You’re reading Are You Smarter In Summer? How Seasons Affect Brain Performance, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

You’ve probably seen how different seasons affect your physical and emotional state. Most people find it hard to go out and run on a cold, dark winter afternoon, but are happy to spend all day outside on a summer evening. In general, people feel sadder in the winter and happier in the summer, but why? Recent studies have shown that seasons don’t only affect our mood, but they actually affect our cognitive processes (attention, memory, learning…) and brain performance.

Do you need to make a big decision, like where to go to school, where to buy your house, or where to send your child to school? Are you working on a new goal? You need to know what season your cognitive functions work best so you can be alert and get the best brain performance out of the season!

A study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has shown that cognitive functions follow the seasons, which means that our brain will use different cognitive resources depending on the season. Pretty interesting, right? A lot of this has to do with our ancestors and how they had to live…collecting food, hunting, cooking, using daylight hours, etc. Check out how each season affects our cognitive performance!

Summer is the time to reach your goals: In the summer, our attention peaks, and since humans don’t have to use the time to go hunting for food anymore, we can use it to make some changes in our lives. If you’re working on learning something new or starting a new habit, this is the time!

Autumn is for memory: Study for the SATs or the GMAT, learn a new language, start a new hobby, or try to learn a new song. August is the perfect time! Our working memory reaches its peak during this time, so you’ll be able to learn and incorporate more information more easily. The possibilities are endless.

Attention dwindles in winter: This may be due to evolution. Back when we had to search for our food in the wild, there were less resources available in the winter, so our ancestors had to save their energy, which weakened some brain performance.

Spring is “what am I doing here?”: Data has shown that spring isn’t the best season for your working memory, but because humans are adaptable, we can use this flexibility to take advantage of other cognitive resources that give us the same outcome.

What should you do to improve your brain in the fall?

Because our working memory is highest in the fall, use it to learn!

Start the school year off on the right foot

Maybe you’re getting ready to go back to school, and maybe you’re just getting back from vacation at work. You can train your brain before school starts, and fall is the perfect time to dive in and get a head start on your reading and studying. Working memory helps us remember and integrate new information into our memory, so it’s wise to take advantage of this before things get too crazy in the winter!

Get involved in a new activity

Have you thought about learning to knit or wanted to get involved in flying model airplanes? Maybe you want to learn how to start working out? Now is a great time to get started! Look online for tips and tutorials and soak up all the information that you can! Learning this in the fall will help you remember and put all that new information and put it to use!

Work for that promotion

You’ve been so close, but you can’t manage to make it happen. Buckle down and work extra hard these few months. Your brain is primed to perform and remember information! Take great notes in meetings and think about what you can do to go the extra mile- with some extra help from your high working memory, you’ll sure to see it pay off.

Train and improve your cognitive skills

As we get older, our cognitive skills naturally start to decline, which especially affects attention, planning processing speed, etc. If you’re worried about this, you can start some brain gym exercises to get you ready and beat the cognitive decline. CogniFit, leader in neuropsychological assessments, offers fun and interactive brain games and brain training programs that have been scientifically validated by the scientific community and universities from around the world.

Try out these tips and get the most out of your brain!

Cristina Martinez de Toda is a psychologist and writer at CogniFit, a validated brain training program. She specialized in neuroscience and neuropsychology applied in education. She enjoys learning about human behavior and sharing new discoveries with her readers.

You’ve read Are You Smarter In Summer? How Seasons Affect Brain Performance, 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 Create A Morning Routine That Sets You Up For Success, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

How you start your day pretty much determines how effective your day will be. Most people like to have some form of morning routine, otherwise we would have to make decisions on every small detail: coffee with milk or without, with sugar or without. For usual steps we go on autopilot and this mechanism of the brain helps us to actually get through the day!

In 2016 I changed my morning routine three times. I recently relocated from The Netherlands to Singapore and had to leave my own digital marketing consultancy to start a new life with my wife in Asia. I had to start looking for a new job, and during this process I noticed a change in my daily routine. Then, in mid-August I landed a new job that also caused a change in my (morning) routine. Realizing the impact a routine has on your day, I am sharing my experiences.

Make your morning routine a habit

Before you go to bed, make sure you have a towel, swimming trunks or sporting equipment ready to start your day on an active note. Organizing your equipment the evening before is already part of the routine. It also primes your mind that you will be doing some kind of excercise when you wake up, thereby making it harder not to go sporting. Plan the sporting exercise block in your agenda the day before. You will not skip a planned sport block that easily. Through your day you will notice the sporting block in your calendar when you plan new activities for the day after, making it a recurring part of your routine.

