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Best Skills And Habits To Have As A Student

Back to school season is here which is why I have dedicated the month of October to exactly that: Helping you settle back in into a functional and enjoyable school routine and making sure that you both learn the most in this period and also make a lot of memories and fun of course.

As part of this larger theme, we will first begin today with exploring what are some of the best general skills and habits which students can have in empowering their academic lives as much as their personal lives and priorities because both are important.

For ease of understanding, I have divided these skills and habits into 5 separate categories, namely habits and skills benefiting you studies, your health, your finances a as student, your social life as well as your personal growth, which we cant neglect.

As a student myself, I hope that you are able to pull out something useful from todays topic and that as a student it is able to help you out during your years of studies

My intention today: Provide you with a practical and useful breakdown of the best skills and habits which you can work on building as a student to help you both in your studies and person life.

THE BEST SKILLS AND HABITS

CATEGORY 1: STUDIES

Following a revision plan

One way to make your revision as efficient as possible is to make a plan for how you aim to approach your studies, namely what you will be revising when, and for how long. This ensures that you have adequate time to cover all content and that you will be well prepared for when the exam comes around. Additionally, I would really recommend making an effort to revise even just a little bit every day because effort really does build up to results. It doesn't have to be a lot, but even just making an effort of 10–20 minutes of revising a topic you have previously covered can have a massive boost in your memory and retention of that knowledge which doesn't only help with preparing you for exams but helps you remember something for the rest of your life, not just school.

Revising with active recall

Active recall is the process or study method by which you actively test yourself on a piece of material by trying to remember and recall what the answer or solution to a certain question was. This is much more effective than just rereading a set of notes or highlighting because, in those instances, your brain isn't very actively involved in trying to remember information. So instead, approach your learning as a set of quiz questions to enhance your studies with.

Efficient note-taking

Often times the mistake we make while taking notes from class or reading materials is that we either simply write down too much or that we plainly copy and paste information which leaves us with barely remembering anything. Instead, try to first always inform yourself of what information will actually be tested and is absolutely crucial for you to know. Then for the actual note-taking, first reread a section of some literature and then extract the relevant parts and put it into your own words. It also helps to add in diagrams or visual representations since sometimes it is easier or more efficient to draw something than to explain it in words.

Fine-tune your focus

As a student when you have a lot going on in your life with different priorities and things asking for your time and energy, it is super important to be able to find periods of deep focus, especially when it comes to your studies. Identify in what kind of environment you work and focus best: is it a quiet room? A bustling coffee shop? Do you work best alone or study in groups? Is your best focus at night or is it in the morning? All of these things impact your ability to focus so play around a bit and see with what you are most productive.

Asking as many questions as possible

When you have the opportunity to ask something because you are curious about it or because there is something you don't understand about it, do it because you won't regret it. Maybe it will just be an interesting conversation with your professor but it might also open some other doors or opportunities you may previously didn't even foresee. Asking for help with something or admitting that maybe there is a topic you don't understand fully takes a lot of strength, but to be willing to step up and work on these weakness areas that you may have is one of the best skills to practice.

CATEGORY 2: HEALTH

Prioritizing good sleep

I know that sometimes, especially during your years spent as a student, it is hard to fit in consistent good quality sleep, but trying to make a regular effort of it can do wonders for your body and mind. Good sleep is absolutely essential for having proper energy the following day, in regulating your hormones, in helping your memory and also keeping your cardiovascular health in check among other things. I know that sometimes you just can't, sometimes you want to go out and party or stay up late with your friends which is totally understandable, but at least a couple days per week make an effort to sleep well.

Learning to cook

Learning to prepare some of your own meals as a student can both be very friendly towards your wallet but also towards your health since you have more control of what and how much you are eating. I know that it takes a bit more time and organization to fit in some cooking, but aim to have at least one meal prepared at home every day, whether it is a breakfast you enjoy in the morning or a satisfying and nutritious dinner you prepare later on in the day. Experiment with new recipes and ingredients, or try preparing a meal together with your friends to make it more fun.

Finding some sort of movement you enjoy

Keeping active is essential for our health but especially as a student, taking part in some form of exercise which you enjoy is both incredibly important for your health and well-being but also as a way of de-stressing and potentially socializing with your own friends or having some time for yourself. It doesn't matter what kind of movement you do, just let it be something you find enjoyable and that you can keep at least some level of consistency with.

Managing your stress levels

One of the best and vital skills that you practice as a student is to find ways of how to best deal with your stress, because there definitely will be periods of stress in your academic journey as well as later on in life. Some people de-stress through exercising as I mentioned above, some people do it by having a night out with their friends, or others do it by spending some time alone recharging or doing something they enjoy like doing something creative or reading. The choice is yours, the point is just that you find activities which relax you and that you can make use of them during any stressful periods.

Keeping your mental health in check

Sometimes throughout your studying journey, you will find moments that you struggle or that you need some support or assistance with something. In those moments it is crucial to be able to reach out to someone or some resource to be able to help yourself with what you are struggling with. Whether it is a conversation with a professor or a close friend on something that you don't understand or consulting with a parent or other resource for something that is worrying you. I acknowledge that it is not easy to ask for help about something but if it is costing you your happiness or other measures of wellbeing, then please do.


CATEGORY 3: PERSONAL GROWTH

Learning as much as you can

This applies especially while you are a student because it is literally your occupation to learn. However, the real goal is to actually never stop learning and to continuously approach life with the mindset of a student. Ask as many questions as interest you, educate yourself through books, videos, and podcasts, or attend lectures or class discussions. Pick up a new hobby or something you are interested in and you will see how much you will learn by doing something. Treat your ability to learn as a privilege and as something you get to do instead of it being something you have to do.


Keeping your hobbies around

Hobbies provide a great way to explore something else which you are interested in, to meet new people or as a method of de-stressing. There are many different kinds of hobbies, some active such as sports, some creative such as painting or drawing for example, or hobbies can even be something you enjoy from the activity itself such as reading or baking something sweet. Try to find some time every day or week to fit in some hobby or hobbies you enjoy and you will see how much more fulfillment you will add into your life.

Getting to know yourself

Your years spent as a student are some of the most vital and formative years of your life which will be a grounding for your life later on, such as what kind of career you want to pursue or what you enjoy doing with your time. So put some time aside each week to get to know yourself, namely, identifying what you value as a person, what your current priorities are, and what goals you are striving for are some great ways to start here.

Challenging yourself

Aim to challenge yourself every day or as frequently as possible because when you push yourself out of your comfort zone (even though it is hard or scary), is when you actually grow as a person and expand your limits of what you believe you are capable of doing. Identify what you spend most time doing each week or working on and for each of these activities, consider how you could challenge yourself to be 1% better by next week.

Cultivating a growth mindset

Without a doubt, there will be moments in our academic journey that we will feel discouraged, unmotivated or very judgmental of ourselves or feel that we are not enough, but the good news is that this can be overcome. A growth mindset is one which allows you to see your mistakes or setbacks as opportunities for you to learn and become better. Similarly, seeing other people succeed and win at something isn't an incentive for you to feel down about your own abilities or progress journey, but an opportunity for you to learn from them and have a person in your life by whom you are inspired. It is about a shift in perspective that enables you to overcome all sorts of personal obstacles you may be facing in a much more effective way.

