3 Ways to Supercharge Your Brain Power Through Exercise

You know exercise is good for your physical health, but did you know it’s also good for your brain? The latest neurological research has shown that there is a so-called ‘magic protein’ called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) that has the power to supercharge your brain and improve your memory. And it is stimulated by cardiovascular exercise!

 

BDNF can rewire and build new neural pathways in the brain, especially in the crucial areas that control memory (the hippocampus) and analysis, thinking, and decision-making (the frontal lobes). Your frontal lobes are where most of the intellectual activity of the brain takes place, from processing the data that’s coming in all the time to problem-solving and making ethical decisions.  And you can keep these critical parts of your brain bathed in BDNF by merely increasing the amount of exercise in your daily routine. 

 

If you find it hard to commit to regular exercise, here are three ways you can make it easier and supercharge your brain at the same time. 

 

1.    Make it Fun

 

The key to maintaining an exercise regime is to choose an activity or activities that you enjoy. Not everyone likes going to the gym, but there are many other ways to increase your heart rate and get the BDNF pumping. 

 

Dancing, swimming, hiking out in nature, and bike riding will all get your heart rate up, and you’ll enjoy doing it. Even brisk walking will help. As a bonus, exercise will boost your endorphins, too, making you happier and more relaxed. 

 

2.    Schedule Your Exercise

 

It’s easier to stick to a regular exercise plan if you schedule time in your diary. Set aside time and increase your sessions until you’re exercising for thirty minutes, four or five times a week. Like any other habit, once you make it a priority, it will become just another part of your regular routine like brushing your teeth. 

 

3.    Make it Musical

 

Research has shown that music can increase motivation and happiness. Exercise will be much more fun if you’re bopping away to your favorite tunes. Even housework can become a brain-boosting dance routine when you’re vacuuming along to music that makes you smile. Turn up the volume and start cleaning to the beat!

 

Create a playlist of your favorite songs, and you will find that exercise is pleasurable and much easier to stick to when there’s upbeat music to encourage you!

 

5 Steps to Living Your Purpose

Maybe you’re working hard to achieve your dream life. Perhaps you’re an entrepreneur, or aiming for promotion, or trying to get your business off the ground. If you’re finding success a bit of a struggle, maybe you need to find your life’s purpose to lift you above the pack and change your mindset from struggle to success. 

 

Finding your purpose is like finding a magic key to help you align everything you do and focus on getting to your best life now. Here are five steps to help set you in the right direction. 

 

1.    Look Within

 

Too many people look to others for the answers. Too many people follow a path that’s not their path. Only you can know what your dream life looks like. The answer to your life’s purpose lies deep within you. All you have to do is tune into it. Journaling can be a helpful tool to allow your subconscious to speak your truth. Or meditation, or brainstorming. The important thing is that you look into your own heart. 

 

2.    Trust Your Intuition

 

Learning to trust that inner voice that tells you that the conventional way of doing things isn’t right for you. Whether it’s a college degree or a selling technique: if it doesn’t feel right, you don’t have to do it! Find your own way of living your life, and you’ll be much more likely to feel content and to be successful. 

 

3.    Get Friendly with Fear

 

Many people choose to live safe, conventional lives, too afraid to do things differently or to take a chance. It’s ok to be scared of the unknown. You can choose to face your fears and to lean in to meet challenges head-on. 

 

Deciding to live your own life according to your values and your passion means being able to look fear in the face and step right out of your comfort zone. 

 

4.    Don’t Be Bound by Your To-do List

 

It’s easy to become a slave to the never-ending checklist of things you need to do before you can live your purpose. You only get one shot at life.

 

Have a look at your current list of tasks. How many of them will move you closer to living your best life? How many can you just scrub out or delegate to someone else? 

 

5.    Realize that You Already Have What You Need

 

Maybe the most important thing to know that you don’t need expensive courses or workshops, or the right suit or car. You already have everything you need to start living your life’s purpose. It’s all within you. What really matters is what you do with it. And today is the best time to start!

 

This is How to Get Started Fulfilling Your Purpose

Does finding your life purpose sound a bit scary and overwhelming? Do you not even know where to start? Maybe it’s easier to stay where you are, play safe, stay small. But there’s still that nagging feeling in the back of your mind. You could be doing something meaningful. You could be living your best life. But how to get started?

 

Here are three steps to gently start your journey to living a more authentic life. Just remember to be kind to yourself and take baby steps.

 

1.    What are you scared of?

 

The first step is to have a good look at what scares you about finding your life purpose. Does it feel risky? Do you feel vulnerable? What if you fail? What if people laugh at you. If it’s any comfort, these are thoughts and worries that afflict everyone. Don’t worry; you’re not alone. 

