Saturday, July 14, 2007

How Happy Are You?

As seen on Oprah, psychologists claim it is possible to measure your happiness. This study was created by Ed Diener, a psychologist from the University of Illinois.

You may find this eye opening! I sure did!

To each of the 5 statements below, decide whether you agree or disagree using the following 1-7 scale:


1. Strongly disagree
2. Disagree
3. Slightly disagree
4. Neither agree nor disagree
5. Slightly agree
6. Agree
7. Strongly agree

And begin:
  • In most ways my life is close to ideal. ___
  • The conditions of my life are excellent. ___
  • I am satisfied with my life. ___
  • So far, I have gotten the important things I want in life. ___
  • If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing. ___

Total up your score, and your result will be out of 35.

Results:

If you scored between 31-35 you are considered extremely satisfied.
If you scored 15 or below, you are considered dissatisfied with your life.

So, how happy are YOU?

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Change of Shift


Now that I have the honour of having my humble little blog listed among the other student nurses and medical professionals of the renowned Emergiblog, I have to share the link love of advertising this week's Change of Shift, this time hosted at Nursing Jobs.org. Another great edition.
Every time I receive a notification that it has been updated, I will advertise it on my blog. Just click on the above Change of Shift Banner to go directly to the updated entry.
Change of Shift is still a little new to me yet, as I am a little behind on reading my subscribed blogs. I recommend checking it out, as it's a great way to get a snapshot of various nursing blogs and topics. Some are serious and informative, some will have you laughing until your sides hurt; still others will make you bawl like a baby (well, ok, maybe just I will bawl like a baby, and you will be inspired!) Some are regulars that you may recognize, yet frequently there are new bloggers sharing.

Perhaps next week I will attempt to get my feet wet and jump in with a submission....

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Time to lose weight again.....

Diet time again! I've been surprisingly motivated lately. February 3rd I will be turning 30, and I have decided that I want to live my 30's at my ideal weight. I want to be able to not have to worry every day about being self-conscious of my weight, constantly focus on every morsal of food that goes into my mouth, and just be healthier and have more energy, especially while trying to go to University and work full-time! Everyone I talk to says that around 30 is when they slowly started noticing changes in their body, indicating they are getting older. I've never been one to worry too much about my age, but for some reason, my approaching 30th birthday is scaring the hell out of me.

So a few months ago, I mentioned joining a swimming class (aquabics) and was just loving it! I had a blast! Unfortunately about a month ago I got super stressed out and even swimming didn't appeal to me any more and I stopped going. And that class was over as of the last week of June. But I just found another class starting up this week, across the city, but on Wednesday's it is at 1:00 so it is perfect! I still get to sleep in, can go for my swim, and then still have time to go home, shower and get ready for work! Timing is perfect. So will start that this week. There is also swimming on Tuesday's & Thursday's at 11:00 so I might occasionally go to those too, if I can get to bed before 4:30! Some days I am still wide awake at 6 am! It's getting so frustrating!

I've also been walking with a co-worker on all my coffee breaks and supper hours at work, which adds up to an hour a day. Unfortunately she is on holidays next week so will either have to find another walking partner, or find an hour in the day to make up for not walking at night. I would go by myself, except it is not the nicest neighborhood to be walking in, especially that late at night.

I've also started up my walking videos again. I have pretty much every DVD of Leslie Sansone's walking videos. She has the most annoying laugh and is a little too hyper for me some days, but I really do enjoy the workout. I've done them faithfully everyday for over a week now, except today, as it is SOOOOO hot outside, and I can't seem to cool the house off enough. So maybe tonight. One nice thing about the warmer weather is how it supresses my appetite! I am eating less so hope to start losing more weight soon.

One tool I use to track my progress is called Weight Commander. I have added a banner at the top of the page to link to the site (no worries - I don't get paid or get any bonus perks for recommending this site - it's just me sharing a site I really like!) There is a free online version, and a downloadable version for $9.99. I actually bought the downloadable version about 5 years ago and love it! I used it faithfully every day until my computer got struck by lightning. And I'm pretty cheap when it comes to buying programs online, considering how many freebies there are out there, but this is one time I gave in and bought a program, and have no regrets. The online version is very similar, but I just find the downloadable one a little easier to use with more features. I do recommend checking it out - if nothing else, try the online version. It's free! My mom uses the online version and really likes it.

I have calculated it out, that if I can lose 10 lbs/month every month until my birthday, I should reach my ideal weight by then. So think good thoughts for me :-)

Friday, July 06, 2007

Comparison of Beauty



I received some neat pictures recently from the late 1800's/early 1900's of the city I currently live in. I thought this was an amazing one:


Below is the modern day version of this same waterfall. Today it is not quite so majestic, but I still think it is beautiful.


Thursday, July 05, 2007

Online Nursing Degree Review (Sponsored Post)

About a month ago, I stumbled across this website that I thought looked interesting, and now have the opportunity to take a few minutes to blog about it. It is an American site, however the majority of the information is applicable to anyone interested in nursing.

If you are someone interested in becoming a nurse, take a few minutes and check out this site. You can probably read the whole site in about 15 minutes, as it gives clear and concise information, and covers all the basics, from types of nurses and programs, to pursuing that dream career of becoming a nurse. It also links out to other resource sites that you may find beneficial.

One aspect of the site is beneficial for those who are torn between taking the community college nursing program or the university program. I personally have many friends who are considering nursing who are going through this dilemma right now, as it is a common concern. Here in Canada, they have attempted to amalgamate the University and College degrees, yet you still have the option whether you want to take it through the college or the university. My personal decision was going the University route, but in my case I need to for the 3+ years University credits to apply for medical school. If you are not in the same position that I am, this site does help you weigh your options.

I actually found the Online Nursing Degree website to be quite informative, even as a nursing student. For current nursing students and nurses already practicing, you may find beneficial the link on Continuing Education which discusses the life-long learning aspect.

If you are at all interested in the field of nursing, whether already a nurse, a current nursing student or prospective student, or are just curious about the nursing field itself, I do recommend taking a few minutes and checking out the site (insert hyperlink) The best part, no annoying ads to skip past and sort through!

My Nursing Degree Online - Directory of online nursing degrees and certifications, job listings and nursing blog.