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Top 10 Secrets To Stress Free Life 4 (Infographic)

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10 Things You Can Do To Boost Your Self-Confidence 1 (Infographic)

6 Tips To Make Fear Your Friend

What makes you afraid? Is it losing someone you love? Or is it having to see your dentist? Maybe you fear thunderstorms or heights or elevators.

 

Whatever it is, fear is normal. It’s how our body warns us of dangerous situations and that we should be careful.

 

Yet, sometimes, our fears can become so great that they hold us back from living up to our full potential. They fill us with dread and uncertainty that we soon become constantly stressed and anxious over the smallest things.

 

Although surprisingly, fear, in its positive form, can actually be good for us. It can inspire innovative ideas and motivate us to reach new heights.

 

So, we’re here today to help you make fear your friend. Follow the six tips below, and you’ll know how to turn what was once your foe into an ally.

 

Let’s get started.

 

Identify the Source

 

This is probably the hardest step, but it’s absolutely worth it. But first, you need to come to terms with the source of your fear in order to overcome it.

 

Being aware of the root cause will be difficult in the beginning, but it’ll make you stronger. You’ll no longer live in the shadow of that big, insurmountable fear.

 

Embrace It

 

You’ve come face-to-face with your fear. Now, it’s time to embrace it.

 

But before you do that, you have to actually admit that such-and-such scares you. There are several ways to do this. First, you can either say it aloud, preferably to someone else in a natural setting.

 

You can also write it down in a journal or diary. The point is to get it out of your head and into real life. That’s when your fear loses its control over you.

 

It also feels better to get it off your chest and share it with the world. You’ll be surprised to know just how many people are just as afraid as you are.

 

Think Rationally

 

Fear makes us panic, and panic makes us do stupid things. In fact, studies show that when we panic, our prefrontal cortex shuts down. This is the region of our brain responsible for rational thinking.

 

So, case in point, learn how to think rationally despite your worries and panic. Make fear your friend, and you’ll be able to go a lot farther in life.

 

Take Stock

 

People deal with fear, stress, and anxiety in different ways. Some people like to be challenged and are great under pressure. Others find it better to work at their own pace without any tight deadlines looming overhead.

 

Whichever way you prefer, the important thing is not to let fear get the better of you. For example, say you’re afraid to speak in public. But then a colleague suddenly got sick and asked you to take over the presentation you’ve been preparing for weeks.

 

In this scenario, you have to pick whether you’ll let your fear overpower you or whether you’ll rise to the challenge.

 

The latter won’t be easy, but it’ll definitely be worth it in the long run. Be objective and tell yourself that others have held presentations before and have lived to tell about it. So, what’s the big deal?

 

Remember, your mind tends to blow things out of proportion. So, find a way to deal with the stress and take stock. It’s the only way you’ll be able to harness your fear and get the job done.

 

Find Support

 

No one ever failed by having a strong support system. Surround yourself with people who encourage you to do better. These are the people who listen to you when you’re venting about your fears and anxiety, and they still choose to love you unconditionally.

 

A lot of research has been carried out on the benefits of having a support system. It empowers you with good coping skills while boosting your self-esteem and overall well-being.

 

Moreover, a sound support system can lower stress, anxiety, and depression rates. 

 

Be Positive

 

Whenever you’re afraid, you’ll tend to focus on negative thoughts and emotions. But then, they fester in your mind and transform into this big, ugly thing that you can no longer control.

 

Why not try some positivity for a change? Remember, the mind is quite powerful; it just needs a small push in the right direction.

 

By thinking positively, you can overcome your fears and actually live to tell the tale! All you have to do is believe it, and everything else will fall into place.

 

How To Get Motivated At A Moment's Notice

One of the keys to getting you to take action and keep you going each day is motivation. You will have times when you feel like you have no drive to do anything at all, no matter who you are. Even the most productive and accomplished people will have periods of low motivation.

 

The way they cope with this "down" period, on the other hand, keeps them going ahead and allows them to achieve great things. If you find yourself stating, "I don't have any motivation," you'll delay on tasks that need to be completed. You will eventually put things off and abandon your assignment or activity.

 

Researchers have identified several straightforward techniques to get you more engaged and motivated at work, allowing you to work smarter rather than harder. Some of these motivational suggestions take a few seconds to implement. 

 

Others need you to get up and move about for a few minutes. They're all based on the findings of recent scientific investigations. For some basic motivational suggestions and exercises, check below.

