6 Benefits to Having an Unwavering Belief In Yourself

Every day we make dozens of decisions. Our whole day is nothing more than a series of actions, one after another. We're used to it because this is part of what it means to be an adult, right?

 

The thing is, sometimes, we become worn down by the challenges of life. We miss the mark and start to doubt ourselves. Life becomes more difficult. 

 

What does this have to do with the decisions we make or the actions we take? Simple. When you start faltering, you lose your belief in yourself. Everything becomes a little harder. 

 

Now consider what it would be like to simplify things again. By believing in yourself, amazing things happen.

 

You Show Yourself Respect

 

When you doubt yourself, you run yourself down. You're saying you're not good enough or smart enough to know what you're doing when in truth, you are. You wouldn't allow someone to do this to your best friend. Why would you do it to yourself? Instead, by choosing confidence, you're also choosing to acknowledge just how awesome you are.

 

You Learn About Yourself

 

We all have a lot of knowledge we're not even aware we possess. This knowledge is an accumulation of wisdom we've collected in our lives that we tap into when making decisions. When you trust your instincts, you discover just how much you truly do know.

 

You Push Yourself

 

Sure, some decisions are easy. History tells us exactly what to expect when we make them. But when you take a leap of faith into unwavering self-confidence, you're also challenging yourself to see how much you truly know and just how right you can be. It is a pretty powerful feeling.

 

You Gain More

 

Nothing is ever gained by standing still. When you hesitate because of self-doubt, you're going to miss all kinds of possibilities. Lack of confidence keeps us from trying new things. After all, if there's no chance of success, why even try? But confidence knows you've got what it takes to seize an opportunity when you see it.

 

You Learn Tenacity

 

When you don't trust yourself, you tend to avoid the hard decisions entirely, stalling out any progress in your life. By choosing to believe in yourself, you keep going, learning how to hang in there during the rough stuff. This is also where you achieve real growth as an individual.

 

You Feel Motivated

 

When you're down on yourself, it's easy to think there's no point in even trying. Self-doubt will drop you right into depression if you're not careful. But unwavering self-belief creates optimism. The whole world looks brighter, and you can't wait to be part of it because you know you have what it takes to succeed there.

 

4 Ways You Can Deal with Self-Doubt

Everyone experiences self-doubt from time to time. It's part of life. The important thing is that when you do experience self-doubt, you handle it in the right way. This will ensure that you can overcome it and get back on the road to success in no time at all. Keep reading to find a few ways to deal with self-doubt when negative thoughts arise. 

 

1. Resolve Not to Compare Yourself With Others

 

Often, thoughts of self-doubt come when you compare yourself to someone else. Resolve in advance not to let this happen. 

 

When it does (which it probably will at some point), remind yourself that you aren't the other person. They have a journey completely different from your own. Look at how far you've come on your journey. Your journey is yours and yours alone. 

 

2. Remember the Past is the Past

 

Many people experience self-doubt when thinking about the past. Whenever the past comes up in your mind, remind yourself that it is over and done with. If you dwell on the past, it will make self-doubt worse.

 

Look towards the future and all of the plans you have instead. It can also help to list all the things you are grateful for in the present. 

 

3. Remind Yourself that Failures are Lessons

 

Everyone will have failures at some point in their life. This is inevitable. When you experience a failure, you will likely have some thoughts of self-doubt. 

 

Don't let these get you down. Instead of focusing on the negative, resolve to focus on the positive. Run through the lessons you have learned to feel confident you won't make the same mistake again.

 

4. Have a Support System

 

There is nothing worse than experiencing self-doubts and feeling alone simultaneously. You should do everything in your power to have a support system in place when these doubts start to creep in. 

 

The support system doesn't have to be physical. It could also be a forum or an online support group. Either way, it should be someone you trust to talk to when the going gets rough. They can help remind you of what an amazing person you are and the journey you’ve embarked on to get where you are.  

 

Overall, battling self-doubt when it pops up is never easy. If you follow the four suggestions on this list, you will find yourself well equipped to deal with self-doubt when it does arise. Before you know it, you'll be back on your way to achieving your dreams as your confident and amazing self! 

