Category: Life Tips

Six Tips to Feed Your Focus

11/28/2020

2020 has been a stressful year for many. The strain, worry, and anxiety has had a long shelf life...nine months so far.

There has been considerable research conducted that shows when people are under extreme stress, their ability to focus intently and retain information is greatly reduced. Cognitive agility is also negatively impacted. When the stressors are drawn out, the resulting effects have a more substantial impact.

Of 300 U.S. employees surveyed about how they've been faring during the year, 40% stated that they feel much less productive than normal. And no wonder – there has been nothing normal about this year.

The human brain adapts and responds better to stress that is intermittent. The continual anxiety and pressure we’ve been experiencing keeps our brain on high alert for potential threats. This autonomic process uses significant mental and emotional resources that we would typically access for work or social situations. Basically, this enduring stress causes our concentration capacity to be diminished.

Time Magazine recently offered these six suggestions for boosting focus and increasing attention span.

Are You Among The 88% That Do This When You Wake Up?

10/24/2020

When you wake up every morning, what is the first thing that you do? If you are like most of us, you reach for your phone.

Research conducted by Deloitte in 2016 has shown that 88% of people check their phone within the first hour of waking up. 43% of us are scrolling through emails, news, and social media within five minutes of rising, and 76% of us within the first 30 minutes.

The issue with that is, how we begin our day sets the tone for our creativity, clarity, and productivity. And pretty much nothing on social media, or even in our inbox, sets us up for success.

In the morning, we are at the height of our emotional, mental, and physical potential. This time is best used by focusing our heightened potential toward accomplishing our top priorities.

When we check emails, we instantly place ourselves in a reactionary state, becoming overwhelmed at all of the things we must do. Frequently, these tasks are not aligned with our top priorities, derailing us from concentrating on what is important.

The Art of the Apology

8/22/2020

We are all human and we all make mistakes. Apologizing when we hurt someone else intentionally or unintentionally is a vital skill.

Apologizing is hard. Admitting we were wrong is hard. Taking responsibility for hurting someone else is hard. Being vulnerable is hard.

But it is also a powerful reconnector.

An article in MindTools discussed how a sincere and properly delivered apology can go a long way to healing and rebuilding relationships.

An honest apology is more than just words. It shows remorse and acknowledges that your actions caused someone else pain.

Living in Ease

6/27/2020

There is a difference between living an easy life and living in ease.

Easy means without problems or difficulty. A life devoid of adversity.

Living in ease is striking a balance between effort and the effortless. It is following the rhythmic flow of life. Living in ease is a choice rather than an unrealistic ideal.

We all experience challenging times, periods when we have to stand firm, overcome, work hard, push through. But even during these seasons, we can choose ease.

As humans, we often unconsciously seek out the most arduous path. Our ego thrives off external approval from others. We want to win. We want to be right. We want to impress.

There is nothing wrong with diligence, working hard, competing or having others express their appreciation of us. But when we always live in this place, we move away from our own authenticity and instead focus primarily on pleasing others. This ultimately leaves us feeling overworked, overwhelmed, stressed and unfulfilled.

Hugs

4/25/2020

You can't wrap love in a box, but you can wrap a person in a hug.

Social distancing. Two words that are now indelible parts of our nomenclature.

Although social separation is very important for all of us to engage in right now for the health of our nation, as social creatures, humans thrive on touch. Our emotional, mental and physical wellbeing is nourished when we connect with others. And hugs are one of the best ways to make us feel connected to someone else.

Studies show that adults and children alike need between three and five hugs a day. And now more than ever, those hugs are vital and mostly virtual.

The Importance of Silence

3/28/2020

Our days are filled with noise.

Talking. Television. Traffic. Alarms. Phones. Texts. Music. Sirens. Barking dogs. Loud noise. Background noise. We are so accustomed to noise that some of us even need the whir of a fan or a white noise machine to help us sleep.

Noise is all around us, all the time. So much so that when its truly quiet, it is almost unnerving.

There’s been much research around how loud noises are harmful to hearing as well as how noise serves to disrupt focus and productivity, decrease our ability to solve problems, and results in reduced recall in both adults and children.

But there are also studies that indicate just how vital silence is to our brains.

The Emotions of Procrastination

2/22/2020

We all know someone who is a master procrastinator, the person whose mantra should be, “I have not yet begun to procrastinate.” That someone might even be us.

The classic theory about people who frequently postpone projects, errands, or any variety of things is that they simply don’t have a grasp on managing their time.

But a new school of thought on procrastination is emerging.

Psychologists are discovering that putting things off is much more of an emotional response than a lack of managing time.

The things we avoid doing are ones that evoke negative emotions that we don’t want to feel.

Boredom
Fear of failure

Why Did the Coffee Spill?

1/25/2020

As we enter into a new year and a new decade, consider this analogy for what lies ahead.

You are holding a cup of coffee when someone bumps into you, causing the coffee to spill.

Why did the coffee spill?

Many of us would respond, “Because someone bumped into me.”

The answer is: Because there was coffee in your cup.

If there had been tea, water, milk, soda or any other liquid in the cup, that is what would have spilled out.

Whatever is inside the cup is what will overflow.

10 Things to Quit in 2020

12/21/2019

The New Year symbolizes a fresh start, with many people making resolutions. Often these are things like losing weight, getting fit or eating healthier. These are all great resolutions, but we wanted to pose ten other possibilities that can make an enormous impact on your wellbeing, relationships, career and overall happiness.

Here is a list of ten things to quit in the year ahead. Whether you pick one or work on all of them, these are resolutions that will make life so much better.

1. Trying to please everyone
2. Fearing change

Living in Limbo

10/19/2019

“Let go. You may not know what comes next but know that whatever it is…you will be okay.” -Unknown

Limbo is uncomfortable. It is that awkward state of “in between,” the place set smack in the middle of where you are and where you will be.

Whatever the reason for it, limbo finds all of us at various times in life. This in between state of being, especially if it lingers, can foster frustration, uncertainty, worry, stress, anxiety, fear, and a lack of fulfillment.

From limbo often sprout thoughts of, “What’s the point?” and “Why bother?” We put our life on hold in anticipation of the impending change whose occurrence and timeframe are ethereal.

When we are in limbo, opportunities go unclaimed.

Relationships go undiscovered or sometimes unnurtured.

Adventure and happiness may slip by.

All in anticipation of waiting for that something to happen “soon.”

We’ve all been there. And it can be hard to let go and know that whatever happens, we will be okay.

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