 

Start by writing down everything that comes into your head at the thought of finding your life purpose. Don’t filter or critique. Just write what you think. You can use the prompt ‘If I consciously live my purpose, I’m afraid that…’ and see how you go.

 

Now take a deep breath and respond to a second question “What do the scared parts of me need, to feel supported?”

 

2.    Give yourself permission to change

 

Everything in nature changes and grows. It is not normal to stay in the same state or position for a lifetime whether you’re an acorn, a puppy or a person. Embrace the potential of change and personal growth.

 

Giving yourself permission to change and grow opens you up to limitless possibilities. By saying yes to change, you are giving the Universe permission to give you opportunities you may never have dared dream of receiving. Say yes and see what happens. 

 

3.    Don’t be afraid to be your unique self

 

No one in the history of the world has ever been like you. 

 

You have your own set of talents, skills, passions, and experiences. Only you can make your contribution to the world. So, stop trying to fit in and be like everyone else in the herd. Stop comparing yourself to others and anticipating their judgment of you. The only thing that should give you pause is the thought of wasting all your talent by not shining your light. If you feel bashful about striking out on your path, remember no one else can be your best you.  

 

5 Ways to Stop Worrying About What Others Think of You and Live Your Authentic Life

Have you ever wanted to try something, to do something, to be a certain way? Did you follow through with those desires? Or did you stop dead in your tracks out of fear of what others would think? If you said yes, keep reading to find your way out of the pigeonhole you are in and live the life you want.

 

1.    Ignore the Fear

 

Fear is in all of us. It is a primal emotion and instinct that has allowed all creatures to survive for thousands of years by escaping danger. However, in today’s world we often experience fear that comes from no real threat. Really, what is the risk in someone disagreeing with you? What is the danger of being wrong? Fear, when manifested, can lead to many other emotions and physical symptoms that can stop you from living the life you want. If there is no real danger (i.e., death or bodily injury), then go for it.

 

2.    So What?

 

Or “What if”? “What if she doesn’t like me?” “What if they think my business idea is stupid?” So what? That is only one person. That is one board of directors. What if she has had a crush on you this whole time? What if they think your idea is brilliant? Continually fearing the “what ifs” in life is exhausting. Move past those “what ifs” with a “so what.”

 

3.    Live the Rejection

 

Rejection happens, and it hurts. However, with every rejection comes a lesson. Maybe that lesson is what you need to do better next time. Or, it may be that the person who rejected you has no idea what they are talking about. To succeed and prosper, you must live through rejection. Just know that not every rejection is a poor reflection of you.

 

4.    Do It Wrong

 

Do you live in fear of being wrong or messing something up? Don’t. No one can be right or perfect or on point all the time. Stop questioning every decision you make, every emotion you feel, or every action you take. Simply enjoy it, do what feels right, and keep going.

 

5.    Be You

 

Be you. Be you unapologetically. Be you and feel no guilt. Dr. Seuss once said, “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” 

 

Living in a constant state of worry about what others think about you is exhausting. It will also impede you living your best life, your authentic life every time. Learn to embrace yourself, your mistakes, the rejections, and the lessons, and live your life for you. 

 

How to Be More Grateful for What Freedom You Already Have

There’s so much emphasis on getting ahead, being successful and striving for change that it can be hard to remember that you already have so much for which to be grateful. Even worse, the constant pushing to change your circumstances can lead to dissatisfaction, and keep you trapped in a cycle of always feeling you’re not good enough. 

 

Free yourself from the shackles of ‘must try harder’ by remembering to stop and appreciate what you’ve already achieved, what blessings you already have in your life. Keep in mind that you are free to be content right now. Here are some tips to help free you from the cycle of discontent.

 

1.    Change your focus

 

Research has shown that the more you cultivate a habit of gratitude, the better able you are to weather the ups and downs of life. As you perceive life to be positive, you will come to expect more of the same. You can retrain your brain from negative self-talk to greater thankfulness, gratitude, and happiness. 

 

By practicing gratitude, you rewire the neural pathways in your brain so that it becomes your mindset’s default setting. You learn to look for the good in things instead of focusing on the bad. 

 

2.    Step away from more stuff

 

If you’re like most people, you have more than enough possessions. The current mantra is that spending brings happiness, but deep down you probably know that it doesn’t. Sure, buying yourself a new car or outfit makes you feel good at the time, but that spenders high wears off pretty quickly.

 

Break the habit of buying the next shiny thing and appreciate what you’ve got right now. 

