5 Uncommon Methods that will Instill Calm into Your Life

We all know the conventional ways to achieve calm: meditate, go for a walk, listen to relaxing music, etc., but what about the uncommon ways to do it? For all of you who like to break the mold, here are some unconventional methods to instill calm into your life. 

 

1. Put your Phone on Silent 

 

Or even better, airplane mode. It’s a big ask, so don’t worry if you need to take baby steps to get there. The point of this exercise is that a silent phone increases the chances of achieving a quiet mind. We’re all so distracted by our black screens that we forget to soak up the present moment — so give it a go! 

 

2. Mindful Eating 

 

If you’re puzzled by this one, you’re not alone. Most people like to scarf down their food the second it’s in front of them — very primal of us. But every once and a while, it pays to eat slowly and take in every bite. Focus on the flavors as they marry, the textures, and the joy of being able to eat. That’s called mindful eating! 

 

3. Watch TV 

 

Hold on, watching TV will make me calmer?! Doesn’t everyone say it’s terrible for your mind? Well, we’re talking about watching TV in healthy, moderate doses. That doesn’t mean you should binge-watch TV every day, but when your mind needs a break, it’s perfectly acceptable to put on an episode of your favorite show to relax. 

 

4. Do Something Mundane 

 

Most people don’t get excited about mundane, menial tasks like doing the laundry or washing dishes, but it’s great for the mind. You’re probably used to a lot of thinking in that brain of yours, which means you’re not giving it a lot of time to focus on something without being totally consumed by it. Try it out! 

 

5. Use Art to Achieve Calm 

 

You may not be a junior Picasso (or maybe you are!), but that doesn’t mean you can’t use art to calm your mind. Go to a museum or stare at your favorite picture hanging on your wall. Art does an excellent job of calming people down and bringing them back to a grounded state. 

 

Simple enough, right? No matter what method (or methods) you choose to try out, make sure you’re doing what feels best for your mind and body. This is a personal thing — finding calm should be a happy, worry-free journey. Good luck! 

6 Ways to Deal with the Upheaval at Work

If you’ve ever had things fall apart at work, you’re already quite familiar with upheaval at work. It happens every time you get a new boss, or they start making significant policy changes. Though let’s face it, even those small changes in the office can create tension and make it difficult to get things done.

 

Dealing with upheaval at work isn’t hard, though, so long as you keep your head. The next time things get complicated, try these tried-and-true methods to get you back on track.

 

Stop

 

Sometimes the smarted thing you can do in a crisis is absolutely nothing at all. You need to stop and think, as an emotional reaction is going to cost you in the long run. Start by taking several deep breaths and think about what to do next. Not to mention you’ll win some bonus points if management notices you’re the one keeping calm and acting rationally.

 

Stay Positive

 

Getting caught up on the negative isn’t going to help anything. You’ll only spiral down into a cycle of blame and complaints, ending on a lot of finger-pointing or negative self-talk. This is the time to pull out a Pollyanna attitude. Sure, things went wrong, but if you can keep your optimism, you’re more likely to find the opportunity in all of this, which is worlds more productive, not just for you, but for your co-workers as well.

 

Learn from the Situation

 

Speaking of opportunity, any upheaval is fodder for a learning experience if you let it become one. Step back and look at the whole situation rationally. Look for the lessons, and then ask yourself how you can apply them to prevent the next time.

 

Talk to Your Co-Workers

 

At work, you have a rich resource just waiting to be used. Draw on the talents and abilities of those around you. By banding together and brainstorming, you’re more likely to come up with a viable solution than you ever would working alone.

 

Eye on the Prize

 

You have a particular goal in working where you do. Remember this goal now. What can you do at this moment, which will put you back on track toward your goal? How can the upheaval maybe benefit your long-term goal? Now might be the time to act.

 

Expect Disaster

 

Well, of course, things are going to go wrong sometimes. Situations change, and in any workplace, there are many moving parts to keep things going smoothly. By being prepared for the things which could go wrong, you can head off a lot of what might be an upheaval in the making.

