Max Your Productivity With This Simple Process

You’re reading Max Your Productivity With This Simple Process, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Do you begin your day by yelling at yourself because you don’t think you accomplished anything yesterday, so you BETTER double down today?

Verbally assaulting yourself before the day’s already begun isn’t much fun, is it?

In fact, if you’re like me, if you hear that inner voice coming to get you, self-fulfilling prophecy is the likely result.

I wish I had a nickel for every piece of the comfort food du jour that I pop in my mouth while watching some mindless tv show as my way of saying, “Nyah, nyah.” to my impatient self.

It’s a great way to tune out that voice.

It’s not a great way to be more productive.

What’s Missing from this Picture?

Unfortunately, several key elements.

Here’s the good news.

1) We’ve all been there.
2) Mental and emotional aids can stop this destructive pattern.

What are those factors?

Let me count the ways. Count them, acknowledge them, and use them, and together, we can make compassion toward self, concentration, and consistency the keys to your feel-good castle, a castle you can construct right now.

Compassion

You wouldn’t treat anyone else with such impatience and intolerance, would you?

Of course not.

Imagine starting the day of your spouse, kid, or employee with the words, “You didn’t accomplish anything yesterday, so you better today!”

Okay, you get it. Not the best idea.

What do you do about it?

First, do no harm.

This is a new day. If you didn’t get everything done yesterday that you intended to, simply let that go.

Since it’s a new day, why not imagine a positive one?

Concentration

Up above, I mentioned concentration.

Here’s how you get some.

Going Hunting? Arm Your Reticular Brain

Your reticular brain is that part of your mind that focuses on something because it is preprogramed or “primed” to do so.

For example, let’s say you just bought a bright blue Toyota Prius. All of a sudden, you are going to notice every single bright blue Toyota Prius you see, simply because your mind is “armed” to “hunt” for one.

Imagine you have four things you want to do on this particular day.

You send yourself an email congratulating yourself for completing those things before you start them, being as specific as possible about how you did it.

Now, you’ve armed yourself:

You’ve actually told yourself you’ve already finished them, and, as a result, you’ve heightened your focus and concentration around completing those specific tasks.
If you’ve never experienced that kind of “priming”, it’s a very exciting feeling, a confident rush that allows nothing to get in the way of completion of “primed” tasks.

Consistency

The Ultimate Satisfaction: Retrospective that Sets up a Terrific Tomorrow

1-Okay, you’ve allowed yourself a clean slate.
2-You’ve “primed” your mind for maximum focus and creativity.

Now, as this productive day winds down, it’s time for a look back to “close” the experience, to “own” the first of what should be a string of extremely productive days.

Before you enjoy your well-earned relaxation, sit down and write down EVERYthing you accomplished, not just the four tasks you primed for, but all the little things that made the day so great, including staying hydrated, eating well, exercising, being kind to all you come in contact with, doing the things you need to as a loyal family member or friend, all of it.

Make sure you keep this as a productivity diary, put the date at the top of the page.

Now, some days despite all the compassion and priming, you won’t get everything done that you intend.

Could be because stuff happens.

Could be because you get greedy, and you expect too much of yourself because you are feeling increasingly confident, and that little critical voice in you finds a new game to play, heaping unrealistic expectations on you.

Could be, that the negative voice, in addition to heaping unrealistic expectations on you also begins to resume helping you disqualify things that you do, taking yourself and your actions for granted.

Don’t let that happen.

While not every day will go as planned, you can still do the diary step.

GIVE YOURSELF CREDIT FOR EVERYTHING YOU CAN POSSIBLY LIST, NO MATTER HOW SMALL.

That’s the way to shut out the negativity and unrealistic expectations that got you in trouble in the first place.

But here’s the most important thing.

You have to be grateful as you look back. You have to thank yourself, and the divine, the universe, whatever power greater than yourself you wish to acknowledge and thank for what you’ve accomplished.

Because that gratitude is signaling that you appreciate your day and whatever came with it.

