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3 Reasons To Sit At The Bar Of A Restaurant – The Surprising Things That You Will Learn

Post author By LSNstaffwriter
Post date April 6, 2022
Categories In Life Tips

Most of the time when you go to a restaurant and find yourself sitting at the bar it is because you don’t want to wait in the long line for a table. Although most people don’t even give it a second thought, sitting there will actually provide you with some surprising life lessons.

There really are some amazing benefits of sitting at a restaurant’s breakfast or cocktail bar. And none of them involve alcohol.

If you can keep an open mind, listen and reflect a little bit, you too will see how sitting at the bar can be not only enlightening, but beneficial as well.

sitting at a bar eating alone — Sit at a bar for breakfast, lunch or dinner and you will learn to embrace being alone and learn some other amazing life lessons!

Top 3 Lessons from Sitting at a Bar

1. Get Comfortable Being Alone

The next time you find your self alone and not knowing what to do for your next meal, go to a restaurant by yourself. Most of the time when people go out to eat they go with their partner or a group of friends.

While this is perfectly normal, what we want to do is put ourselves in situations that bring us out of our comfort zone. If you go out with others you’re going to be very comfortable.

However, in order to become comfortable in all situations, try going out by yourself. Although, some people might think this is weird and would never even consider it, there is a great value in getting comfortable being alone.

As humans we are naturally social creatures. One of our most instinctual desires is to be social.

eating a burger — Firstly, go to a bar alone! Just try it.

On the other hand, there is great benefit to being comfortable doing things on your own. This surprising life lesson can be taught by going to a restaurant and sitting at a bar or table by yourself.

While being there you learn to become comfortable being alone. Most people are hesitant to go out to eat by themselves. We feel protected in groups and very comfortable.

However, there will be times in your life when you have to do things on your own. Whether it is moving to a brand new area where you do not know anyone, or in your later years of life when you are living by yourself.

At some point we will all need to be comfortable being alone. This surprising lesson is easily taught by going to a restaurant and sitting at the bar by yourself.

2. Learn to Talk to Strangers

One of the most surprising lessons you can learn from sitting at a bar is how to talk to strangers. Yes, striking up a conversation with somebody you do not know can be difficult.

Furthermore, we often do not know what to say or how to act with someone we are meeting for the first time. For many, meeting new people is difficult.

Talking with strangers and carrying on a conversation can be hard! However, the best way to get good at this is to practice.

By sitting alone at a bar, rather than a table at a restaurant, you are almost forced to strike up a conversation. Due to the nature of a horizontal seating pattern, you only have one person on your left, another on your right, and the server or bartender in front of you.

Strike Up A Conversation

By sitting at the bar it forces you to make that leap to talk to somebody new. The obvious person to talk to is the server who is taking your order. However, there are plenty of opportunities to talk to the people sitting next to you.

But how do you do that? It is easier than you think. You are both there to enjoy food or a drink. Simply turn to your neighbor and ask, “What are you eating/drinking tonight?” and you have a great conversation starter.

From there, proceed with the conversation and ask them if they are familiar with the menu and if they have any recommendations. You have now started a conversation with somebody that you have never met before.

By sitting at a bar you can learn to become more outgoing, even when you are typically an introvert. Although this skill will help you in your personal life, it will also help you in your professional life as well.

Knowing how to talk to people and connecting with them quickly is a life skill that goes well beyond your local restaurant.

Striking up a conversation is a great skill to practice. And who knew that going to a restaurant and sitting by yourself at the bar could help?

3. Get the Best Local Travel Tips by Sitting at the Bar

Now that you were comfortable sitting at a bar by yourself and you have been able to learn to talk to new people, now is the time to get some immense value out of that.

Talk with the locals to get the best travel tips. Find out where the best locations are to go in town. Locate the hidden gems of other restaurants and entertainment spots in the area.

Furthermore, talk with people who have been there for a long time. You will be amazed by how much information these people have.

surprising lessons from sitting at a bar — Lastly, find the locals and get the travel tips. You won’t regret it.

Additionally, pick out the person who looks like a local. Find that person who appears who is comfortble with the server behind the bar and who is frequently chatting with others.

Often times these people will be the ones who will have the most information. They have likely been a resident of the area for awhile and will know all of the best spots that only the locals know about.

Even if you live in the area, you will be surprised at what others can teach about other establishments or things to do around town. You will be amazed by how much you can learn from talking with others.

All of the best travel tips are held within the 4 walls of a restaurant, and the best place to learn about them is when you are sitting at the bar. These are the people who know the area best and who can point you in the right direction. Talk to them!

Sitting at a Bar Can Surprise You!

Sitting at the bar of a restaurant can lead to many positive life lessons. First, find comfort in knowing you that you can go out to eat by yourself. Furthermore, enjoy that precious time alone. This surprising lesson can take you far beyond the bar.

Secondly, talk to somebody new. Hear their story and listen. You could make a new friend or simply learn something new. Ask them intriguing questions and gain a new perspective.

Lastly, talk with the locals and learn some great local information from them. You will be surprised what you will learn from sitting at the bar. You may just unlock the best travel tips and locate your next adventure.

In conclusion, sitting alone at the bar of a breakfast establishment or restaurant helps you learn to be comfortable eating alone. However, because you are at the bar and not sitting alone at a table, you will be able to engage in conversation and learn all about the local area.

Try it and you will be surprised how easy it is to do time after time.

Live Simple Now is a lifestyle website dedicated to helping those looking to Live Their Best Life! Feel free to email us at livesimple@livesimplenow.com with comments, questions, article topics or submissions. We publish two articles each week, 52 weeks a year. Sign up today to follow via email, or follow along on Facebook.

How To Improve Your Credit Score – A 3 Step Guide To Increase Your Credit & Save Money!

Post author By LSNstaffwriter
Post date April 3, 2022
Categories In Budget Tips

When you look at your current credit score do you wish you knew of a way to improve it? Having a good credit card history and overall credit score are both important for a multitude of reasons.

Not only it will allow you to be approved for the best credit cards, but also home loans and car loans with a lower interest rate! It makes a huge difference in your financial future.

However, it can be difficult to overcome poor credit. Most people do not understand what variables go into making up their own personalized credit score.

woman trying to figure how how to improve her credit score — Improving your credit score could be the key to getting your next loan approved. Find out how!

Furthermore, even fewer people know how to improve their credit if they find out they have a poor score. However, it is easier than you think. With this three step guide you will be able to improve your credit and save money! But first, you must understand how your credit score is determined.

What Makes Up Your Credit Score?

Credit scores can seem like a bit of a black box, that no one really knows how it works. However, with just a little bit of knowledge of what is involved, you will feel more comfortable understanding how this score is determined.

Thanks to an increase in transparency, it is now easier than ever to know what goes into credit scores and how to check your own.

Most lenders use FICO credit scores. This is a standard way of measuring financial credit.