 

How to Use 30 Minutes to Stop Worrying

Worry can derail an entire day if you let it. But did you know you had the power to stop it in just 30 minutes of your time, freeing up the rest of the day to really live your life? The answer is more straightforward than you think. 

 

When you become accustomed to worrying, you gain a constant stream of negative feedback and information in your brain. It’s like leaving the TV on to a channel designed to inform you of every worst-case scenario, only personalized to make all those dire predictions all about you.

 

Doesn’t sound like much fun, does it?

 

But by designating 30 minutes every day for worrying and allowing yourself to worry only during those 30 minutes, you gain back your day and your life simultaneously. 

 

You start by setting a ‘worry time.’ Once you have this half-hour firmly in place (put it on your calendar if you need to), you can start kicking every worrying thought to the curb. You tell it, ‘later.” and then refuse to let it near you again until it’s your designated worry break.

 

How do you do this? Try these quick steps:

 

Pick a Time

 

Grab a half hour when you’re not going to be busy. Be careful not to pick one too near bedtime, though, as it might interfere with your ability to sleep.

 

Become Conscious of Your Thoughts

 

Every time you have a worrying thought, tell it to go away until later. If it helps, jot the worry down somewhere, so you have a list to look at during your break.

 

Use a Timer

 

Worries can very quickly take over as much time as you give to them. By setting your timer to 30 minutes, you’re keeping control of just how much time you’re going to spend worrying.

 

Record Your Thoughts

 

Either write down your worries as you think about them, or if you like, journal about your thoughts during this time. Be as detailed as you like. This might also be an excellent time to examine your worries, to figure out if there’s a recurring pattern or theme. Dig down into the heart of what’s really troubling you.

 

Stop When the Timer Goes Off 

 

At the end of 30 minutes, you’re done. Any new worries now have to wait until tomorrow. Close the journal, throw away the paper, do what you need to close off the worrying for the day.

 

Repeat

 

Do every one of these steps every single day for at least two weeks. Why? Because it takes time to form a habit, which is what you’re really trying to do here. 

 

In the end, you’ll be amazed at how much freer you feel when you realize you don’t have to worry all day long. You’ll sleep better at night and be much more productive during the day. Not bad for an investment of only half an hour.

Fear-Based Motivation

Fear can be an effective catalyst for motivation. For example, if your boss tells you to get your project done on time or you will lose your job, you can be sure you’re going to do everything in your power to get that project done. You may resent your boss for doing this, but you are probably going to do as he or she wishes unless you are looking to get fired.

 

Another situation where fear will motivate you is when something crucial breaks in your home. It could be the furnace giving out in the middle of winter. You are at a point where you have no choice but to call for expensive repairs. If you don’t, you’ll risk the pipes freezing and being uncomfortable.

 

We all have a certain amount of fear-based motivation. But, is it the best way to get people to do things? In the case of the furnace, you’ll have no choice and have to chalk it up to being a part of life. But, in the case of your boss harping on to you, is there a better way for him or her to handle the situation? Can you continually work in an environment based on that kind of fear?

 

It’s questionable whether motivation based on fear is sustainable. If you are an employee and there aren’t many jobs available as alternatives, you may feel like you have no choice but to comply. But, sometimes, this kind of negative working environment gets people more motivated to get out of the situation. In other words, the motivation tactics may work in the short-term, but eventually, employers may experience a high turnover when those employees recognize there are other choices. The internet is a great equalizer in this regard as more people can choose to freelance on their terms.

 

There’s an old saying about how you catch more flies with honey. If managers would recognize they would get more loyalty out of people by offering incentives rather than scare tactics to get their employees to do the work, maybe turnover wouldn’t be so high. Unfortunately, these managers don’t learn this until it’s too late. And even then, will they make any changes? Often, they make the justification that it’s the employee’s fault and they decided to leave.

 

Think about the impact you have if you are a manager trying to motivate your employees. If you have used fear as a motivator, is it something that has worked for you in the long-term? Or, did you simply set an environment where people couldn’t wait to get away?