Gratitude is the most significant part of the process, because it is the most important ingredient to finding and maintaining the compassion toward self that this post started you out on.

As an example of practicing what I preach, I have a choice right now as this day draws toward a close. I could be thankful and content, for, if nothing else, writing this blog post which I am happy about and am grateful for, a post that could possibly help a lot of people.

Or I could reproach myself for not doing a number of other things.

But I won’t.

Don’t you do it, either.

Make each day a virtuous circle, from doing no harm, to productivity, to the gratitude that makes the next day’s self-compassion possible.

Repeat. 

Go forth, do good work, be grateful for it, and, as a result, be the generous person you wish to be, to yourself and everyone else. (bold)

Good luck. 


Lars Nielsen writes full-spectrum communication, and now’s your chance to sign up for his newsletter for his website, Make Message Matter. Go to http://ift.tt/2lJ3kCR and, download his free guide to messaging, “How to Make YOUR Message Matter Cheat Sheet”.

You’ve read Max Your Productivity With This Simple Process, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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Max Your Productivity With This Simple Process

You’re reading Max Your Productivity With This Simple Process, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Do you begin your day by yelling at yourself because you don’t think you accomplished anything yesterday, so you BETTER double down today?

Verbally assaulting yourself before the day’s already begun isn’t much fun, is it?

In fact, if you’re like me, if you hear that inner voice coming to get you, self-fulfilling prophecy is the likely result.

I wish I had a nickel for every piece of the comfort food du jour that I pop in my mouth while watching some mindless tv show as my way of saying, “Nyah, nyah.” to my impatient self.

It’s a great way to tune out that voice.

It’s not a great way to be more productive.

What’s Missing from this Picture?

Unfortunately, several key elements.

Here’s the good news.

1) We’ve all been there.
2) Mental and emotional aids can stop this destructive pattern.

What are those factors?

Let me count the ways. Count them, acknowledge them, and use them, and together, we can make compassion toward self, concentration, and consistency the keys to your feel-good castle, a castle you can construct right now.

Compassion

You wouldn’t treat anyone else with such impatience and intolerance, would you?

Of course not.

Imagine starting the day of your spouse, kid, or employee with the words, “You didn’t accomplish anything yesterday, so you better today!”

Okay, you get it. Not the best idea.

What do you do about it?

First, do no harm.

This is a new day. If you didn’t get everything done yesterday that you intended to, simply let that go.

Since it’s a new day, why not imagine a positive one?

Concentration

Up above, I mentioned concentration.

Here’s how you get some.

Going Hunting? Arm Your Reticular Brain

Your reticular brain is that part of your mind that focuses on something because it is preprogramed or “primed” to do so.

For example, let’s say you just bought a bright blue Toyota Prius. All of a sudden, you are going to notice every single bright blue Toyota Prius you see, simply because your mind is “armed” to “hunt” for one.

Imagine you have four things you want to do on this particular day.

You send yourself an email congratulating yourself for completing those things before you start them, being as specific as possible about how you did it.

Now, you’ve armed yourself:

You’ve actually told yourself you’ve already finished them, and, as a result, you’ve heightened your focus and concentration around completing those specific tasks.
If you’ve never experienced that kind of “priming”, it’s a very exciting feeling, a confident rush that allows nothing to get in the way of completion of “primed” tasks.

Consistency

The Ultimate Satisfaction: Retrospective that Sets up a Terrific Tomorrow

1-Okay, you’ve allowed yourself a clean slate.
2-You’ve “primed” your mind for maximum focus and creativity.

Now, as this productive day winds down, it’s time for a look back to “close” the experience, to “own” the first of what should be a string of extremely productive days.

Before you enjoy your well-earned relaxation, sit down and write down EVERYthing you accomplished, not just the four tasks you primed for, but all the little things that made the day so great, including staying hydrated, eating well, exercising, being kind to all you come in contact with, doing the things you need to as a loyal family member or friend, all of it.