Your credit score includes the following five elements:

Payment History (35%)
Credit Usage (30%)
Age of Credit Account (15%)
Credit Mix (10%)
New Credit Inquiries (10%)

These five factors make up your credit score. If you want to improve your credit score then you need to focus on these specific categories.

Upon first glance, it is pretty easy to see that the first two factors make up the largest portion of your credit score. These will be the most important two for you to focus on. If you have a higher ranking in the first two categories, your credit score will quickly rise.

The best part is that these two areas are actually easy to tackle. You can easily control these two variables. So let’s dive in and see how it is done!

credit score range and credit card — Knowing what goes into a credit score and what a good score is key!

1. Watch Your Payment History to Improve Your Credit Score

First, let’s tackle payment history. Payment history is a reflection of how good you are at paying off your debts.

Additionally, this shows that you have the funds to pay off your debt and that you are consistently on top of it.

Companies who lend you money want to know that they are going to get their money back. Make sure you always pay off your debts.

Let’s use a credit card as an example. Every month you receive a credit card statement.

As you purchase goods on your credit card you incur debt that you will have to pay back. In order to improve your payment history, pay off your credit card in full every month.

This is by far the easiest way to improve your credit score.

Open up a credit card (the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great one)
Buy goods on it
Pay it off every month
Repeat

check book to pay off debt — Making sure you pay off your credit card debt each month will help improve your credit.

The last part is key! Furthermore, the best way to improve your credit score is to pay it off.

Be Smart with Your Credit!

Although you may have heard this, opening up another credit card and incurring more debt is not going to help you improve your credit score. However, if you have the discipline to pay off the one you have you will reap the rewards.

Once you pay off your credit card every month you will watch your credit score rise. It is the easiest trick in the book, but at the same time, traps the most people.

Credit cards can have upwards of 25% interest on your debt. That means if you carry a $100 balance on your credit card and you do not pay it off, the next month you now have a debt of $125.

This can quickly spiral out of control and you must get your hands around it. This is why you should eliminate debt and improve your payment history.

2. Balance Your Credit Usage

Secondly, let’s take a look at credit usage. Credit usage is the portion of your credit score that determines how much credit you actually use.

This is a good indication of how much debt you carry and how much you use your credit. Lenders care about this because they want to know how leveraged you are balancing the two.

For an example on how to improve your credit score by balancing your credit usage, let’s look at a credit card example again.

Say you have a $10,000 credit limit. At the end of the month if you carry a balance of $3,000 on your credit card you will have used 30% of your available credit.

As a rule of thumb, stay under 30% of credit usage. Although maximizing your credit cards can be helpful to rack up points and cash benefits, they can be also dangerous.

Don’t let them entice you to use them to their full capacity. Furthermore, be disciplined to keep your credit usage to no more than that 30% threshold and pay off your credit cards every single month.

checking credit card usage to improve your credit score — Use your credit card to your advantage, but keep your credit usage low.

If you can, pay them off in full and keep your credit card balance to zero each and every month. This is a simple trick and will pay the biggest benefits.

Not only will get credit card points to use for cash back, travel or even Amazon purchases, but you will also be on the right path to improve your credit score.

3. The Final Step – Get the Small Wins

With the remaining 35% of what makes up your credit score, shoot for the small wins. These 3 categories take time, but when worked in the right way will definitely help you improve your credit rating.

Age of Credit Accounts

15% of your credit score is made up of the age of your credit accounts. Lenders want to know that you are experienced using credit and want to see a long age of your credit accounts. However, you must know how it is calculated.

If you opened up a credit card two years ago and one today, your age of credit account will actually only be one year (the average of all accounts).

This is why it is so important to keep your various credit accounts open if you already have them. Do not cancel old cards, but rather continue to use the history to your benefit.

Use those credit cards to make a small purchase and pay it off each month. You can even pay it off right away if you think you will forget or if money gets tight when the payment deadline hits.

It is important to use those cards, because if they sit unused for a period of time, the credit card company can cancel them for ‘inactive use’. Then, it appears on the credit report that it wasn’t your decision to close the account.

Credit Mix

Credit mix is the combination of different types of credit you have. This could be credit cards, car loans, mortgages, and/or student loans.

stack of debts — Although multiple forms of debt can be helpful for your score, it can also be dangerous. Be mindful of the types of debt you take on.

Most people have a combination of different debts. Oddly enough, if you pay off your vehicle, you could actually see your credit score drop. This is because lenders want to see multiple sources of credit for each person.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? However, it is still best practice to pay off all your debts and keep your credit usage low.

New Credit

Finally, the last 10% of your credit score is made up of new credit inquiries. This is a term used to describe people looking into your credit history.

This could be a new employer, a rental company, or even you looking into your own credit history. Although you have to give consent for those agencies to do a credit check, be aware that some inquiries will decrease your credit score.

However, there are websites such as Credit Karma and banks that allow you to look at your credit score without a credit score penalty. This is a great way to monitor your score and see how the above tactics are helping.

Improve Your Credit Score Today!

In conclusion, improving your credit score does not have to be scary. Put money on a credit card, pay off your monthly credit card bills, don’t cancel old credit cards, and eliminate as much debt as possible.

Follow these steps and you will be on your way to a fantastic credit score. Furthermore, take advantage of the responsible credit card usage and rack up credit card benefits along the way!

Try these simple suggestions and watch your score rise and more doors open to your financial future! It is never too late to start!

How to Find Balance with Work, Leisure, and Sleep Using The 8x8x8 Rule

Post author By LSNstaffwriter
Post date March 30, 2022
Categories In Life Tips

How you spend your time has a massive impact on not only your daily life, but also your future. The most important thing that you need to do is balance work, leisure, and sleep to make the most out of your life, and this is where the 8x8x8 rule comes into play.

However, this concept may seem easier said than done for most of us. Managing your own time can be difficult. We have many competing priorities that take up our time, energy, and focus.

Without structure it is easy for our lives to get out of balance. But by implementing the 8x8x8 rule, you can get your life back into harmony and find a healthy balance between the time dedicated to your work, leisure and sleep.

how to balance work and life — Trying to find the right balance for work and life can be difficult. However, with a few guardrails you can find what works for you.

How the 8x8x8 Rule Can Save You Time & Energy

With the 24 hours we have it in a day, we can break this up into three 8 hour segments. This is called the 8x8x8 rule.

The rule states that you should spend eight hours in each of the three buckets. Spend 8 hours working, 8 hours in leisure, and 8 hours sleeping. This rule will help you balance your daily tasks and overall life skills.

However, the one bucket that you want to protect at all cost, whenever possible, is sleep. With the 8x8x8 rule, the most important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is getting adequate sleep.

woman holding clock showcasing the 8x8x8 rule — The clock can quickly run out in 24 hours. Make the most of it with the 8x8x8 Rule!

Sleep allows you to do better in the other two areas and lets you perform at a higher level. While every person needs a different amount of sleep, most people require somewhere between 7 to 9 hours. Do not skip on this amount of time.

