The Constant Fight or Flight

It is common knowledge that many people live their lives in a constant state of chronic stress. This is a serious problem because it triggers the release of negative hormones and neurotransmitters that play havoc with your health. 

 

But it actually goes deeper than that. Chronic stress means that you are constantly being pushed and thus rather than being able to stop and smell the roses, rather than being able to actually enjoy your life, you end up simply trying to survive it. Not only that, but you remain constantly reactive, constantly reacting to events and thereby unable to actually become proactive and to decide the course of your life and the direction you want to take.

 

The Problem

 

We all have different stressors that do this to us. Some of us are struggling with debt. Some of us are overworked in the office. Some of us have problems in our relationships.

 

But no matter what the problem, they all affect the body in just the same way that being chased by a lion would. As far as the body is concerned, we are in danger and it needs to produce the right hormones to increase the heartrate, to contract the muscles and to prevent energy from being spent anywhere else – whether that’s on digestion or the immune system.

 

From a psychological perspective, this means that we are simply burned out and worn out. What many of us don’t realize, is that energy is a finite resource. Many of us think that time is a finite resource but in fact, energy is much more limited. If you spend all about work and if you don’t get home until late at night, then how are you going to choose the direction you want to go? How are you going to write that great novel, workout, find time to develop your career in directions that excite you?

 

All you are doing is treading water. And burning out all of your energy, your passion and your vitality.

 

The Answer

 

So, what’s the answer?

 

Well, overly-simple though it might sound, the answer is to make the choice to focus on things that really matter to you and to stop worrying about the things that don’t. Learn to face your fears and to stop being driven by them. Learn to take the risk that’s necessary if you want to try a new career or write a book.

 

Say ‘enough’ and give yourself that break. Whatever it takes.

 

5 Common Limiting Beliefs that Are Destroying Your Self-Confidence

Limiting beliefs are firmly held convictions that constrain us is some way. By believing them, we end up diminishing ourselves and impoverishing our lives. They tend to destroy your self-esteem, damaging your belief in your own ability to make the necessary changes in your life that will lead you to happiness and a more fulfilled life. When it comes to the limiting beliefs that destroy your self-esteem, here are the five most common beliefs that you may be holding onto. 

 

1. I Don’t Deserve Anything Good

 

When you believe that you aren't worthy of anything good in your life, you will subconsciously turn down any reasonable opportunities that come your way or sabotage those opportunities that you've already received. This limiting belief disrupts that balance of giving and receiving. 

 

2. I’m Not Good Looking Enough

 

When you continue to fail at finding a date, you begin to question your appearance. While appearance does play an essential role in delivering an excellent first impression, it is your charm and attractiveness that matters in the long run. It can be hard to appear confident if you always doubt your physical looks.

 

3. I Will Only Fail in My Dream

 

When you trap yourself in a failure mindset, you will never have a chance to achieve success, regardless of what you are doing. The more you fear failure, the harder it will be for you to move on. Instead, you need to learn as much as you can from each mistake and failure you’ve encountered and move on quickly. 

 

4. I Can’t Find Happiness

 

If you don’t know where to look for it, the quest for happiness in your life can be an eternal journey. While you will always encounter negative emotions, even when you are bursting with confidence, happiness is a skill that you can learn. You just have to start being grateful for all the little things you have in life. 

 

5. I Can Never Turn This Around

 

When you experience setbacks and challenges in life, you may end up feeling anxious or depressed. When you hit rock bottom, you can’t see anything good happening to you in the future. If you continue to strengthen this belief, it will eventually turn into your reality. If you find yourself in this situation, it is vital to feel hopeful and start taking actions to dig yourself out of this hole.

 

Don’t continue to allow these five limiting beliefs hold you back from being a confident person and living the life you want.

Benefits Of Focusing On One Task At A Time

There will be people that try to convince you that multitasking is the right thing to do and that it will increase your productivity. The truth is that this is rarely the case. You are not likely to achieve more by multitasking and we believe that there are several benefits to focusing on one task at a time.