Make sure you keep this as a productivity diary, put the date at the top of the page.

Now, some days despite all the compassion and priming, you won’t get everything done that you intend.

Could be because stuff happens.

Could be because you get greedy, and you expect too much of yourself because you are feeling increasingly confident, and that little critical voice in you finds a new game to play, heaping unrealistic expectations on you.

Could be, that the negative voice, in addition to heaping unrealistic expectations on you also begins to resume helping you disqualify things that you do, taking yourself and your actions for granted.

Don’t let that happen.

While not every day will go as planned, you can still do the diary step.

GIVE YOURSELF CREDIT FOR EVERYTHING YOU CAN POSSIBLY LIST, NO MATTER HOW SMALL.

That’s the way to shut out the negativity and unrealistic expectations that got you in trouble in the first place.

But here’s the most important thing.

You have to be grateful as you look back. You have to thank yourself, and the divine, the universe, whatever power greater than yourself you wish to acknowledge and thank for what you’ve accomplished.

Because that gratitude is signaling that you appreciate your day and whatever came with it.

Gratitude is the most significant part of the process, because it is the most important ingredient to finding and maintaining the compassion toward self that this post started you out on.

As an example of practicing what I preach, I have a choice right now as this day draws toward a close. I could be thankful and content, for, if nothing else, writing this blog post which I am happy about and am grateful for, a post that could possibly help a lot of people.

Or I could reproach myself for not doing a number of other things.

But I won’t.

Don’t you do it, either.

Make each day a virtuous circle, from doing no harm, to productivity, to the gratitude that makes the next day’s self-compassion possible.

Repeat. 

Go forth, do good work, be grateful for it, and, as a result, be the generous person you wish to be, to yourself and everyone else. (bold)

Good luck. 


Lars Nielsen writes full-spectrum communication, and now’s your chance to sign up for his newsletter for his website, Make Message Matter. Go to http://ift.tt/2lJ3kCR and, download his free guide to messaging, “How to Make YOUR Message Matter Cheat Sheet”.

You’ve read Max Your Productivity With This Simple Process, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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May 11th

As a lamp, a cataract, a star in space
an illusion, a dewdrop, a bubble
a dream, a cloud, a flash of lightning
view all created things like this.

Red Pine

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5 Clear Cut Signs That It’s Time For New Friends

You’re reading 5 Clear Cut Signs That It’s Time For New Friends, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

“If you’re the smartest person in your group, then you need a new group” ~ Les Brown

Have you ever spent a weekend with friends only to leave with that deep empty feeling inside?

Where you were once best of buddies, now it seems like you’re strangers.

Are you at the butt end of every joke, prank, and sarcastic comment?

It’s not personal (even it if feels like it), you’ve simply changed and grown apart.

Changes

One of the problems is that as humans we don’t like change.

Change challenges what we know and causes us to become nervous and defensive.

So when you appear different to your group, it suddenly feels like you’re on your own walking the plank.

Mutiny!

Find a new circle

Instead of clinging on reasoning that you’ve known each other since you were kids, or that you all went to college together, it’s time to bite the bullet and find a new ship.

We all have a deep longing for embrace and acceptance. We want to be liked. But when the pack turns on you, you need to turn your back on the pack.

Sticking with old friends who don’t care for you like they once did, is a sure fire way to fall into depression, desperate for a connection that is long lost.

Instead of trying to save a sinking ship, it’s time to step out of your comfort zone and explore new avenues and relationships.

Look for these 5 telltale signs to see if it’s time you found a new group of friends.

1. You do all the legwork

Do you organize everything? Are you regularly inventing original and diverse ways to spend time?

When someone needs to take the lead, are you always the one to step up?

Are you continuously planning everything, organizing every trip or night out? If you are then it’s time for balance.

There is no I in Team

I cannot recall how many times I have arranged kick ass trips, events, and parties only for my friends to turn up, enjoy the pie, and then go home leaving me to clean up the mess.