However, in learning how to balance work along with leisure time, you must first plan if it is required for you to work more than eight hours in a day. Between the actual hours worked and the commute to and from, most people will work closer to 9 or 10 hours.

This leaves you with 6 to 7 hours for leisure. When you think about it, that seems like a lot of hours in a day. Although this time can be used for many things, health and family priorities are also encased in this allotted amount of time.

Leisure time can be used for family, friends, or for some people even working more. However, in order to know how much time to dedicate to this bucket, you must first examine your personal goals.

Start By Reviewing Your Goals

How you spend your time should be a direct reflection of what you want out of life. Depending on what you want to you see happen in your life, you will need to adjust how you spend your time adapting the 8x8x8 rule.

Learning how to balance work, leisure, and sleep requires you to first know what you want and then determine how to get there.

Do you want to be the most successful business woman? Or do you want to be the best dad possible?

cut out social media to balance work — Understand the sacrifices you will need to make to reach your goals. It might include **cutting out social media**!

Depending on what you want in your life, you will need to make sacrifices. We all get the same 24 hours in the day. However, how we spend that time should align with our personal and family goals.

If you want to spend more time focusing on your career, then you need to learn how to balance work with the other areas of your life.

Being great at anything is going to take extra time. If you want to accomplish the highest levels of career achievement, you are going to have to decrease the amount of time in the leisure category and get just enough sleep so that you are at your best, every day.

On the other hand, if you want to have an adventurous life where you were able to relax or spend more time outside of work, then you will need to have a career that will let you do that.

On the contrary, if you really want to get 10 hours of sleep every night, you will have to be OK that your work or your leisure time will be impacted.

Find the trade off and balance that works for you.

Make the Choice for How to Balance Work

Once you have an understanding of your goals and you get the concept of the 8x8x8 rule, you are ready to make your choice.

What are you willing to give up to reach your goals? Furthermore, where do you want to spend your time?

man learning how to balance work — It can be difficult to choose how to balance your life. But the 8x8x8 rule can help!

Make the choice. Determine where and how you will spend your time. Once laid out, you will have a clearer understanding of how to focus your days.

Furthermore, you will learn how to balance work with the rest of your life. This is hard. Work can become consuming and make you feel bogged down.

However, if you understand your goals and your purpose and have willingly made a choice, this guilt subsides.

As long as you understand what you are giving up for what you want to accomplish, and you are OK with that, then you have mastered how to balance work.

Do not allow the opinions of others to hurt your feelings because of the decisions you’ve made. Only you know what the right balance is for yourself.

Furthermore, for each person it is different. Some need rest. Others need leisure. However, the balance and choice is up to each individual.

when life hits, use the 8x8x8 rule — Inevitably, life will throw a wrench in your plans. Be prepared to balance work when life hits!

How to Balance Work When The Unexpected Hits

However, sometimes life has different plans. Sometimes things pop up in life that you never could’ve imagined.

In these times, you just need to get by, day by day or even hour by hour. There will be moments in life that tragedy strikes and your career doesn’t seem as important.

There will be times where your sleep is so low you don’t know if you can even stand up, even just one minute longer. However, just keep showing up.

Keep clocking in and keep your head above water. Eventually, the tides will subside and you will get some breathing room and your life balance back.

Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.

Are you going to be the one who toughs it out and stays flexible with the 8x8x8 rule? Or will you give in and quit?

The choice is up to you. Believe in yourself and know that you can have that healthy balance that works for you.

How to Cut Calories – 3 Ways To Lose Weight Fast & Look Amazing by Summer!

With summer right around the corner, it is time to take action to get your body back into summer shape by learning how to cut a few calories from your winter diet. Not only will you lose weight fast, you will be on the way to making your summer attire fit perfectly.

Losing weight doesn’t always have to be insanely difficult. By making small changes and sticking to them, it can make a drastic difference in both the way you look and the way you feel.

However, in order to lose weight fast you need proven methods that work! No crazy diets, diet pills or workout programs. Follow the 3 simple methods below and you’ll be on your way to the body you’ve always dreamed of.

plate and fruit to show how to lose weight fast — Learning how to cut calories the easy way will allow you to reach your goals faster.

The Best Ways to Cut Calories

Disclaimer: Discuss your dietary needs with your Physician and a Dietician before making any changes to your diet.

It is pretty simple, a caloric deficit is the main factor whether you lose weight or not. If you are burning more calories than you are consuming, you will lose weight. And the best method to cut calories is to focus on slowly reducing the amount of calories you consume using proven methods.

When you start to track the amount of calories that you intake on a daily basis, you will be shocked at where they come from. Although doing this will take a little effort, and it can be considered one of those Tasks That Can Be Difficult, it is a step that will only make you better.

However, there are methods to cut calories that you can implement very easily. And it all starts with eliminating or reducing the calories consumed by drinking liquids.

1. Eliminate Liquid Calories

The easiest method to help you lose weight fast is to eliminate, or significantly reduce, the calories consumed when drinking liquids.

In today’s recommended standards, in order to lose 1 pound a week, you need to reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories a day. That may seem like a lot, but once you take a little closer look it is very easy to do for most of us.

Coffee creamers, juices, and sodas can easily add up to over 500 calories in a day. Not to mention how many calories are consumed when eating condiments such as barbecue sauce or ranch dressing.

Coke pouring into sugar to show methods to cut calories — One 20oz bottle of Coke contains 240 calories! Imagine how fast you could lose weight if you were able to cut these liquid calories out.

The problem with liquid calories is that they are extremely easy to consume. Think about how easy it is to drink a sugary drink or your latte first thing in the morning.

Without even thinking about it many people take in hundreds of calories before noon. Therefore, in an effort to lose weight fast, you need to eliminate these liquid calories or find an alternative.

Reduce or Eliminate The Liquid Calories

For instance, instead of whole milk in your latte use almond milk which contains less calories. And when you go to order your chicken wings, skip the barbecue sauce and use a dry rub instead. Decrease the amount of days that you pour yourself a glass of orange juice and opt for a bowl of fresh berries instead.

Those are great examples of how to decrease the amount of liquid calories that you consume. However, if you are really feeling up for it, just eliminate them all together.

By totally cutting out liquid calories in your diet you will lose weight fast. This simple and easy to implement method to cut calories is proven to work and can help you get your summer body back in no time.

2. Limit Alcohol to Weekends Only

On the same lines of liquid calories, alcoholic beverages adds a ton of calories to your diet. While it may be hard to eliminate this completely for a lot of people, try limiting your alcohol intact to only weekends or special occasions.

Millions of people come home every night and have a beer or a glass of wine to wind down. While there is nothing wrong with the occasional drink, if you are trying to lose weight you are going to have to make a few sacrifices.

lost weight fast by saying no to alcohol on weekdays — Save your alcohol for times with friends and family. Limit it to weekend events and you will be on your way to lose weight fast!

Think about how many calories you’re consuming by drinking a few alcoholic drinks every night. Instead of having those drinks on a regular basis, save those calories for times of celebrations and gatherings such as birthday parties, football games with friends, or special family events.

