10 Tips To Build Confidence & Improve Your Self-Esteem (Infographic)

5 Steps To Improve Emotional Intelligence (Infographic)

4 Ways To Increase Happy Chemicals In Your Brain

Did you know you can control your happiness? Being unhappy seems to be the new normal. So many people have their faces stuck in their phones that they’ve lost the ability to enjoy their lives. Don’t let that be you.

 

“So, what do I do?” you ask. You make use of the chemicals, hormones, and neurotransmitters in your brain.

 

These natural substances work together to help out with certain bodily processes. Their other function? They regulate our moods.

 

When you have a better understanding of how these chemicals work, you learn how to regulate and adjust them naturally.

 

In this post, we’ll share with you four ways to increase these happy chemicals in your brain.

 

Let’s get started.

 

What Are Happy Chemicals?

 

Our brain stimulates certain glands to release dozens of different chemicals. They’re sent out into the bloodstream and get to where they need to go.

 

These chemicals, aka hormones, are involved in various bodily processes. There’s a hormone for managing digestion, heart rate, and reproduction. Basically, anything your body does is regulated by one hormone or another.

 

They also have the ability to make us feel joy, sadness, hunger, or pumped up with energy. They’re usually referred to as ‘feel-good’ or ‘happy’ hormones.

 

These chemicals fluctuate throughout the day. This is why you feel lethargic mid-afternoon or excited for an upcoming party you’re attending.

 

Below, you’ll find the four main happy chemicals in our bodies. Then, in the following section, we’ll tell you how each one affects our moods.

 

• Dopamine
• Endorphins
• Oxytocin
• Serotonin

 

4 Ways To Increase Happy Chemicals

 

The great thing about these happy chemicals is we have power over them. We can either increase or decrease how much of them are released through the choices we make each day.

 

Let’s explore how you can take full advantage of these natural happy chemicals of yours.

 

Find Time To Exercise

 

Exercising has so many health benefits. The most important benefit is that it affects our emotional and mental well-being.

 

Studies show that when you exercise for at least 20 minutes, your body releases endorphins. The science behind it is that they induce a sense of euphoria.

Have you ever heard of the ‘runner’s high?’ Guess who’s behind that? That’s right, endorphins!

 

Endorphins are also popular among athletes because they can block pain signals. They do this by binding to opioid receptors in the central nervous system. As a result, your feeling of pain is considerably reduced.

 

To take full advantage of your natural mood stabilizers, exercise outdoors. You’ll get some serotonin coursing through your veins in addition to endorphins. Plus, working out with a group provides even more benefits than going at it alone.

 

If you can find some friends to exercise with, that’s amazing! Yet, if all your friends are busy, join a class and exercise with strangers. Who knows? You may end up striking up a conversation with one of them, which your brain will reward you for with a shot of oxytocin.

 

Cook A Meal With A Loved One

 

In theory, preparing a meal and enjoying it with someone you love can activate all four happy chemicals! Let’s take it one feel-good hormone at a time.

 

First off, there’s the bonding and sharing special time with a loved one. All those feelings tell the brain it’s time to produce some oxytocin, the ‘love’ hormone.

 

The great thing about oxytocin is it doesn’t specify what type of love. Your brain will release it when you’re with your partner on a romantic night out or when you’re shaking someone’s hand.

 

Now, let’s talk about endorphins and dopamine. These are released whenever you’re eating something delicious.

 

Having someone special to share the meal with just boosts their levels even more. Don’t forget to laugh, as well. Studies show that laughter is truly ‘the best medicine’ because it triggers endorphin release.

 

Finally, there’s serotonin. One way to get some is by eating certain foods that restore your gut health, especially those that contain tryptophan.

 

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid. It’s vital for your health, but your body can’t make it. So, you have to find foods that contain this amino acid, which your body transforms into serotonin.

 

Eating prebiotic foods is also a terrific way to support healthy gut bacteria. By taking care of your microbiome, you can regulate your mental and emotional health.

