You’re reading Living with ‘Lagom’: Swedish Moderation for a Longer, Healthier Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Wellness advice from The Nordic Guide to Living 10 Years Longer: 10 Easy Tips for a Happier, Healthier Life. 

One of our favorite expressions in Sweden is “Lagom is best.” “Lagom is a word that is hard to translate, but an attempt would be “just right”. “Lagom is best” hence means that having just the right amount of something—not too much, not too little—is perfect. This mentality of “everything in moderation” permeates Swedish culture, and can easily be applied when trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle. (I also think it offers a more sympathetic and forgiving way of making life changes than trying to go “all or nothing.”)

Take the health benefits of the sun, for example. The sun’s UVB rays give us the very important vitamin D. Spending 15 – 20 minutes a day in the sun is the perfect way to get the full dose of vitamin D your body needs to strengthen its immune system. We see evidence of this from a large Swedish study that followed 29,000 women over 20 years to compare their sunbathing habits as well as the prevalence of disease and mortality. It was found that the women who had avoided the sun the most suffered from diabetes and thrombus, and as a result their mortality rates were double that of those who were sunbathing. But we also know that exposing yourself to too much sun provides only two things: wrinkles and the risk of developing skin cancer. So a little sun (in moderation) can go a long way!

Coffee drinking offers another example of lagom’s health benefits. After the Finns, we Swedes drink the most coffee in the world—and this is a good thing! When drinking coffee, we ingest beneficial antioxidants that improve our wellbeing and protect us from disease. For example, one Swedish-Finnish study found that people who drink a few cups of coffee a day were 70% less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease than those who didn’t. The recommended amount of coffee is of course “lagom” in this case, meaning is 3-4 cups a day. If you drink 10 cups a day, you would only risk getting gastritis and heart palpitations.

Another example is weight gain. Food portions have doubled over the last 20 years, and more and more people around the world are becoming overweight or obese—with terrible health consequences. The worst, research shows, is abdominal obesity, which can result in an increased risk of cancer, dementia, stroke and diabetes. Unfortunately, however, many diets have been proven to be ineffective in the long term. Cutting foods out doesn’t seem to be the answer.

So what advice actually makes a difference? Choose to eat the lagom way! Don’t leave the table stuffed, but don’t go hungry either. Think two thirds of your “typical” portion, and instead of having three potatoes, take two. And don’t gulp your food down; eat with “moderate speed” so you have time to experience a sense of fullness. Otherwise the risk is that you will take a second portion, even when you don’t really need one. By eating with a lagom mentality—and enjoying healthy, tasty food in moderation—weight loss will come naturally. No extreme diets required.

As you can see, practicing lagom can have amazing health benefits, and can make a positive difference in many aspects of life. Whether spending time in the sun, enjoying a hot cup of coffee, or savoring a delicious meal, one does not need to go to extremes in order to lead a healthier life. Instead, it is the small changes that count, that make the big differences. Or as we say in Sweden, “moderation is virtue.”

Bertil Marklund, MD, PhD, is a Swedish medical doctor, researcher, author, professor and specialist of general medicine and public health. In his new book, The Nordic Guide to Living 10 Years Longer, he offers 10 easy, research-based tips for living a longer, happier, and healthier life.

You’ve read Living with ‘Lagom’: Swedish Moderation for a Longer, Healthier Life, 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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You’re reading 16 Powerful Steve Jobs Quotes to Get Unstuck and Reclaim Your Life Purpose, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Frustrating, isn’t it?

Everyone seems to know what they’re doing… but you just have no clue.

You don’t know what’s your life purpose. You can’t find a meaningful job that you enjoy. Nothing excites you and every day looks the same.

Don’t worry.

If you’re feeling lost or stuck, you can get some amazing advice from one the most remarkable figures in modern history.

Steve Jobs, the guru that changed our world with technology, figured out what it means to build a meaningful career and live a fulfilling existence.

Check his powerful words to get some inspiration and give your life a new direction.