 

7 Things You Can Do Right Now To Get Organized in Your Life

You've been wanting to get organized for a long time. It seems a little daunting though, doesn't it? It doesn't have to be. In fact, you can get started right this minute. Try any one of these quick tips to help yourself get started on the road to organization right now. The best part? None of these are hard to do. 

 

Decide for Control

 

No matter what, the first step to organization is to decide you are in control. We tend to get disorganized when we feel we are at the mercy of our stuff, our situation, and our lives. This is why it's so important to consciously take control of our lives. 

 

Create a To Do List

 

No matter what, you're not going to get anywhere without some level of organization to start with. This means sitting down and making a list of the areas of your life in which you're trying to get organized. This first list will be very valuable in helping you to stay on task. It will also help you to make sure you're not missing something important.

 

Write Things Down

 

As you go about getting organized, thoughts will occur to you about what you're doing. Keep something handy so you can write down these thoughts as they occur. This way you won't forget some brilliant system to organize your closet and will remember to pick up more garbage bags when you go to the store.

 

Sort Your Stuff

 

Clutter needs to fall into categories. When doing the physical act of organizing it's best to sort things into three piles: stuff to keep, stuff to toss, and stuff to give away. Here's where you want to get brutal. Your best rule of thumb? Get rid of things which do not give you joy or which you have not used in a very long time. Pro tip? Don’t tear apart an entire room at once. Start small with a drawer or closet only.

 

Find Places for Things

 

Once you know what you want to keep, you need to determine a place for it. Clutter happens when we don't have proper storage for what we do have. If you do not have a space for an item, it is time to look for alternate storage solutions, or even reconsider whether you truly want to keep it.  

 

Use a Calendar

 

Nothing gets you organized like a calendar. Schedule absolutely everything. Also, use the function on your phone to give yourself reminders of upcoming appointments and deadlines. This will help you to organize your time your time.

 

Overprepare

 

Sometimes it's good to stock up on a few extra items, especially things you run out of frequently. This keeps you from needing to make frequent emergency runs to the store. 

4 Simple Ways to Get Started With Biohacking

Do you have a desire to improve your overall health? Mind, body, and soul? Then biohacking is exactly what you need. Biohacking is making and experimenting with different changes to reach optimal health. The goal with biohacking is to have the increased energy while improving your productivity so that you can be your best self. 

Although it may sound complicated, it’s quite easy to get started. Here are four simple ways to get started with biohacking.

 

Identify Areas That Need Improvement

 

The very first thing you need to is to identify the areas you feel you need to improve. Do you feel like you get enough sleep every day? Do you need to lose a few pounds? Or maybe you just need better time management skills at work or with your social life. Whatever it may be, take a mental note or write it down. This way you know where to start and it won’t seem so overwhelming. The great thing about biohacking is that it is all about your individual path to overall wellbeing; no one else’s. 

 

Track Your Sleep

 

Just like most people in the world, more than likely you are not getting enough sleep. Sleep is one of the most important things for optimal health. Poor sleep can wreak havoc on your immune system and cause unneeded stress and anxiety. Not getting enough sleep can also lead to making poor decisions when it comes to diet and exercise. Lack of sleep is also linked to mental fog and underperformance. Studies show that lack of sleep increases your chances of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression. 

 

Track your sleep each night and make sure you get at least eight hours every night. Just remember, if you still don’t feel like you are getting enough with eight hours you can increase it until it works for you. Always keep track so you know exactly how much sleep you are getting each night so that you are aware if you need to improve or not. A great way to stay on track is to use a Fitbit.

 

Track Your Diet

 

Chances are high that there are areas that you need to improve when it comes to your diet. Before you do anything major, write down in a journal or download an app on your phone, like MyFitnessPal, to track your diet each day. Do this for about a week so you know exactly what areas you need to attack first. While you track your diet take notice of any negative reactions experienced from the foods you are eating. Maybe you have sensitivities to foods you are not aware of. Take note so you can rid these foods from your diet first. 

 

Ultimately, you will need to eliminate from your diet sugars, processed foods, and any foods that are causing sensitivities. A diet high in veggies, healthy fats, and quality protein is your best choice. Dave Asprey, the founder of bulletproof coffee, raves about biohacking and created a great diet plan to follow called the Bulletproof Diet. 