So, eat right, be happy. It’s that simple. Fascinating, right?

 

Check out just a few of the foods that help maintain a healthy gut microbiome. Some of them contain tryptophan as well, so it’s a win-win!

 

• Wheat and oats
• Onions and garlic
• Legumes
• All types of berries
• Citrus fruits
• Apples
• Beetroot
• Mushrooms

 

Enjoy The Sunshine

 

According to research, spending about 10 to 15 minutes outdoors works wonders for our moods. It can help stimulate the production of not one, but two, happy chemicals: endorphins and serotonin.

 

Even if it’s a bit cloudy out, take a few minutes to enjoy being outdoors. Getting a breath of fresh air as you walk around the block can do wonders for your mood.

 

If it’s sunny outside, then all the better. Just make sure you take your sunscreen along.

The reason? When you’re outside, your body absorbs Vitamin D from the Sun. This activates the production of an enzyme that converts tryptophan into serotonin. How cool is that!

 

Not only that, but the natural light from the sun cues certain areas in our retinas to produce serotonin. This phenomenon explains why many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in winter when the days are shorter.

 

Get Enough Sleep

 

Everyone knows they need anywhere between seven to nine hours of sleep each night. However, few people recognize the link between sleep and their hormones.

 

When you don’t get the sleep your body craves, you create an imbalance of chemicals in your body. Dopamine is especially affected, and accordingly, you wreak havoc on your mood. You start suffering from mood swings, lethargy, and lack of focus.

 

This flows onto your mental health and you begin spiraling towards feelings of despair. It can even lead to depression. Not surprisingly, your physical health will start to suffer as well.

 

To prevent all that, all you have to do is get some quality sleep. Just those few hours can really make a world of difference.

 

First off, they can help regain the balance of happy chemicals you need to feel good. You’ll also be able to manage stress better and improve your concentration skills.

 

There are tips and tricks you can try to get those invaluable hours of sleep each night.

 

• Don’t drink anything with caffeine at least two hours before bedtime
• Avoid heavy meals several hours before going to bed
• Turn off all screens an hour before bedtime
• Reduce the lighting and noise in your bedroom
• Meditate for at least five minutes before bedtime to relax and reduce stress
• Set up a schedule where you go to bed and get up at the same time, even on weekends

 

The Smart Way To Smarter Brain 4 (Infographic)

The Smart Way To Smarter Brain 3 (Infographic)

The Smart Way To Smarter Brain 2 (Infographic)

 

The Smart Way To Smarter Brain 1 (Infographic)

Make Your Brain Work Faster Than Ever

It is evenly important to exercise the brain like other body parts. If your brain is not energized then it is apparent that you start losing focus. Nevertheless, when you learn the facts you will be provoked to involve yourself in activities that train your brain. These activities are simply one of the finest ways to invigorate a weary brain, build focus and rouse it simultaneously. Constant worry can influence the brain in a multiplicity of unhelpful ways and is a massive problem for scores of people. You can keep your mind sharp by keeping it lively. It is said by neurological experts that the brain keeps changing and learning irrespective of age. Truthfully, as we turn older our subconscious skills tend to diminish, lowering our concentration power.

 

As you grow, have you noticed that it is difficult to recollect certain details in a book as you finish reading it? It happens when you find it hard to pay notice to things going on around you as your brain is having obscurity staying focused on a task. People who often indulge in multi tasking experience a hard time keeping focused on one task when the need crops up. Such people have automated their mind to do a variety of jobs, concurrently. By indulging in a range of exercises your brain will begin to see an up-gradation in your dispensation speed. You will start comprehending things faster and in the first shot and it will seem like someone has flicked a switch within you. 

 

Meditation is a very good way of exercising the brain, if you do not want to lose your cognitive abilities and instead make them sharper, you have to determine the ways to keep your mind healthy. A good source of finding out more of these exercises is the internet. This includes exercises to boost IQ and creativity, pacing up brain processing and memory enhancement.

