Find Inner Peace - Get Back To Nature

Do you ever feel disconnected? Maybe you're so preoccupied with everything in your daily existence that you hardly even have time to realize what's going on around you.

 

Perhaps the only moment you observe nature is when the weather meddles with your to-do list. Perhaps you can't recall the last time you were inclined to simply inhale and sit outdoors.

 

There is indeed a great deal of proof that spending time in nature has a considerable beneficial influence on both mental and physical health. Strolling in a green space has been demonstrated to help with mental health issues such as depression and ADHD. 

 

According to VeryWellMind, “On days when you’re struggling with negative thoughts about your body, many different coping mechanisms can help. But new research suggests you should get outside and spend time in nature to soothe those feelings. Negative body image is a risk factor for behaviors like disordered eating, which can have disastrous consequences for one’s body, mind, and relationships. Nowadays, it can be harder to avoid negative body thoughts when navigating social media."

 

Time spent in nature is a wonderful way to focus oneself in addition to treating particular mental health challenges and enhancing mental and physical wellbeing. 

 

For some of us, it is the start of a meditation practice or a heightened spiritual understanding of how we are all related. For others, it is simply a fantastic method to relieve tension. 

 

Here are a few excellent techniques to get started bonding with the natural world around you, no matter where you want your time outside to take you.

 

1. Slow down to the speed of nature

 

Walking slowly causes you to breathe more slowly, making you feel instantaneously more relaxed. Slow down and start seeing the environment around you. It may be a speck of lichen in a crack in the sidewalk or a tree you've never spotted before. Look around you carefully and deliberately to see what you discover as you sink into this more natural rhythm of being.

 

2. Experiment with barefoot breathing

 

We people are the only animals that put a shoe between our feet and the Spirit of the Earth. The act of taking off your shoes and standing barefoot on the ground satisfies a primitive urge for connectivity. 

 

Find a peaceful spot outside—a park nook, a quiet spot in your garden, or your favorite wild location. Shut your eyes and take 100 deep, soft breaths while feeling the sunlight on your face, the breeze on your body, and the warm heart of the ground via the soles of your feet.

 

3. Dine outside

 

Take your lunch or a book outside to enjoy on a park seat or picnic blanket. While you dine or read, take in the fresh air and natural sunlight (or both).

 

4. Give a tree a hug

 

Which words come to mind when you think about trees? Sturdy? High? Statuesque? Tenacious? Primitive? The world's oldest trees have been alive for thousands of years, and we rely on them to create the oxygen we need to live. 

 

Although the term "tree-hugger" is sometimes used ironically, hugging a tree is an easy method to boost your energy levels by mopping up all that energy and oxygen-rich deliciousness! Close your eyes and press your cheek on the trunk. Feel the bark on your flesh as you spread your arms to embrace the tree.

 

Also Visit a greenhouse or a flower shop. Soak in the aroma of green vegetation and a plethora of flowers. Step into a flower shop's refrigerated department, which is brimming with freshly cut bouquets. 

 

Give heed to the tiny weeds and wildflowers that sprout up in sidewalk cracks. Consider the persistence and perseverance of that small creature to take root and flourish in such a challenging environment whenever you observe this. Take a moment to send your best wishes and consider how you could connect to that type of strength.

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. 

6 Changes to Your Schedule to Help You Manage Your Time Like a Pro

 

You’ve learned some tricks on how to manage your time, whether you’ve learned from a boss, a friend, or on your own. Yet putting those tricks into action is a different story. You have to learn how to make a schedule for yourself, which sounds about as daunting as being your own boss. Take out your self-starter hat and get ready to learn how to manage your time all on your own with these six hacks! 

 

1. Leave Wiggle Room Between your Time Blocks

 

Friends, meet buffer-time. No one should have a fully stacked calendar with no time in between for a break. Block out buffer-time on your calendar in between meetings and tasks. Your future self will thank you when your days are more productive, and the hours are less exhausting. 