Organization is a team effort. If you always do the heavy lifting, you’ll be left with a heavy heart that feels bitter and under appreciated.

If your friends are not taking the initiative to participate then it’s time to look for people who will.

Cut out the crap

A lion does not bother himself with sheep!

When there are people in your circle who aren’t pulling their weight, cut them loose and move on.

It sounds harsh but your head and your heart will thank you for it.

2. They keep letting you down

Have you ever built up a sweat in a bid to arrive on time only to watch a friend casually waltz down the road without a care in the world?

Frustrating isn’t it?

You’ve broken the 4-minute mile while your buddy thinks being late like Axel Rose is cool. This isn’t a Paris Hilton party!

What time is it Mr Wolf?

In Colombia, I made friends with a girl who kept turning up late to a workshop.

The girl didn’t think twice about being late every day until I asked her if she could arrive at the time scheduled instead of 20 minutes later.

Noticing that she was disturbing the group she promised that she would be on time and cleverly said:

“Don’t worry, I’ll be here tomorrow on English time.”

To which I replied:

“It’s not English time, it’s the TIME!”

Do you have any friends like this? People who think time stops for them?

The art of responding

Friends who ignore emails, or “forget” to return phone calls are making a strong statement.

Simply put, they don’t care enough about you to be reliable.

You hear excuse after excuse as you wait around like a lemon as if you don’t have better things to do.

Everyone is late occasionally.

We all forget to reply once in awhile.

But if you are the kind of person who goes the extra mile for your friends while that effort goes under the radar, then it’s time to look for people who actually value and respect you.

No time to hit reply, time to say goodbye!

3. You have different interests

At University I naturally became friends with the guys I shared dorms with. One of their big interests was soccer. I wasn’t the biggest soccer fan but wanted to fit in.

Several years, and hundreds of hours later, I realized that I was spending time doing something that wasn’t really me.

Sound familiar?

Are you really having fun?

The final straw came when we went on a month long road trip around Europe following the England soccer team as they played in the European Finals.

Although the trip was fun, I came back empty.

Realizing that we shared completely different interests was a pivotal moment.

There was nothing wrong with their interests, each to their own, but they weren’t mine.

Find a balance

If we all liked the same things life would be pretty mundane.

Sometimes you need to recognize and accept that your interests are wildly different from your friends.

When you notice that your friends love to stay in playing video games, and you love going out dancing, instead of forcing yourself to do the things you don’t enjoy, throw in the towel.

It’s not personal, there’s nothing wrong with videos games, but if their idea of fun is closing the curtains and playing Battlefield, whereas you get your rocks off by soaking up the sun, then it’s time to wave the white flag.

That being said, having different hobbies is fine. We aren’t clones, so look for balance.

Make your relationships a two-way thing.

4. It’s always about them

Recently I came back from a 2-year traveling odyssey around Intercontinental America. As you can imagine, it was the trip of a lifetime.

You might think that when I returned home, my friends would be desperate to know about the adventure.

Some were super interested, others, well, they just wanted to talk about their day at work.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m interested in what they’ve been up to, but what about their interest in what I’ve been up to?

Deflated

How much interest your friends have in your life is a telling sign about how much they actually care about you.

Have you ever been bursting with excitement over a new job, car, or partner, desperate to celebrate the joy only for it to get brushed under the carpet?

Don’t take it to heart, it’s simply that your friends aren’t so invested in you. They are invested in themselves!

All take and no give

In ‘How To Win Friends And Influence People’ author Dale Carnegie explains that if you want to make someone feel good, ask questions about ‘their’ life.

Let’s say you are at a BBQ and you are talking to a stranger. Eventually, you notice that unless you ask a question, they stare into oblivion. They have nothing to say unless you do the probing.

It wouldn’t be long before you moved on, right?

We need to adopt this approach with our friends and consider finding ones who offer a bit of give as well as take.

You’ll feel a happier and stronger connection if you spend time with people who show an interest in your life.