 

How to Speed Read

Looking to save yourself time and get more done in the small amounts of time you do have in the day? 

 

Then how about trying to speed read? 

 

Speed read is the process of scanning through text while at the same time still taking in all the information. This is something some people are very good at and other people struggle with, so let’s look at some methods you can use to learn it.

 

Use a Tool

 

One easy way to learn to speed read is to try using a tool such as ‘spreader’. Spreader is a program that lets you paste a large amount of text into a website and then quickly runs through all the words, showing you one word at a time for a set duration. You can choose that duration and then by looking at the word count, the program can tell you precisely how long it will take to read that content. You can this way read a very big novel in a couple of hours!

 

Use ‘Jumps’

 

Normally we read by letting our eyes scan left to right across the page. You can speed this up though by letting your eyes ‘jump’ from one block of text to the next and by taking mental snapshots as you go.

 

When you do this, you may notice you are no longer sounding the words out to yourself but instead just trying to take the meaning in. This is a good thing – as you remove the need to mentally verbalize you can start reading with ‘unsymbolized thought’ which is much faster.

 

Time Yourself

 

Timing yourself at any task is an easy way to get quicker. Likewise, if you’re giving yourself 30 minutes to read in the evening, why not challenge yourself to see how many pages you can get through and then try to better that next time? The old saying goes: ‘that which is measured, improves’.

 

Eventually, try going just a little faster than you can comfortably understand.

 

Have a Goal

 

Often, we don’t need to read a lot of the text in an article or even a book. If you’re trying to get a specific piece of information from the text then set out with the goal of retrieving that and then look only for relevant content in the page. This is a good way to make sure that you aren’t wasting time by reading long introductions etc.

 

Can You Really Improve Your Emotional Intelligence?

There’s been a long running debate in the world of behavioral and organizational psychologists regarding emotional intelligence. The issue? Whether emotional intelligence exists or not. 

 

A consensus of experts think that EI is a real thing. The big argument centers on what it is and where it comes from. Some people are convinced that emotional intelligence is simply just an extension of your personality. That’s the problem if you’re trying to improve emotional intelligence. 

 

If it’s just part of your personality, then it’s not much different from saying that you are just born with that emotional intelligence or you’re not. This is very depressing. Study after study has shown that emotional intelligence plays a big role in overall personal success. It works hand and hand with IQ. 

 

It doesn’t hurt to be born with high IQ. Don’t get me wrong, this will definitely open a lot of doors for you, but you cannot rely on it alone. IQ can only go so far. You may be a high IQ individual but if you’re lazy, there would be less opportunities for you. You may be able to grasp otherwise complicated concepts very quickly but if you’re unable to communicate with your emotions effectively, this inability is going to stymie your success.

 

IQ does not exist in a vacuum. It really doesn’t. It has to coordinate with other very important human skill set. Emotional intelligence is one of them. The problem with positioning emotional intelligence as essentially arising out of personality is that it becomes random. You’re left with the conclusion that either you’re born with emotional intelligence or you’re not. 

 

This flies in the face of evidence. Why? A lot of people who start out emotionally awkward or even socially incompetent become very smooth polished and effective when they find themselves in social settings. In other words, they chose to increase their emotional intelligence they chose to hone their skills. They did not wait for their built own personality-based emotional intelligence to kick in. They don’t wait around and took matters into their own hands.

 

They know that they have issues dealing with other people so they got the right information and they worked on this trait over and over again over an extended period of time until they got it right. In other words, building up emotional intelligence, if you look at it as an ability instead of some sort of built in, in born extension of your personality, is very much like working out in the gym. Do you remember the first time you hit the gym? It was probably hard on your body because you haven’t worked out before. When you hit the bench-press and you put 50, 60, 100 pounds on your system, it felt like murder. But after two weeks of continuously hitting the weights, it got easier and easier and eventually you reach the point where you can scale up the weights. Now you’re probably lifting a lot more pounds than when you started. The same applies to emotional intelligence. 