 

2. Organize Yourself

 

This is a big life change for some people because organization habits don’t always come easily. At first, it may feel like you are spending extra time trying to stay organized, but the payoff is worth it. Here’s a staggering statistic: On average, Americans waste about 2.5 days a year looking for misplaced objects. Don’t be part of that statistic! Find a place for your belongings and always put them back where they belong. This goes for computer files too! Create a simple filing system and save new documents to the correct location. 

 

3. Make Use of the 80-20 Rule

 

Have you ever heard of the Pareto Principle? Otherwise known as the 80-20 rule, this principle says that you can get 80% of the work done in 20% of the time. Similarly, 80% of the results come from 20% of the actions. It can be applied to many things in life, so it’s a great concept to apply to your usage of time. Get in the habit of noticing what tasks get the most results. Spend more time on those actions and cut out some of the responsibilities that take up time but don’t produce the outcomes you are looking for.

 

4. Stop Waiting

 

Every once and a while, you’ll inevitably have to wait for something: at the grocery store, in the doctor’s office, in traffic. Instead of actually waiting, or deferring to your phone for entertainment, do something productive with your time. Listen to a podcast you’ve been dying to try out, read a book on an interesting topic, or write in your journal. Turn waiting time into productive time.

 

5. Organize Your Tasks in Blocks

 

Batch all your similar tasks together. For example, don’t check your email every time someone pings you. If it’s urgent, go right ahead, but otherwise, set a time block every two hours or so to plow through all your emails at one time. This keeps you focused, which is a more efficient way to work. 

 

6. Try to Do Less

 

This may sound like a slacker approach, but it’s not. Believe it or not – we take on way more than we need to, meaning we take on more than is beneficial to our work. If you find yourself planning parties, chatting with your coworkers, and dabbling in another department’s workload, you may have spread yourself to thin. By doing that, you’re not helping yourself or your peers. In the end, you could wind up letting down people because you overpromise and under-deliver. 

 

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!

 

5 Steps to Using Visualization to Get What You Want

What do you want out of life? More importantly, how do you intend to go about getting it?

 

We all have so many wants. Some are very simple, such as wanting to lose five pounds in time for swimsuit season. While others, such as changing to a new career, are more complex. What’s interesting is that you can use the very same technique to get precisely what you want, whether your goal is big or small.

 

Visualization is the technique of picturing a goal in your mind in detail so that you can manifest this change in your life. Sound hard? Really, it’s not. By following these five simple steps, you’ll get exactly what you want in almost no time at all.

 

Engage Fully in the Vision

 

You absolutely must put yourself into the visualization as fully as you possibly can. Use all your senses and emotions to experience this vision in a way that is real to you. There can be no holding back here.

 

Experience Different Viewpoints

 

What does this visualization feel like to you? Experience it first as yourself so that you can connect emotions to actions. You want to feel every part of it. Now, step back and experience it again as if you’re watching yourself succeed from outside of yourself, like watching a movie. Why? This helps you to see details you might miss otherwise.

 

Live the Success

 

When you’re done with the visualization, it’s time to live the part. Become the person you saw at the end of the vision. How does that person move? Think? Act?

 

Reinforce the Message

 

Visualization needs need back-up to be successful. The world is full of negative influences, some of them finding root in your own mind. Keep your self-talk positive, use affirmations, and look for ways to constantly reinforce the vision in your mind without tearing it down.

 

Make the Vision Tangible in a Way You can See it

 

Creating a dream board or collage will set out your visualization in a place where you are constantly reminded of the experience. Seeing it over and over will also reinforce your goals and strengthen your resolve.

 

By following these steps, you’ll find you will find your dream becoming more and more solid. Of course, you’re going to have to put in the work to achieve what you want. However, by using visualization, you get clear where you’re going and how to get there. 