Normally these gatherings happen sometime during the weekend. Therefore, limit your alcoholic drinks to the weekend and you will soon see that you begin to lose weight fast.

However, in order for this method to work, you cannot go all out and binge drink on the weekends. If you do so, those calories will add back up and undo all of your hard work to cut calories during the week.

Keep your drinks to a minimum, but don’t forget to enjoy life. While this method to cut calories is effective, that does not mean it should prevent you from enjoying that glass of red wine when you celebrate your promotion or raise a glass to the new bride and groom.

Find the balance that works for you, however always be mindful of the calories you are intaking from alcoholic beverages.

3. Use a Smaller Plate or Bowl

Now that you have eliminated liquid calories and are consuming alcohol only on the weekends, it is time to make the easiest change of them all.

smaller plate size to show methods to cut calories — Notice how the “full” plate looks much more appetizing. Use a smaller plate and make your dish look more full.

Furthermore, this change could have the biggest impact on losing weight fast. This method for cutting calories is effective and proven to work time after time.

When making a plate of food have you ever noticed how you tend to fill the entire plate regardless of the size? If you have a large plate you are going to fill it so it looks full.

This is a natural human tendency and easily adds unnecessary calories to your diet. While it would be easy to say put less food on the plate, it is better to just choose a smaller plate.

For example, if you have a large plate that is half full of food, and you move that to a smaller plate, you now have a plate that is full of food. However, you have the exact same amount of food and now the smaller plate is more visually appealing.

Plate size matters. It may seem silly, but it is human nature to visually desire a full plate of food. And it is easy to keep piling food on the plate until it is full.

However, if you want to lose weight fast, use a smaller plate! Grab the smaller dishes from your cabinet and use those. Keep the large plates out of reach.

This method to cut calories will have you looking great for summer, because it will help you reduce your calories naturally.

summer time snacks — Summer is coming fast. Try one of these methods today!

Proven Methods to Cut Calories

The summer body you want is not out of reach, especially if you start cutting calories now. With a few small changes you’ll be on your way to the body of your dreams.

If you want to lose weight fast cut out liquid calories, only drink alcohol on the weekends, and use smaller plates when eating food.

All of these methods to cut calories will help you reach your goals. You will get there faster and you won’t have to struggle as much along the way.

However, if you try to take short cuts, your results could suffer. Stay true to the plan and you will get the results you desire.

Try starting with one method and see what happens. If you start to see results, add additional methods later to make the weight loss go even faster.

Use these easy tips to get the results that you desire simply by cutting calories.

The Importance of Date Night – How to Your Keep Romance Alive

Post author By LSNstaffwriter
Post date March 23, 2022
Categories In Life Tips

In any relationship it is easy to sit back and forget how to keep romance alive. We get so busy with our lives that we forget the importance of date night.

For example, remember back in high school when you used to get so excited to go on a date with your partner? The butterflies, the nervousness, and the awesome feeling you had at the end of the night.

As we move into long-term relationships we forget the importance of date night. However, if you want to keep romance alive in your relationship you need to continue to “date” your partner.

wine glasses clinking over a shared dinner to keep romance alive — Keep your romance alive by having intentional date nights with your partner.

Keep Romance Alive by Dating

The importance of dating cannot be overstated. Showing love for your partner becomes very difficult as the relationship grows on.

Job obligations, family events, and side hobbies take up time they could be spent with your partner.

This is why it is so important to have date night. When you continue to set aside time to only focus on your partner, your relationship grows stronger.

Furthermore, we forget completely what it is like to take our partner out on a date.

Spouses love to feel valued and appreciated. One of the best ways to do this is for you to plan a night out together.

champagne glasses celebrating the importance of date night — Date night is the time to celebrate the time you can spend one on one with your partner.

Having a night for just the two of you can truly help keep your romance alive. It could be anything from dinner and a movie, doing your favorite outdoor activity together, or anything else that is special in your relationship.

The important part is you set aside the time to spend it together. The importance of date night is not the actual act of going on the date, but rather the time you spend together.

Dating your partner is crucial to keep your fire burning. Furthermore, dating your partner will bring you closer together and foster your relationship to new levels.

Set aside this time and you will thank yourself later!

2/2/2 Rule: Importance of Date Night

In order to make sure date night stays important, you need structure. Create a cadence for you to go on your dates. Find what works for you and continue to execute on it.

One helpful framework is the 2/2/2 Rule for keeping the importance of date night.

This rule states that every 2 weeks you go on a date, every 2 months you go on a weekend trip with your partner, and every 2 years you go on a one week getaway together.

If you go on a date every two weeks, you will be on your way towards a healthier relationship. If you want to keep your romance alive, you have to make time to date your partner.

Furthermore, go on a weekend trip every two months. Now, this doesn’t have to be a crazy weekend where you spend a lot of money.

couple keeping romance alive by hiking — Use a weekend get away to embrace the great outdoors!

Have the kids go to a friends house and spend the weekend together in your home. Again, the important part of date night is for you to be together.

Finally, every two years go on a one week vacation. This goal gives you a great opportunity to work together to save up for a vacation.

Work with your partner to save the money and plan out the trip. The bond you will create will be stronger.

Furthermore, follow the 2/2/2 rule if you want to keep romance alive and remember the importance of date night.

3 Date Night Ideas to Keep Your Romance Alive

couple researching vacations to practice the importance of date night — Date night doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Whip out your computer and plan a vacation together.

Plan a Vacation Together

Date night doesn’t have to be boring. Additionally, it doesn’t have to be something even overly romantic.

For your next date night try planning a vacation together. Pick a few destinations and the activities you would like to do there.

Look at travel blogs together and find out what you would need to pack. Use this time as part of the 2/2/2 Rule and set yourself up for a plan in the future.

If you create a vacation plan together you now have something to look forward to in the future.

Cook Your Partner Their Favorite Food

Want to really impress your partner? Cook them their favorite food!

However, I know what you might be thinking – there is no way you can make their favorite dish. Don’t worry! This is where the importance of date night comes in.

This is an opportunity for you to learn something new and really go out of your way to make your partner feel special. Learn a new skill for them and watch their face light up!

However, nothing is more impressive than somebody willing to learn something new for their partner. This truly helps emphasize the importance of date night!

man feeding woman her favorite food to keep romance alive — Although cooking can be difficult, try to learn a new recipe for your partner and watch what happens!

Exercise Together

If you want to do something healthy together, plan a date night where you exercise together.

Going through a workout routine with your partner is something that is awesome. Furthermore, this shared experience will make you stronger and make you appreciate your health together.

Go on a run. Do yoga together. Lift some weights! Whatever you both enjoy together, try it out.

Additionally, if you want to keep your romance alive, you need to be healthy. With this date night idea, you can continue to build your health together.

Understand the Importance of Date Night

If you really want to keep romance alive, make sure you understand the importance of date night. Furthermore, it will take your relationship to new heights.