 

At first, it’s going to be downright scary. In fact, in certain cases it may seem downright pointless. But the more you keep at it and the better results that you get, the more you stick to it and the better you get at it. You create an upward spiral.

 

To do yourself a big favor, understand that emotional intelligence is something that you can improve. It’s not something that is set in stone, it is not something that some people are born with and most are not. Get those ideas out of your head. 

 

It is something that you can improve as long as you choose to. Make emotional intelligence maximize your chances of success in all areas of life.

 

Here’s Why Emotional Intelligence is as Crucial as IQ for Personal Success

For the longest time, there is the idea that people who make a big deal of emotional intelligence are simply low or mediocre IQ people. 

 

In the minds of a lot of people, those who make a big deal of their emotional skills and sociability are essentially compensating for the fact that they have low or mediocre IQ. If only things were that simple. 

 

The truth is, when you look at any organization, chances are high that the head honcho or the prime movers and shakers of that establishment are not at the top of the IQ chart for that organization. In fact, in many cases, the most progressive and successful organizations have CEOs that have IQs way below the smartest people in their organizations. The smart individuals, it turns out, are specialists. Either they work in the IT department, the planning department and other areas, but when it comes to the actual operation of raw executive control of the organization, these individuals tend to have lower IQs. 

 

What’s going on? You have to look at emotional intelligence. Success doesn’t just involve figuring out what to do. It doesn’t just turn on whether you know how to do things or not. Instead, a large part of success turns on whether you can really manage people who are often opposed to each other towards a common goal. 

 

You must be able to do this day after day, week after week, month after month. You must be able to scale this in the future and you must be able to communicate this clearly not only to your team members, but also to people outside your team.

Interestingly enough, this skill set cannot be explained by IQ. This is where emotional intelligence comes in. Not only do you have self-aware to the point that you know what you’re feelings are, but you are able to communicate you feelings to others in such a way that you’ve become more persuasive and you are able to remind them about common goals. This is how you can tell whether a leader can motivate and inspire people around them to produce better and better results.

 

People with low emotional intelligence who are thrust into leadership positions often use fear, intimidation, or grotesque and cheap rewards to get what they need. Eventually, that gets old. That organization would stagnate if it doesn’t fall apart. 

 

Emotional intelligence is crucial to any organization that is aiming for the fences. make no mistake, if you’re trying to hit that home run, you need to be led by somebody who not only knows how say the right things to the right people in the right time to produce the right results, but also who is able to do this in many different contexts. That person must also able to plan out the consequences of such emotional signals. 

 

Understand the importance of emotional intelligence because if you want to be more successful in any area of your life, you need to confront this issuer and you need to master emotional intelligence. Click here to get your own personal blueprint of emotional intelligence success. 

 

It’s not as hard as you think. It is not complicated, it is not Greek, and it is not written in computer codes. You just have to know what you’re doing and what you’re dealing with. 

 

Unfortunately, so many people think in habitual terms. They think that once they perceive certain things that they can respond emotionally a certain way. This is why they continue to struggle and don’t get the results that they otherwise have coming to them. 

 

If you want to maximize your emotional intelligence, you need the right guidance. This book will set you on the right path. Forget about blog posts that you’ve read and the webinars on YouTube that you’ve seen, start with a blank slate. Start with what you know. Start with who you are. 

 

7 Natural Ways to Boost Your Memory Starting Today

The day is half over, and you can’t get over the feeling that you’ve forgotten something important. You check your calendar, but whatever it is, it was never written down. Now you’re stuck, and you can’t remember what it was.

 

There’s nothing more frustrating than forgetting. The fact is, we get so busy that it’s very hard to keep track of everything you need to get through a day. 

 

Or is it?

 

Thankfully there are natural things we can do to improve our memory. And we don’t have to wait to get started. Below you’ll find several suggestions to help you boost your memory right now!