 

Track Your Exercise

 

Take notice of how much exercise you are currently getting each week. Invest in a Fitbit or tracker so you can track your steps and the overall number of calories you are burning each week. You maybe be surprised that you don’t get enough exercise each day. Exercise is known to increase energy, promote better sleep, increases your confidence and self-esteem. Exercise also contributes to weight control and prolongs your lifespan. Once you have a general idea of what your daily activity is going to be, find areas that you feel will be easy to improve first such as getting 15,000 steps in each day.

 

Take these four simple steps and to get started with biohacking and improving your quality of life. As you can see, the term may sound overwhelming, but biohacking is actually very simple when you break it down and start slow. Track your sleep, diet, and exercise and use that information to improve your quality of life and your journey to overall wellbeing. 

 

Biohacking: The Simple Way to Reach Your Goals

There is a new buzzword floating around social media that by now you may have heard of; biohacking. But what the heck is it? Biohacking is a systematic approach to reaching optimum health. It is implementing small changes or hacks to improve areas of your life. According to Dave Asprey, the founder of bulletproof coffee, it is making changes in your life to becoming superhuman. 

 

Most biohackers strive to be the best version of themselves. Any areas of your life can be hacked whether it be physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual. The journey of biohacking is up to you and where you see the need to change. 

 

The following is a must when starting your biohacking journey: 

 

Assess 

 

What areas of your life would you like to improve? Maybe you simply need to fix your sleeping schedule. Perhaps you have a lot of stress that you would like to reduce or eliminate. Whatever it may be there are hacks that you can do to help improve those areas. Some common areas that biohackers target include improving happiness, productivity, diet, athletic endurance and mental performance. 

 

Implement 

 

Now that you have assessed yourself and know what areas of your life you would like to improve on, it is time to implement hacks to reach those goals. It can be as simple as tracking your daily exercise or taking an anti-anxiety pill. Whatever the hack may be it’s important to start doing them right away and track your progress as you go along. 

 

Document and Evaluate

 

Although implementation is the key to biohacking the other area of importance include tracking your results and evaluating them. This way you can be sure that the hack you implemented is accomplishing the goal you had in mind. Maybe the hack will improve other areas of your life that you were not aware of. Take a just a few moments out of your day each night to record any little thing you have noticed throughout your journey. At the end of each month create some kind of challenge such as a test to see if the hack you implemented has truly made an impact. For example, maybe you wanted to increase your stamina. Before you implement the hack test your stamina and then in a month do the same test to see if you’ve improved. 

 

Adjust

 

Once you evaluate your results it is time to determine if the hack you implemented provides the results you were hoping for. If not, adjust the hack or implement a brand new one. If you received benefits from the hack determine if it is worth continuing or not. Obviously, if the hack didn’t produce the results you were hoping for it may not be worth continuing. 

 

Repeat 

 

If there are more areas in your life that you want to improve to reach the goals that you have set for yourself add more. If what you are doing is working keep doing it. Once you have mastered the hacks that you implemented you may even want to take it one step further. The choices are truly endless.  

 

Biohacking is a never-ending journey. It is not a fast-track system to optimal health or the perfect life. It is a cumulation of lifestyle changes that take work and dedication. Implement, evaluate, adjust and then repeat until you reach all your goals. You can truly accomplish whatever it is that you want to with biohacking.

 

How To Start Meditating

Getting started with meditation is a lot easier than you may think. There isn’t any special equipment you need to buy or classes you should be taking. While buying a book, a guided meditation audio recording or an app for your smartphone are certainly options, you don’t even have to do that to get started. I’ll share everything you need to know to get started meditating right here in this post. 

 

Start by getting comfortable in a spot that’s as free of distractions as possible. You want to sit down either on a chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground, or sitting cross-legged on the floor. If you sit on the floor, you’ll be more comfortable if you sit on a cushion. It’s important that you can sit in whatever position you choose comfortably and that you’re keeping your back straight. Slumping may make you sleepy while you meditate, and bad posture may cause you discomfort after a while. 