Additionally, you will be thankful you did it. When you continue to date your partner, your entire life will get better. However, make sure to keep some dates spontaneous. Everybody loves surprises!

Finally, know that your partner will be so appreciative of your effort. They will feel loved and you will truly keep your romance alive.

How To Save Money At The Gas Pump And Keep Cash In Your Pocket

We are all looking for ways to save money at the gas pump these days. With gas prices going through the roof, there has never been a better time to find ways to decrease your fuel expenses.

But sometimes this is easier said than done. We all need to get to work, go to the grocery, and/or run kids to and from practice.

Even if you are still working from home or are retired, there is a real need to get out of the house for sanity purposes. That means there are times that you are running multiple errands during the week, going to the gym to work out, or meeting friends or colleagues for coffee.

saving money at the gas pump — ***Right now we can all use strategies on how to save money at the gas pump. With just a few small changes to your daily routine, you can do just that!***

However, over the last few weeks you have probably have noticed that you are paying more money to get where you want to go. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have that much cushion in our Budget to account for the increase in gas prices.

So in an effort to help keep you on track, here are 5 ways that you can decrease fuel expenses.

How To Save Money At The Gas Pump

1. Join A Fuel Rewards Program

One of the best things that you can do to save money on fuel is to join a rewards program. Simply signing up for a rewards card will save you at least 3 cents per gallon.

Although that may not seem like much, let’s do a little math. If your fuel tank can hold 15 gallons, and you fill up 8 times during the month, you have saved $3.60 cents.

That is enough to buy a value sandwich and fries at your favorite fast food restaurant. And the only requirement is that you had to swipe a card. However, with a little more effort, you can save even more money.

You may not believe it, but by purchasing gift cards, you can also decrease your fuel expenses. For example, a gas station will run specials on purchasing their own gift cards in their convenience center.

If you purchase a $50 gift card, sometimes they will give you a $10 gift card as a bonus. That means what typically would cost you $60 to fill your 15 gallon tank at $4.00 per gallon, will now only cost you $50. That is over a 15% savings!

Purchase Gift Cards To Save Money

But we can even take the gift card purchases one step further. Many grocery stores that also own gas stations may have additional gift card reward programs.

For instance, Kroger offers up to $1.00 off per gallon with reward bonuses. This is based on both your grocery and in-store gift card purchases. And if you are lucky enough to have a Giant Eagle near you, you can get your fuel totally paid for if you purchase enough gift cards.

You may think that is a waste of money, when you don’t typically use gift cards. However, it is time to get creative.

Grocery stores sell a great variety of gift cards. Home improvement stores, department stores, restaurants, Google and Amazon all have gift cards for purchase.

Therefore, the next time that you head to the home improvement store to pick up the supplies for your next project, use a gift card to purchase it instead. Do you have someone celebrating a birthday soon?

They would love a gift card to their favorite store. Or buy them an Amazon card so that they can purchase whatever they want. Not only do they benefit from the gift, but you do too! This is a great way to save money at the gas pump!

2. Carpool/Public Transportation

For those that have to go into work, it may be time to look for alternative transportation. Instead of you and your coworker, who live in the same section of town, both driving to work, set up a carpool.

Even if your schedules are a little different, one or two days a week carpooling will help you save money. And don’t just think carpooling is for those who are working.

This concept can also be a huge benefit for those who have to take kids to practice, dance, or other evening activities. Talk to the other parents and see what you can arrange.

Another idea for the carpool concept is to ride with your neighbor to the grocery store. Not only will it give you time to socialize in the car, but you will also decrease the amount of fuel you will use by driving there individually multiple times a week.

However, for those individuals that live in a highly populated area there is another option.

lots of traffic on highway does not help decrease your fuel expenses — ***Carpooling can not only help you save money, but it can also decrease your stress.***

Public Transportion Option

It is time to start supporting your local public transportation services. Whether it be by bus, rail system or subway, it is a great way to save on your monthly fuel bill.

And if you do choose the public transportation option, look into the cost difference between a weekly or monthly pass to save you even more money!

Of course, there is always the ‘walk’ or ‘bike’ option for those who live close to services. Although this is a terrific way to save money, unfortunately, many people live in rural areas where this is not a viable option.

But by all means, walk when you can. You may even find an added benefit of losing weight or getting healthier in the process! See: The Most Underrated Weight Loss Exercise

3. Order Delivery

If you are someone who typically goes out to eat frequently you may consider eating at home instead. Yes, you would save money by cooking at home. However you can also enjoy your favorite restaurant’s menu items by ordering for delivery.

Although they charge a delivery fee, ordering in will not only save on gas money, but you won’t be tempted to order that extra drink or dessert that you might have while enjoying the atmosphere at the restaurant.

But don’t think about delivery just for restaurants. Instead of running to the store to pick up a couple of items, see if the store delivers to your area.

food being delivered to a woman — ***Although you may think that there is no way that you can save money by having food delivered, you actually can!***

Both Amazon and Walmart have options for those that live close enough with 2 hour or same day delivery. And often these deliveries are absolutely free!

You can even order your groceries to be delivered from your local store or from a mail order system such as Misfits Market.

4. Plan Multiple Errands At Once

However, one of the easiest ways to save money at the gas pump is to plan your errands for the week. If you know that you have a prescription to pick up on Wednesday at the pharmacy, and you have to make a recipe for a gathering for Saturday, plan your trips so that you can do both on the same day.

Look at where you need to travel and instead of grocery shopping at your favorite store, go to the store next to the Doctor’s office where you have an appointment.

A little planning can go a long way in decreasing your fuel expenses!

5. The Buddy System

We have all had to ask or rely on someone to pick up something for us when we weren’t able. For example, if you forgot something at the grocery and you knew someone else was going there, you might ask them to pick up that forgotten item.

And now we may need to take this concept one step further. The carpool option is great when two people are on the same schedule.

multiple grocery bags in back of a van in an effort to help other decrease fuel expenses — ***Using the buddy system is a great way to save money! Instead of both of you going to the grocery, you take turns going for each other.***

However, there are many times that our family, friends and neighbors make a trip into town to the same place, but at different times during the day.

Work with your family, friends or neighbors and implement the buddy system in regards to driving. Instead of both of you driving to the store, set up a system where you alternate trips, picking up groceries for each other.

It seems like such a simple concept, but one that rarely happens. Now is the perfect time to change that.

Conclusion

With a little effort and a little planning to implement these 5 strategies, you can save money at the gas pump! And right now, we can all benefit from decreasing our fuel expenses!

Why You Need to Do Something Difficult Every Day – A Key To Building Mental Strength

Mental toughness and grit are the some of the most significant keys to success in life. However, in order to foster this mindset, you need to do something difficult every single day.

It can be easy to get in a routine and to be comfortable with where you are at. However, if you want to achieve great things, then you must put yourself in the position to do a task that might seem impossible every day.