4 Changes That Can Transform Your Year (and Your Life)

Sometimes, making changes that you want to see in your life feel nearly impossible. It takes a willingness to step outside your comfort zone to make significant changes that will transform your world. If you want to start your year out right, these subtle changes can be the beginning of a happier, healthier life.

 

Listen to Your Intuition — We like to think life is linear and rational. But more often than not, we make blind decisions based on what we know at the time. But what if you started following your intuition more often than your brain? Often, the right choice is the one we don’t fully understand at the time. Your intuition can lead you down a path you least expect, but that can change your life in exciting ways. Worry less about connecting the dots and spend more time riding the wave.

 

Understand Your Why — You want to make changes but find year after year, you have yet to make it happen. One reason for this is because you don’t understand why you want to make the change. Or you understand it, but you focus on how hard it will be to make the change. Look at the big goal you have and ask yourself why you want it. Will it free up time, make you healthier, or make retirement more comfortable? If the answer is yes, you should keep your thoughts on how much better your life will be when you’ve made the change, and then take action. Always start with your “why.”

 

Take Action — Often we humans wait until the time is right to do something meaningful. And for this reason, many of us have regrets later in life. What do you genuinely want? If you can answer that question automatically, it’s time to take action. Any action. It doesn’t have to be the “right” action. But making that first step will lead you to discover the right next steps to take that will lead you to where you want to go.

 

Stay Short-Sighted — Have you ever thought you’d like to make a significant change in your life but then thought yourself out of it? When we look too far into the future, we can get overwhelmed and end up doing nothing. Ask yourself what the first step would be to make that change. Then the next step. And the next one. Most successful people didn’t know where exactly they’d end up. They just knew they wanted to change their lives, and so they did, step by step. Don’t let the fear of the unknown future steal your happiness today by keeping you paralyzed.

 

How to Deal With a Difficult Emotion Using Mindfulness

Mindfulness has a great many uses and is often prescribed by self-help gurus, doctors, writers and others as a tool anyone can use to improve their mental health.

 

Often these focusses on the long-term benefits of being more present and aware. At the same time though, mindfulness can also be used like a scalpel to deal with more acute problems. Here we will look at how it can be leveraged for instance to tackle specific emotions as they arise.

 

Turning Towards Emotions

 

Normally when we experience negative emotions, we react either by trying to ‘fight them’ or by trying to suppress them. This can be described as almost ‘turning away’ from our emotions to try and deny them their power over us.

 

Unfortunately, this ultimately tends to result in our becoming more stressed or upset as the emotions bubble under the surface, or as we frustrate ourselves in trying to fight them.

 

Instead, though, mindfulness teaches us to turn towards our emotions. What this means, is that you are going to listen to the thoughts and feelings you’re experiencing and then simply acknowledge them. Now you say ‘I am stressed’, ‘I am embarrassed’ or ‘I am upset’. Don’t be ashamed or upset that emotion exists but simply recognize that you are currently in that state.

 

People get upset sometimes. People get angry sometimes. But if you’re simply aware of your condition, then you can be aware that perhaps the thoughts you’re thinking aren’t completely objective. What’s more, you should keep hold of the knowledge that emotions aren’t permanent. In other words, you’re feeling angry right now and as such your thoughts shouldn’t be taken too seriously. But in a few hours, you will likely feel better and then the world will seem like a brighter place again.

 

This creates a subtle but powerful shift. No longer is the world a terrible place and thus you are upset, now you are upset and thus the world seems like a terrible place. The difference is that you now know that belief is not true.

 

Debriefing

 

What’s more, being aware and accepting of your emotions in this way will allow you to assess them in a kind of ‘debriefing’ and to look at what triggered them, how you dealt with them and what they made you think and do. The more you break down and intellectualize your emotions, the more you will find you gain control over them.