 

Before we start with the actual meditation, let’s get back to distractions. In the beginning, you want to cut as many of them out as possible. Choose a quiet spot where no one will interrupt you. Turn off the ringer on your phone, close the blinds if you think it will help to create a calm and soothing space. You won’t always have to go through all this trouble to meditate because, after a little practice, you’ll be able to do the little meditation exercise I’m about to share with you anytime, anywhere. But like any new skill, meditating can be a little hard in the beginning. It sounds simple enough, but it’s easy to get distracted. That’s why it’s important to set yourself up for success by cutting out any distractions you can. 

 

Here’s how to meditate. Sit down, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. Notice how the air flows in and out of your nose and mouth. Try to think of nothing else. This is the hard part and something that takes practice. Start meditating for a few minutes here and there and increase the time as you move along. Don’t judge yourself when your thoughts stray. Keep bringing yourself back to the sensation of the breath anytime you notice that you’re thinking of something else. 

 

That’s all there’s to it. Getting started with meditation is simple, but like any new skill, it takes practice. Be patient with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Stick with it and keep practicing these new meditation skills. You’ll be glad you did.

 

8 Ways To Prime Your Brain For Success

Our brains are essential for the quality of physical and mental performance. Smoking, excess alcohol, stress, or poor dietary habits, to name a few, can have a significant detrimental impact on our brain functionality. These habits also contribute to high blood pressure, cognitive decline, and dementia.

 

Fortunately, habits can be changed, and new strategies can be learned. The following tips can help to improve your brain and prime it for success.

 

Try the Mediterranean Diet (MeDi)

High-quality foods are essential for your brain health and physical fitness. The Mediterranean diet focuses on plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, fish, whole grains, and healthy oils like olive and avocado oils. 

 

Based on a study of 502,536 participants, people who followed the principles of the MeDi had a 23% less chance of developing dementia. Also, research has found that the MeDi may improve your cognitive capabilities, such as memory.

 

Reduce Stress with Mindfulness Relaxation

Chronic stress can have a significant harmful effect on brain function. Yale Medicine defines chronic stress as “A consistent sense of feeling pressured and overwhelmed over a long period of time.” In today’s hectic world, there are many causes of chronic stress, such as life changes, an unpleasant career, or family dysfunction. When stressed, the brain increases glucocorticoid production, including the stress hormone cortisol. 

 

Mindfulness is a form of meditation that helps you focus on the present rather than dwelling on the past or situations causing you to worry. Other key concepts include paying attention to your surroundings, accepting yourself, and focusing on your breathing.

 

Be Physically Active

The Center for Creative Leadership asked over 1,500 executives how exercise impacts their performance. Approximately 90% said that physical activity “clearly impacts” their performance, 12% reported “some impact,” and no one reported zero impact.
Respondents reported that regular exercise improved mental clarity and focus, increased alertness, and improved problem-solving.

 

In addition to improving your brain, exercise has physical benefits such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing anxiety, improving sleep, and strengthening your immune system.

 

Stay Mentally Active

 

The human brain must be exercised like a muscle; if your brain doesn’t get sufficient exercise, the result can be early cognitive decline. There are many activities that you can do to give your brain a workout, such as reading, learning a new language, playing games, or working on a jigsaw puzzle.

 

Sleep Well

The importance of sleep and its effect on your brain should not be underestimated. When you sleep deeply, the brain repairs itself and rejuvenates your immune system. When in REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, the brain compiles details you learned during the prior day.

 

Inadequate sleep contributes to feeling exhausted, can cause concentration, mood, and memory disorders, and suppress your immune system.

 

If you cannot go to sleep or stay asleep, create a bedtime routine by going to bed at the same time nightly and waking up at the same time in the morning. Over time, this will help set your internal clock and become a regular sleep pattern. Also:

 

• Turn off your electronics at least two hours prior to bedtime. This includes cell phones, computers, and social media.
• Eliminate caffeine after 12:00 p.m. The most common sources of caffeine are coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate.
• Avoid eating before bedtime to prevent gastrointestinal issues that may keep you awake.

 

Avoid Smoking

While you may feel that cigarettes or cigars help to calm you and are pleasurable, there are risks to brain functionality. A study by the American Heart Association (AHA) found that smoking is associated with cognitive decline, leading to worsening performance. 

 

Be Socially Active

Social interaction can help to reduce stress and depression, preventing memory loss. Look for ways to interact with others, especially if you live alone. Brain atrophy has been linked to a lack of socialization. Being socially active can strengthen your brain health. 