CATEGORY 4: FINANCES


Budgeting and saving

Your years spent as a student are some of the best years to practice how to better handle and manage your money as well as for learning how to budget your expenses. Each month, depending on your income and average expenses, it's useful to determine budgets for how much you, for example, want to be spending on groceries, eating/drinking out, personal things, gifts, etc. This gives you a bit more peace of mind when it comes to your spending since you know how much you are able to spend instead of worrying whether you have gone over budget and then lost track of your spending.

Debt management

Some of us entering university do so by taking out a student loan which afterwards has to be paid back within a certain period of time. Depending on whether or not this applies to you, it is good for you to familiarize yourself with concepts such as interest rates applying to student loans for where you live and what are some methods now or later for how you could start making some money on the side to put towards repayment of these loans.

Smart spending

Nowadays there are many things in our environment that urge or invite us to spend our money alongside following trends and wanting to in general fit in with our friends or the world around us. To become smarter at spending your money, one way, as I discussed previously, is to learn about how to budget and save your money, but also to determine the reason why you want to buy what you want to buy. Is it because you are following a certain trend, because you want to fit in with your friends because you feel down or sad? Determine the reason and also consider whether you really need this item and will make good use out of it, instead of just impulsively buying whatever you like for no particular reason.

Financial literacy

The financial world around us is evolving every day, and with that, it is important to keep up with it. To begin with a better understanding of your finances and the financial institutions of this world, spend a little time each day or every week learning something new about this field. Perhaps check out a trustworthy website to explain to you how you can get a student credit card, educate yourself on student loans and scholarships, increase your knowledge of how to start investing your money when you are young, or even just learn new words when it comes to this domain. Every little piece of knowledge that you acquire can be of use here.

Investing

While it is true that the younger you start investing your money into some form of commodity, the larger your returns can be, it is also worthwhile to first consider how you will even approach such activity and to only experiment with as much money as you are also okay with potentially losing since there is always an element of risk involved here. This again comes to the element of learning and educating yourself on this topic before beginning, where nowadays you can find many videos or websites online to explain this to you or even diving into books, podcasts or webinars can be a great way of how to expand your understanding of this.

CATEGORY 5: SOCIAL

Making time for your friends

One of the best parts about your university experience or your time as a student in general, is the amount of opportunities you have to be able to make friends and meet new people, either through your academic institution, via any extracurricular activities you do or even just by going out and seeing who you meet. Having a close-knit group of friends or even just one close friend can have one of the biggest impacts on your well-being and happiness, so making an effort to introduce yourself to someone or to ask someone if they would like to do something together with you, can be one of the most worthwhile uses of your time.

Making time for your family

Of course the quality of time which you spend with your family can also not be underestimated, since they are usually the people who know you best and are there for you in times that you need support or someone to speak to. So in the case that you are studying somewhere away from you family, make an effort to keep in contact with them and to also make some time each month or year to spend time with them in person.

Keeping in touch with long-term friends

In my experience, especially when it comes to switching school environments or moving to a new country, there are of course moments for you to make new friends but it is also important to not neglect your past friends that you may have met in a previous stage of your life and if that friendship still resonates with you, to invest some time and energy into it. I am not saying that you have to keep in constant contact with everyone you meet, but with those people that you resonate with, staying in contact with them in the long term can be very worthwhile since you never know when your two paths might come together again in the future

Being a thoughtful friend

One of the qualities I admire most in friends and one which I also try to do a lot myself, is to be more of a thoughtful friend. For example when we try to surprise our friend for their birthday, when we make an effort to call or text them, or when we remember their favorite coffee order and get it for them. I really do believe that in the end, the accumulation of these small thoughtful actions can be extremely rewarding for ourselves and also for the person doing them, so it is a double sided win.

Finding moments to have fun and destress

Even though there most likely will be moments throughout your studies when you might be under pressure, nervous or stressed out about an exam, a project or a change in studying the location, it is key to be able to find moments in your day or week to de-stress yourself and to fit in moments for fun and leisure, however, those may look like to you. Oftentimes, we get so wrapped up in our own thoughts and heads that we make our problems appear bigger than they really are and end up spending so much energy stressing out about something that in the end wasn't that big of an issue after all but we just needed a change in our approach or mindset in it. So remember, to take things a little lighter and remember that no matter the situation, it will be okay and you will get through it.

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20 Questions To Find Your Core Self

Building and uncovering your true sense of identity is one of the hardest yet most crucial things we can take our time to figure out.

Having this identity means that you, as a person, know yourself better in terms of what you want, what drives you, what aspects you want to grow, and where your goals lie. With this knowledge, you are much better able to steer and direct your actions, and thus your life path, in a way that aligns with the values and goals that you have clarified for yourself. In short, taking the time to know yourself ensures that you make more aligned choices and, in the end, live life in accordance with your true self and what feels right to you. You are living your own life for yourself, as opposed to following others' definitions of success or happiness.

It is not about becoming fully self-sufficient or completely independent from others, as interdependence is always beneficial and healthy. Rather, it is about having a comfortable and assured footing in who you are as a person and knowing what you truly stand for.

The questions below are timeless and can be used to navigate and shape your personal journey or exploration. These questions are in no specific order of importance and do not need to be answered in their written order. Spend some time pondering each question, noting what comes to mind, and identifying what resonates as true. There is no pressure of right or wrong answers here; the only correct answer is one that feels truthful and genuine to you.

CORE QUESTIONS

  1. Describe your current self in 3-5 words. Are you happy with that description, or would you like to change it in some way?

  2. What are your top 5 values as an individual, and are you living in accordance with those values?

  3. What are your top skills and strengths?

  4. What are you truly passionate about, and what makes you feel fully immersed?

  5. Which activities do you find fun and consider to be your hobbies or side interests?

  6. Are you more of an extrovert or introvert, and how could you organize your life so that it would better suit those needs?

  7. Who are your main inspirations and why?

  8. Which people in your life matter most to you, and how can you further nurture your relationship with them?

  9. What are some of your short and long-term goals in the following categories: Career/academics, health, relationships, finances, and spirituality.

  10. In which areas and how specifically would you like to grow or improve as an individual (Health, career, academics, spirituality, relationships, finances, etc.)?

  11. At what time of the day do you find that you function or work best, and what changes in your current lifestyle could you make to assist those preferences?

  12. Would you consider that you are managing your time well?

  13. What are some of your main fears or worries which are currently holding you back from exercising your true potential?

  14. What are you ashamed of or feel insecure about?

  15. Do you concern yourself a lot with how others view you or think of you?

  16. What were some of your biggest mistakes that you’ve made, and what were you able to learn from them?

  17. Up to this date, what are some of your proudest accomplishments and also some of the biggest failures?

  18. Since one year ago, how have you changed or grown as a person?

  19. If you continued going down your current path, where do you imagine yourself in 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years?

  20. How do you want people to remember you? What kind of impression do you want to leave behind?

FINAL THOUGHTS

I hope that you find these questions useful and that you find them helpful in your journey of personal discovery and growth. You can always return back to these questions whenever you feel that you have fallen slightly out of touch or out of alignment with yourself and in doing so will make sure to get yourself back on the right path once again.

Thank you for taking your time to read this 😊

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10 Ways To Reflect Back On 2023

With the closing of December, each year comes the time where we can each take some much needed time for being with our loved ones, celebrating the success of this current year and also take the time to look ahead into the adventures and plans that will accompany us in the new year.