By doing something that is uncomfortable and out of your norm you are building toughness that will transition into other aspects of your life. This attitude will grow and so will your mental toughness.

When your mental toughness grows you can leap to new heights and take on new challenges!

Why Do Something Difficult in the First Place?

Often times we avoid adversity at all cost. We park close to the office so we don’t have to walk far, we always choose the flattest paths on our runs, and at the first sign of difficulty, we give up.

It is a natural human tendency to preserve yourself when things get tough. In order to survive, our bodies are programmed to give up when things seem to be hard.

Unfortunately, the only way we can accomplish tough goals is by building resiliency. We need to harden ourselves and allow tough times to make us stronger.

This can be very hard to do. It is not easy to willingly put yourself through some sort of struggle daily.

However, if you want to build mental toughness then you need to do something difficult every single day.

difficult choices — Choosing the difficult path is always an option. However, it is up to you to make the choice.

Doing something difficult forms a strength within you that cannot be broken. It allows you to withstand true challenges and overcome them.

One of the biggest factors in determining success is your determination to keep going. The way that you keep going is through mental toughness. And the way you get mental toughness is by doing something difficult every single day.

Furthermore, if you can do this on a consistent basis you will develop a path that leads towards success!

Building Mental Toughness

So what exactly is mental toughness? Mental toughness is the ability to keep going when facing adversity.

This intangible skill is paramount to getting where you want to go in life. Whatever goal you are chasing is going to be difficult.

However, you must keep going. Keep trekking forward. Keep fighting the good fight.

Unfortunately, building mental toughness in our day-to-day lives can be difficult. We spend hours behind a computer and are likely not to face anything difficult in terms of personal growth.

Sometimes the most difficult thing we face during the day is the 30 minutes of traffic that we have to sit in.

In general, our lives are fairly comfortable, so we need to do something difficult in order to feel a sense of accomplishment.

Mental toughness is built by doing hard things repeatedly. We must be constantly challenging ourselves to build the mental toughness we desire.

However, how can you do this?

3 Ways to Do Something Difficult

1. No Cheat Meals for 75 Days

If you want to do something extremely difficult and challenging, try having no cheat meals for 75 days.

No fried foods, no sweets, no bread, no alcohol, and no food items that you identify is bad for you. You cannot cheat at all on the diet.

You can build mental toughness by sticking to a diet for 75 days. While most diets only call for you to stay consistent for 30 days, this is not enough time to truly build a habit.

However, if you do not cheat on a diet for 75 days you will build mental toughness. You will have to say no to things consistently, even when your friends try to persuade you.

This will be hard, but it will make you better. Your body will look better, your mental clarity will be increased, and you will be in a completely different mindset.

Challenge yourself and you will be amazed!

mental toughness diet — Having no cheat meals requires mental toughness like no other!

2. Start Your Day with a Hard Workout

One of the best ways to do something difficult is to start your day with a hard workout. There is nothing on this planet that will consistently humble you like a hard work out, especially first thing in the morning.

By getting up before work and hitting the gym, hopping on your stationary bike, or going for a run, you will have accomplished something hard before your day has even begun.

Furthermore, you will get addicted to the feeling you have of accomplishing something before most people’s alarms have gone off.

Whether you do CrossFit, Running, or any other form of training is unimportant. What is important is that it is hard!

The way we build confidence and mental toughness is by overcoming difficulty. Make sure your workout is hard. Make sure you are pushing yourself to do 1 minute longer, 5 lbs. heavier, or 10 steps more than you did the day before.

Spend the first 45 minutes to an hour of your day pushing yourself to new heights and new limits. Do something difficult!

difficult workout requires mental toughness — Getting after it with a hard workout is the best way to start your day!

3. Take a Cold Shower

Nothing feels better than taking a hot shower. The warm water soothes you and feels amazing.

However, if you really want a mental toughness challenge that doesn’t take a lot of time, try taking a cold shower. When you willingly turn the knob to cold and allow the freezing water to pour over you, you will be doing something difficult.

It is uncomfortable to stand in cold water. However, it will test your mental toughness.

You are going to want to quit. You are going to want to turn the water back to hot, but don’t let yourself!

Stand in the cold water and embrace the adversity. Allow your mind to control what you are doing and face the adversity head on.

At first this is going small task is going to see impossible. However, over time you will see how something hard can be accomplished with incremental steps.

Start off by alternating 30 seconds cold and 30 seconds hot. Do this for a few rounds.

After two weeks switch to alternating 45 seconds cold and 15 seconds hot. Eventually work your way into doing something difficult such as taking an entire shower with cold water.

cold water — Embrace the cold! A cold shower is a great way to test your mental toughness.

Trust the Process of Doing Something Difficult

You are going to need to have faith that doing something difficult will pay off. Doing something difficult will not provide you with instant gratification.

In the moment you are going to hate it and want to give up. However, if you hold on and stick through it you will get a sense of accomplishment that is unparalleled.

So what are you going to do today that is going to challenge yourself? Take 1 minute and make a commitment to yourself to build that mental strength in yourself. You are worth it!

5 Ways to Improve Your Health – Simple Habits For A Healthy Lifestyle!

Beyond popular belief, you do not need to do anything extreme or crazy to improve your overall health. In order to live a healthy lifestyle you only need to implement a few small changes and strategies.

We all know that you need to have the basic concepts of eating healthy foods and exercising consistently. However, there are a few other things you can also do to improve your health with a few simple changes to your daily routine.

These simple habits for a healthy lifestyle will take your health and overall well-being to a higher level. Not only will they help your physical well being, but they will also uplift your spirits and improve your mental health as well.

healthy life compass — Living a healthy lifestyle is one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself.

5 Simple Habits To A Healthy Lifestyle

1. Improve Your Health by Drinking More Water

One of the easiest ways to improve your health is to drink more water. This healthy lifestyle hack will help you feel energized and improve the overall way that you feel.

Approximately 60% of the human body is made up of water. In order to sustain life and improve your physical well being, drinking more water is paramount.

Dehydration often causes headaches, muscle cramps and hunger. Instead of reaching for that bottle of ibuprofen or reaching in the refrigerator for a snack, drink water.

improve your healthy by drinking water — You can drastically improve your health by drinking more water.

A good rule of thumb is to shoot for 1 gallon of water a day. This is an attainable goal and something that works for most people.

Use a gallon jug or a large water bottle and record how much you drink. This can easily be done by making a tally mark, or a notation in your phone’s notes folder, every time you empty your water bottle.

Or have a timer set to go off every hour as a reminder to drink your glass of water. Do whatever works for you, but the important thing is to make sure you consume at least 1 gallon of water every day.

Once you get used to the increased frequency of visiting the restroom, you will quickly notice how much better you feel. That is because most people walk around chronically dehydrated without even knowing it.

Furthermore, the lack of water negatively impacts energy levels, physical performance, and overall health.

However, this is a simple fix. Implement the 1 gallon a day water rule, and you will drastically improve your health.

