Robert S. Donovan
Concentration
Our attention is constantly captured by something, and this has a direct impact on productivity. Instead of just doing our job, we often get sidetracked. Remember how often you opened mail to answer just one letter, but came out in 2-3 hours? Sure, it happens. Interruptions and distractions don’t let us focus. We waste a lot of time reading news and flipping through photos in social networks. How do we get together and concentrate on the task? There is one idea.
It turns out that our ability to focus attention can be pumped, just as the body’s muscles. It is only necessary to exercise regularly. For example, when you are faced with a bunch of tasks and responsibilities, and do not know what to begin first, just stop. Take a deep breath. Limit your presence with given moment and ask yourself, what is most important at this very moment, not tomorrow, next week, or year. If you are not sure, make a list of all the tasks vying for your attention, and cross off those that are not in priority right now. You can do them later. Regularity is a crucial factor here. If you make such a pause few times a day, you will soon find that you better focus and concentrate on important matters.
Be positive
We are surrounded by too many bad things: negative emotions, the world’s tragic events, rampant chronic depression, which we sometimes get from others, angry posts on social networks ... the list is endless. When it rains, it pours, and often knocks us out of the rut, so there’s no room for personal growth. According to Richard O'Connor, a psychotherapist and author of "Rewire" book, tendency to keep oneself in an unfavorable situation (work, relationships), increased anxiety, trend to spoil everything just when things are good – all of this is self-destructive behavior, the negative scenario. Many of us sin by this. What you need to know is that there is light ahead and something good on what you need to focus.
Try to look for a bright side in everything. Do this regularly, so you will acquire a habit. 95% of our emotions and feelings depend on how we interpret what is happening. Exactly this is the reason that the same event makes different people feel completely opposite. Being optimistic and enjoy life or being a pessimist and get upset for any reason – it’s up to you. Moreover, your worldview affect your physical and psychological health, as well as relationships with others. There are simple exercises, first steps to a positive outlook on life: describe a series of events that happened to you. First, focus only on bad things - write down all the disadvantages of the incident. Then, look at the situation from the other side, and select only the best moments.
Ability to relax
The modern pace of life often bring our noses to the grindstone: daily activities, work, social responsibilities, volunteering take so much time and effort that there is no time left. The result is quite sad: chronic fatigue, emotional burnout and even illness. Not to mention the fact that life in constant stress negatively affects not only work, but also our relationships with loved ones. Fortunately, using simple techniques and exercises for relaxation, you can throw off discouragement, stress and fatigue, learn to relax and begin to really live. Relax is easier than it seems. Try a three-minute "meditation-breathing space." It will help get away from problems and dissolve patterns of negative thoughts before they overtake your life.
You are what you eat
It is important to keep a correct diet and use right ‘fuel’ for the body. Otherwise, we deprive ourselves of health, beauty and energy, and with it, the mind suffers. Ayurvedic wisdom says drugs are needless with proper nutrition, and are useless with unhealthy diet. If you constantly fill up yourself with junk food like fast food, it is unwise to rely on a magic pill that will quickly cure all diseases. Recent scientific studies show that whole plant diet is the most beneficial for the health. The most interesting is that this is a fairly simple way to become healthier, and requires only one action - change of diet. The foods for you should be whole grains, vegetables, fruits and herbs, and consumption of red meat, fish, dairy products and sweets should be reduced to a minimum. This diet helps to get rid of depression, chronic pain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even reverse cancer.
Healthy meals recipes are actually delicious. Just look at them: strawberry vinaigrette, sweet potato fries, lasagna with mushrooms, minestrone soup, Mexican bean salad, corn, tomatoes and avocado, spicy stews, iridescent greens (leafy greens with garlic, oregano and raisins), pineapple stir-fry, salad with mango and lime baked tofu. They even sound tasty. So it makes sense to try. Especially that no one stops you from getting back to the usual food, if there is something you do not like.
Celebrate the New Year as a new person. Begin to pump yourself today. Work to improve yourself, develop and achieve success. Good luck!