Today I wanted to provide you with a concise yet practical framework for how you can look back on 2023, or any year as a matter of fact, as see for yourself how you have grown, changed or improved and what changes you still want to strive for and in what direction you want to channel your energy and effort into.

Reflecting is a fundamentally useful skill as it allows us to evaluate our past - our thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, habits, challenges and successes - the good and the bad, and from there lay a foundation to what we still want to achieve; to what still drives us forwards.

Feel free to answer the questions below with as much or as little detail as you find useful as this is primarily meant as a personal reflection exercise for yourself and your own journey this year.

I hope you find it useful 😊

TIPS FOR YOUR PERSONAL REFLECTION

When doing this reflection it might be helpful to keep the following things in mind:

  • This exercise, depending on how in depth you do it, will take you anywhere from 20 minutes to more than an hour, so make sure to set an appropriate amount of time to the side.

  • Try to find a quiet non disruptive place to do this in, to make it easier to reflect back and keep your thoughts collected.

  • You can do this on paper or digitally, whatever suits you best.

  • Keep in mind that there is no right or wrong answer to these questions, but just try to keep it as more of an open and honest reflection of your thoughts and experiences of this year.

EVALUATING YOUR 2023

Milestones & Highlights

  • What were some major milestones that you accomplished this year, no matter how big or small?

  • What kind of effect did reaching these milestones have on you?

  • What were your personal favorite highlights and best memories of the year?

Challenges Overcome

  • Which challenges were you able to overcome?

  • How did you overcome these challenges? What worked best?

  • Were there challenges you didn't manage to yet overcome and why?

Personal Growth & Development

  • In what ways have you change grown or improved as a person and individual since last year?

  • How have you changed based on the following aspects: Habits, behaviors, patterns of thought, mindsets, self talk and beliefs? What from this was most effective in fueling this growth?

Professional/ Academic Growth

  • How have you grown or advanced in your academic or professional life?

  • What methods or techniques allowed for growth in these areas?

Unfulfilled Goals & Aspirations

  • What were some goals which you didn't manage to achieve this year?

  • Why do you think you haven't been able to achieve them yet?

  • If you would like to still go after these goals, what do you have to do or change in order to achieve them?

Surprises

  • What was something that surprised you this year? It could be an event, something you learnt, a person you met or something you did yourself.

Self Care

  • How did you take care of your mental, physical and emotional health in 2023?

  • What methods worked best for taking care of these aspects of health? Which methods or habits didn't work so well?

  • What specific aspects of your health would you still like to work on for the next year?

Relationships

  • How have your relationships changed or evolved in 2023?

  • Which new relationships or friends have you established in 2023?

  • Were there some relationships which you removed from your life because they were no longer serving you?

Gratitude & Learning Lessons

  • Name at least 10 things for which you are grateful in the year 2023?

  • What were some main learning lessons which this year has thought you and which really stuck with you?

  • How will you implement these learning lessons in the upcoming year?

Looking forward

  • What changes or improvements do you want to make in 2024 based on the following categories: Health, relationships, academics/ career, habits, personal aspirations and finances?

  • Are there any new areas in your life which you want to explore more?

  • What kind of person do you want to be in 2024? Think about your energy, the way you interact with people, your habits, your mindsets and beliefs

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Learning How To Truly Relax

With the winter holidays being right around the corner, it is a time where many of us take some time to rest and recharge ourselves, slow down from our usual daily lives, and take time to look back on the year. This is of fundamental importance for us to do, since we all have limited capacities of energy to use, which eventually has to be replenished.

However, as much as rest and taking time to recharge are important for our well-being, society nowadays has a generally negative or almost looked-down-upon perception of rest. A lot of culture nowadays that surrounds work and hustling centers around eliciting the constant subtle pressure of having to always work/be productive. As a consequence, whenever most of us feel the need to take a break or relax for a bit, many of us will find ourselves feeling guilty for wanting to relax, which further makes us stressed and creates a set of conflicting emotions within us.

With the ever-expanding presence of online work, social media, and general connectivity through online channels, it is now easier than ever to be 24/7 connected to all the happenings around the world, within your job, or to see how your friends are spending their time. While this connectivity does have its upsides, it has the major downside of making it very hard to disconnect from this outside world and really take time off for yourself when you need it, without feeling judged or guilty for doing so.

Therefore, how do we best make sure that when we feel the need to take a break and relax, we make sure that this break will really be as restful as possible, and how can we discover the methods of relaxation that work best for us?

These are all important questions that we will be looking into below.

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON’T REST?

We all need some amount of tolerable stress in our lives, which in the end motivates us to act or can even save our lives in a dangerous situation.

However, being in a chronically stressed state where our fight or flight mechanisms are constantly activated is also not good, as permanent stress can cause serious damage and harm to both our mental and physical health. I have written about the effects of chronic stress before here.

Below are some common observations and symptoms associated with having a lack of rest:

  • Migraines and headaches

  • Forgetfulness and confusion

  • Chest pains and possible heart problems

  • Finding it hard to focus and concentrate at work

  • Having a lack of energy

  • Permanently elevated blood pressure

  • Sleeping issues such as insomnia or nightmares

  • Increased reliance on stimulants like drugs, alcohol, or tobacco

  • A change in appetite

  • Being sick or ill more often

  • Poorer quality performance at work or in school

  • Being irritated more easily or overreacting to minor annoyances

  • Loss of interest in being punctual or showing up in a presentable manner

  • Social isolation and withdrawal from social activities

  • Experiencing burnout

BENEFITS OF TAKING A REST

Taking the time to recharge can have an immensely positive impact not just on your productivity and effectiveness at work when you get back, but is also of fundamental importance for your mental well-being and happiness.

Below, you can find some of the main benefits associated with taking time off work:

  • Improved clarity of mind and thinking

  • Better decision-making

  • Becoming better at reevaluating our priorities and current routines

  • Encourages us to live more in the present moment

  • Reduces stress and anxiety overall

  • Improves our sleep quality

  • Having a healthier cardiovascular system

  • Improves our focus and concentration abilities

  • Increases productivity and our ability to get high-quality work done

TIPS FOR HOW TO REALLY RELAX

Establish the basics

  • Know which activities actually relax you (Eg: Going for a walk, taking a bath, listening to a favorite playlist, painting, etc.)

  • Assess your current restfulness state by asking yourself how rested you currently feel.

  • Listen to your body: What is it telling you that it needs right now? Is it rest?

Mindset shifts

  • Get rid of the idea that you have to “earn” your rest or downtime.

  • Remind yourself about how taking time for rest supports your work.

  • Realize that relaxing isn't a selfish activity but is something that all of us have to do.

  • Be intentional about your rest time (Eg: Don't say that you will rest and then spend the whole time thinking about what you still have to do).

  • Start seeing rest as an essential part of your well-being journey instead of an optional one.

  • Identify what aspects of your life you can control and what you can't to help you relax your thoughts.

Practical Methods

  • Try a social media detox for a couple of days or a week and assess how you feel afterward.

  • Implement a mindfulness practice into your everyday life like breathwork, meditation, or yoga, which allows you to live more in the present moment.

  • Get your thoughts and worries out of your head by writing them down.

  • Put down your thoughts and worries onto paper or outside of your head.

  • Visualize yourself being in a place that makes you feel the most happy and at peace.

  • Spend some time in nature.

  • Take part in any form of exercise that you enjoy and find relaxing.

  • Schedule regular breaks throughout your day.

  • Establish a ritual to signal to your body that it is time to relax and switch off from work.