2. Limit Caffeine

In order to improve your health you need to focus on different aspects of your life. From dehydration to putting excess stress on your body, it all adds up.

One of the ways we are constantly stressing our bodies is through consuming too much caffeine.

With over 85% of Americans consuming some form of caffeine a day, it can be difficult to turn this into a healthy lifestyle habit.

While there is nothing wrong with consuming a little bit of caffeine, some people chronically drink coffee or energy drinks all day.

They wake up and drink a few cups of coffee, then when the after lunch tiredness hits, they have an energy drink. And those that work out may even add in a caffeinated pre-work out drink as well.

This overstimulation causes our heart rate to be elevated and our bodies to constantly be in a state of alertness.

Although there are studies that will support the benefits of drinking no caffeine, and others that say that drinking coffee will extend the length of your life, there has to be a healthy balance. However, if you want to improve your overall health, try to limit your caffeine intake to only one cup of coffee a day.

For some this might seem extreme. For others this is common practice already. Fortunately, if you make this change you will be sure to be working towards a healthier lifestyle.

improve your healthy by sleeping more — Getting to bed at a decent hour and staying there for 7-9 hours is key to good health.

3. Get Enough Sleep

While eating healthy foods and working out will definitely help improve your health, there is another area that is also equally as important.

The amount of sleep you get can make or break a healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, it is the single factor that can set the stage for the start of your day.

In today’s culture, many people see it as a badge of honor for getting very little sleep. From kids in college who pull all-nighters to study, to those who spend too much time binge watching their favorite shows, lack of sleep is happening all around us. However, this is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle.

During sleep so many good things happen to your body. Sleep is when your body repairs itself and rejuvenates your energy so you can get up feeling refreshed for the day ahead of you.

For most adults it can be difficult to get to sleep needed. Kids, work, and obligations tend to take up a lot of time. Although it can seem impossible to get the amount of sleep needed, it will drastically improve your health if you can do it.

Sleep 7-9 Hours

It is recommended that adults sleep around 7 to 9 hours a day. This is the time that your body needs to rest so that the next day you feel the most productive.

The best way to get more sleep is to implement a couple of strategies. First. go to bed at a consistent hour. Our bodies thrive on routine.

Additionally, limit devices in the bedroom and make your room dark and cool. Stop watching television 30-60 minutes before bed time. And place your phone on a setting where you get emergency phone calls only during your designated sleep time.

These small steps will make a huge difference to improve your life and help you get the required amount of sleep.

healthy lifestyles walk more — Walking is the most underrated exercise to lose weight and improve your health. Take advantage of it!

4. Walk More to Improve Your Health

When you increase the amount of steps that you take in a day your health will improve. By staying active and constantly moving around both your mind and body will begin to feel better.

It may seem simple, but this is an easy trick to lose weight and to live a healthy lifestyle. The goal for average adult is to walk 10,000 steps a day.

While on the surface this might seem difficult, it doesn’t have to be. It is actually very easy to increase your step count by implementing a few simple changes in your day.

Instead of sitting on the couch when you talk to someone on the phone, stand up and walk around. Skip the elevator next time and take a flight of stairs instead. And next time that you go to the grocery store, park further away so you get in extra steps walking to and from the entrance.

These simple tricks will allow you to live a healthier lifestyle by walking more. The steps will add up, your breathing will improve, and you may even find that you are beginning to lose weight.

Be as consistent as possible with hitting your step count and you will be amazed how fast your health improves.

Improve your health with a multivitamin — Once you have a solid diet and exercise routine down, it might be time to think about a multivitamin

5. Take a Multivitamin

One of the easiest ways to improve your health is to take a multivitamin every day. Although, before doing so check with your Physician to pick out the right multivitamin for you.

A multivitamin is like an insurance policy for your health. Although the value added from it may not be visible, it is important to keep your nutrients at a healthy balance.

There are a ton of different multivitamins available. In fact, you can find multivitamins for men, women, and ones that are sure to cover all your nutrients.

Packed with vitamin C, B12, iron, and a multitude of other vitamins, multivitamins can help you get everything you need.

If you are worried about forgetting to take a multivitamin every day, put the bottle in a place where it is easy to remember. If you drink that 1 cup of coffee a day, put the bottle next to your coffee pot. Or put it next to your toothbrush or near your cell phone charger.

Pair taking a multivitamin with the other tips in this article and you will be sure to be on your way to a healthy lifestyle!

How Stoicism Can Change Your Life – Control What You Can Control And Be Happy!

You may have never heard of stoicism, but if you learn and implement this philosophy, it can change your life. Stoicism teaches you to control what you can control and helps you develop a positive mindset.

Every one of us is striving to be happy. While there are many things you can do every day to help promote a state of happiness, one of the most important thing you should do is learn the philosophy of stoicism and apply it in your life.

This practice develops a mindset focused on happiness, values, and a positive growth mindset. And who couldn’t use that?

stoicism in practice — Through Stoicism and constant practice, you can become better

What is Stoicism?

Stoicism is an ancient philosophy formed in the early third century BC. While this philosophy has been around for a long time, it has recently gained popularity among the most successful people.

The ancient Stoics such as Zeno, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Epictetus have teachings that have been around for centuries. Furthermore, these ideas and practices were passed on through generations.

Any time an idea or philosophy withstands the test of time, you know that it has some sort of merit. Stoicism is no exception.

The basic tenant of stoicism boils down to a simple phrase: “control what you can control”. The stoics believed that the only things you should focus on are those that are within your control.

stoic philosophy — This quote by Seneca is a great example of Stoic philosophy.

There are many things in life that we have no control over. For example, bad traffic, stock market crashes, wars, and natural disasters are things that are not in our control.

As much as we would love to control these things we have no power over them. Since we have no power over them, we should not put valuable time or effort into trying to change them.

When you focus on what is within your circle of control you unleash a freedom that you have never felt before.

Try it for a day! Try only focusing on what you can control for one single day and notice the difference in how you feel.

You will quickly notice the power of stoicism in your both your daily outlook and overall attitude.

Why Does Controlling Your Mindset Matter?

Your mindset controls everything about you. The power of positivity is real. And if you want to accomplish your goals in life you need to control your mindset.

How many times have you become upset about something that was outside of your control? How many hours have you spent worrying and trying to change things that will never change?

Unfortunately, time is wasted. You will never get this time back, and it could’ve been used for something productive.

control your mindset — Mindset matters! Make sure you control yours.

Through the power of stoicism, you could have refocused on what you can control and doubled down on that.

Stoicism focuses on your attitude, your beliefs, and helping you be present in the moment. These are things we all struggle with.

In our day-to-day lives time seems to fly by. We get up, go to work, come home, and do it all over again.

This endless cycle can wear on you. But you can stop this!

Take back your time by focusing on what you can control. Although there are some things that you can’t control at work, focus your energy on the areas that you can control to become happier within your job.

Want to see a huge difference in a short amount of time? Focus on the positive impacts that this mindset can have on your personal relationships. Control what you can control and focus on being happy in all aspects of life.