Getting out of bed

My alarm rings at 6.55. It is very important to not use that snooze button! When the alarm goes, just get up! I first put on my swimming trunks, then pour distilled water in the espresso machine and turn it on to let it warm up. I take the yoghurt out of the fridge (otherwise the yoghurt is too cold to eat), grab my towel and put on my flip-flops. Then I walk to the swimming pool downstairs.

Waking up!

I arrive at the swimming pool at 7.00. I just jump in the water letting the cold/ lukewarm water do the waking-up part. I swim for 30 minutes. After each lap I perform a ten second breathing exercise to keep my heart rate at a fast pace. Swimming is an excellent way to start your day since it gives a good kick, wakes you up and trains your whole body. In my case it really helps that our condo has a big swimming pool. Instead of swimming it is also a good idea to workout in the gym. If there is no gym close by, use one of the 7-minute workout. There are several apps available, try Wahoo for iOS or Android.

Showering

Most people love to take a medium to long hot shower to wake up. I used to love starting my day in the same way. Then I discovered that it doesn’t wake me up. The warm water is comfortable and relaxes your muscles but it does not get you up to speed. According to The Iceman (Netherlands), it is better to take a cold shower; it helps strengthen your immune system to fight-off diseases. Due to the cold water you get a real kick that causes your breathing to intensify. After swimming I take a lukewarm shower.

You probably have heard that people always come up with great ideas during showering or think of all important to do’s! Contradicting to taking a cold shower it is good to take a lukewarm to warm shower to get more and better ideas. You can choose to do a cold shower on Monday and lukewarm on Tuesday and so on.

Feed your brain

Depending on culture and your diet, the breakfast contents may vary. In my case I eat plain low-fat yoghurt with fresh fruits such as mango and some raw nuts.

I very much like a good fresh espresso. The whole process of making a fresh espresso (not a Nespresso or any form of automatic espresso machine) takes a few minutes:

• put the filter (piston) in the grinder
• grind the coffee beans,
• measure the amount of coffee in the filter
• tamp with your wrist, arm, and elbow positioned directly over the center of the filter basket
• place the filter in the espresso machine
• switch it on and begin brewing up to 24 seconds

There you have the perfect shot of espresso to kick start your day. Do not forget to clean up with a towel and put the coffee ‘puck’ out of the filter. During this coffee making process my mind wanders to make new connections or come up with great new ideas. The time it takes is also a moment to think about your day and most important tasks. Drinking a moderate amount of coffee helps to focus your attention as well.

If you do not have an espresso machine, make a small routine for your type of coffee or tea and let your mind wander.

Prepare yourself for work

Depending on the type of work you can already start working in the subway, train or even in the car. Depending on your means of travel, you can read, answer emails or make calls. I would advise you to do the following:

• read a book or newspaper
• read an interesting article on Pick The Brain or Medium
• listen to an audiobook or music since music is really impacts your mood and level of productivity
• make a to-do list featuring the three Most Important Tasks (MIT) of the day

There are several to do apps, one of my favorite ones is Wunderlist, use the * to make a task a MIT.

What is your opinion?

My morning routine from alarm to leaving the house is 75 to 90 minutes. Please share your views and tips on your morning routine. What works for you?

Alexis van Dam moved from The Netherlands to Singapore. He is a seasoned Digital Marketing Strategist. Currently CMO @ InsuranceMarketSG. He is a Visual Thinker, MindMapper, Lifehacker, Social Media Strategist, LinkedIn Trainer, Facilitator, Speaker, Smarter Working Coach. You can follow him on Twitter, Medium or via his website.

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You’re reading Introducing The Year Of Wellness!!, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

As many of you know, I am the co-founder of LEAF.tv – a lifestyle video site that focuses on all things dedicated to living a better life! I am SOOO thrilled & proud to finally announce that a personal passion project, The Year Of Wellness, is now live!! After eight months of relentless work – really trying to identify the products and resources that will help you live a better life – we are launching a monthly subscription service, all around the 12 pillars of wellness.

It can be overwhelming to understand all it takes to “live well,” especially while balancing all that is life. We have tried to create the perfect way to treat yourself and bring the focus back to you. Something to give your body, mind, & soul a fresh perspective. Welcome to LEAFtv’s Year of Wellness.

So what is The Year Of Wellness?

The subscription-based box of great wellness finds is filled with functional products that support healing, offer ways to detox, raise your level of happiness, guide you to creating better habits, and are the catalyst for creating a life you love.

Every month for a whole year, you’ll unwrap a different wellness theme with instructions on how to utilize each product in a way that seamlessly fits into life. Every box has been specifically curated to make you feel your absolute best. Plus, each box includes additional inspiration and resources, think checklists and suggested schedules, to holistically support each theme.

The start of every subscription always begins with the first box, DETOX. It will be followed by NOURISH, GLOW, and REST. Countless hours have been spent organizing a plan that leads you to success, and the order of the themes and contents have been crafted to build wellness throughout the year.