5. They don’t support you

A few years ago I moved to London and hooked up with a new girl. I thought she was awesome and was keen for my friends to meet her.

Instead of welcoming her into the group, they showed little support or desire to make a connection. It’s possible that they felt threatened, but if they really cared they would have welcomed her with open arms.

Plenty of other pals have formed a great friendship with my girlfriend, but for others, they weren’t open to the new relationship.

Don’t be blue about new

Have any of your friends rejected something or someone new you’ve brought to the table?

Maybe you bought a summer dress and instead of compliments, you received sniggers.

Or maybe you suggested trying a new restaurant only for it to fall on deaf ears.

Good friends are willing to try new things and will support you with new ventures.

If you come out and tell your friends that you’re gay, they might be surprised, but they’ll stick by you.

Or they’ll show their true colors!

Yes man

Be careful though, don’t make the mistake of wanting your friends to be “Yes” people.

True friends won’t be afraid to disagree with you, but they’ll do it in a thoughtful way with only your best interests at heart.

When you have a new idea, make a big change, or do something out of the ordinary, look for friends who have your back, not ones who laugh behind it.

Let them go

Letting go of your friends can be a painful yet often necessary process.

If you want to grow, expand, and develop meaningful relationships, sometimes you need to make space and jump out of your comfort zone.

Make a decision to connect with like-minded people who support your goals and participate in your interests.

You won’t find too many like-minded individuals at a rave if crowded places and loud noises make you anxious.

The trick is to get out there and do the things you love by surrounding yourself with people who are already doing it.

Join a meetup or local course filled with people doing the things that interest you.

You’re different and it’s OK

Remember, it’s not about cutting everyone out of your life. It’s not about getting angry and falling out with your old friends.

Accept that you have different desires and dreams. If it seems like you are aliens, take another path.

You aren’t better or worse, you’re just different.

One in a million

Finally, acknowledge the precious few friends who support, contribute, and stick by you.

Work on developing the friendship and be open and honest with each other.

Friends come and go through life, but the ones worth keeping are like looking for glass needles in a haystack – you’ll need to put in some real effort to find them.

The payoff will be a lifetime of laughter, adventure, and support with true friends who love you.

You’ve read 5 Clear Cut Signs That It’s Time For New Friends, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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May 10th

And as you walk yr road, as you live yr life, RELISH THE ROAD. And relish the fact that the road of yr life will probably be a windy road.

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The Enemies of Sleep – Avoid These 5 Foods to Sleep Better

You’re reading The Enemies of Sleep – Avoid These 5 Foods to Sleep Better, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Can’t capture that elusive eight hours of sleep?  Waking up in the middle of the night restless?  It may be what you’re eating during the day that is stopping you.  Here are seven things that may be robbing you of the sleep you need.  And sleep is crucial for your well-being.

  1.  Caffeine.  This may be a no-brainer, but many are surprised by how soon they should stop drinking caffeinated beverages.  It is suggested that you stop after lunch if you want to get a good night’s rest.  Also, keep in mind that foods like chocolate also contain caffeine.
  2. High Fat Foods.  These have been linked to poor quality of sleep. Fat triggers the build up of stomach acids that, when lying down, can cause uncomfortable acid reflux. A high fat diet also interferes with the production of orexin, one of the neurotransmitters that helps regulate your sleep/wake cycle along with melatonin.
  3. Water.  If you want to avoid middle-of-the night bathroom trips, it is good to refrain from drinking too much water late at night.  Keep in mind that some foods like watermelon, tea, parsley and even decaffeinated coffee contain diuretics that push more water through your system as well.
  4. Alcohol. Alcohol may help you to fall asleep faster but you are most likely to wake in the middle of the night unable to go back to sleep.  It also interferes with REM sleep, the restorative part of the sleep cycle.  This can cause you to wake feeling as if you haven’t rested at all.  Aim for one glass of wine with dinner, several hours before you go to bed.  Moderation will save your sleep quality.
  5. Spicy Foods. Some like it hot – but it isn’t good for sleep.  Spicy foods eaten close to bedtime are surefire way to suffer from heartburn when you lay down.  Stomach acids can creep up into the esophagus when you are in a prone position, which can lead to painful discomfort during sleep.  If you like spicy, eat it for lunch so your stomach has time to settle.