  • Go on vacations or weekend trips if and when possible.

  • Ask for help when you need it and don't be ashamed about that.

KEY IDEAS

In todays blog post we have discussed the importance of taking genuine time off of work and most importantly how we can properly relax during this winter holiday season to return back to 2024 rested and recharged.

REFERENCES

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Strengthening Your Immune System For This Winter Season

The winter season is a time when many of us catch a cough or a cold, which makes it that much more important that we make sure to support our immune system in the best way during these times, ensuring that it will properly function.

It is important to realize that our immune system is a complex system in itself, where today's scientists are still looking into the ways of how your lifestyle impacts immunity levels. Although the link is not yet completely understood and is not easy to discern, there definitely is a link between the two, since your immune system's optimal functioning depends on plenty of different factors and health practices, some of which you can control and undoubtedly have a positive role in supporting your immune function.

WHAT CAUSES YOUR IMMUNITY TO DECLINE?


Overall, there are many different reasons for why our immunity can decline. Some of these include:

  • Old age: As we age, it is natural for our immune response capability to become reduced, which in turn contributes to more infections and more cancer. This is proven since the average life expectancy in developed countries has greatly increased, so has the incidence of age-related conditions.

  • High-stress levels: Being stressed can compromise the immune system, making the body more susceptible to illness due to the release of stress hormones that can suppress immune function.

  • Unhealthy and highly processed diets: Consuming a highly processed diet can weaken the immune system and compromise overall health, increasing susceptibility to illness by depriving the body of essential nutrients and promoting inflammation.

  • Sedentary lifestyle: A sedentary lifestyle can weaken the immune system and contribute to poor health by reducing physical activity, impairing circulation, and promoting conditions that increase susceptibility to illness.

  • Smoking: Smoking damages the respiratory system, weakens the immune response, and increases inflammation, making individuals more susceptible to illness by compromising the body's ability to defend against infections and diseases.

  • Excessive alcohol consumption: Excessive alcohol consumption can weaken the immune system, disrupt the balance of gut bacteria, and impair organ function, making individuals more susceptible to illness by compromising their body's defense mechanisms and overall health.

  • Poor sleep quality: Poor sleep quality disrupts the body's immune function and increases inflammation, making individuals more susceptible to illness by compromising the body's ability to effectively respond to and fight off infections and diseases.

However, why do so many more of us get sick during winter?

Well, it has to primarily do with two reasons:

  • The first reason is that with cold weather, people tend to spend more time inside in enclosed spaces, which increases the chance of infection and the transmission of viruses between people.

  • Secondly, winter temperatures are not only colder but also the air is less humid, which enables the viruses that can make us sick to stay alive for longer and, in this way, remain longer in the air during which they can infect us and we become sick.

INCREASING IMMUNITY IN THE RIGHT SENSE


Nowadays, in stores and specifically in health food supplement-type shops, you can come across many different types of products and supplements that claim to boost or support immunity. While this may sound almost like magic, the concept of boosting your immunity is actually quite scientifically conflicting. For example, if we aim to increase the number of immune-related cells in our body, that will not necessarily be a good thing, as too much of anything can lead to adverse effects.

An additional perspective that challenges this belief is that our immune system is, in reality, a system composed of many different types of cells, all of which work in different ways and interact with different chemicals or other cells. Therefore, if we aim to “boost immunity,” which immune cells are we even aiming to target and boost, and how would we selectively target them in the first place? This is a very complex topic and one that we are still looking for the answer to.

Overall, our body is constantly producing white blood cells, also known as lymphocytes; however, no one fully knows or understands how many immune cells and what mix of immune cells we need to function optimally.

WHAT ABOUT MULTI VITAMINS AND OTHER SUPPLEMENTS?

The supplement industry was estimated to amount to a staggering 164 billion US dollars in 2022 and is only projected to further grow in upcoming years at fast rates.

Because of this, there are now many different types of supplements and multivitamins that are available; however, the science behind using multivitamins is not fully united and convincing either.

So far, the scientific field has failed to establish any great positive effect between multivitamin use and a boost in immunity or other health markers, where in a lot of studies there was neither a positive nor a negative effect.

It is generally advised against taking any sort of megadose of any particular vitamin at once, since more of a vitamin does not mean you will be healthier but can actually cause your body genuine harm.

My approach is to always source all of your micronutrients from whole food sources which are naturally rich in vitamins and minerals and also contain them in the most optimal proportions for your body to make use of. However, if you personally find that, for example, supplementing with vitamin D in the winter or Vitamin C has a positive effect on your immune system, then that's great, but don’t go out of your way to overdo it with anything.

10 WAYS TO MAINTAIN STRONG IMMUNITY

Eating A Balanced And Nutritious Diet

  • Our immune system works best when we supply it with a predominantly whole foods diet, which is unprocessed and full of different colors. This includes a variety of different proteins, colorful fruits and vegetables, starches, grains, nuts, seeds, and oils.

  • By eating a variety of whole foods, we not only make sure that all of our nutritional needs are met in terms of macro and micronutrients, but also that we are getting a good supply of antioxidants to fight free radicals and cell-related aging and diseases. If you are further interested in the topic of antioxidants and how they work, you can read about it here.

  • An additional benefit of eating a varied predominantly whole foods diet is that it positively impacts your gut microbiome by supplying the bacteria in your gut with a variety of fibers which the bacteria feed on and produce beneficial byproducts that can positively impact our immune system. Additionally, you can read more about how your gut microbiome impacts your health here.

  • Below are some additional food-related suggestions which further support your immune function:

    • Increasing your consumption of healthy fats such as those found in olive oil, fatty fish, nuts, seeds.

    • Eating plenty of fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, or kefir or taking a probiotic supplement.

    • Limiting your consumption of added sugars such as those found in highly processed sugary snacks, sweet fried foods, or highly processed syrups and artificial sweeteners.

Staying Physically Active

  • Staying physically active and moving your body is not only beneficial for your muscular and skeletal system as well as your mental health but is also highly involved in proper immune function.

  • Regular movement raises energy levels, improves sleep quality, as well as being able to reduce stress and anxiety, all of which are effects that further positively contribute to good immunity.

  • Additionally, regular movement also helps to reduce levels of inflammation in your body which further allows your body's immune cells to function and be regulated regularly.

  • I have written about the various benefits of regular exercise here.

Drinking Enough Water

  • Drinking water or staying hydrated does not directly protect you from germs and viruses, however, preventing dehydration is a big part of staying healthy overall.

  • By being dehydrated, your body is generally less equipped to protect itself against different viruses, as dehydration hinders your physical performance, causes headaches, and hinders heart and kidney function.

  • Aim to mainly hydrate by drinking water instead of opting for sugary fruit juices or sodas as a way of intaking liquids. Additionally, drinking too much water can also be harmful, so as a rule of thumb, drink when you are thirsty and stop when you are no longer thirsty.

Keeping Consistent With Vaccinations

  • If we avoid getting vaccinations, it can take our immune system anywhere up to 2 weeks to recognize the pathogen at play and launch an appropriate attack for the virus. Whether we are a young healthy individual or an older person who has a weaker immune response, at the end of those 2 weeks is when it can result in you getting infected or staying healthy depending on how your immune system deals with the pathogen. In the case that you get sick, your immune system will then properly kick into action and try to remove the effects of the pathogen.