If you’re ready to begin a healthy, happy life, then the Year of Wellness is a no-brainer. I’d LOVE you to come on this journey with me!

Here’s to a year (of wellness!)

xoxo,

Erin

SIGN UP HERE, TODAY!

#TheYearOfWellness

You’ve read Introducing The Year Of Wellness!!, 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 Reframe Your Reality and Become a Ruthless Optimist, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Tired of Negative Events, One After Another?

Your neighbor’s dog barked at you. And he knows you!

Your boss sent you a nasty email.

Your special someone isn’t into you lately.

You’re not finding any joy anywhere, in anything.

Inside You/Outside You

Yes, the dog is dumb, your boss is a jerk, and your sweetie could be more loving.

But the things outside you aren’t necessarily the problem.

Perceived Powerlessness

Nope, the problem is, you think that the events and their effects are both outside you, yet your fault. This mindset? Self-fulfilling negative prophecy and no perceived power to change things.

What can you do?

For starters: Think you’re powerless when these things happen? You’re wrong.

1-Consider this equation:

Perception (internal)+Event (External)=Your Experience (Situation)

Notice how big perception is.

2-Let’s drop back a step.

What’s in place BEFORE any event? Your core mindset. It’s there to help you or hinder you as you experience your day, helping you to avoid getting stuck, or so discouraged that you turn back, or don’t walk out of your mental house at all.

• Did your parents accept you as you were, or did you have to contort yourself to win their love and acceptance? Were they full of criticism? Then you probably developed that inner critic to keep off the outer critics. The inner critic never leaves. Send him or her off with a letter of recommendation to someone who needs one (though I doubt you’ll find any such person!!)

• Or maybe some recent bad experiences, a bad breakup or divorce, a firing, or other situations pulled down your self-esteem so you have an inner critic.

So, you INTERPRET adverse events as YOUR FAULT. You don’t take your own side, but with the inner critic that remains from critical parents or tough past events, so you make and will continue to make your life one long uphill battle.

The Good News: This is an Opportunity.

Believe me, from hard experience, I know what a challenge this is; in fact, it’s the biggest. But, if you change your inner situation now, others will envy you as they see you’ve transformed your life!

Get Help.

Get some positive reinforcement from a trusted friend helps, or better yet, a therapist, especially if your childhood is the main problem. Why? Because your inner critic is “disqualifying” anything good you’re saying about yourself.

The Therapist or that good friend stands in for the part of yourself that you’re born with who is ready to love and care for you. The self-compassionate inner voice is always there; it’s a still small voice, but it’s amazing how well you can hear it when if you start listening.

Help Yourself

Talk TO yourself, and treat yourself as if you were your spouse or your best friend. When you hear the critic’s expected interpretation of things, talk back calmly, don’t shout. When the ego starts to shout because you now pay attention to your calm, core voice, you isolate and disregard negativity.

Talk back, sometimes use a diary to write out the critic’s comments and your compassionate voice’s answers. Expose those inner criticisms out in the light of day, and soon they lose their potency. Keep them inside, without review or response, and they stay potent, and you feel powerless.

Everyone makes mistakes…how else do we learn? The best scientists, artists, and entrepreneurs make countless mistakes that produce single, stupendous achievements otherwise impossible.

I just “reframed” failure, I repositioned it as an inevitable prelude to success, rather than an insoluble, life defeating problem.

Be ready every minute of every day with a fearless mental, emotional, and spiritual position with which to weather and transform experiences for current and future benefit rather than as the perceived inescapable, ever continuing spiral of events that make you hopeless and continually self-critical.

You have a choice and an obligation to transform the stories of your life into positive ones so that your life’s narrative is triumphant and joyful always.

What Will You Choose?

Will you be kind to yourself, being the defense attorney in every situation, taking your case without hesitation, with love, acceptance, and optimism?

If you do, you’ll not only win in the court of your psyche, you’ll be successful in every trial, escape your own jails, and soar to what should be your goal each and every day…and what’s that?

HAPPINESS. It’s inside you right now; just take it with you no matter what!

———————–

Lars Nielsen is a free-lance copywriter whose unique and image-rich selling voice combines the narrative power of his poetry, playwriting, fiction, radio, liturgy, and comedy. Go to http://ift.tt/2aI2xgg and see how Ultimate Influence Copywriting can reframe the narrative of your business, speeches, ideas, and your life for success.

You’ve read How to Reframe Your Reality and Become a Ruthless Optimist, 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 Always Feel Bad When Not Working? Here Are 3 Steps to Get You Comfortable With Doing Nothing., originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

If every break you take away from work sends chilly guilt emotion to your heart, then your idea of work is broken.

You work better when you work because you need to, and you can, not because you can’t stand being idle.