 

Find Inspiration

The things we tend to take for granted can be inspirational and good for brain health. For example, Psych Central notes that watching the sunrise gives you a feeling of awe, bolsters your mood, and helps you to have a “big picture” mentality where we view situations broadly rather than focusing on limited details. It opens your mind to evaluating scenarios entirely rather than breaking them into detailed parts. 

 

People may also find inspiration from art, visiting a park, or watching the sunset.

 

Conclusion

 

A healthy brain keeps our sensory, cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and motor functions working smoothly. It is essential to develop good habits such as eating properly, being physically, mentally, and socially active, and getting sufficient sleep.

 

Practicing the preceding tips can boost brain health, priming your mind for success and well-being!

 

References

https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-023-02772-3

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5502874/

https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/stress-disorder

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356

https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/spotlight-on-exercise-and-leadership/

https://brainfoundation.org.au/healthy-brain/

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/str.53.suppl_1.WP17

https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/addressing-your-mental-health-by-identifying-the-signs-of-anxiety-and-depression

https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/maintaining-healthy-relationships-is-important-as-we-age

 

Finding Balance: Juggling Work, Life, And Self-Care

The more technology we have, the easier life is supposed to be – but somehow, the world just gets faster-paced and everything feels much more frantic than it did before. You're trying to kill it in your career while looking after friendships, romance, and maybe even children, but what about self-care? It feels like you're constantly juggling and if you take your eye off any of the balls for even a second, one drops to the ground. 

 

Your career demands your attention. 

 

Your family and friends need you just as much as you need them. 

 

And what about self-care? 

 

Believe it or not, you can have them all if you simply find the right balance… and you can find the tips you need to do that below. 

 

Boundaries and Priorities 

 

Step one in your journey to finding balance is establishing boundaries based on your priorities. That might mean you need to sit down and establish your priorities if you haven't already. That means understanding your core values and getting to grips with what matters most in your personal and professional life. 

 

Once that's settled, you can establish boundaries that will protect your energy and time. Just be ready to communicate your boundaries clearly and be firm when saying no. 

 

Think about your boundaries around technology, too – do you pick up emails even when you're off the clock? Do you feel the need to reply to every message instantly? Think about your relationship with the internet and social media. 

 

Organization and Time Management

 

Organization and time management work in tandem and once you crack this code, you will find it much easier to find balance. Use a calendar or diary, utilize to-do lists, and structure your day to break down your responsibilities and when you will tackle each. 

 

By breaking down every task into manageable moments, you avoid the risk of multitasking, reduce stress, improve productivity, and give yourself time for everything. 

 

Delegate

 

Something that many people struggle with is letting go of control. Let's be clear about this – you can delegate! At work and at home, you can assign appropriate tasks and responsibilities to family members and employees or colleagues. The key to finding balance is sharing the load, so learn to let go. 

 

Take Breaks Intentionally 

 

Part of finding balance and practicing self-care is taking regular breaks, which means you might need to schedule them when you sit down with your calendar and to-do list. So, schedule a take-five, go for a brief walk, sit down for a quiet meditation session, or just chill out with a glass of water or hot tea. A break should not be viewed as a luxury, it's a necessity to improve productivity and performance. 

 

Say No 

 

There's no point in establishing boundaries if you don't learn to say no! 

 

You should be able to say no to things that don't fit or feel right without feeling guilty about it. Everyone has limits, and if saying yes means pushing yourself beyond yours, you need to say no. Whether it's coffee with a friend on your busiest day of the calendar month or picking up an extra project at work when things are hectic at home. There will be times you can say yes to those things, but if you can't say yes now, don't!

 

Lean On Your Support

 

Everyone needs human connections and having a strong support system when you're dealing with life's obstacles and challenges is key. So, be sure that you are surrounded by people who respect you, understand your goals, and build you up. These people should be willing to go 50/50 in sharing responsibilities and happy to pick up the slack from time to time when it's necessary. 

 

Final Thoughts 

 

It might feel like an impossible task, but with a bit of intention, you can strike a balance between work, life, and self-care. It might be difficult at the start, but once you establish your boundaries and learn to stick to them, the rest will come with time and practice. When you do find the balance, you will start to see everything in your life improve.