  • By getting vaccinated, we can shorten that 2-week waiting period by allowing our immune system to engage with a small piece of that virus or bacteria that can otherwise cause us to be sick, and in this way encourage our body to develop the appropriate antibodies in a more controllable way as opposed to our immune system having to handle a full virus for the first time all in one go.

Maintaining A Healthy Weight

  • Being overweight or obese can also significantly impair your body's natural immune response, where people who are obese are less responsive to vaccines for a variety of diseases such as influenza virus, hepatitis, and tetanus.

Getting Adequate Sleep

  • Sleep is a crucial time for when our body takes the time to properly repair and also synthesize new white blood cells as well as attend to any sites of inflammation.

  • Adults should generally aim to get at least 7 hours of good-quality sleep per night, with teenagers needing 8-10 and younger children even more.

  • If you are having issues with sleeping, I have previously written about how to improve your sleep quality here.

Minimizing Stress Where Possible

  • You might not realize it, but there is a crucial link between stress, anxiety, and your body's immune system. Your immune function is greatly impaired when you live in a constant state of chronic stress, since long-term stress promotes keeping your immune system permanently activated that can directly cause inflammation within our body and also an imbalance of immune cell function.

  • I have written about some of the ways for how to better handle stress here but overall some suggestions for how to better handle stress in your life include meditating, exercising, socializing, journaling, spending time in nature, or consulting with a therapist if needed.

Quit Smoking

  • There are many issues that are concerned with smoking cigarettes; however, it is undeniably true that smoking makes your body less successful and effective at fighting off any type of disease.

  • The chemicals which are found in cigarette smoke like carbon monoxide, nicotine, nitrogen oxides, and cadmium have been shown to negatively interfere with the growth and function of immune cells such as T cells, B cells, and cytokines.

  • Additionally, smoking also worsens viral and bacterial infections, especially those located within the lungs like pneumonia, flu, or tuberculosis, as well as increases the chances of post-surgical infections and developed or rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease of the joints.

Prevent Excessive Alcohol Consumption

  • Just like with cigarettes, persistent and excessive alcohol consumption can weaken the immune system by lowering levels of B and T immune cells as well as overwhelming your body with detoxifying the alcohol first before trying to bother with up-keeping normal immune function.

  • This is why people who drink more face a greater chance of developing pneumonia, alcoholic liver disease as well as certain cancers, all of which combine to worsen immune function overall.

  • If you are further interested into how alcohol impacts your body, you can read about it here.

Take Care To Prevent Infections

  • Of course, it is also important to mention that we should take care of the basics too when it comes to hygiene, such as washing our hands and also washing the food we eat before we prepare it.

KEY IDEAS

Today we talked about the topic of how to take proper care of your immune system this winter where we explored why our immune system tends to decline in the winter months, discussed wether multivitamins have a genuine protective role in our health and what are some practical ways of how we can stay healthy this winter season.

REFERENCES

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Fighting Procrastination Effectively

Procrastination is something that all of us face at some points, whether it is starting that big project for work or school or staying consistent with a passion project or habit. Because procrastination is such a common phenomenon in today's world, I wanted to take a look into why procrastination occurs to explain why it is so common, the different types of procrastination, and most importantly how to prevent and fight it.

Although I have written about this topic previously, I think it is valuable to do a refresh and it is hopefully a topic that will be of use to you as well.

I hope you can gain something useful out of today's post and please share it with anyone else if it has in some way helped you out.

WHY DO WE DO IT?

Procrastination is an interesting yet irrational phenomenon which is shared among all of us, because when we procrastinate we consciously do something else other than what we are supposed to, knowing that this avoidance is in the long term not good for us, yet we still do it.

So whats the real reason behind it?

Researchers (Lieberman, 2019) have suggested that procrastination occurs not because of our poor ability to manage our time but instead as a way of coping with challenging and negative emotions and moods in the moment that have been induced by certain tasks. Emotions which we like to ignore and instead use procrastination to cope with them include boredom, anxiety, frustration, self-doubts, insecurity, and resentment.

Therefore, to put it simply, procrastination is an issue grounded in emotional regulation rather than time management.

Researchers Dr. Pychyl and Dr. Sirois explained procrastination as “the primacy of short-term mood repair … over the longer-term pursuit of intended actions”, meaning that procrastination is about being focused on the immediate urgency of removing negative emotions and mood instead of actually doing the task.

Now you might be asking yourself where these negative feelings towards the task come from and why do they occur? Well, our aversion to the task at hand may be due to there being something inherently unpleasant about the task itself like cleaning a dirty bathroom or doing a task which seems very tedious and unpleasant to us. Additionally, a task can be aversive to us when the task at hand brings up negative feelings from within us such as self-doubt, a lack of self-esteem, or anxiety, which happens often, for example, when we are staring at a blank document and are wondering whether we have what it takes to produce the required piece of work.

What makes procrastination such a hard habit to break?

The catch is that when we procrastinate and eventually stop to return to the initial task at hand, we are faced with even more negative emotions than at the start, where we are likely to judge ourselves for procrastinating in the first place. This may further lower our mood and self-esteem while spiking our anxiety and stress, causing us to procrastinate more and more, since procrastination provides temporary relief from negative emotions.

Additionally, since procrastination provides that temporary time of relief, this relief is what makes the cycle especially vicious since it signals to your brain that you are being rewarded for procrastinating and delaying the task at hand. In behavioral biology and sciences, it is well-known that whatever causes us to feel good or get a sense of reward from doing it, we will do more of it, which is exactly why we fall into chronic loops of procrastination.

The present bias issue

Procrastination is also a great example of a phenomenon called the “present bias,” which is our hardwired human tendency to prioritize short-term needs over long-term ones. This is also what many social media algorithms exploit to keep us more addicted through instant gratification.

Although us humans have a large prefrontal cortex as opposed to other animals and mammals, we are still very much hardwired for prioritizing our needs in the present, which is something we need to be aware of and continuously aim to delay instant gratification.

Brain imaging studies have shown that on a neural level, “we perceive our future selves more like strangers than parts of ourselves,” meaning that when we procrastinate, it is the equivalent of thinking that the task we are putting off and all the accompanying negative feelings are somebody else's problem and not ours.

To further add to the issue, we are even less able to make sound and thoughtful future-oriented decisions when we are stressed, which occurs in the presence of needing to do challenging or aversive tasks. In these situations, we feel stressed, anxious, or insecure, where the emotional center in our brain, the amygdala, perceives all of these negative emotions as a genuine threat to our overall well-being or self-esteem. This causes the amygdala's number one priority in the present moment to reduce those negative emotions, which again is where procrastination falls perfectly into the puzzle. This phenomenon is called the “amygdala hijack.”

TYPES OF PROCRASTINATION

Believe it or not, there are actually many different types of procrastination, classified based on different reasons for why we put off doing things:

  • Avoidance: Here the idea is that you believe you are not good enough or skilled enough to complete the given task or activity at hand. Here there is also an intense fear of failure and of making mistakes, where this fear of being judged or making mistakes is strong enough to stop someone from doing the task.

  • Thrill-Seeking: Interestingly, some people procrastinate because they find enjoyment in leaving things to be done at the last minute, where this actually gives them some kind of adrenaline rush and a sense of excitement. Some people actually work best in this way.

  • Perfectionism: While having high expectations and standards is fine, this sense of obsession can be overdone to the extreme with perfectionism, where in this case, we might constantly be looking and double-checking that email that we wrote or the proposal, or running over the dialogue we will have with our boss. While all of these activities may seem productive in the moment, they are actually not helping us with completing the task but instead delaying it and procrastinating about it. Often times, done is better than perfect.