Based on "Rewire: Change Your Brain to Break Bad Habits, Overcome Addictions, Conquer Self-Destructive Behavior' by Richard O'Connor
Our attention is constantly captured by something, and this has a direct impact on productivity. Instead of just doing our job, we often get sidetracked. Remember how often you opened mail to answer just one letter, but came out in 2-3 hours? Sure, it happens. Interruptions and distractions don’t let us focus. We waste a lot of time reading news and flipping through photos in social networks. How do we get together and concentrate on the task? There is one idea.
It turns out that our ability to focus attention can be pumped, just as the body’s muscles. It is only necessary to exercise regularly. For example, when you are faced with a bunch of tasks and responsibilities, and do not know what to begin first, just stop. Take a deep breath. Limit your presence with given moment and ask yourself, what is most important at this very moment, not tomorrow, next week, or year. If you are not sure, make a list of all the tasks vying for your attention, and cross off those that are not in priority right now. You can do them later. Regularity is a crucial factor here. If you make such a pause few times a day, you will soon find that you better focus and concentrate on important matters.
Be positive
We are surrounded by too many bad things: negative emotions, the world’s tragic events, rampant chronic depression, which we sometimes get from others, angry posts on social networks ... the list is endless. When it rains, it pours, and often knocks us out of the rut, so there’s no room for personal growth. According to Richard O'Connor, a psychotherapist and author of "Rewire" book, tendency to keep oneself in an unfavorable situation (work, relationships), increased anxiety, trend to spoil everything just when things are good – all of this is self-destructive behavior, the negative scenario. Many of us sin by this. What you need to know is that there is light ahead and something good on what you need to focus.
Try to look for a bright side in everything. Do this regularly, so you will acquire a habit. 95% of our emotions and feelings depend on how we interpret what is happening. Exactly this is the reason that the same event makes different people feel completely opposite. Being optimistic and enjoy life or being a pessimist and get upset for any reason – it’s up to you. Moreover, your worldview affect your physical and psychological health, as well as relationships with others. There are simple exercises, first steps to a positive outlook on life: describe a series of events that happened to you. First, focus only on bad things - write down all the disadvantages of the incident. Then, look at the situation from the other side, and select only the best moments.
Ability to relax
The modern pace of life often bring our noses to the grindstone: daily activities, work, social responsibilities, volunteering take so much time and effort that there is no time left. The result is quite sad: chronic fatigue, emotional burnout and even illness. Not to mention the fact that life in constant stress negatively affects not only work, but also our relationships with loved ones. Fortunately, using simple techniques and exercises for relaxation, you can throw off discouragement, stress and fatigue, learn to relax and begin to really live. Relax is easier than it seems. Try a three-minute "meditation-breathing space." It will help get away from problems and dissolve patterns of negative thoughts before they overtake your life.
You are what you eat
It is important to keep a correct diet and use right ‘fuel’ for the body. Otherwise, we deprive ourselves of health, beauty and energy, and with it, the mind suffers. Ayurvedic wisdom says drugs are needless with proper nutrition, and are useless with unhealthy diet. If you constantly fill up yourself with junk food like fast food, it is unwise to rely on a magic pill that will quickly cure all diseases. Recent scientific studies show that whole plant diet is the most beneficial for the health. The most interesting is that this is a fairly simple way to become healthier, and requires only one action - change of diet. The foods for you should be whole grains, vegetables, fruits and herbs, and consumption of red meat, fish, dairy products and sweets should be reduced to a minimum. This diet helps to get rid of depression, chronic pain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even reverse cancer.
Healthy meals recipes are actually delicious. Just look at them: strawberry vinaigrette, sweet potato fries, lasagna with mushrooms, minestrone soup, Mexican bean salad, corn, tomatoes and avocado, spicy stews, iridescent greens (leafy greens with garlic, oregano and raisins), pineapple stir-fry, salad with mango and lime baked tofu. They even sound tasty. So it makes sense to try. Especially that no one stops you from getting back to the usual food, if there is something you do not like.
Celebrate the New Year as a new person. Begin to pump yourself today. Work to improve yourself, develop and achieve success. Good luck!
Based on "Rewire: Change Your Brain to Break Bad Habits, Overcome Addictions, Conquer Self-Destructive Behavior' by Richard O'Connor