 

3.    Develop a mindfulness practice

 

Mindfulness and meditation can help you focus on the good that’s already in your life. By focusing on the present, you free yourself from that familiar yoyo-ing of brooding over past disappointments and future anxieties. 

 

You can easily integrate mindfulness into your day. Whatever you’re doing, pause and focus on your breath. Ask yourself: what are five things I’m grateful for in my life right now? Your five items can be anything from having a roof over your head to having a job, your partner or your health. Or you can be grateful for a comfortable chair or clean sheets! Chose anything that makes you feel good at that very moment. 

 

Choosing gratitude and contentment doesn’t mean being stagnant or giving up. It means stepping aside from judgment and freeing yourself from the bonds of negativity.

 

Personal Freedom Begins in Your Mind

You might be surprised to learn that the biggest obstacle to your personal freedom is right between your ears. A negative mindset is the biggest block to freedom. 

 

There are so many parts of your life you cannot control, from the need to earn a living to finding true love. But you can control your mindset, your thoughts, and how you act in the world. So how can you overcome your psychological blocks and open your mind to achieve greater freedom?

 

1.    Change the record

 

Everyone has a constant inner monologue; what psychologists call self-talk. And most of the time, yours is probably set to negative. Any messages you get in childhood about being bad, hopeless or selfish or stupid all get absorbed in your malleable child’s brain and resurface in adulthood as your Inner Critic. 

 

The good news is that you can reprogram your Inner Critic and turn it into an Inner Coach. 

 

Make a list of all the negative things your Inner Critic says. Be alert for phrases that start ‘you always or ‘you never.’ Watch out for ‘shoulds’ too. Then take each negative message and turn into a positive one. 

 

Change your self-talk broken record to a new track full of encouragement and positivity. 

 

2.    Change your expectations

 

Studies have shown that the most significant contributors to success or failure are your expectations. Happy people expect things to go well and mistakes or problems do not crush them, they see them only as temporary setbacks. Conversely, if the expectation is to fail any issue will confirm the expectations, and you won’t try again. 

 

Expecting things to work out is not wishful thinking; it is choosing to be positive no matter what the circumstances. 

 

3.    Change your focus

 

Modern society trains us to be dissatisfied with what we have now and constantly strive for bigger, better and shiner. You can choose to step outside of this and be grateful for what you have right now. 

 

Developing a habit of gratitude frees you from this pressure and affects the structure of your brain. Studies show that the more you feel grateful, the more resilient you become in the face of life’s ups and downs. You feel happier with what you have and more open to receiving. Even better, you rewire the neural pathways in your brain so that your mindset defaults to positivity. You start to see the good things before you notice the bad. Over time, you perceive life as positive, and your expectations change. You free yourself from the burden of negativity!

 

Tips for Reclaiming your Personal Freedom Today

Have you ever woken up and wondered how you ended up with this life of yours? Do you feel stuck in the rut of the same routine day after day, week after week, year in, year out? Maybe you feel trapped by obligations, by debt, by other people’s expectations. 

 

If you want to get off the hamster wheel, you can! Here are five tips for reclaiming your personal freedom today. 

 

1.    Stop beating yourself up

 

Feeling dissatisfied is hard-wired into us as humans. If humans as a species were content with the status quo, we would have died out long ago. It’s in our genes to keep adapting and overcoming challenges. So, don’t blame yourself if that dissatisfaction comes out in a modern human being as wanting to go out and spend! On the other hand, thinking and strategizing also kept us going on the evolutionary path, so you can outsmart those spending impulses or give into them – your choice.  

 

2.    Stop comparing your life with others

 

It used to be called keeping up with the Joneses. Now it’s looking at other people’s seemingly perfect lives on social media. Everyone shows the best possible version of themselves to the world. No one takes selfies of their failures, their bad hair days, their overdrawn bank account. 

 

Free yourself from comparison by stepping out of the competition and focus on living your life your way.

 

3.    Appreciate what you have

 

Discontent feeds on wanting something different. Take a look around you and count five things you’re grateful for in your life right now. Then five more. Once you start, you’ll find dozens of things in your life that are wonderful and life-affirming.

 

To be happy with what you have in the present sets you up to receive even more in the future.

 

4.    Be a more conscious spender

 

It’s easy to fritter your money away on things that don’t make you happy or help you meet your goals. Before you buy anything, take a moment to consider why you want it. Do you need it? How will it improve your life? Is it worth the money? Are you spending to meet an emotional need?

 

Test your purchasing against these questions before you hand over your cash. 

 

5.    Live your best life

 

Do you find yourself envying other people, or wishing things were different? Take action! If you want to live a more authentic life, go ahead and do it. 

 

Work out what you want, make a plan and give it your best shot.