  • Distraction: This kind of procrastination occurs whenever our attention and focus are drawn away from the task at hand, towards something else more exciting and stimulating in our environment, such as responding to a notification or opening up a new computer tab to do some online shopping instead. We need to decide for ourselves what activities we are willing to tolerate both in our home and work environments and then decide which activities we consider as distractions, which are the activities we want to minimize.

  • Head in the Sand: This might be based on some sort of fear mechanism, but the head in the sand approach simply means that the person does not want to do the task at hand. Instead, they choose to ‘stick their head into the sand’ and pretend like the task doesn't exist or that it's someone else's responsibility.

HOW TO FIGHT IT

You have to foremostly realize that procrastination is, at its core, not an issue about being bad at time management or general productivity but instead about how we handle our emotions. This entails that productivity cannot be solved by downloading some productivity app or time management software alone but instead requires us to better understand and manage our emotions.

When it comes to habitual tasks, our brains are always looking for relative rewards, meaning that if we have developed a habit of procrastination and have not given our brain a better reward than procrastination itself (remember: it relieves negative emotions), then our brain will continue doing the habit over and over until we give it something better to do.

This is why, in order to rewire almost any bad habit, we have to give our brains a better reward than simple avoidance, more specifically a reward that can relieve our challenging feelings in the moment without causing harm to our future selves. The difficulty here is that with procrastination, there is an infinite number of potential substitute actions for avoidance, which could, in the end, still be considered a form of procrastination. This is why the solution has to come from within ourselves and be internal instead of being externally rooted.

As an example, if you are currently struggling with procrastination, an internal solution might be to motivate yourself to get started on the task by reminding yourself of how much relief and ease you will feel afterward once the task is done. This would likely work, as we are responsible for our own motivation and subsequent progress.

Practical Advice for Fighting Procrastination

Forgive Yourself for Procrastination:

  • In a 2010 study, scholars discovered that students who practiced self-forgiveness for procrastinating during their preparation for an initial exam demonstrated a reduced tendency to procrastinate when preparing for subsequent exams. The researchers inferred that embracing self-forgiveness facilitated increased productivity by enabling individuals to overcome maladaptive behaviors, allowing them to concentrate on forthcoming examinations unencumbered by the weight of past actions.

Cultivate Self-Compassion:

  • The practice of self-compassion involves treating oneself with kindness and understanding in the face of mistakes and failures. Dr. Sirois' 2012 study highlighted a correlation between stress, low self-compassion, and procrastination, emphasizing that self-compassion acts as a protective buffer against negative reactions to self-relevant events. Numerous studies indicate that self-compassion not only reduces psychological distress, a key contributor to procrastination, but also actively promotes motivation, enhances self-worth, and nurtures positive emotions such as optimism, wisdom, curiosity, and personal initiative. Importantly, self-compassion does not rely on external factors, requiring only a commitment to facing challenges with acceptance and kindness instead of dwelling on regret. Reframing tasks by considering positive aspects and envisioning successful outcomes can further contribute to cultivating self-compassion in addressing procrastination.

Increase Your Curiosity and Awareness:

  • Whenever you feel yourself being tempted to procrastinate, slow down for a little and become aware of what is causing those feelings or temptations to arise. Think about what tempts you to procrastinate and how you feel when you are about to procrastinate. What emotions are you trying to ignore?

Consider the Next Smallest Step You Can Do:

  • It is common advice to break down a large task into several smaller ones, which makes the whole task seem a lot less daunting and intimidating, ensuring that we follow through and get it done. Additionally, don’t wait to be in the mood or to be motivated to do a certain task. Instead, motivation is a result of action. Get started, and you’ll find your motivation follows.

Make Your Temptations More Inconvenient:

  • The point is to create more friction and less convenience towards tasks that tempt and distract us, ensuring that we do less of those and instead making tasks and habits that are beneficial for us as easy as possible to do and implement.

Create Accountability:

  • If you struggle with discipline or consistency, it might be helpful to think about some external sources of accountability, such as doing work together with a friend or tracking your focus or work/study progress with external software. Experiment with what works for you and what keeps you on track.

KEY IDEAS

In todays blog post we are discussing everything related to procrastination: Why it happens, the different types of procrastination as well as how to best combat it and prevent it in the future.

REFERENCES

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On The Importance Of Self Care

In the month of November, many of us find ourselves being busier than ever with schoolwork, extracurriculars, or general social events, all the while it is becoming darker and colder outside. With this combination of events, it is very easy to become overworked and to start losing enjoyment or motivation in the things we do and the way we generally approach our everyday.

For this reason, we are today discussing the important topic of self-care and not being ashamed to take time for yourself when you need it. We will be looking into what self-care is and what are some activities that can be considered as such, as well as briefly explaining the different types of self-care that you can gift yourself this November. Then we will discuss why nurturing your self-care can be so beneficial for your overall well-being and finish off with some practical tips on how to enhance, define, and establish your own self-care rituals.

If that sounds interesting, then please read on.

WHAT ACTUALLY IS SELF CARE?

Self-care is considered to be any activity or set of activities that relate to staying physically and mentally healthy as an individual. It represents all the steps or ways an individual can express genuine health and respect for themselves in whatever way that is most meaningful and beneficial to them in the moment, in order to promote their own health and well-being.

The World Health Organization went as far as to define self-care as “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker.”

In this way, prioritizing self-care activities may initially seem like quite a selfish act, but in reality, it isn't because selfishness is associated with a desire to take away from others usually or their own detriment. However, self-care is not like that and is instead a philosophy grounded in replenishing your own sources and needs without depleting those of others. By listening and acting in accordance with your own needs, you can then respond to the needs of the world and other people much better as well.

WHAT COUNTS AS SELF CARE?

The beauty of self-care is that it can take many different forms for different people. For example, someone's definition of self-care may involve meeting up with their friends every week and prioritizing the need for socializing and relaxing in this way. For another person, self-care may simply be taking a day off and just reading a book or even getting in extra sleep by going to bed earlier.

Self-care is not just limited to your typical “face mask and chill” definition but can be any activity that promotes genuine relaxation for you and boosts your overall well-being. This is why self-care is grounded primarily in listening to and recognizing your own needs and then acting upon them.

Another misconception is that self-care has to be expensive or very time-consuming, which certainly can be the case with some activities. However, it by far does not have to follow that definition. It is often the simpler acts of kindness or small expressions of gifts and love that make us most fulfilled in the end. As always, remember that no amount of dissatisfaction can be replaced by materialistic goods and purchases alone, whereas taking part in social activities can be so important for your overall well-being.

TYPES OF SELF CARE

When discussing self-care, there are a couple of categories under which it can be divided:

  • Emotional self-care: This type of self-care has everything to do with enhancing your emotional and mental well-being. Examples of this can be simply learning to say “no” to more responsibilities or events, giving yourself permission to pause and take a break, or going for a weekly coffee with a friend.

  • Physical self-care: This self-care prioritizes your body's physical health and can take the form of prioritizing better quality of sleep, choosing to eat more nutritious foods, or learning to move your body in ways that feel good to you.

  • Spiritual self-care: Spiritual self-care is about enhancing your spiritual well-being and health, which can be done by spending time in nature each day or week, adopting reflection practices such as talking to someone about any worries or writing down thoughts in your journal, or even attending group-based activities that give you a sense of belonging.