1. “For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

2. “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

3. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

4. “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

5. “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

6. “My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.”

7. “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become.”

8. “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful…that’s what matters to me.”

9. “The greatest thing is when you do put your heart and soul into something over an extended period of time, and it is worth it.”

10. “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

11. “I was worth about over a million dollars when I was 23 and over ten million dollars when I was 24, and over a hundred million dollars when I was 25 and… it wasn’t that important – because I never did it for the money.”

12. “Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… The ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

13. “Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.”

14. “You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down.”

15. “I’m convinced that about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”

16. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”

Sergi Marquez writes insanely useful self-improvement advice that helps dissatisfied people build the awesome life they want. Get unstuck with his free eBook, The Killer Morning Hack of Highly Successful People.

You’ve read 16 Powerful Steve Jobs Quotes to Get Unstuck and Reclaim Your Life Purpose, 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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You’re reading How To Use Your Energy Levels To Be More Productive, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

You already know what needs to happen. You say it all the time: “I need to be more productive with my time.”

But often – too often – it feels just about impossible. Certain times of day you’re a steam train mowing down anything which gets in-between your work and you. Other hours, maybe when you’d rather be sleeping, the brainstorming commences – and doesn’t end. Then there are the dead hours – those hours where no matter how hard you try, you know you’ll find myself wasting as much time as possible, in whatever way makes itself available.

When what you’ve got is competing demands – whether that’s in your schedule or in your interests – feeling those ebbs and flows of energy can derail your productivity and your creative process. So what do you do about it?

1) Shift your mindset

Different hour = different possibilities. When you’re out of energy, you’re out of energy. And that can make itself known in distraction or procrastination. It’s not that you are wasting time, or aren’t committed to what you’re doing – it’s that you can’t really do any better given your energy levels. When you’re focused and able to get a lot done – don’t ignore that impulse to keep going, but pay attention to it, and take note. If it’s a trend, it might be valuable to schedule any executive tasks for that time of day. And when your brain goes into brainstorm mode, don’t let that phase you. That is your creativity working for you. Grab a notebook or journal and let it – channel the energy towards any creative work you could be doing, instead of wasting it chastising yourself for not spending more time executing.

2) Understand Your Productivities

There’s an endless debate surrounding whether “early birds” or “night owls” are more productive. Odds are, you likely aren’t just one kind of productive (or one kind of bird, for that matter). Sometimes you brainstorm, plan, draft. Other times you edit, assemble, execute. Distinguish between these types of productivity – creative productivity through writing, brainstorming, planning, etc., and executive productivity through copying, revising, editing, etc. Where your energy lends itself to spending can differ by the time of day.
Once you understand that, know how you work – whether it’s in periodic bursts or over long, dedicated slogs, or somewhere in-between. Take the time to notice whether it works differently when you are writing creatively to when you are writing a report, or between planning and execution. And once you are clear on the different ways you can be productive, start to take notice of the times they coincide with.

3) Learn Your Hours

Test yourself. Over the span of about a week, chart out when you are the most creative, and when the muses won’t sing. Record when you get the most actual execution – the hands-on, make-the-creative-vision-happen work – accomplished. Finally, and most importantly, note down when you are the most likely to distract yourself or feel a slump in energy. Record the time of day, and whether it differs depending on other factors, like your diet or the day of the week or your sleep pattern. Understand the trend in your waking hours, and what you are and aren’t able to put out in the meantime.
Just understanding those hours – and working with them, rather than against them – can stave off a whole lot of frustration, procrastination and writer’s block.

4) Organize Your Time Around Those Hours

Rather than exhausting yourself by trying to push through those lapses in energy or focus, organize your schedule with those hours in mind. This might look like:
1. Creative work in the early morning/late night (6am – 10am; 8pm onwards)
2. Productive Work in the late morning through early afternoon (10am – 2pm)
3. “Useless” Netflix/Facebook/Catch up with an old friend hours (3pm – about 8pm)

The key is to guide yourself. To learn the unique ways in which your energy flows and lapses throughout the day, then taking note of the time of day those changes correspond to. Figuring it out – exactly how this looks for you – can make you that much more productive.