If you have avoided all these on my list and are still struggling to get a good night’s sleep, it may be time to look at what you are sleeping on.  Sometimes simply upgrading your mattress (say, adding a tempurpedic topper) or getting a new one when your mattress is old will help a lot.  If you have tried everything, you may be suffering from a sleep disorder.  Contact your local sleep clinic for a possible sleep study.  Sleep is crucial to our well-being and sometimes professional help may be needed.

You’ve read The Enemies of Sleep – Avoid These 5 Foods to Sleep Better, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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The Magic of Being Held By the World

By Leo Babauta

Right now, as you read this article, you are being held up by an invisible, magic web.

Consider the following, with gratitude in your heart:

You are reading an article written for you by me, sent across the Internet thanks to the work of thousands and thousands of engineers and power workers and workers in computer factories, using a computer device produced by thousands of people around the world.

You are alive because you ate food and drink produced and delivered and served by thousands of people. You have shelter built by thousands of people (when you consider the manufacturing process), powered by a power system where thousands of people work every day, with water coming to you produced by thousands of people, cable (or Internet) entertainment streamed to you that was produced by millions of people. Your furniture, clothes, appliances, car, roads, work buildings, city were all built by millions of people.

When you were born, you were incapable of living without the support of your family, who fed, clothed, sheltered you, changed your diapers, kept you alive every single day. They were supported by many others, and then you were educated by many more. You were raised by a village, no matter what your childhood was like.

Your entire existence has been supported by millions of people, for your whole life, including right now.

And it’s not just your physical existence: your thoughts have been influenced by writers, pundits, TV shows, films, music, educators, friends and family, the work you do with others, politicians and government, philosophers and religious figures, the environment you live in. What you think and who you are is not something you just invented, it has been created by everyone and everything around you.

You have been co-created by every other human being alive, by the entire world. And your actions have co-created those around you as well.

You are held up by an invisible, magic web of human lives and thought, of food and shelter and electricity and devices, of human creation and nature and the cosmos around you.

We co-create each other, every moment. And we take it all for granted.

The only reasonable response to this realization is gratitude. Applause. Joy.

We are all connected, and our actions matter. How can you co-create the world around you today? What loving action can you take right now, to care for others around you, to make their lives better? What can you do to appreciate and show gratitude for those who have supported you?

Fill your heart with love for those who have created you, and fill their lives with your love so you can create something amazing for them.

My 44 Training Program

I just wanted to remind you of my free training program, that you can still sign up for:

The 44 Training Program: Turning Uncertainty & Discomfort into Mindful Openness

Again, it lasts 44 days, is entirely free, comes with a dozen videos I’ve created for you, and is my gift to you.

It’s about training in mindfulness, uncertainty and discomfort to create joy, gratitude and openness in your life. I hope you check it out.

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May 9th

Do you believe in fairies?…If you believe, clap your hands!

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3 Steps to Suppress Adrenaline and Stay Calm

You’re reading 3 Steps to Suppress Adrenaline and Stay Calm, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Picture a shy guy. This guy does not like speaking out loud, especially if there are a lot of people around. So, if this guy were to speak before a large group of people he would probably feel really frightened, resulting in high levels of stress, his heart rate rising and so on.

Adrenaline, better known as the fight-or-flight hormone, is what causes these physiological symptoms to occur during times of stress, and happens naturally to prepare your body to deal with danger or unexpected situations. In addition to this, adrenaline boosts your awareness, and heightens your energy-levels to a great extent, resulting in restlessness and stress.