The latter stems from guilt. The Gita says there is action in inaction and vice versa.

Meet me.

It was supposed to be the happiest weekend ever. Because that week, I recorded my biggest breakthroughs yet.

Luck was on my side, and it was all smiling:

I got the email that confirmed me as a contributor on a popular blog in my niche.

Big deal, right?

Wait, luck wasn’t done with me, yet.

That same week, I sealed the biggest deal ever. A client offered me 10x what I was earning as a freelancer. A job I will spend less time producing.

All these didn’t come cheap, I earned them. I had spent countless hours working my butt to rag.

Now the weekend is here. It looks like I have earned for myself the right to few hours to do nothing.

Only that I couldn’t take the well-deserved time of doing nothing. In my head, I could be spending this time sending an email; work on an outline for an article; an article could’ve gone live but didn’t.

No one should spite you for wanting to get more done or push yourself, but it is also safe to set the record straight: there is a thin line between working too little and overworking yourself.

Successful people know when to draw the curtain on work to engage in mundane activities like spending time with family, catching up with friends, and so on.

In case, you also find yourself here most time, you following nuggets helpful:

1. LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE.

I get it, it’s okay to feel bad because you’re unable to do one or two things on your to-do list. The goal is to look at the impact of the “little” victories on productivity over time.

Earlier, I said I spent the week attending to stuff that prevented me from doing what I should do, and I felt bad. This is normal.

But here is a consolation for you: while I couldn’t do what I intended, I got an opportunity to contribute to a platform with a far larger audience than mine.

Now tell me this is a consolation, even a better one. Another thing is, I’m going to be writing for far bigger pay.

2. FACE THE REALITY.

We sometimes forget that we’re not machines yet. We wake up drawing a long list of things to get done. We stuff it as much as we could. We aim is to work ourselves to rag.

Well, I don’t think working till you almost drop dead is a virtue. The reality is we don’t everything in our life.

The computer will break down and you won’t be able to help it. There is nothing you can do the car that refused to start. These are part of life.

You rely on these things to get the job done. If all those actually happened, how dare you beat yourself because finish what you set to do?

Leo Babauta is one of the most productive people you will find, yet he doesn’t set goals for himself.

Stuffing your day will give you unnecessary anxiety, and of course, guilt, no matter how much you get done. You will struggle as a result sometimes.

Find a middle ground, and that starts with facing the reality that you’re a man, and you can’t getting tired.

3. NO EXTRA POINT FOR WORKING YOURSELF TO RAG

I have this bad habit. On a day I’m lucky to find the muse by my side, and I managed to finish work earlier than I had projected, I look more work to do.

Our culture praises you for working yourself to rag. Skipping night sleep to work boosts some people’s ego. There are also some who are not proud of themselves because they can’t or don’t.

Burning yourself out is not is a sign of hard work, it’s the reverse. It shows you lack control over your life.

Here is what Ryan Holiday have to say about that: “If you’re working all the time—that is, if you don’t get to leave the office until midnight and got there at 5am—you’re doing something wrong. You’re either working for an idiot who is going to burn you out, or you’re the idiot, and you haven’t figured out the short cuts.”

You have nothing to prove to anyone, including yourself. Work is for man, not man for work.

Treating yourself well today has its own reward, which is you’re able to show up to do the work which you care about for a long time.

What about you? What do you also suffer from work-related guilt? How do you deal with it?

Let me know.

 

You’ve read Always Feel Bad When Not Working? Here Are 3 Steps to Get You Comfortable With Doing Nothing., 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 7 Things Successful People do Differently, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Pеорlе are оftеn fаѕсіnаtеd by thоѕе whо are соnѕіѕtеntlу successful аt whаtеvеr they dо.If уоu too have bееn wоndеrіng аbоut whаt make these people achieve repeated ѕuссеѕѕ іn different fасеtѕ оf thеіr lіvеѕ, the ѕесrеt lies іn hоw they do thіngѕ differently.

In fact, successful people аrеn’t different from you аnd me. It’ѕ thе things that they dо dіffеrеntlу, whісh makes thеm rеасh thеіr goals аnd еnjоу ѕuссеѕѕ.

If уоu tоо wаnt tо bе at thе tор оf уоur game, уоu саn tаkе a сuе from thеѕе 5 things thаt successful реорlе dо dіffеrеntlу:

1.Crеаtе аnd рurѕuе S.M.A.R.T. gоаlѕ

S.M.A.R.T. gоаlѕ rеfеr to thоѕе that are Sресіfіс, Mеаѕurаblе, Attаіnаblе, Rеlеvаnt, аnd Tіmеlу.