Solve Your Life’s Problems Calmly

Time and again, we come across several issues regarding health, family, relationships, job etc. Sometimes we find a provisional solution to such problems and feel contend that they have vanished forever. Why is meditative thinking and chanting considered a practical and passive therapy to resolve life’s major concerns? It is so, because; contemplative thinking reroutes our minds from the negative to positive. The feelings of resentment, apprehension, rebel and envy paralyse our efforts to solve issues between friends, companions, colleagues and even our own conscience. Focusing through meditation is highly productive and enlightening which is why it is believed that life’s biggest troubles are sorted submissively.

 

If your child is experiencing problems with studies, don’t try to force him to learn how to focus on his assignment. Instead, be cool, calm and collected in helping him build his concentration power. Teach them tolerantly, how to focus on schoolwork and put aside the ‘daydreaming’ for the future! You also need to create an atmosphere at home so that your child does his homework with attentiveness. The setting should have educational wall charts, comfortable desks, less traffic and clatter. TV is a big distraction for kids and you have to ensure that your kid will fail to focus when TV is viewed at the background.

 

It is a must that you develop patience to deal with life’s problems. When we experience repeated failure, we give up saying’ ‘maybe this was not my destiny’. Truthfully speaking, it is a cover up on our lack of patience as we give up too quickly without focusing on how to be tolerant. Being satisfied with second-rate results is not the answer to long-standing success. Our thoughts and actions have to be well planned out and precise with appropriate progress of the focal point. With firmness in your thoughts, you can acquire stupendous success even after a series of failures.

 

The Essence Of Adopting a Morning Ritual Habit

If you hate waking up early, then you need to read this article. According to research, creating good habits and sticking to a morning routine plays a huge role in your success. If you’re a night owl, unfortunately, this means you will have to find ways to adapt and change your lifestyle. 

 

Creating a morning routine and turning it into a habit may sound difficult at first. But if you keep at it every day for at least a month, you will start seeing noticeable differences in how you approach your entire day. A morning routine will help you feel more stable and you’ll be so much more in control of your day. 

 

It’s peaceful in the morning 

 

Early mornings don’t have as much distraction as other times of the day. Your family and your neighbors will still be in bed (unless they’ve also adopted this habit), there’ll be less noise on the streets, and your personal space will seem so much bigger. 

 

With less distraction, you’ll be able to think clearly and you’ll have time to exercise, meditate, pray, update your journal, and plan your entire day. 

A morning routine will help you feel more in control of your life and you won’t feel as disorganized as before simply because you will have time to think your day through and organize your activities. 

 

Simply put, your morning routine will set the tone for your day.

 

Get work done early

 

Mornings are best for getting your most difficult tasks done. Getting these tasks out of the way lets you enjoy relatively stress-free afternoons and you’ll be much happier because you can get more things done in the day. 

 

Your productivity levels will increase and you can even start working in advance on tasks that don’t need to be done until later.

 

When you get things done earlier and faster in the day, you can reward yourself for a job well done. Just be careful when rewarding yourself though as some rewards may actually be detrimental to your goals. 

 

For instance, if someone asks you to go partying on a weekday, you may want to tell them “No”. You may be tempted but think first if it’s going to somehow cause you to sleep in late and thus wake up late the following day. If this is the case, then simply decline. 

 

No amount of partying can replace what you can accomplish by sticking to, and religiously following, your morning routine habit!

 

Stop Hiding Behind Your Fears And Get The Road Map To Help

Our blueprint is our own; life is wondering and we respond. Do we meekly submit and let life, let those near us, determine where we're going? Do we serve a maybe in response to life in a muted voice? Or do we persist firm and persist true to our inmost wants; to live a life of virtue and fulfillment - a life of responsibility... free from fears?

 

All of us may come up with someone else to fault or leastwise find someone else who's some more faults than ourselves to take the attention off and pose ourselves in a good light. Making comparisons in this way seems to be fabricated into our DNA as well as hiding behind our fears.

 

When we think about our own lives, conforming to the line ‘I may not be perfect, but I’m not worse than the next individual’ seems all too familiar but behaving poorly or in a more improper way than what we would call for from others, compromises our own wholeness. 