You have probably stumbled upon a feeling like this before, and if you have, you know how uncomfortable it is. Indeed, adrenaline might ruin your performance. Therefore, theoretically, if you learn to control your adrenaline, you will be able to deal with such situations much easier, and consequently achieve better results at any field of your life.

Although this might sound hard, it is actually quite easy to do. I have listed for you below, 3 simple steps to instantly achieve control of your adrenaline levels. Implement them to your lifestyle, and become more calm in an instant.

  1. Practice Relaxation Techniques

There are several relaxation techniques specifically developed to decrease levels of stress. Most of which are based on handling the common symptoms of adrenaline. These techniques are simple, easy to learn and very effective. What is more, they are designed to work in an instant. Indeed, when these techniques are perfected (which is easy) you can reach a state of relaxation in any situation.

All this taken in consideration, these exercises are great for lowering stress, which is why I have listed below my top 3 relaxation techniques and how to perform them.

A. Breathe Deeply

In times of stress it is favourable to take a quick break and start breathing slowly.

Breath through your nose and let the air fill your abdomen. Truly feel the air rushing through your body while you focus on keeping a consistent tempo. However, don’t think too much about how long your inhale or exhale should be, as this might distract you. Just focus on deep breathing.

Breathing like this stops the acute adrenaline shock by lowering your blood pressure and slowing down your heart rate.

B. Be Present

Stop what you are doing and take a moment to focus on everything that surrounds you. Pay attention to environmental details.

Follow all movements you notice closely.

Next, focus on how your body feels by paying attention to all of your senses. Take pleasure in everything around you and realize that you are just a small brick in this huge world. Reaching this state will make you feel a lot less tense.

C. Progressive muscle relaxation.

Slow down and take a moment to focus on the difference between relaxation and tension. Slowly tense and relax several muscle groups over and over again until you feel the stress leave your body.

This will help you focus on the physical sensations and make you pay less attention to the thoughts that stress you.

  1.         Divert Your Mind

This is a special way of diverting the secretion of adrenaline and is inspired from the practices of hypnotics. The way it works is a little complicated, but it has to do with tricking your subconsciousness so that you remain calm.

First thing you do is find an object that always seem to awake good memories. Something you used to play with in your childhood or a tool that helped you overcome tough times in your past. I for example, chose a glittering marble that I used to play around with whenever I was bored as a kid. The reason I chose this particular object is because it brings me a great deal of nostalgia, and for me that is a sweet and heartwarming feeling.

When you have found your heartwarming and emotionally loaded object, you may want to properly connect it to your memories. To do that you will have to play with or use the object just as you did in the past. As an example, let’s take my marble again. I would have to play around with it while bored once again to reinforce the connection I have with it and reawaken forgotten memories.

Until now you have connected a special object to a feeling. It is now time for you to put it into practice. What you do is take your object out with you out, and if a stressful situation occurs, be sure to hold it tight. Of course, If your chosen object is too big you won’t be able to hold it. In that case you will do fine by just thinking about it.

If this is done right you will find that you experience greater calm during stressful situations like a presentation or job interview.

  1.         Take Magnesium

This is not an “in the moment” method. However, it is the best way to prevent a sudden adrenaline boost from happening at all,  allowing you to keep your calm during stressful situations. Sadly, this is also one of the most underrated methods.

I am talking about taking magnesium as a supplement.

Magnesium has been proven to reduce your cortisol levels significantly (link to study: http://ift.tt/2mU4MBR ) ,  and we all know how bad cortisol is for the body. Besides adrenaline itself, cortisol is the absolute worst hormone to be overexposed to and will stress you out. Therefore, getting rid of any excess cortisol production will elevate how relaxed you feel.

What is more, when you produce less cortisol in stressful situations, it will also dampen the nerve wrecking symptoms of the actual adrenaline boost and thereby keep you calm.

Luckily, you can easily find magnesium supplements online or in a health store.

You’ve read 3 Steps to Suppress Adrenaline and Stay Calm, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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May 8th

O, ah! The awareness of emptiness brings forth a heart of compassion!

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