 

Declare To Yourself That You Are Looking To Begin Over

 

Have you ever wondered why everyone makes promises on January 1? It is, after all, a new year. It is, however, an arbitrary moment in most people's life. Although January 1 is an excellent day for making new commitments, it isn't significantly better than July 28. Here's the thing: you can restart your life at any time. 

 

You will experience a rush of energy as a result of doing so. According to a study by Wharton School of Business, "intertemporal markers" encourage us in two ways: by making people disconnect from past failures and by promoting a big-picture view of life. These factors make us more motivated to sequester away our losses and get things done."

 

Grab Some Chocolate – Or Another Dopamine-Stimulating Treat

 

Another sensible and quick way to boost your motivation is to indulge in some chocolate. Chocolate's benefits on the brain are well-studied, not to mention it's tasty and readily available. It stimulates the secretion of dopamine, which raises your heart rate and boosts your motivation.

 

It also has a modest antidepressant effect since the stimulants encourage your brain to promote happy feelings.

 

Remember Why You Needed To Be Motivated In The First Place

 

According to LifeHack, "If you feel a lack of motivation when you want to type an article, try to think about why you want to do it in the first place. The reasons you do something are the driving force behind everything you do. It is only when your reason is strong and emotional enough that you will do whatever it takes to accomplish the task."

 

So, what motivates you to accomplish what you do? Do you understand why you desire to attain your objectives? Make sure your justifications are compelling and passionate. When you lack motivation, consider why you want to accomplish it.

5 Things You Can Do Immediately to Build Confidence In Your Actions

There comes a time when the pressure is on. It would be best if you made a decision, but you're afraid to act. There's not a lot of time to figure out the next steps, and you're stalling out because you're suddenly unsure. You're not sure you even can make the right decision, much less act on it. What do you do?

 

The problem isn’t so much about what needs to be decided. Instead, when this happens, you need to figure out how to find the confidence to act. But where can you gain unwavering self-belief fast? 

 

Give Yourself a Pep Talk

 

Hey, you've been here before. You've had doubts, made decisions, and in the end, things turned out just fine. Remind yourself of a little previous history where you know you did well. Now use a little logic: if you've done it before, it's clear you can do it again. 

 

Choose Your Companions

 

Do you have a support system? If those around you are more likely to criticize than cheer you on, walk away. You don’t need others running you down right now. Instead, seek out support from someone you know who believes in you and will be encouraging. Give them bonus points if you ask them to help you remember all the good stuff you've done in the past, and they come through for you. Sometimes we need to hear it from someone else.

 

See Yourself Succeed

 

Why not try a quick visualization of the outcome? By picturing your success, you’ll find it easier to make the decisions to set yourself in motion and will feel better about the potential outcome.

 

Let Go of the Dreck

 

Sometimes you need to get all those thoughts and emotions out of the way so you can do what you need to. Quickly grab a sheet of paper or open a file on the computer where you can type. Now write down everything you’re feeling right now, especially focusing on worries and fears. 

 

Try to explore why you’re feeling this way. Be honest and raw, not holding anything back. When finished, tear up the paper or delete the file to let it go. Once you’ve processed the emotions, you can feel free to settle down to what needs doing. This is the most time-consuming idea on this list, but it’s so worthwhile. If you have the time, go for it!

 

Act!

 

Finally, it’s so easy to start dithering, especially when you’re feeling a time crunch. Don’t fall into procrastination or stall out entirely. Instead, realize there comes a time when you need to take the plunge. Trust your instincts and jump right in. 

The 5-Step Plan Which Will Help You Set Up the Perfect Morning Routine

What is the one thing you can do to improve your life significantly? You begin by starting your day off with a morning routine.

 

A morning routine puts intentionality in your day. It gives your morning form, design, and function. Imagine yourself traveling through each step, calm, cool, and collected. You know exactly what's needed of you and when. There are no surprises to leave you scrambling. Nor are you likely to forget what's important. 

 

If it seems intimidating to form a routine to do all these things, take heart. Really, there are only five steps you need to worry about to make your day come off without a hitch.

 

Understand What It’s All About

 

Embarking on a new routine is hard work, especially as you work to build this routine into something which will be habitual. It's easy to go back to the old ways you've always done things, especially if you feel tired or discouraged. 

 

This is why your first step involves understanding your purpose. Know why you're striving to have a better morning, and speak these words out loud every morning when you first get up to remind yourself of them. Are you looking for higher productivity? A calmer day? More confidence? You'll need to figure it out if you don't know before beginning.