Successful people identify S.M.A.R.T. gоаlѕ, ѕеt their hеаrtѕ оn асhіеvіng them, and become motivated to сhаlk blueprints to attain them. Bу рlаnnіng their steps wіѕеlу аnd setting a tіmе frаmе thаt аllоwѕ them to carry оut those ѕtерѕ efficiently, thеѕе реорlе mаkе ѕurе thаt еvеn those goals that once seemed fаr away аnd impractical finally mоvе сlоѕеr аnd bесоmе аttаіnаblе.

2. Tаkіng decisive actions

Many people fаіl bесаuѕе thеу shy away frоm tаkіng thе rіght асtіоnѕ when the ѕіtuаtіоn wаrrаntѕ. But ѕuссеѕѕful people believe іn getting things dоnе by taking decisive and immediate асtіоnѕ. Thеу knоw thаt ѕuссеѕѕ соmеѕ tо thоѕе who асt on time.

Aftеr аll, thеrе’ѕ a huge dіffеrеnсе bеtwееn knоwіng how tо do ѕоmеthіng and doing it іn rеаlіtу. Thеrеfоrе, ѕuссеѕѕful реорlе еnѕurе thаt thеу tаkе lоgісаl аnd іnfоrmеd decisions. Sоmеtіmеѕ, thеу even tаkе рrоасtіvе dесіѕіоnѕ rаthеr thаn wait for ѕіtuаtіоnѕ to сrор up аnd mеrеlу reacting to thеm.

3· Wоrk ѕmаrtеr

The key tо success lіеѕ іn wоrkіng ѕmаrtеr, not necessarily hаrdеr.

Suссеѕѕful реорlе focus оn bеіng рrоduсtіvе, unlike others whо аrе busy but gеt done a lot lеѕѕ. Thе ѕесrеt tо getting thіngѕ done is to prioritize them, and thеn gо оn finishing thеm, doing оnе thing аt a tіmе.

It’s аlѕо іmроrtаnt tо review your соmmіtmеntѕ аnd goals from time tо time, and mаkе ѕоmе amendments, еіthеr in уоur ѕtrаtеgіеѕ оr behavior, bаѕеd оn how well уоu аrе doing аnd how fаr уоu hаvе lеft to gо tо асhіеvе уоur gоаlѕ.

4· Bе gritty and develop willpower

Grіt refers tо your willingness to соmmіt tо lоng-tеrm gоаlѕ, and tо persevere when you fасе adverse situations.

Pеорlе whо lack grіt usually dоn’t bеlіеvе thаt thеу hаvе the іntrіnѕіс аbіlіtіеѕ, whісh ѕuссеѕѕful реорlе hаvе, аnd often gіvе uр on thеіr gоаlѕ midway.

Building wіllроwеr is also crucial tо ѕuссеѕѕ аѕ it еnсоurаgеѕ уоu tо tаkе on a сhаllеngе that nееdѕ уоu tо ѕtер outside уоu соmfоrt zоnе. Whаt distinguishes ѕuссеѕѕful реорlе frоm thе rest is thеіr steely grіt and willpower.

5· Bе роѕіtіvе аnd іmрrоvе уоurѕеlf

Mаіntаіnіng a роѕіtіvе оutlооk towards lіfе is сruсіаl tо attract ѕuссеѕѕ.

Suссеѕѕful people concentrate on thе роѕіtіvе аѕресt оf еvеrуthіng, ѕо muсh so thаt thеу even use thеіr fаіlurеѕ tо lеаrn from thеm аnd nоt rереаt thе same mіѕtаkеѕ.

Cоntіnuоuѕ ѕеlf іmрrоvеmеnt uѕіng ѕmаll асtіоnѕ іѕ уеt another thіng that mоѕt ѕuссеѕѕful реорlе hаvе mаѕtеrеd оvеr the years.

6. Challenge thе “Status Quo.”

If уоu thіnk this іѕ аll thеrе іѕ in lіfе, уоu’rе іn for a hugе аwаkеnіng!

I uѕеd to knоw реорlе who wеrе vеrу ѕсаrеd tо dо ѕоmеthіng bold like ѕреnd 100 bucks оn a mеаl (ooh, lіkе that іѕ ѕсаrу rіght?), it may be fоr ѕоmе people. Yоu don’t hаvе to bе brеаkіng thе law іn оrdеr to challenge what is normal but it’s іmроrtаnt to tаkе rіѕkѕ. If you’ve аlwауѕ wаntеd to sky dіvе wіth уоur wіfе оr gіrlfrіеnd mаkе іt dаtе tо gо ѕkу dіvіng! Hесk, whаt hаvе уоu got tо lоѕе?

7. Surround Themselves Wіth People They Admіrе

I саnnоt stress enough thе importance оf whо уоu hаng out wіth mаkіng a hugе іmрасt оn hоw уоu ѕее уоurѕеlf!