So if you’ve got a chapter to finish, a topic to revise, a blog post to write, or a whole lot of procrastinating to do – try testing yourself, and finding out when your creative juices are flowing, and when they aren’t. When it’s easy to focus, and when it isn’t. Try organizing your time around your energy – not the other way around – and see how it works for you.

Pedro is a student of life, lover of people, and life coach. He’s the host of the podcast How To Talk To Anyone, and the founder of clootzlife.com, where he helps driven and passionate young people build a life out of what’s important to them.

You’ve read How To Use Your Energy Levels To Be More Productive, 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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You’re reading Unconscious Bias: 3 ways your brain is unknowingly holding you back (and what to do about it), originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

“A life lived of choice is a life of conscious action. A life lived of chance is a life of unconscious creation.” – Neale Donald Walsch

We usually think of our brain as our greatest asset.

It’s what makes us human and allows us to grow and learn. However, the more we begin to understand the complex link between our psychology and our physiology, the more we start to see that a lot of the time, our brains are actually holding us back.

This is because we live in a world vastly different from the one our brains evolved in. As a result, we can have a number of issues with things such as confidence, anxiety and even just rational decision making.

Fortunately, by taking a clear look at ways in which our brains might be holding us back, we can start to develop and utilize the more rational parts of our mind, and free ourselves from these barriers.

Here are three common ways your brain might be holding you back (and what to do about them).

1. Self-judgement Fatigue

Self-judgement fatigue occurs when we spend a disproportionate amount of time critically looking at ourselves and questioning out abilities. All the energy that could be invested towards completing a task is wasted on our own rumination.

Key Takeaway:

When you notice a self-judgement, label it as such, simply recognise that it’s trying to help you (this is a key aspect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), but that it’s a thought that is taking away your energy and is not necessary. From there try to make decisions with less hesitation, and direct your focus outwards towards a task as opposed to inwards towards yourself.

2. The Someday Fallacy

This is when we put too much reliance on our future self. The underlying belief here is that our future self will be more inspired to act than our current self. Unfortunately that’s never really the case and most people live a life where their dreams get relegated to the ‘someday pile.’

Key Takeaway:

Learn to take action now and not expect that your future self will take care of things for you. Assume that in the future there’s a high probability that you’ll be less likely to do something than you are now.  One effective way to overcome the someday fallacy is to be meticulous with goal setting; tracking dates and milestones to measure your progress objectively and see where you’ve been putting things off.

3. Mood-congruent Memory Bias

This happens with all of us, almost all of the time, to varying degrees.

There’s an old saying “when it rains it pours” which basically means when things are good they’re really good, but when things are bad they’re really bad. However, this is actually a cognitive bias, rather than a statistical truth.

The reason behind this is because when things are going well we’re better able to retrieve memories related to other times when things were going well, however when things are going poorly, we tend to remember other times when things were going poorly.

This is particularly dangerous for anyone who suffers from depression or bipolar disorders as they can get stuck in negative or manic cycles of thought as their mood colors their memories and therefore their experience.

Key Takeaway:

Keep a journal and track your moods and actions. Make it a habit to complete important tasks independently of how you feel. Whether you’re motivated and inspired, or sick and tired, try to be as consistent as possible and not get swept up relying on your feelings for momentum.

Attention Pick the Brain Readers!

Would you like to learn more about how your mind is holding you back?

Then take our FREE psycho-metric style personality quiz and receive feedback based on your psychological profile:

How Well Do You Know Your Unconscious Mental Barriers?

Ben Fishel is a freelance writer, and the creator of Project Monkey Mind – a blog that delves deep into psychology, spirituality, and the mind, and offers practical wisdom for the digital age.

Don’t forget to follow Project Monkey Mind on Facebook!

You’ve read Unconscious Bias: 3 ways your brain is unknowingly holding you back (and what to do about it), 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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