Stoicism teaches you that if you are not getting the results that you want, you can make the change and fix it. It puts you in the driver seat for making decisions and empowers you in your own life.

How to Practice Stoicism?

Putting Stoicism into practice isn’t as difficult as what you would think. Start by taking time to write down the things that you can control, and then write down the things that you cannot control.

This is a great first step to practicing Stoicism. Once you have recognized what is within your control and what is out of your control you can now focus on putting effort into those things that you can have influence over.

The next time something comes up that is outside of your control don’t let it bother you. Don’t read more into it, don’t focus on it, and do not let it consume your time.

When you are no longer focusing on things that are outside of your control, you have time to focus on the things that matter.

Another great way to practice Stoicism is to read about it. The best expert in this space is Ryan Holiday.

His books such as The Daily Stoic, Ego is the Enemy, and The Obstacle is the Way are phenomenal resources to get you started.

Furthermore, these books dive into reflections and quotes from the original Stoics. Read these books and they will help you understand Stoicism and how to put it into practice.

Time to Practice!

Now is the time for you to practice. When you put the practice of Stoicism in place you will notice the positive results.

If you want to learn more details about the philosophy be sure to do more investigation and read more about the ancient practice. In the mean time, focus on what you can control and you will be shocked at the increased level of peace that you feel.

This is your first step towards a journey that will truly change your life if you let it. Focus on the virtues that stoicism teaches – wisdom, courage, justice and self-discipline and you will be a better person.

By focusing on what is good and doing what is right you will then have a clear conscience to tackle whatever you want in life.

You become a person of virtue. A person who is content with what they have even when striving to reach the next level.

You’ve got this! Become the best version of you!

No Phones Rule At The Dinner Table – How to Bring Back Family Time

Post author By LSNstaffwriter
Post date March 6, 2022
Categories In Life Tips

We all live in a technology filled world and there is no way of escaping it. However, it is important to implement a no phones rule at the dinner table to focus on your family and what is going on right in your own home.

You are probably thinking to yourself that it sounds crazy to have a no phones rule. And I have to admit, for many of us it is hard to get off social media and put down the phone any time of the day.

However, on the other hand, many family relationships are truly suffering because of this. Without quality time spent bonding as a family it is impossible to create the important connections needed in a family unit.

Fortunately, by implementing this rule at the dinner table you can take one important step towards getting closer to creating this irreplaceable bond.

Having a no phones rule will help bring back the family bond!

The Power of the Dinner Table

In an era where we try to maximize every minute we have, it can be difficult to find time to actually sit down and enjoy the simple things in life.

For many people who grew up in the ’70s and ’80s there was a true purpose behind the dinner table. The dinner table was the one time during the day that brought the entire family together.

As we have gotten busier and our lives have been infiltrated by technology, this tradition is slowly dying.

And that makes it more difficult to connect with our families. Think about the last time you actually sat down with your family and ate a meal together without someone being on their phone or tablet.

Can you even think of the last time? Hopefully you can, but many times Thanksgiving is the only occasion that everyone can get together to eat and celebrate without any technology, at least during the meal itself.

And this one day a year meal creates a yearning inside us for that true connection on a daily basis. And as simple as it is, the dinner table is the one place that can bring us together.

no technology — Great food brings people together. However, with phones interrupting, it can be difficult.

The dinner table is where memories are made, stories are shared, and the family bond grows strong.

It is the place of great food, laughs, and sometimes even tears. However, this deep connection cannot take place if everybody is preoccupied by being on their phone.

When each member of the family unit is looking at a device during dinner, these precious memories don’t happen. The stories don’t get shared and the laughs don’t take place.

So how can we solve this?

Implement a No Phone Rule

By implementing a simple rule you can bring back the laughs. You can bring back the memories and bring your family together.

The “no phone at the dinner table” rule is a simple fix to deepen the connection with your family. The rule is simple. For the 30-90 minutes the family is at the dinner table, nobody can bring out a device.

No cell phones, no tablets, and no computers. When you limit devices at the dinner table you are setting an environment that helps promote connection within the family.

Technology has its time and place, but the dinner table is not one of them. The dinner table is a sacred place – not one for technology.

It is a place of love and laughter, not social media and text messages. The dinner table is a time and a place to be present in the moment. It is a place where you can truly bond with those who you love most.

This can only happen if you eliminate devices. There can be no wavering in this rule and the only exception is for emergencies. However we all know that this is easier said than done.

set the phone down — Set the example for your family by setting the phone down

How to Implement the Rule

However, making this change might be difficult. Many of us bring our devices to the dinner table without even thinking twice about it.

As we are shoveling food into our mouths, we often use our other hand to scroll through social media aimlessly. We do not open our eyes or ears to what is right in front of us, and therefore cannot see or hear what we are missing.

So this rule must be implemented to improve the connection between your family members. But how do you do this?

The Implementation Process

Start by bringing everybody in the family together. Explain why you want to implement the rule and ask for family members to buy in. This would be the optimal way for it to happen, without any resistance.

However, most parents probably realize that this might be an uphill battle. Implementing the no phones rule most likely will need to take a bit of directness.

The second way you can do this is by being very blunt. Every single time somebody brings out their phone, you make them put it away. While this method will work in the short term, it can cause some conflict.

You have to be adamant. However, this can be exhausting and lead to frustration. However, don’t worry, there is another way that can be extremely effective!

Lead By Example

When it comes time for dinner pull out a basket or designate an area away from the table where you will lead by example and put away your phone.

basket no phones or technology — By laying out a basket during dinner time, you can eliminate phones at the dinner table.

Place your device in the designated area and simply sit down at the dinner table. You will notice that the first couple of times that you do this nobody will even notice.

However, if you do this every single night, family members will being to see the change. They will notice that you are interacting and bringing up more conversation at the table.

They will eventually notice how you are not on your phone and hopefully they will follow suit. If not, start in small increments and insisting the no phones rule one day a week.

It makes most sense that the first day to implement this new family process is on Sundays. No phones at the dinner table for your Sunday supper.

Then give it a week or two, and implement another day. Keep working until you have developed a rule that works for your family. Even one or two days a week is better than none.

The No Phones Rule Creates Results

When you eliminate technology from your dinner table, you will see the results. Furthermore, your entire family will benefit.

Your conversations will be more meaningful, you will find yourself actually enjoying dinner together, and you will want to keep coming back.

Additionally, you will notice your family connection deepens. As a result of the no phone rule, you will become a stronger family unit.

Trust begins to grow and your love for one another deepens. And you only have a limited amount of time in life to achieve this.

However, you have to stick to the rule in order for it to work. You have to set the example and you cannot waiver.

By staying consistent and keeping technology away from the dinner table you will see results. You’ll see how your family adjust to this and how much they will actually enjoy dinner time spent as a family.

Finally, you will set the example for other families. Because you have implemented the no phone rule, others will take notice. They will notice how tight your family is and how much better dinner is because of it.