SO WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Now that we have a clear understanding of what self-care entails and the various practices that fall under its umbrella, let's explore the compelling reasons for prioritizing self-care:


  • Enhance overall well-being and life span: Engaging in self-care allows you to optimize all aspects of your health, directly contributing to heightened levels of happiness, general life satisfaction, and even an extended life span.

  • Reducing stress and anxiety: By prioritizing your own needs and well-being, you equip yourself with the tools to effectively manage and reduce stress levels. Elevated stress, if sustained, can lead to negative effects such as depression, insomnia, and excessive weight gain.

  • Elevating your mood: Self-care practices are designed to uplift your mood, reducing the likelihood of developing mood-related disorders like depression. This proactive approach fosters emotional well-being.

  • Responding better to setbacks: Prioritizing self-care enhances your ability to reflect on challenges and setbacks, strengthening your mindset. This resilience empowers you to rise above adversity and respond more effectively to setbacks.

  • Benefits your relationships: Taking care of both your physical and mental health replenishes your body's vitality, promoting a positive mood. This, in turn, enhances the quality of your social interactions, making them more enjoyable and fruitful, as positive energy can be contagious :)


Based on different studies, here are five self-care-related activities which have been found to be linked with a longer life span:

  • Engaging in regular exercise every day (even just 20-30 minutes)

  • Establishing a consistent and restful sleep routine

  • Regularly spending time outdoors or in nature

  • Finding purpose in your life

  • Adopting a predominantly whole foods diet that is low in ultra-processed ingredients

BUILDING YOUR OWN SELF CARE ROUTINE

How to Build a Routine that Works for You:

  1. Identify activities that bring you joy, recharge your energy, and help restore your equilibrium.

  2. Start with a modest step, choosing one behavior you want to integrate into your daily routine for the upcoming week.

  3. Progress by engaging in that behavior each day for a week.

  4. Take a moment to reflect on your emotions and thoughts.

  5. Introduce additional practices when you feel prepared.

  6. Seek support by sharing your practices with loved ones, a coach, a licensed professional (such as a therapist or dietitian), or through resources provided by your healthcare plan, community, or workplace.


Here are some ideas for additional self-care activities that you can try:

Emotional/Mental health related:

  • Connecting with a friend through a call or meeting up with them

  • Journaling about your feelings or recent experiences

  • Temporarily muting your phone's notifications for a day or taking a break from social media for a day or week

  • Cleaning or organizing your space

  • Adopting a mediation practice to give you more piece of mind

  • Unwinding and de-stressing with a relaxing bath or reading a book

  • Learning new things which excite you and you find interesting

  • Becoming better at prioritizing your energy and saying “no” to responsibilities and demands of others

Physical health related:

  • Prioritizing early bedtime or allowing yourself to sleep in when needed

  • Maintaining a balanced, minimally processed diet with recognizable foods

  • Discovering an enjoyable form of exercise and incorporating it regularly into your lifestyle, not out of obligation but as a choice to nurture your body.

  • Prioritizing good personal hygiene

Spiritual health related:

  • Participating in service-oriented acts or joining groups that provide a sense of belonging and purpose in life

  • Exploring new courses or acquiring new skills through group-based workshops or events

  • Spending time in nature

  • Find ways to express gratitude every day (Even for the smallest more negligible things)

🧠 KEY IDEAS

In todays blog post we have discussed the timeless topic of why establishing a regular self care routine can be one of the best things that you can do for all aspects of your health and well being.

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Gaining Back Deep Focus And Meaningful Productivity

In today's ever-connected world, it is becoming increasingly challenging to maintain unwavering focus on what truly matters due to the constant bombardment of notifications, reminders, and distractions. Amidst this blend of enticing messages and captivating diversions, we must adeptly discern what holds genuine significance and what is merely a drain on our time—a task that is growing more formidable.

While I have previously addressed this subject and offered strategies for improving focus, which you can explore here and here, I believe this topic is gaining even greater importance and is evolving into a highly esteemed skill in the contemporary world. The capacity to concentrate and wholeheartedly direct your attention toward a specific aspect of your surroundings is paramount for acquiring new knowledge, accomplishing your goals, and excelling in various facets of life. By enhancing your ability to concentrate and focus, you can significantly elevate the quality of your life, paving the way for numerous new opportunities and profound insights.

I trust you find this piece enjoyable and enlightening.

WHAT TAKES AWAY FROM OUR FOCUS?

There is a variety of factors that can significantly impact or hinder our focus. Below are some of the major ones to be mindful of, as well as some of the most common daily sources of distractions we face:

Internal Factors

  • Hunger

  • Anxiety or worry

  • Stress

  • Fatigue or lack of sleep

  • Depression

  • Medical conditions like autism, ADHD, or bipolar disorder

  • Learning disabilities such as dyslexia

  • Memory disorders like dementia

  • Past experiences of traumatic brain injuries or stroke

External Factors

  • Device notifications

  • Unexpected situations that take you by surprise

  • Loud noises

  • Bright colors or patterns

  • Inadequate lighting in a space

  • Being in a cluttered or messy environment

5 WAYS TO GREATLY IMPROVE YOUR FOCUS

Establishing A Regular Mindfulness Routine

  • Engage in meditation, breath-work, or journaling: Maintaining a consistent meditation or breath-work practice can significantly enhance your focus by providing a chance to calm and quiet your mind, allowing you to observe your own thoughts and emotions, ultimately helping you make better sense of them. Regular journaling and self-reflection can yield similar benefits.

  • You can explore my previous articles on meditation here and breath-work here.

Eliminating Potential Distractions From Your Environment

  • Silencing social media: Keep all social media platforms out of sight and locked during work hours. You can use focus modes on your devices, enable "Do Not Disturb," or mute notifications to achieve this. For guidance on improving your relationship with social media, consider reading about it here.

  • Minimizing other distractions: In addition to digital distractions, remove any disruptive elements in your physical environment, such as brightly colored or moving objects, loud noises, or distracting items on your work surface. Experiment with identifying which objects allow you to work most effectively when they're out of sight.

Maintaining Fundamental Well-being

  • Physical Activity: Incorporate at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity.

  • Quality Sleep: Prioritize getting sufficient sleep by going to bed at an appropriate time. Consider taking short naps during the day for an energy boost if time permits.

  • Balanced Nutrition: Consume adequate nourishment to sustain your energy levels throughout the day, and have snacks as needed.

  • Scheduled Breaks: Allocate time for breaks to recharge, effectively restoring your focus levels to their initial state.

  • If you're interested in learning more about taking care of fundamental aspects of your health, you can explore the five pillars of health here.

Optimizing Your To-Do List

  • Prioritization: Prioritize tasks based on time required, task complexity, and urgency.

  • Know and understand what you have to do: Ensure task clarity and understanding to prevent procrastination caused by uncertainty.

  • Temporarily do something else: When boredom strikes, switch to a more enjoyable or easier task momentarily before returning to the original one.

  • Minimize multitasking: Multitasking can leave your brain lingering on the previous task, hindering full concentration on the current task.

  • Grouping similar tasks: Performing similar tasks together, such as quick tasks taking less than 5 minutes, writing emails, running errands, or shopping, and tackle them during dedicated time blocks.

  • Timing yourself: Setting a fixed time frame for completing tasks can boost your efficiency and ensure task completion.