 

Focusing on one Task at a time can Rebuild your Focus

 

Most people switch around the things that they focus on a lot on a daily basis. They see no problem with switching between multiple websites and the different apps that they have installed on their phones. The problem with this is that each of these switches comes with a cost to your focus.

 

By focusing on one task at a time you will drastically reduce the number of switches that you are making. It is a lot easier to rebuild your focus when you keep these switches down to a minimum. You will find that you can improve your focus and how long you sustain it by regularly concentrating on one task at a time.

 

Multitasking is the opposite of this. You need to make a number of switches to try and get everything done when you are multitasking. This is not good for your focus and will probably not produce the results that you want.

 

Reduce your Stress by Focusing on one Task at a time

 

One of the major downsides of multitasking is that it requires a great deal of energy to achieve a number of things at once. This is because you are consistently spreading your attention and focus. Usually, even the simplest of tasks take longer to complete when you are multitasking. Taking longer to complete your tasks can increase your stress levels.

 

When you focus on a single task at a time you will be able to keep your stress levels low. You can enjoy tackling each of your tasks in turn and find the process a lot more satisfying. If you decide to multitask then you are more likely to raise your stress levels.

 

Get More Done by Focusing on one Task at a time

 

You may think that multitasking is a good way to increase your productivity but, in most cases, this never turns out to be true. The truth is that multitasking can often slow things down a lot. When you focus on one task at a time you can enter a flow state of deep focus that will help you to complete the task in the fastest amount of time.

 

When you are in a flow state it is an amazing experience and you are likely to lose all notion of time and any distractions that are around you. By getting into a flow state, you can increase your productivity by as much as 500%.

 

Focus on one Task at a Time and be more Creative

 

There have been a number of cases where people have reported an increase in their creativity when they focused on one task at a time and entered a flow state. Your brain wants you to concentrate on one task at a time and when you do this you can unlock the potential it has to offer you.

 

You can experience a state of deep thought a lot easier when you decide to focus on a single task at a time. With this deep thought you are likely to discover different options and find paths that you would not have found if you were trying to multitask.

 

The Benefits Of Improving Your Focus

In order to improve your focus and attention significantly, you are going to have to put in consistent effort each day. To give you the inspiration and the high levels of motivation to do this, it is essential that you are aware of the benefits of increasing your focus.

 

It places you in Control of your Life

 

When you have a higher level of focus you will have a greater amount of control over your life. You will know that you can accomplish many things because you have the power to focus on them and maintain your focus until you complete a task.

 

You will be able to set challenging goals for yourself and have the belief that you can achieve them thanks to your increase in focus. Taking control of your life is very satisfying and your increased focus will play a significant role in you being able to do this.

 

You will be more Positive

 

With an increase in your focus, you are going to harvest more positive energy. Whenever you experience negative thoughts, you will be able to neutralize them a lot more effectively as you can easily focus on positive thoughts.

 

People that have a poor level of focus tend to concentrate on the negative things in life. They find it easier to focus on the negative things and this can make them overwhelmed. Small problems become big problems very quickly.

 

You will be more Self-Aware with Increased Focus

 

By increasing your focus, you can connect to your inner self and raise your self-awareness. You will be able to see yourself continually growing as you move beyond your comfort zone and take on new things. With a higher level of focus you will have the confidence to tackle new things which you would not have done before.

 

Improve Problem Solving

 

Having a higher level of focus will help you to improve your problem-solving skills. If your focus is poor then even the smallest problems will be a challenge for you to solve. You will find that you move away from focusing on the problem which will just raise your stress levels, to focusing on the solution.

 

Be a Better Decision Maker

 

With a poor level of focus it is going to be difficult to make decisions. Making the best possible decisions requires you to focus on the problem and use critical thinking. We all need to make small and large decisions in our life and with an increased focus you will be able to do this faster and easier.

 

Reduce your Stress Levels

 

If you are totally focused on completing a task then you will not be thinking about other negative things that could cause your stress levels to rise. When you have poor focus you will tend to focus on the negative more and this can make you anxious and drive up your stress levels.