If уоu аdmіrе уоur friend Jое who lіvеѕ down thе ѕtrееt bесаuѕе уоu see him hanging оut wіth hіѕ fаmіlу a lot and always ѕmіlіng–tаkе the time tо visit wіth hіm!

If your favorite thіng tо dо оn thе wееkеndѕ іѕ lіѕtеn tо music, sign uр tо gеt weekly еmаіlѕ оf thе bеѕt musicians playing іn уоur area аnd gо ѕееm thеm! If your frіеndѕ Bоb іѕ bringing you dоwn wіth аll his соnѕtаnt соmрlаіnіng, lеt hіm knоw hе’ѕ a ‘dоwnеr’ аnd рісk ѕоmеоnе else nеxt wееk to go tо соffее with. It’s really thаt ѕіmрlе.

There аrе mаnу оthеr thіngѕ tо lеаrn frоm successful реорlе but thе ones mеntіоnеd аbоvе are ѕоmе оf thе bаѕіс ѕtерѕ thаt саn help уоu gеt ѕtаrtеd оn thе rоаd tо success.

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Sipho Shimange is a digital marketer, Author and founder of Aspeer. Passionate about helping people become the best versions of themselves. Download his free ebook 7 Simple Tricks to Set your Mindset for Success.

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You’re reading 5 Ways Neuroscience Can Make You Happier, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Happiness is something we all aspire to and we all have different things that make us happy. But did you know that science examining the brain’s response to certain situations and scenarios has revealed strategies that we can all use to increase our happiness?

While it might feel like scientific study into our brainwaves might be a joyless way to find ways to lift our spirits, pioneering research in neuroscience has established methods and habits that you can use to make yourself happier. If you need a boost in happiness, try out some of these simple suggestions.

Get more sleep

How much sleep do you get every night? Medical advice suggests that to function properly we should get at least eight hours per day. Interestingly we know that depression can stop people from getting the kind of sleep they need, but equally not getting enough sleep can lead to depression. People with insomnia are far more likely to develop depression than those who get enough sleep. This suggests that we need to make a concerted effort to get enough time in bed. If you aren’t getting eight hours a night regularly it could be having an effect on your health. Ultimately getting more sleep will make you happier.

Listen to the music you listened to when you were happiest

Music can have an enormous effect on the brain. One of the most interesting discoveries in neuroscience has shown that if you listen to music that you listened to at a time when you were happier, it actually lifts your mood. Music has the ability to remind us of a different time in our lives and put us back into a mindset we were in when we were happier. This can be enormously valuable if you feel your levels of happiness have dropped.

Smile and laugh

It’s actually quite easy to trick your brain or at least lead it in a different direction. The brain uses something called biofeedback to better understand what is going on around you. So when you laugh or you smile, the brain is aware that you are relaxed and having fun. This effectively tells it that you are not in a state of anxiety or stress so it changes the chemicals being released into your body. In effect you can tell your brain that you are happier simply by smiling and laughing – doing so, the brain releases chemicals that actually will raise your mood.

Think about your long term goals

In a similar way that smiling can affect the way you feel, you can also influence your brain by thinking about your long term goals. If you feel under pressure or challenged it can be important to stop focussing on the challenge itself and instead set your mind on the positive thoughts of what it will be like to accomplish that goal. Your brain understands that accomplishing something is meaningful and actually begins to release the same chemicals it releases when you have actually completed the task.

Form good habits and you’ll keep them

Human beings are creatures of habit. When we come to make our decisions we actually rely heavily on something called the dorsal striatum which looks at what we have done in the past to make decisions. The striatum effectively controls how we make decisions if we aren’t focussed, so if we are in the habit of doing something we shouldn’t – for example, procrastinating – we are very likely to do that in future. To get out of the habit we need to retrain our dorsal striatum to respond the way we want it to. So focus on changing your behaviour to the way you want it to be and soon it will become second nature.

Article provided by Mike James, an independent content writer in the health sector – fascinated by neuroscience and its ability to aid improvement of one’s own mental and physical state. For the information in this post, Think Change Consulting were consulted.

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You’re reading The Marvellous Benefits of Mindfulness, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Over the last thirty years, mindfulness has become a popular part of medicine and psychology.  However, mindfulness has been around for much longer and has its roots in Buddhism.  It has come a long way from the remote corners of the world to being a wide spread practice today that is gaining in popularity every year.  Mindfulness is the practice of zoning in on oneself in order to become aware of being self-aware.

It is the clear realization of what you are doing in the current moment without any objective or judgment based on the thoughts that traverse your mind at the time.  It is simply a lucid awareness of what your mind and body are doing in the present moment that enables you to gauge the effects on your body caused by the current neural and physical conditions.  Once you have developed an understanding of the resulting impact on your body you can devise remedial actions to counter any negative effects.

