Take a moment to evaluate why you feel like you had a bad birthday: Did you want more attention from someone in particular? Was there an activity you were hoping to do but did not? Do birthdays always make you bummed? Understanding why you feel disappointed in particular will help you to address your bad mood. For some people, birthdays are a time when we worry so much about the big day before it happens that we experience the disappointment as though it has already occurred. Leading up to your birthday, consider whether you were: Focusing on what you were worried would not happen. If you were so worried about what gifts you would or wouldn't get, or whether or not someone special would call on your birthday, you have worked yourself up so much before your birthday even started. This type of thinking causes so much anxiety about birthday expectations that having any fun is an uphill battle. Looking forward to what could happen. Rather than worrying about what won't happen, this type of thinking is much more hopeful about all of the upcoming possibilities. Instead of looking towards the future with anxiety about what might not happen, you were looking forward to your birthday with feelings of excitement and anticipation. Birthday expectations, the anticipations for the day that often lead to a disappointing, bad birthday, typically fall into one of the following categories: Expectations of the birthday celebrations themselves. Because many of us expect birthdays to be a big deal, a full day when you are showered with gifts and attention, when this level of hype is not met, the overall feeling for the day is that it was a big letdown. We focus so much on what the birthday should be that we don't enjoy what it is. Expectations of where and what our life should be. Birthdays come once a year and are a prime time to reflect on the past year and consider the future. For some, this means coming to terms with the inaccuracy of the timeline of goals we devise for ourselves. These expectations are often harder to deal with, and can definitely sour a birthday.

Summary: Reflect on your disappointment. Assess whether or not you were anticipating disappointment. Consider what your expectations were.

Stress can exacerbate the symptoms of morning sickness, so meditating on a daily basis can help you to relax and let go of anxiety. Take some time to yourself, find a quiet space to sit, then close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Having some soothing music or water running in the background can help to create a calming and peaceful atmosphere. Pilates and yoga can also help you to relax and take your mind off things, while allowing you to get some gentle exercise as well. Acupressure wristbands are said to help relieve symptoms of nausea and vomiting and are often used to ward off seasickness. They work by stimulating an acupuncture spot located on the underside of the wrist. Some women claim that acupressure wristbands have helped to relieve their morning sickness, though there is no medical evidence to support this claim. Acupressure bands are relatively inexpensive and can be found at most drugstores. Studies have shown that acupuncture can help to significantly relieve morning sickness. Just do some research to ensure that your chosen acupuncturist has experience treating nausea in pregnant women. Hypnosis has been shown to help with symptoms of nausea resulting from chemotherapy, so it may be something that's worth a try if nothing else seems to be working.The term morning sickness is a misnomer, as pregnant women can experience nausea and vomiting at any time of the day. While there is no cure for morning sickness, there are a number of things that soon-to-be moms can do to help alleviate feelings of nausea. Remember that what works for one person may not work for another, it's a process of trial and error!

Summary: Meditate. Wear an acupressure band. Try acupuncture. Try hypnosis.

Take all measurements with the tape flat against your skin, but not compressing it: Look straight ahead and relax your shoulders without hunching. Place the tape flat around your neck, just below the larynx (Adam's apple). Keep the tape level, at the same height on the front and back of the neck. Round the measurement up to the nearest half inch. For example, if your neck measures 14.6 inches, round up to 15 inches. Guide the measuring tape around the circumference of the waist at the most narrow point, usually between the belly button and the sternum. If you're not sure where this is, measure at several points and use the smallest value: For best results, hang your arms at your sides while someone else measures. Breathe in and exhale normally. Record the abdomen measurement at the end of the breath. Round down to the nearest half inch. For example, your abdomen might measure 28 inches around. Women may carry more body fat around their hips compared to men. Including this measurement is important for an accurate estimate of female body fat: You can measure against your skin or over thin clothing. If you are wearing tight clothing that compresses your soft tissue, change into something else and wait 30 minutes. Wrap the measuring tape around the hips so that it winds around the widest part of the buttocks, as viewed from the side. Keep the tape parallel to the floor. Record this measurement, rounding down to the nearest half inch. An example of your hip measurement might be 32 inches. Take height into account, since a taller woman has larger measurements than a shorter woman with the same proportions: Stand straight against a wall or other flat surface. Pull your shoulders back, keep your head up, and look straight ahead. Place a ruler or straight edge against the top of your head. Hold it flat and mark the wall with a pencil. Measure from the floor up to the pencil mark on the wall. Record the result in inches. For example, if you are 5'5", write down 65 inches. To avoid rounding errors, enter the following equation on one line of a calculator: Female body fat% =163.205log(waist+hipneck)97.684log(height)78.387{\displaystyle 163.205\log(waist+hip-neck)-97.684\log(height)-78.387} For instance, entering the example measurements above:Body fat% =163.205log(28+3215)97.684log(65)78.387{\displaystyle 163.205\log(28+32-15)-97.684\log(65)-78.387}=163.205log(45)97.684log(65)78.387{\displaystyle =163.205\log(45)-97.684\log(65)-78.387}=14.33{\displaystyle =14.33}This woman has approximately 14.33% body fat. This formula uses log10{\displaystyle log_{10}}, the default log button on calculators. Use these guidelines as a starting point to determine whether you are at a healthy body fat percentage: A body fat percentage above 33% (if under 40 years old) may be considered overweight, while 39% or higher puts you in the highest risk category. A typical healthy woman has a body fat percentage between 21 and 33% (2334% if over age 40, or 2436% if over 60). Female athletes typically have a body fat of 1420%, varying by sport. Women typically carry about 10-12% of essential body fat. Falling below this can be dangerous.
Summary: Measure your neck. Measure your waist. Measure your hips. Measure your height. Enter your recorded data into the correct equation. Interpret your results.