 

The idea that we're ‘not as spoilt’ as someone else lets us think that our own actions are okay and guardedly selecting someone with whom we can equate ourselves only gives the backing we need to justify this to ourselves. It’s all truly handy, correct? 

 

This kind of behavior lets us skip out on being responsible for ourselves, to go on acting badly or to just ‘put our head in the sand’ about specific matters. If our actions are ‘not as sorry’ as someone else’s, does that signify we're correct? 

 

Is it genuinely just when we commit an act we acknowledge as wrong, to not anticipate being held responsible for it? We oftentimes hurt others in ways we, ourselves wouldn't enjoy happening to us and this is hiding behind our own fears. 

 

As a matter of fact, a couple of life's hardest examples can serve as vicious reminders that we have treated someone in some respects how we'd detest to be treated ourselves so how come do we do it? Why do we do something if we’re afraid to face the final result? 

 

An acquaintance once gave me some of the finest, yet most simple-minded advice I’ve ever gotten - ‘don’t be sorry, just don’t do it!’ Its dandy advice that compliments that old adage of ‘Do unto others, how you'd have them do unto you’ and is a wonderful doctrine to live your life by. 

 

Consider it, if you tell yourself this any time, you’re mulling over lying to somebody, treating someone badly, speaking out of turn or doing something you shouldn’t behind someone else’s back - and let’s face it, 9 times out of 10 you’re going to get discovered, you’ll never have to be ‘sorry’ ever again. 

 

If you don’t do the risky behavior in the first place, you won’t have the showdown with that individual, there’ll be no hoo-hah or judging, no relationship unsaved or tarnished and utterly no need to apologize, best of all - your scruples will always be clean and guilt free. It may be rather an easy way to undertake life but it most decidedly works. Alas, doing unto others, how you'd have them do unto you isn’t always assured in today’s society but you're able to at least be responsible for your own actions. Passing off the fault only displays a cowardice and lack of value for yourself and everyone around you.

 

We're responsible for our own lives. No individual is precisely like us; not even an identical twin. Our seeds of joy are our own; our resolves are as unique as our fingerprints. Take responsibility for your own life and stop blaming your fears on others. Learn the right way to banish your fears and move forward today.

 

Getting Rid Of Fear And Anxiety

Anxiety attacks, also recognized as panic attacks, are sequences of acute panic or fear. Anxiety attacks commonly occur all of a sudden and without warning. Occasionally there's an visible trigger - becoming stuck in an lift, for instance, or thinking of the big speech you're doing in a couple of hours - but for many the attacks arrive out of the blue.

 

Anxiety attacks commonly crest within 10 minutes, and they seldom last more than 30 minutes. However, during that small time, the panic can be so serious that you feel as though you're about to perish or completely lose control. The tangible symptoms are themselves so horrendous that many individuals trust they're experiencing a heart attack. After an anxiety attack is concluded, you might be concerned about having an additional one, especially in a public place where assistance isn't available or you can't easily break away.

 

This is where the true trouble begins. This changeless state of "worrying about an additional onset" is what makes anxiousness remain. The more you dread and worry about it, the more probable it will hit you time and time again.

 

The key to eliminating anxiety attacks rests here in unnecessary fearfulness. A chief part of the fright comes from "trusting that your about to pass away, or your cursed with some incurable sickness". In literal fact, you’re really far from passing away ...and you’re surely not going "crazy" or incurable.

 

You can't pass away from an anxiety attack; this is a reality, not a myth. Know that you will not pass away and reassure yourself. Hiding and running away from it won't make anxiousness disappear. Accept the fact that you are having an anxiety attack and face up to it. Once the reason for fearfulness goes away, so to will the body's grounds for keeping up the panic reaction.

 

Make a list of things which you're afraid of. Try to act opposite in that situation. Keep a list of things which keep you calm. Meditation can also be really helpful for anxiety. Exercise regularly also. It helps to keep your blood pressure normal. Lavender essences oil is valuable in calming and soothing. Holding a pet can likewise help. Self-help support and sharing troubles with your friends or family members will also help.