 

1. Mediate. All day long you’re trying to absorb information. Is it any wonder your brain gets to the point where it can’t hold in another fact? Meditation gives you time to process, and recharge. What’s more, meditation improves your focus, so when it’s time to go back to work, you’re ready for it.

 

2. Eat better. Some things we eat are called brain foods. Anything with antioxidants will improve brain function, which in turns makes for a better memory!

 

3. Get up and move. Exercise increases blood flow. Better blood flow carries more of what your brain needs to function (such as oxygen and nutrients). So movement = better memory!

 

4. Try a brain teaser. Regularly challenging your brain is good for it! By doing things such as crossword puzzles or Sudoku, you start building better networks for the neural pathways. There are tons of apps out there filled with all kinds of mental challenges designed to enhance your memory. So, why not play a game that gives a real positive boost to your brainpower?

 

5. Take a break. Brains need rest periods too. If you’re finding that you’re losing focus while working, it’s probably time to take a short break. That gives your brain a chance to process and re-energize. 

 

6. Learn something new. By learning new things, you train your brain to process information better, and so you will start remembering more. Picking up a new skill will result in you helping your memory as well!

 

7. Sleep. It’s a fact of life that a tired brain isn’t going to be working at its very best. Getting enough sleep is probably the simplest thing you can do to improve your memory. By getting 7 – 9 hours of sleep every night,you’ll find your memory will improve dramatically.

 

Improving your memory doesn’t have to take a lot of time or even forced attention. By using this list, you’ll find that your memory will improve dramatically in just a short time, all without having to resort to great big crazy changes in your life. How easy is that?

 

5 Ways to Give Your Creativity a Shot in the Arm

All day long you’ve been wrestling with the same problem. You’ve been through all the obvious solutions, and none of them worked. You’ve come to realize that you need to think outside the box on this one – to be creative. But you’ve got nothing, and you’re fast running out of time to present the answer. Stress rises, andyou find yourself well and truly blocked.

 

In the world of being creative, there’s nothing worse than coming up short just when you need creativity the most. Artists are well-familiar with the phenomena. There isn’t a writer that hasn’t suffered writer’s block or an artist that hasn’t eyed that empty canvas with a certain feeling of dread. 

 

Thankfully there are ways to give creativity a shot in the arm when you need it the most. Read on for some great ideas that will get you going and able to create again!

 

1. Take some time to de-stress. The more stressed you are, the less you’re able to think, much less think creatively. Our brains aren't great at working out problems when we're stressed. So it's best to take some time off, relax and do something else. Exercise, listen to music, read a book. The solution will be there waiting when you’re relaxed enough to see it.

 

2. Quit putting yourself down. Hating on yourself when you have a block is only going to make things worse. It’s true that we come to believe what we say about ourselves. Solve this issue by trying more positive statements like: “I am creative.” and “I can do this!”

 

3. Quit expecting so much of yourself. Looking for perfection is the surest way to fail. Start with looking for a solution – any solution. It could be that your crazy or even silly idea is the jumping off point you need.

 

4. Try something new. By experimenting with new art, involving yourself in a new sport, or going somewhere you’ve never been before, you engage your brain along different neural pathways and see the world in ways you haven’t before. Now is the time to try that thing you’ve always wanted to do!

 

5. Keep an idea journal. By making lists of things you find interesting or writing down ideas the second you think of them, you train yourself to spot creative ideas. That should be a physical journal, so you can doodle in the margins and scribble whatever comes to mind. Keep it handy, so you always have it when creativity strikes.

 

If you use this list as a starting point, you’re sure to find your creative juices flowing once again. Remember that creativity is about experimentation, so adjust these ideas to what works for you. The point is not to giveup. Keep trying, and you’ll find that creative spark in no time!