 

Additional Clarity

 

A lot of people have no direction in their life due to poor focus skills. When you have a high level of focus you can easily determine what you want to achieve and then set challenging goals. You will be able to achieve your goals because you have good focus skills.

 

Build Momentum

 

If you have higher level focus skills then you will be more productive and get more things done each day. Once you start focusing and completing your tasks you will build momentum to move on to the next and complete all of your tasks.

 

How To Regain Focus When You Lose It

There are going to be times when you lose your focus for whatever reason. It could be some form of distraction that causes this to happen. The techniques that we provide to you below will help you to regain your focus when you lose it. 

 

Minimize or Eliminate Distractions

 

You know that some things are likely to distract you and cause you to lose your focus more than others. Take steps to minimize these or if you can, eliminate them altogether. These days, people are glued to their phones and need to jump on any notification that they receive. Receiving a notification when you are focusing on something will definitely distract you.

 

Turn off all of the messenger services, including email, on your phone when you are working on your tasks. If you are used to responding to every notification immediately then let people know that you are going to change this. Just because someone wants to waste your time and chat with you on instant messenger doesn’t mean that you have to respond immediately.

 

A lot of people think that it is important to look busy all of the time. They spend time on the lowest priority tasks to ensure that they keep up this appearance of being busy. This is not helpful as it means that you are not prioritizing your most important tasks and completing these first.

 

It’s all about Quality and not Speed

 

Some people want to complete all of their tasks as fast as possible. They derive a lot of satisfaction from ticking off the tasks on their list and breath a big sigh of relief when they are all done. You need to be careful with this as you are likely to be putting speed before quality.

 

If you do not complete a task in a quality way then you will probably have to do it again. Maybe you are overwhelmed by the number of tasks on your list. Be calm and examine your tasks properly. Focus on a quality outcome and don’t worry about carrying forward some low priority tasks to the next day.

 

Be Organized

 

Not being able to find something fast that you need to complete a task can cause you to lose your focus. If you are disorganized with your computer and your life in general then you will increase the chances of this happening.

 

It is not a difficult thing to get organized. You create a place for everything and ensure that everything is in its place. When you are able to find anything that you need quickly it will be a lot easier for you to regain your focus for the task.

 

Use a Refocusing Object

 

You can add an object to your work environment that will remind you to refocus if your focus is broken. This can be a simple object such as a candle, a toy, a small statue or anything else that will do the job.

 

Be sure to form a strong association with regaining your focus easily with this object. If you lose your focus then a quick glance at this object will tell you that you need to get your focus back. It may take a while for this to work for you but in a short time you will find that your refocusing object can really help you.

 

Improve Your Focus With A Challenging Goal

The reason why setting a challenging goal that you are passionate about will help to increase your focus is because you will be more likely to enter a “flow state”. When you are passionate about something you are likely to experience intense focus with it and you will find the whole thing very engaging.

 

If you try and force your focus then you are unlikely to maintain it for very long. Forcing your focus takes a lot of energy and can make you very tired quickly. It is much better to get into a flow state where you will just maintain your focus for as long as you want effortlessly.

 

Identify what you really want

 

The reason that most people do not have at least one challenging goal in their life is because it takes effort to think about what they really want. Most people cannot be bothered to do this and they think that it is too hard. This is not the case and you can find out what you really want pretty easily.

 

Go to a place where you will not be disturbed and take some paper and a pen with you. Think about the different areas of your life such as health, wealth, relationships, skills and so on. Ask yourself what you really want from these different areas of your life.

 

Write down everything that comes to mind and do not make any judgments here. When you have finished asking yourself questions about your different life areas you should have a list of things that you would like to achieve.

 

Go through each of these things and imagine that you have already achieved them. How does this make you feel? Make a note of the emotions that you experience when you do this. The thing that produces the strongest feelings within you is what you will choose for your challenging goal.

 

Add an Emotional Driver to your Goal

 

It is essential that you have an inspiring WHY for your goal. Why do you really want to achieve it? How will you feel once you have achieved your goal? A strong emotional driver will provide you with high levels of motivation to work on the tasks that will deliver your goal.