Mindfulness has proven valuable in almost all forms of human activity where stress and other neural conditions have a negative affect on life and can also be beneficial to treating some physical conditions to ease pain and bodily discomfort.  Mindfulness is particularly being used within the workforce and has been adopted by many high profile global companies to counter and prevent the mental injuries of stress and anxiety of their employees.

It is particularly useful under distressing situations when self-control is critical to the success of an operation or activity.  The practice of mindfulness in a distressing situation allows the person to dislodge themselves mentally from the thoughts and stresses related to the situation and review their mental state from a higher plane; kind of like looking down on oneself from outside the body.  A good way to start is to focus on your breathing when you first sit down to work.  Use the first five to ten minutes of your day to calmly control your breathing and clear out your head; create a clean mental slate.

It is easy to get caught up in many work activities and most people naturally become embroiled in multi-tasking.  Some people believe that multi-tasking is a skill that strong employees should exhibit, however, the truth is that multi-tasking is inefficient and increases stress levels.

Multi-tasking also increases the risk of errors, which in turn heightens stress when having to set about rectifying the errors, usually to a deadline.  This is why mindfulness preaches focusing on just a single task at one time.

Learn to prioritize your workload and concentrate on accomplishing one task at time.  If an urgent issue arises which requires your attention, drop your current task and move onto solving the urgent issue first; don’t try to manage both.

Your mind will be lighter and will not have to shift frantically from one topic to another.

Be aware of what you are doing and your surrounding and focus on your breathing.  Try to do things in a slower pace when possible and concentrate on your posture.

Focus on the now and don’t consider the future.  This means focusing on the job at hand and not worrying about future tasks.  Again, this alleviates your mind of stress because it removes excess thoughts that can slow down your efficiency and also cause anxiety.

Creating a daily schedule that allows ample time to complete each daily task is key here.  Companies are constantly demanding more for less and the pressure on employees to deliver more is growing, however, you are in control of what you do and should plan your day in a manner to avoid high levels of stress, which in turn will decrease your productivity when it settles in.

Create expectations with your boss, which are reasonable and provide them with justification to support your schedule.

When to practice mindfulness?

Practice mindfulness whenever you have five to ten minutes free and if you have a busy daily schedule create time for yourself.  It can be in bed before getting up.  Lie there for five minutes and clear your thoughts and focus on your breathing.

Be aware of being awake and close your eyes.  Feel your body lying on the bed and how the bed feels on your body.

You can also practice mindfulness while in your car at a red light for a minute.  Breathing is key and basis for effective mindfulness.  Mindfulness can also be used while eating.  Eat slowly and taste your food.  Be aware of each gulp.  You’ll also digest the food better and eat less.

Try to practice mindfulness daily.  Detach yourself from the stresses of heavy thoughts that weigh down your mind and buzz through your body by zoning out of the river of raging thoughts and becoming self aware of how these thoughts are affecting your mind.  Remember to breath slowly when reflecting and go about things calmly.  Mindfulness takes practice and you’ll improve over time, but it will definitely make your life easier and give you a sense of control and inner peace.

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You’re reading How To Keep The Conversation Alive: 4 Improv Rules by Tina Fey, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Why you should hone your improv skills before that next job interview!

How many times have you been in a conversation and the topic changed so quickly you never had the opportunity to say your part? You waited for that perfect moment to insert your witty joke and now everyone has moved the conversation forward. It’s frustrating; you had the perfect punchline prepared but you’ve missed your chance.  Don’t fret, it happens to the best of us!

Refining your improvisation skills may not be at the top of your to-do list but the ability to react to changes within a conversation in an instant will leave others in awe of your charisma and charm. To improvise doesn’t mean you weren’t prepared, but instead are in a situation for which you could not prepare.

Similar to comedy sketches, conversations flow and move from one topic to the next rapidly.  Improv comedians are prepared to make things up on the spot to keep a dialogue moving. This isn’t a natural gift, but a skill that is honed and perfected through practice.  They are prepared no matter what situation unfolds.  You don’t need to be ready to lead open mic night at the comedy club, but using these techniques of improv will help navigate even the most treacherous of conversations.

The following 4 rules come to you from one of the most famous women in the comedy scene, Tina Fey!

1. Agree
2. Yes And
3. Make Statements
4. No Mistakes just opportunity

But how do we use these simple rules of improve in a world of complicated conversations?

Rule 1- Agree: Show Respect for what your partner has created

There isn’t much that stop a conversation more than total disagreement with what you’ve said. A quality conversation is give and take, two or more people exchanging ideas and information.  But, any conversation will soon come to an end if neither party can find common ground.

The 1^st rule of improv is to show respect for what your partner has created.  In improv scenes, the agreement is literal. The actor accepts what was said and build from it to keep a scene moving and continue the storyline.