 

Effective Brainstorming

The pressure to come up with ideas can be overwhelming. Constant content creation seems to be a requisite of the workplace these days. There's a demand from your boss to find new ways to improve the workplace, your college lecturer wants to see a different approach than anyone else has shown, or you're an entrepreneur and you recognize that without flagging yourself as someone who stands out different to the rest, you're going to sink among all the other "me too" product creators. 

 

Can you create a mental spark of new ideas as simply as you see a spark when you touch two wires together? The answer is - you can. 

 

The first thing you need to do is quit thinking of ideas as things that just happen. You've heard of brainstorming, right? That's a situation where people decide to cognitively generate ideas. They make the decision that they will create ideas within a timeframe - not that they will sit around the office for days, weeks or months waiting on some mysterious Muse to appear and give them a sign. 

 

How do we brainstorm effectively? 

 

First, write down all known facts and assumptions about the subject at hand. Then for each fact or assumption, ask "what if...?" Take the opposing view in your question. 

 

"What if something else could create the same result?" 

"What if we didn't have a specific resource, then how would we create this?" 

"What if everyone called in sick one day, then how would we minimize the damage?" 

"What if I had only 10 minutes to do this - is there a template I could use over and over again to speed things up?" 

 

Always challenge assumptions. 

 

Strip things away 

 

Often, we get caught up in finding new ideas to add to the existing processes we have in place. But it's as valid to think about cutting away ideas as it is creating new ones. You might have two different products in mind to create, and two different websites to market them through. But by focusing on cutting out ideas you may discover that there is a core group who require both products - and then build just one website aimed at that core group. 

 

Ideas that take away work are sometimes more beneficial than those that do. 

 

Use different discovery tools 

 

Many people swear by mind maps. Some prefer a word processor document - and others prefer spreadsheets. Get away from your comfort level by using a different medium to dump your ideas out into. The process will feel different and make your brain respond differently - and often more creatively. 

 

The 5 Habits You Need to Change to Boost Your Brain Power

Habits can be wonderful things. While most people think of habits initially as bad things you need to conquer, good habits are the ones keeping you on track, like reminding yourself to brush your teeth every morning or to drink water throughout the day. 

 

Did you know there are habits you can add easily to your daily routine that will boost your brain power? Let’s look at five changes you can start making today and get you on track to creating the best version of yourself.

 

1. Sleep

 

This one should almost go without saying. Sleep is how you recharge and prepare yourself to face the new day. What you might not realize is sleep is what helps you to process your day. Without deep sleep and the dream state, you would never be able to deal with whatever trauma you went through during your waking hours. By getting enough sleep, you’re hitting the reset button on your brain, allowing it to work through the rough stuff so you can start the next day with a clean slate. 

 

2. Get Up When the Sun Does

 

Pay attention to Circadian rhythms. By starting the day at dawn, you’re putting your body in sync with the world around you. People who are out of sync are those who experience all manner of problems, from obesity to depression. To keep your mood stabilized, start the day early, and go to bed when it gets dark.

 

3. Use Fish Oil

 

 

If you’re not into eating a lot of fatty fish in your diet, a fish oil supplement will give you the Omega-3s so crucial to your good health. That is what’s needed to repair your brain cells, with the added benefit of guarding you against memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s.

 

4. Practice Mindfulness

 

You might already know meditation will help you reduce stress, and give your brain a break. Were you aware meditation is also responsible for stopping loss of brain cells and even reversing the effects of aging? Meditate for at least 5 – 10 minutes every day to see a positive benefit.

 

5. Do Weird Stuff

 

To grow new connections in your brain and keep your neurons firing, you need to challenge it regularly. Take up a hobby, learn a language, or try something new for a definite jumpstart to get your brain going. Even doing the same old routine in an alternative way can have a positive benefit. So, brush your teeth with the opposite hand or try going a different way to work to jump-start the process.

 

As with any habit, the key is to do these things every day for the best benefit. Boosting your brain power is very simple. Commit to building new habits starting today. After all, there’s no time like the present!