 

Implement Your Routine in Baby Steps

 

You can't change around your entire sleep schedule or make profound changes about your mornings all at once without burning out quickly. This is why it's important to work out a plan in advance where you know what changes you are making and when. For example, if you normally get up at 9:00am but want to get up at 7:00, you'll want to make small changes that work toward your goal. So for the first week, you might get up at 8:45 and the week after 8:30, etc...

 

Commit to Consistency

 

You're not going to succeed in building new habits if you don't do the same thing repeatedly. Realize you can't do this in half measures. Commit to doing this routine every single day.

 

Work Out an Evening Routine

 

Your morning will go better if you use it with an evening routine that sets up a regular bedtime. You can also use evenings to do prep work for the next day, such as laying out your clothes.

 

Create Your Routine

 

The key to making your routine is to address all of your needs. So some things you might do for physical health (exercise, eat right) while others benefit you spiritually (meditate, pray), mentally (learn, self-talk), or emotionally (journal, affirmations). The goal is to bring yourself into harmonious balance every day.

 

Together these five steps will help you create the perfect morning routine. Now you’re ready to start your day out right!

 

Decision-Making: 9 Causes of Indecisiveness

If you have trouble coming to final decisions, you may want to explore a few causes of your indecisiveness. Then, if you discover you're doing these things, you can eliminate them and start making decisions much faster. 

 

Thinking Too Much – If you allow yourself unlimited time to make a choice, you may never make one. Sometimes that can lead to choices being made for you by default. This can make you feel a little out of control. Instead, set time limits on research and decision-making. 

 

Too Many Options – For some choices, there are simply too many options for you to choose from. If you keep looking at all the possibilities without narrowing them down, you need to create better criteria for yourself to finalize your decisions. 

 

Listening to Others – While it's fine to get opinions occasionally for some things, especially if the opinion is an expert one, such as contracting CPA services, for example, for the most part, if the choice only affects you listen to yourself more. 

 

You're Allowing Guilt to Control you – When you first begin to live for yourself to reach your personal goals in life, some people will push back against you. This action can cause guilt on your part. The problem is guilt never helps you make good choices -- only facts do. 

 

Not Listening to Yourself – You know a lot more than you give yourself credit for. Therefore, you need to listen to your internal thoughts based on the knowledge you already have. 

 

Seeking Perfection – Perfection simply does not exist. Therefore, it's a fool's game to keep trying to produce it. In fact, perfection-seeking can just end up in no action being taken at all on your goals because it's impossible. 

 

Lack of Self Confidence – If you lack confidence in your choices, sometimes it's due to a lack of education on the topic. In that case, educate yourself to make sound decisions, and as you make good choices, your confidence level will grow. 

 

Fear Of Making the Wrong Choice – If you fear making the wrong choice about something, step back and ask yourself whether this will matter to anyone in 100 years. If you're not changing the fabric of society with your choice, it probably isn't going to change much. However, if it does matter that much, seeking expert advice may be necessary. 

 

You Forgot Your Overarching Goals – Each decision you make in life either keeps you the same, takes you backward or advances you toward achieving your goals. If you aren't sure about your main goals, it can be hard to match current choices with the right actions. Get clear on your goals, and your choices will become easier. 

 

To overcome any of these decision-making blockers, train your mind to think differently. Instead of thinking of any of these issues, think about what your goals are and whether this decision affects those goals at all or not. If they do, ensure they take you closer to achievement, but if they don't consider that your choice for this one thing may not even matter in the scheme of your life. 

Do You Suffer from Approval Addiction?

Receiving validation from other people feels rather good, so good that some people develop an addiction to receiving that outside approval instead of being motivated intrinsically. If you can't motivate yourself without someone else's approval, out may suffer from an approval addiction. 

You're Obsessed with Getting People to Express Interest in You

 

You like being on social media, dating sites, or in any situation where you can attract people and get their attention by having them express interest in you. It might even be hard for you to settle down with a partner because you enjoy the dating world more than the partnered-up world. 

You Need Constant Reassurance 

 

When you are in a relationship, you find yourself asking whether they're "mad" or "upset" with you. This may happen with lovers and friends, and even family members daily. If you often ask for reassurance about how someone feels about you, this may be due to a validation or approval addition. 

You Like to Talk About Your Awesomeness

 

This may be weird, especially if you lack confidence, but sometimes people who aren't confident will talk about all the impressive things they've done to appear more worthy than they think they are in the hopes that the people hearing the tale will agree and validate their thoughts about their awesomeness even though they don't generally believe it themselves. 