 

Use the SMART Goal Setting Process

 

You need to set your challenging goal in the right way and the best way to do this is to use the proven SMART goal setting process. This stands for:

 

·      Specific

·      Measurable

·      Achievable

·      Related

·      Timed

 

Any goal that you set must be specific. It is no use setting a goal to make more money for example. You need to decide on a specific amount of money that you want to make. All goals need to be measurable so that you can track your progress towards achieving them.

 

Achievable means that you are not setting a goal that will not be possible for you to achieve. Related is all about your goal fitting perfectly with your core values. If there is an issue here then you will not achieve your goal. Make sure that your goal has a time associated with it. For example, your goal could be to make an additional $100,000 in the next year.

 

Create a Plan to Achieve your Goal

 

You need to create a plan to achieve your goal. Ideally, you want a list of tasks that you need to complete on a daily basis that will move you closer to your goal.

Proven Ways To Increase Your Focus

You may find a number of different ways that other people claim will help you to improve your focus online, but the methods we will reveal in this article are all backed by scientific research. It is essential that you only use proven methods to increase your focus for the best results.

 

Participate in Brain Training Activities

 

There is a lot of research to support that certain brain training activities can help to increase your focus. Consider your focus as a muscle that you need to work on a consistent basis to develop it. You can play chess for real or online, solve Sudoku puzzles, play memory games, solve crossword puzzles and even complete jigsaw puzzles for good brain training.

 

Get the Sleep that you need

 

If you do not get the right amount of sleep then you are going to find it difficult to focus the next day. A lack of sleep will also inhibit some of your other cognitive functions as well. Sleep deprivation on an occasional basis is OK, but if you consistently fail to get enough sleep then you need to take steps to fix this to ensure your focus is sharp.

 

Participate in Regular Exercise

 

How do you feel about regular exercise? If this fills you with dread then there is no need to worry. You do not have to start running for miles each day or kill yourself in the gym with high intensity workouts. Gentle exercise such as walking is a very good place to start.

 

A healthy body is a healthy mind. Studies have shown that people have improved their focus by participating in regular exercise. When you get up in the morning, perform some simple stretching exercises. Take a walk rather than getting in your car.

 

Improve your Focus with Mindfulness Meditation

 

Mindfulness meditation is a great way to improve your focus. It is not difficult to learn and practice mindfulness meditation. You can find videos online that will show you how to do this. Just spend a few minutes practicing mindfulness meditation each day wherever you are and it will work wonders for your focus and concentration.

 

Take Mental Breaks

 

If you are working on a task and get stuck with it you can take a short mental break which should enable you to easily refocus on the task and complete it when you return. There are a number of scientific studies that support taking mental breaks to improve focus.

 

So, the next time that you feel your focus waning for whatever reason, take a short mental break. Go outside and take a short walk as this will definitely help you. Eat something nutritious and drink some caffeinated beverage for example. Get into the habit of taking short mental breaks to boost your focus.

 

Eat a Healthier Diet

 

The foods that you consume during the day will have a big impact on your ability to focus. Make sure that you avoid processed foods and anything that is high in sugar or fat content. Instead, you want to eat foods that will provide your brain with the right kind of fats and other nutrients that it needs to function correctly. Here are a few examples:

 

·      Salmon

·      Nuts

·      Spinach

·      Blueberries

·      Eggs

 

Don’t dismiss your diet as a way to improve your focus. It is vitally important, so get into the habit of eating the right things.

 

Ways To Develop Your Self-Discipline

You know that there is a direct link between self-discipline and your ability to focus and remain focused on tasks that you need to complete. Self-discipline will ensure that you keep your emotions in check and that you take consistent action. Here are some proven ways that you can develop your self-discipline:

 

Get Started with the Countdown Method

 

If you are struggling with getting started on a task then you can kick your focus into gear by using the countdown method. Here you will countdown from 10 and then make an immediate start on the task when you reach “1”. 

 

The reason that the countdown method works so well is because it creates a shift in your mental state as you are counting down. This in turn changes your motivation levels and you will be ready to start as soon as you reach the number 1.

