judgment on you. Time spent with your best friend is one of the most comfortable times because you can cut to the chase and get right into any discussion – no matter the topic.

2. Unconditional Love & Support
A best friend will always love you, no matter if you are at your best or at your worst. Unconditional love and support is extremely important, which is why having someone in our lives we feel at ease with, someone who will always listen, and someone we can totally be ourselves with is worth cherishing.

3. Loyalty
A best friend has your back and will always remain loyal to you. Loyalty means never having to worry about someone spilling your secrets or talking about you behind your back. A loyal friend will be on your team no matter what.

4. Honesty
With loyalty comes honesty and a best friend will always have your best interest at heart. As mentioned, a loyal friend will be on your team no matter what – even if that means telling you their honest opinion. A best friend will be real with you (no matter how much you don’t want to hear it), but will never betray you.

5. Laughter & Fun
A best friend is someone you can laugh and be silly with no matter how ridiculous it may seem. You will never get bored with your best friend. Even a boring or dangerous place seems to be exciting in their company. They are the ones you can go anywhere and everywhere with and still have a good time.

A best friend will help you grow as a person. They knowingly or unknowingly will teach you things in life and they even contribute to your successes. A best friend is one of the best things that will ever happen to you. Make sure to cherish every moment spent with your best friend and don’t ever take the bond you share with them for granted.

I am so blessed to have always had amazing friendships throughout my life. I am proud to say that numerous of my closest friendships have started in very early childhood, while others developed in my teenage and early 20s.

My friends have shaped my life in numerous ways and I know I would not be the same person, had I not had them in my life (both past and present).

I think it is so important to have a best friend or best friends in your life, because in my eyes they are the family that you chose.

If you haven’t done so recently… make sure to tell your best friend that you love them.

I also invite you to check out my book ‘Weighing Love,’ which was written with the intention to help anyone who is dealing with eating disorders/disordered eating, self-esteem issues, body image issues, and negative thoughts, or for anyone who is trying to reach touch with their authentic self.

Additionally, if you have any further questions, comments or would like to book a 2-hour complimentary coaching session with me, please email me at info@paulagalli.com

Xo Paula

From time to time, we all get a little down and though it’s in our human nature to feel this way, it can definitely interfere with achieving our goals. If you allow them to, negative thoughts can fester and lead to serious depression. That’s why it’s important to take action early to bust yourself out of a slump. So, the next time you are feeling down, consider these five self-care tips.

1.Embrace Your Alone Time
No one should love you or appreciate your hard work more than you do. There is nothing better than spending a day with yourself. Embracing your alone time to take account of everything you love doing will make you happy.

2. Don’t Ever Change For Anyone
Compromise in relationships is one thing, but you should never change who you are because you want to be loved and appreciated. Being your authentic self will ensure that you are authentically happy.

3. Take A Nap
Taking a couple hours to fall asleep has some serious health benefits. An occasional nap can reduce your overall stress levels as well as improve your focus, emotional stability and productivity.

4. Play Some Music
I like listening to empowering songs (for a list of my favourite songs, see my earlier blog here), but you might have your own brand of feel-good music. Whatever it is, crank it up, and let yourself move to the beat. It may just be what the doctor ordered.

5. Move Your Body
You might not be in the mood for exercise, but if you do it, you’ll feel better. Whatever it is you do to get moving— get out and do it. You don’t need to do a real hard workout, but the simple act of exercise can brighten your mood immediately.

Remember these tips each time you are feeling in a way that you don’t want to feel or when you are getting results you don’t want. Trust me. They work.

Like this post? Share it on your favorite social media below.

I also invite you to check out my book ‘Weighing Love,’ which was written with the intention to help anyone who is dealing with eating disorders/disordered eating, self-esteem issues, body image issues, and negative thoughts, or for anyone who is trying to reach touch with their authentic self.

Additionally, if you have any further questions, comments or would like to book a 2-hour complimentary coaching session with me, please email me at info@paulagalli.com

Xo Paula

I struggled with it for over 10 years of my life. I couldn’t escape it (as much as I wanted to). It was simply a character flaw hidden somewhere deep in my heart and it took the best of me.

I lived most of my life comparing myself to others. At first, it was school and dance. But as I got older, I began comparing other metrics: body type, popularity, facial features, and the list goes on. I found so many things to compare myself with others and so many people to compare myself to. My self-esteem was at an ultimate low. Once I began down that road, I thought I’d never find an end.

Thankfully, I was wrong..

When I was advised to take anti-depressants by a doctor at the age of eighteen, something inside of me strongly said no. I believed that there had to be another way to deal with what I was going through.

My turning point began when I realized the key to happiness (and freedom from comparison) lies in working from the inside out – a philosophy that served me well, as I guided myself to understand how to heal from within rather than relying solely on medication.

In my early twenties, I began to live within the present moment. I started performing yoga and other forms of meditation. I began to appreciate and understand the enormous value that yoga and other holistic approaches of healing have not only for our bodies, but even more so our minds.

Living within the present moment cleared my mind of negativity and clutter, and helped me understand that we are all unique beings. Moreover, we are too unique to compare ourselves to one another fairly. Our values, talents and accomplishments are entirely unique to who we are and our purpose in this world. That is when I realized we can never be properly compared to anyone else, ever.

The tendency to compare ourselves to others is as human as any other emotion. Certainly, I wasn’t alone in my experience. But with that being said, comparing ourselves to others only steals joy from our lives and can inhabit numerous shortcomings.

 So, here are ten major reasons why you should never compare yourself to others…

1. Comparisons are always unfair
2. Comparisons waste valuable time
3. Comparisons evoke low self-esteem
4. Comparisons give you nothing
5. Comparisons put focus on the wrong person
6. Comparisons deprive your happiness
7. Comparisons evoke jealousy
8. Comparisons derail your success
9. Comparisons set you up for failure
10. Comparisons do not allow you to be authentic[line]

Instead of comparing yourself to others, strive to be the best possible version of yourself. You can do this by taking care of yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually (as I did), and commit to growing from within each and every day.

I also invite you to check out my book ‘Weighing Love,’ which was written with the intention to help anyone who is dealing with eating disorders/disordered eating, self-esteem issues, body image issues, and negative thoughts, or for anyone who is trying to reach touch with their authentic self.

Additionally, if you have any further questions, comments or would like to book a 2-hour complimentary coaching session with me, please email me at info@paulagalli.com

Xo Paula