You're Money Focused

 

If you tend to think more about money than the value you provide the world, you may have a problem with approval-seeking that is boarding on an addiction. Of course, money is important globally, but it's not the only thing important about you or anyone else. 

You Enjoy Name Dropping 

 

If you find yourself dropping names of people you've worked with or met that other people find important, this is a sign of insecurity. You never need to make yourself look better by your company because you are special just as you are without anyone else. 

You Make Friends with Folks Based on Their Wealth or Reputation 

 

When you look at your closest friend group, are they really your friends, or did you pick them based on what you think they can offer you? Friends should be chosen based on shared values more than shared finances. 

Your Beliefs Change Depending on The Company You're Keeping

 

If you're not keeping the same ideas and opinions across all friend and professional groups, you are part of, and you may be trying to please people too much. It's okay to have your own fact-based ideas, thoughts, and opinions, and it's okay for everyone else too. Hint: It's also okay not to have any views or opinions about a topic you're not educated enough about. 

You Prefer Being in Control of Each Social Situation 

 

When it comes to networking and making friends or building relationships, if you need to be the one in control of the event before you feel comfortable, you may have an issue with approval addiction. Letting other people oversee social situations and relationship building may seem scary because your self-esteem is low but letting people lead a clear sign that you are confident about your thoughts and ideas. 

You Easily Feed into Your Own Victimhood 

 

If something starts going wrong, do you have a hard time seeing answers within yourself? Do you place blame on others? Do you feel good and safe being a victim instead of admitting where you have control and where you can make the change? 

Rejection Makes You Feel Out of Control 

 

If you've ever been rejected professionally or personally, you know that it hurts. However, if you have an approval addition, it might make you totally flip out if someone rejects you because you are doing everything (in your mind) to give them what they want, but they don't want it anyway. If you take this personally, consider that you're not even really being yourself and this rejection is not personal at all. 

 

If you often find that you're doing anything that you don't want to do, only to gain acceptance of a person or group, you may be a people pleaser and even have an approval addiction. To overcome this, you need to figure out who you are, your personal values and design a path to reach your goals based on your own values. 

How the Lack of Self-Care Can Lead to an Unhappy Life

Self-care is often seen as a luxury, but did you know it can lead to a longer, happier life? Without self-care, you’re likely to end up feeling stressed, tired, and generally unhappy. 

Here, we’ll look at how a lack of self-care can lead to an unhappy life. You will also learn some of the signs to watch out for that you need more self-care in your life.

 

You’ll feel stressed and exhausted

 

When you aren’t taking care of yourself, you’ll often feel stressed and exhausted. This in turn can lead to burnout and a feeling of resentment. For example, it could be that you are exhausted from taking care of everyone else’s needs. Over time, if you don’t factor in self-care, you could end up resenting your loved ones.

 

When you are constantly exhausted and stressed out, it’s impossible to maintain a positive outlook. Self-care helps to combat stress and it also boosts your energy levels. 

 

Personal hygiene suffers

 

A side effect of not following a self-care routine, is that your personal hygiene could suffer. This is especially true for those experiencing depression. When you are depressed or low, self-care is the last thing on your mind. In severe cases, you could spend days in bed, failing to do even basic self-care tasks such as taking a shower or brushing your teeth.

 

The trouble is, failing to take care of yourself leads you to feel even worse. So, maintaining self-care is crucial for your mental health and personal hygiene. 

 

You’ll seek unhealthy enjoyment

 

Another thing that tends to happen when you lack self-care, is you’ll seek unhealthy enjoyment. It could be overindulging in junk food because it makes you feel better. Or you could turn to alcohol or drugs to escape. 

 

When you start turning to unhealthy habits for comfort, it’s going to lead to additional issues. You’ll also feel unhappier, particularly if you drink in excess. Alcohol is a depressant which can leave you feeling a lot worse than you started.

 

Weight gain 

 

Many people who don’t take care of themselves, experience some level of weight gain. The more weight you gain, the unhappier you are going to be. It can be difficult to lose weight, so focus on self-care to help you to avoid this potential challenge.

 

You never feel good enough

 

Self-care is something you do because you are worth it. Therefore, if you fail to take care of yourself, you can end up feeling like you are never good enough. As you are constantly tired and juggling life’s responsibilities, you may feel like you are a failure, or you simply don’t measure up to others.

 

These are just some of the things that can happen when you don’t follow a self-care routine. The effects can be severe, causing you to lead an unhappy and unfulfilled life. So, if you’re looking to lead a happier life, now is the time to start focusing on your needs and making self-care a priority.