 

And the next time you have another anxiety attack, don't panic.

 

Want to Be Courageous: 3 Sure Methods for Conquering Your Fears

Have you ever imagined living a life without fear or doubt? A life where you are sure of every step you are taking? Well, if there is one thing that can hold you back from growing as an individual and prevent you from achieving the highest levels of success, its fear. Regardless of their occupations, high achievers understand that massive action and taking risk is an important part in moving from one step to another. Just like in business, this also applies to life. One thing that you need to know is that fear is normal. The key thing is not to let it hold you back and prevent you from taking action. 

 

But what are some of the methods of conquering fear?

 

3 methods for conquering your fears

 

1. Prepare for a peaceful outcome

 

If you are anxious and fearful about any upcoming event you will notice that just thinking about them will cause physical responses such as anxiety, uneasiness, among others. So, when you find yourself thinking too much about them prepare yourself by picturing feeling calm instead of being frightened. By doing this, you will be able to retain a clear thought thereby, conquer your fear.

 

2. Have a well thought out plan

 

The moment you begin to worry and over analyze a situation it means that you don’t have a detailed and a well thought out plan on how to overcome that situation. You should, therefore, ensure that you set clear goals with a detailed plan. After coming up with a detailed plan, take action. This will help you relieve stress and give you a sense of enjoyment. Remember, fear often creeps and paralyzes you if you do not take the time to plan your life.

 

3. Do one thing daily that scares you

 

Do you know that one of the worst ways to live is staying in a comfort zone? In fact, not doing the things that frighten you will magnify your fears and let them take over your life. It doesn’t have to be something big, but ensure that you do something daily that scares you. Just step out of your comfort zone and work on becoming comfortable by first being uncomfortable. When you do this daily your courage will start growing little by little and very soon the barriers that were holding you back will vanish and your potential will maximize.

 

Final lines

 

Deciding that fear will not hold you back anymore is one of the best decisions you can make to ensure your future success. Although it’s something that will not work out instantly, taking action and running towards your fears daily will benefit you in the long run. These are the 3 methods for conquering your fears.

3 Tips for Worrying Less

Do you think that you worry too much about almost everything that affects your life? Do you feel like your worries are hindering you from living your life to the fullest? In order to be happy, you need to get the right view of life instead of allowing yourself to be trapped in the problems and worries of each day. 

 

Studies have shown that worry extends across every aspect of our lives- over our families, relationships, work, finances, etc. Simply take things one day at a time. Teach yourself how to worry less by practicing a higher level of detachment while keeping yourself calm and relaxed despite the life’s ups and downs. Here are a few tips on how to worry less: 

 

1. Revel in Some Good News

 

Learn to ignore the bad news and instead revel in some good news, not just around you, but also in your mind. Use daily affirmations to change your life for the better. Once you find yourself worrying, start thinking about the positive things in your life. Then, considering the fact that your mind is vulnerable to wandering around, find something to do so you can keep your attention. Talk to a loved one, watch a good movie, read an interesting book or even play an exciting online game. All these are good ways to avoid worrying too much. 

 

2. Try to Be What You Want To Be

 

Conquer your doubts by ignoring everything beyond your control. Then, considering that self-realization can help you overcome worry, try to build yourself both emotionally and physically. This means that you need to invest in yourself. Find a personal trainer who can help you improve your health or look for someone who can help you become more accountable. Forgive yourself for any previous mistake and improve yourself for future victories, one day at a time. 

 

3. Choose Your Friends Carefully

 

Your mood is affected by the people you hang out with, whether you are aware of it or not. Research has shown that emotions are infectious. We can easily catch moods from the company we keep or even from strangers around us. The people you hang out with have a huge impact on your feelings and mental well-being. Choose your friends carefully. Determine who to talk to regarding the circumstances that make you nervous. Some people can help you take a positive view of life while others can add to your fears, doubts and worries. 

 

Worrying will not help you to solve your problems. Make a commitment to stop worrying too much today. Each time you focus on these tips, you are instilling a mental habit that will help you overcome the depressing worry cycle.