 

Write your Goal Down and make it Visible

 

When you have decided on your challenging goal you need to write it down and make copies of it so that you will be able to see it everywhere that you go throughout the day. Place a copy of your goal in your kitchen on the refrigerator, in your bathroom, next to your computer, in your office and so on.

Find and refer to Self-Discipline Quotes

 

With an online search it will be easy for you to find inspirational self-discipline quotes that will motivate you. You need to print these out and place them next to your goal. Every time that you see these quotes you will be inspired to carry on and complete all of your tasks.

 

Remind yourself why you Started

 

By setting a challenging goal for yourself you are going to experience some bad times. Things are not going to work out as you planned them at times and you need to get over this and keep going. Remind yourself why you set your goal for inspiration to carry on.

 

Just set a Single Goal to Start with

 

When you are just starting out with self-discipline, we recommend that you only set one challenging goal for yourself. It can be tempting to set more than one goal, but this is likely to cause you problems as you do not have the necessary self-discipline to achieve all of them. You can quickly become overwhelmed when you are trying to achieve more than one goal.

 

Be a Prioritization Master

 

If you look at your daily task list, there are going to be some tasks that are much more important for you to complete than others. You need to review your tasks each day and decide which ones are the most important. When you can prioritize your tasks effectively you can avoid the threat of procrastination.

 

Identify and Overcome your Weaknesses

 

People that have a high level of self-discipline have identified their weaknesses and taken the appropriate action to overcome them. This will not be easy for you to do but you must do it if you want to develop your self-discipline.

 

Set Up some Accountability

 

If you keep your challenging goal to yourself then you are not accountable to anyone for achieving it or not. There will be nobody there to motivate you when you need a boost to complete your tasks. Find a suitable person and share your goal with them so that they can be your point of accountability.

 

Understanding The Science Of Focus

Please don’t worry – we are not going to use a lot of medical jargon in this article. But we do believe that it is important for you to know how focus works in your brain. So, we will explain the different processes that take place in the simplest terms for you.

 

When you Focus you Increase Neurotransmitters

 

When you focus there are a lot of things happening in your brain. You will create a lot more neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, dopamine and norepinephrine. These will change your state and put your memory on alert.

 

The neurotransmitters that you produce while focusing are similar to those that you will produce if you are in a state of “fight or flight”. This is a good thing as they will make you feel a lot more alert and engaged with what you are doing. Your memory will be on alert and you should be able to remember more things.

 

It’s all going on in your Prefrontal Cortex

 

A number of neurotransmitters will form in the prefrontal cortex area of your brain when you focus. This is essential as it is the area of your brain which has access to such things as deep thought, planning, remembering things and other higher cognitive functions. These areas are collectively known as your “attention network”.

 

The attention network is very important and as you focus you change the brain waves there. Focusing hard on something produces beta waves in your prefrontal cortex. Determining what is important for you to focus on is the job of the “salience network”. This area of your brain includes the anterior cingulate cortex or ACC.

 

Salience Network

 

Your salience network is responsible for determining what is really important for you to focus on. When the salience network makes this decision, it will direct the attention network to increase your level of focus for this particular thing.

 

One of the great things about the salience network is that it has a strong connection to your motivation. This in turn will help you to keep focusing on a task as your motivation levels increase. There have been a number of experiments with animals where the salience network was removed. The result was that the animals gave up very easily even when hunting for food.

 

As soon as your salience network decides what you need to focus on it will release a flood of dopamine and norepinephrine and this will excite your limbic system and reach the hippocampus area of your brain. The result of this is that you will commit more of what you are experiencing to your long-term memory.

 

Your Attention can be Directed by Internal or External Factors

 

There have been a number of scientific studies that have proven that both internal and external factors can direct your attention. When you make a decision to focus on something important, this is called a “top down” attention direction. This is activated in the dorsal area of your brain.

 

It is also possible to direct your attention through an external factor such as a loud noise or some other distraction in your environment. This results in a switch in your attention through reflex process. Your ventral network will then direct your attention using a “bottom up” process.