This doesn’t mean you must agree with everything someone says, (have you seen Jim Carrey in Yes Man?) but for the conversation’s sake, agree to disagree and keep the dialogue moving forward.  Respect the ideas of those in the conversation and be willing and able to change topics to avoid a disagreement. This can help build a strong foundation for the conversation to grow.

Rule 2- Yes And: Contribute to the conversation

Whether it’s a sketch comedy scene or a conversation in the boardroom, when all eyes are focused on you do you know what to say next? The easiest way to keep a conversation moving is to agree (1^st rule) and then ADD in your own thoughts or ideas on the topic.

In improv, pressure is taken off the first actor when the other participants add a new idea to the scene. It is not the responsibility of one actor to continue to come up with new subject matter every time.  We’ve all been in one of those conversations when it’s pulling teeth to get the other party to engage in what you’re saying. Perhaps you were the person getting your teeth pulled?  Adding to the exchange to create new topics for discussion shows you’re paying attention and being active in the conversation.

Rule 3- Make Statements: Don’t only ask questions

Always add value to your conversation. Use open-ended questions to keep a conversation flowing. However, if your only input is asking more questions, your conversation will seem like an interview. You’re more interesting than you give yourself credit. Others want to know about what you’re thinking and your insight on the topic at hand. This gives room for the conversation to grow and develop.

If you can’t think of anything to say build from information earlier in the conversation. For example, if you asked where someone is from, add your opinion about that city. Have you ever been there? Did you want to visit? Maybe you read something interesting about the sushi there. Continue to share until whoever you’re speaking with has found a topic in which they can expand. This approach provides more information from you and will keep the conversation moving forward in a more natural manner.

Rule 4- No mistakes only opportunity: Stay positive and adapt

Sometimes conversation don’t go as planned. This is okay. You have no control over the emotions of the others involved, or how their day has been going up to this point. Remember that there are no mistakes, only opportunities. Each experience can provide a new learning opportunity. Stay positive and adapt to new situations. Just as an improv comedian needs to adapt and change direction to get through a tough scene, use these tactics help to maneuver difficult conversations.

Enjoy each opportunity to practice. Regardless if you feel like it was an unsuccessful conversation, it should provide lessons that can be taken into your next situation. Learn the rules & don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Know that at least trying to converse is better than avoiding the situation!

Use the 4 rules of improve to help guide your choices throughout your next conversation. They will lead to more comfortable conversations and less likelihood of finding yourself fighting an awkward moment. Just like the professionals in improv comedy this skill takes practice. You won’t become a professional conversationalist overnight. Everyone makes mistakes along the way, even if you have been doing it forever.

To learn how to master first impressions, conduct meaningful conversations and make more friends visit out site Life’s Secret Sauce. Just for joining our community we will provide you with a FREE E-book of 5 guaranteed ways to be the most interesting person at your next social event!

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Life’s Secret Sauce, founded by Brandon Slater & Samantha Field, teaches teach young urban professionals the necessary social skills to master first impressions, build meaningful relationships, & effortlessly create quality conversations with anyone. As public speakers in the Cruise industry they have learned what it takes to make connections and engage in great conversation without distraction. Currently they live in Miami with their Shiba Inu puppy, Azumi, and enjoy hiking in Alaska throughout the summer months. To learn more click here!

Picture courtesy of Vogue Magazine.

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You’re reading Top 50 Things That Happy People Don’t Care About, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Can I be honest with you for a moment?

Are you reading this to find ways to stay happy?

But I’m telling you that the happiness is within you.

1. They don’t care about what others think.

Most people fail because of this reason, they keep holding their minds to the what ifs of the people. Their happiness is entirely dependent on what other thinks about them.

On the other hand, happy people don’t care about what others think of them. They always do what they feel like doing, they don’t seek permission for doing what they actually love and care about.

2. They don’t care about the past or future.

The regrets of the past and the expectations from the future usually make us unhappy. Happy people really don’t care about the past or future, because they accept the fact that they are responsible for their life.

Because they are well aware that we neither can change our past nor control our future, all we have got is present. So they live happy in present without caring about anything.

3. They don’t care about fear.

Happy people don’t allow fear to take over them. They don’t easily get distracted by the problems, rather they try to find the solutions out of the problems.

Rather pondering about fear, they work even harder to eliminate the problems that came in their way and they don’t let fear to disturb their inner peace which eventually keep them happy.

4. They don’t care about the age.

Age is just the number for them. If they are willing to learn something, they will jump over it without thinking of anything else.

They don’t restrict themselves in trying new things because of the age. Age is no barrier for them, they will definitely do it because they know that they will be more than happy in trying this out.

5. They don’t care about pleasing everybody.

They are well aware of the fact that we cannot please everybody in life. They know that we cannot please everybody.

 

 

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