3 Ways Understanding Brain Science Builds an Inner Calm

What if someone told you that you could control your brain? Well, the good news is you can. All you need is some practice and a little bit of knowledge. Brain science isn’t rocket science (see what we did there?). It’s a skill that can be learned with time, practice, and patience. Ready to learn how to be calm under pressure? Let’s go! 

 

1. Understand “Fight or Flight”

 

You can thank your elementary school teachers for beating this one into your head. If you need a little recap, “fight or flight” describes how the body reacts in stressful situations. To put it simply, you either decide to flee the scene (flight) or take action (fight). On a fundamental level, this explains why you react a certain way in order to survive. However, “fight or flight” is irrelevant in a lot of scenarios in our modern world. Yet, our brain senses danger when we experience things outside of what is “normal.” If you feel your body tensing up, for example, that’s a byproduct of “fight or flight.” The next time you think you’re experiencing this, ask yourself, “Is this really life or death? Or should I calm down and realize it will be okay?” 

 

2. Call out your Emotions 

 

Detaching from your emotions is prescribed by many meditation experts and leaders who have mastered the art of staying calm. We’re humans, so we’re inevitably going to experience the whole gamut of feelings. That being said, we can choose to observe them rather than attach to them. That means when you feel a surge of anger, call it out. Say, “That’s anger I’m experiencing because of XYZ. I know that this will pass, but I acknowledge that my feelings are valid.” Be sure to validate your feelings rather than dismiss them. Your emotions are real, and it is okay that you’re feeling them! 

 

3. Breathe

 

Sometimes, all you need to do is breathe. Connect to your breath. Count your breaths. Be grateful that you’re breathing. There are many ways to experience the delight of breathing, so take some time to figure out which approach works best for you. The important thing is that you’re doing it. As we mentioned with “fight or flight,” the body reacts to stress and adverse events. We may choke up, forget to breathe, or breathe super heavily. All of those things impact our mind, so try to instill a sense of calm in your body first. 

5 Creative Ways to Calm a Chaotic Mind

Do you ever feel like you can’t escape your mind? Maybe it’s always spinning out of control, or perhaps you have a lot of thoughts. A lot of people experience chaos in their own minds, and this can make things difficult when you’re trying to work toward your goals. The next time your mind is filled with confusion, try one of these five creative ways to alleviate the stress. 

 

1. Keep it Busy 

 

There’s a delicate balance between keeping your mind busy without overcrowding it. It’s one thing to occupy your mind so it doesn’t wander, but it’s a whole different ball game when you start stressing out about endless to-do lists and information overload. Try to write 3-5 things you want to accomplish every day — and be sure to add at least one thing that is purely for fun. This will keep your mind busy without getting you too stressed. 

 

2. Help Others 

 

When was the last time you extended a helping hand to someone who needs it? Our brains tend to calm down when we’re in “helper mode” because the focus is on others rather than our own problems or stresses. 

 

3. Pick up a Creative Hobby 

 

We all have a creative side, whether it’s deep down or you’re continually flexing your creative muscles. Picking up a creative hobby gives your brain a nice, healthy break from the usual grind. Plus, it allows you to expand your intelligence with new forms of thinking. Win-win! 

 

4. Care for your Physical Being 

 

The mind and bodywork hand in hand a lot, so if you aren’t caring for your physical being, you may notice some stress going on in your head. Take time to care for your body — work out more, take a walk, draw a bath, or snooze your alarm clock. There are lots of ways to reenergize your body so that you can take on more in your mind! 

 

5. Connect with Others 

 

Helping others and connecting with other people are two totally different things, but both are essential aspects of cultivating an active, healthy mind. As humans, we need socialization. We thrive when we are part of a tribe. We crave human interaction time, so get out there and get social! Every laugh and bit of chatter will feed your mind in countless ways. Call a friend and have lunch in the park. It doesn’t have to be a big production, since the goal is simple human connection.

 

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!