 

How to Balance Practicing Personal Self Care with a Busy Life

One of the most difficult challenges a lot of people face with self-care, is finding the time to fit it in. When you live a busy lifestyle, it can seem almost impossible to find extra time to look after you.

 

So, how can you balance practicing self-care with a busy lifestyle? Here, you’ll discover some great tips you can follow.

 

Schedule it in

 

A good tip you can follow to ensure you can fit self-care into your busy routine, is to schedule it in. Think about it, you schedule in everything else, so why not self-care? When you set a time to focus on yourself, you are much more likely to stick to it. No matter how busy you think you are, there will always be time for self-care somewhere in your schedule.

 

Establish a morning routine

 

If you are struggling to find the best time of day to practice self-care, you might find it easier in the morning. If you’re a busy parent, you might disagree here but think about it. In the morning, you could get up just 30 minutes earlier, or 15 minutes if you want. This can be the perfect opportunity to practice self-care.

 

Alternatively, if you are a parent you could focus on self-care in the evenings when the kids have gone to bed. It doesn’t take long to practice self-care so you should always be able to squeeze it in somewhere. 

 

Look at automating daily tasks

 

There are all kinds of tools and gadgets that can automate various aspects of our lives. If you are constantly busy, you’ll find automating certain tasks can be a game changer. 

 

For example, you could switch from going to the grocery store, to ordering groceries online. If you have items you frequently purchase, these can be added to your favorites list, making it easier to add them to your order next time. Doing your grocery shopping online can free up a lot of free time during the week that can be used on self-care.

 

Start small

 

You don’t have to start by completely overhauling your lifestyle. Instead, you can start small with self-care. Begin by taking just 10 minutes out of each day to focus on a self-care activity. Focus on developing one positive self-care habit at a time. Once you have mastered that, you can move on to the next task. 

 

By starting small, it makes it easier to fit self-care into your busy life. Many people mistakenly think they need to begin with at least 30 minutes a day. The truth is, however much time you can free up for self-care is enough. Once you get started, you’ll find it easier to start focusing more on self-care due to the benefits you experience.

 

Overall, balancing practicing self-care with a busy lifestyle isn’t easy. However, the tips above can really help. You’ll find a lot of tips online too from busy people just like you. Remember, self-care is essential to your health and wellbeing. So, no matter how busy you are, you should always try and make time for self-care daily.

 

The First Step to Change is to Recognize it is Needed

If you’re struggling to make healthier changes in your life, it could be that you’re not convinced a change is needed. Many of us are also great at avoiding change. It tends to be something we dread, rather than look forward to. 

 

However, if you want to live your best life, it’s imperative you recognize when a change is needed. So, how exactly can you recognize that change is needed in your life? Below, you’ll discover some of the common signs to look out for.

 

You feel lost or stuck in life

 

Do you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and you have lost your purpose? This is a sure sign that a change is needed. Everyone has a purpose, but it isn’t always easy to identify it. Also, your purpose can change as you get older and go through life’s experiences. So, if you feel like your life isn’t your own anymore, it’s time to make a change. 

 

Your mood is consistently flat

 

Another sign change is needed is if you find your mood is constantly flat. That is, you don’t really enjoy anything anymore. You don’t have to feel depressed to make a change, simply feeling constantly flat is another indicator your life isn’t satisfying.

 

Think about the things that used to make you feel good. It could be that you once enjoyed your career. If you now don’t like your job, it’s a sign you need to make a change to get back to feeling that initial excitement. 

 

You suffer with poor self esteem

 

Low self-esteem can develop for a lot of different reasons. However, it tends to be more prevalent in those who don’t take care of themselves. If you lack self-care, you may criticize yourself more or feel like you aren’t worth much. 

 

Over time, poor self-esteem can lead you to feel like you don’t deserve good things in life. This in turn can cause you to give up trying to be happy. If you suffer with poor self-esteem, it is a good sign you need a change. 

 

You have very little energy

 

Having little energy throughout the day could be a sign of poor sleep. However, it can also relate to a deeper issue if you are constantly tired. It may mean that you have lost your passion and interest in life. When you spend a lot of time doing things that don’t inspire you, it can zap your energy quickly. 

 

So, if you wake up feeling tired and drained consistently, take it as a sign you need more self-care in your life. When you are taking care of yourself, you’ll feel energized and ready to take on anything.

 

As you can see, there are a lot of signs that could point to the fact you need a change. Self-care can really help to improve self-esteem, give you a sense of purpose and help to make you feel happier and more energized. So, if you want to make a change, recognize where your current issues lie and use self-care to eliminate them.