Streamlining Your Focus Process

  • Consider your social circle: Surround yourself with productive individuals to inspire and motivate your pursuit of meaningful productivity.

  • Setting and achieving goals: Set future goals and visualize your aspirations, helping shape the person you wish to become.

  • Setting rewards: Reward yourself upon completing significant tasks or projects that demand time and effort.

  • Stay organized: Maintain organization in both your digital and physical spaces to facilitate focus.

  • Consider drinking coffee: If you respond well to caffeine, consider consuming it in the morning for heightened alertness and improved focus; however, be mindful of excessive caffeine intake. For a deeper understanding of how caffeine affects the body, refer to my previous article here.

  • Music or silence: Experiment with different strategies for maintaining focus, such as listening to music with noise-isolating headphones or working in silence. Find what works best for you for different tasks.

  • Reset activities: Incorporate activities for focus resets, such as stretching, getting fresh air, conversing with colleagues, or having a snack when your focus wanes.

FOCUSING IS A SKILL THAT HAS TO BE PRACTICED

Now that we've explored the factors that can negatively impact our stress and some of the most practical ways to enhance our focus, it's important to recognize that focus is a skill that requires continuous practice.

We're all human, not robots, so we can only expect so much from our bodies and minds simultaneously. There will inevitably be days when we feel more tired, unmotivated, or find it challenging to focus. Importantly, don't be too hard on yourself on those days, as we all experience them from time to time. Afterward, simply continue practicing your focus skills.

Think of your ability to concentrate over a given time as a muscle that can be strengthened through practice, routine, and dedication. You have control over how you allocate your time and energy and what you choose to focus your mental energy on. You've got this

🧠 KEY IDEAS

In this blog post we discussed the factors which take away from our ability to concentrate as well as some practical tips on how to keep strengthening your focus capacities.

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Building A Healthier Work-Life Balance To Prevent Burning Out

Although everyones version of work-life balance is different and personal to their own priorities and preferences, it is fundamental that we are able to find time for work as well as time for ourselves or for our family, friends and all other non work related activities.

In this blog post, we look at exactly that: What work life balance actually is, why we should care about it as well as how to bring more of it back into our lives.

I have previously written about this topic here, so if you are interested, please check it out.

I hope you enjoy this one 😊

WHAT EVEN IS WORK-LIFE BALANCE?


Work life balance is the act of maintaining some sort of equilibrium between the demands of ones professional career with the demands of our personal lives.

There is a common misconception that with work-life balance, we have to spend equal times doing our personal things and also working while that is not true. In some stages or phases of our lives, that equilibrium will not be perfectly balanced and equally shared, instead we will slightly prioritize one aspect more than the other and then perhaps in the next stage of our life, our priorities shift again and rebalance.

It is both the idea of viewing work life balance in the long run, but also seeing it through an everyday lens of how you are spending your time and trying our best to do some personal and work related things each day, to the best of our abilities.

Realize that life is not perfect, but what you can do is to simply try your best at making time for yourself, for others and for your work in whatever proportions make most sense to you in that period of your life.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?


Even though achieving work life balance is always a work in progress and never really a final point in time that we reach, there are some important reasons for why it should be prioritized:


Greatly impacts your mental health

  • If you find that you are experiencing a lot of stress each day but don't have enough time to unwind, that stress can become unmanageable and start seriously negatively impacting your mental health. You may start experiencing increased fatigue, poor memory, reduced ability to focus and concentrate as well as increasing your chances for depression or anxiety disorders.

  • Another potent effect of poor life balance is the increased likelihood of developing burnout which is recognized as a state of complete mental, psychical and emotional exhaustion causing you to find less enjoyment in enjoyable everyday activities and being more prone to isolation and other illnesses. A study in 2022 which examined over 15,000 employees in 15 countries shower that about a quarter of those employees showed symptoms of burnout and exhaustion, making burnout an ever increasing condition around the world.


Your physical health is at risk too

  • A poor work life balance can in the long run seriously increase your risk for various diseases such as cardiovascular disease and disorders of the musco-skeletal and psychological kind along side endocrinological issues. Some studies have also started making a link between chronically high stress levels and a higher chance of developing certain cancers and ulcers. Therefore, maintaining a healthy work life balance not only reduces your stress but also allows you to prioritize your health and wellbeing by making the time to move your body, eat healthy and properly unwind when needed.


Your job or career performance is impacted

  • Many studies have proven that excessive stress in the work place makes employees sick more frequently and leads to poorer employee productivity overall. Being stressed and over worked also diminishes your ability to focus and make good coherent decisions both in our personal and work lives.

10 TIPS FOR REGAINING WORK LIFE BALANCE


Stop And Asses Your Situation

  • Often, when we are faced with many responsibilities, tasks, and things to worry about, we get so caught up in our everyday problems and commitments that we often forget to take the time to pause, slow down, and reflect on what is actually happening and how we are feeling. We have to be honest with ourselves and look at our situation objectively to figure out how we are actually feeling, what is causing us stress or anxiety each day, and what things cause us to be dissatisfied during the day.

  • Furthermore, it is important to consider how these emotions are impacting your performance in your job, in your personal relationships, or even in your hobbies, and the relationship you have with yourself.

  • This step is ultimately about coming to terms with what is, embracing your feelings, and starting to acknowledge the issues that need to be tackled first to ensure you stay in good health. Consider what your current priorities are (where you put most of your current time and energy) as well as what things you are sacrificing and what is being lost in the process. Write it all down as it will come in useful later.


Accept That There Is No Perfect Work Life Balance

  • Usually, when we hear the concept of 'work-life balance,' we imagine this perfect scenario where you spend half of your day working, and the other half is spent with your family, the people you love, and working on yourself. While this may be true sometimes, it is faulty to assume that it's like this every day. Additionally, when we place this pressure on ourselves to live a perfect life every day, we start to unnecessarily compare ourselves, which causes us to feel dissatisfied and disappointed by ourselves, which does us no good.

  • Instead, it is better to focus on a realistic schedule instead of a perfect one, since there will inevitably be things that will come up unexpectedly, and we have to learn to be flexible and agile in these scenarios, both with our time and energy.

  • When it comes to a realistic schedule, our priorities may shift slightly from day to day or week to week. For example, on some days, you may focus more on work and your career, while on other days, you may focus more on enjoying life with the people closest to you. Overall, the point is that this sense of balance is achieved over time and is not defined by living perfectly every day, since that is impossible to begin with in the first place.


Set And Follow Your Priorities

  • When you think about it, our priorities dictate how we spend each hour of our everyday, whether we realize it or not. How you choose to spend your time in each moment is simply a reflection of your current priorities, which may be internal, such as you deciding that you want to go on a walk today, or they might be external, such as someone else telling you what you have to do.

  • Poor work-life balance and especially burnout are usually a result of poor prioritization, where we tend to prioritize work and productive output much more than the time for resting, socializing, or taking care of our health. This can result in some serious issues down the line, as discussed above. To improve this, we have to reflect on how we are currently prioritizing our time and how we would like to change and realign our priorities.

  • To help with this, consider what makes a day great for you, in terms of what has to happen for you to finish the day thinking, 'Wow, today was great.' List a couple of such personal and work-related activities and then see how you could fit them into your current daily lifestyle. This will ensure that your priorities are much more balanced, instead of being so work-focused and heavy.


Recognizing And Creating Healthy Boundaries

  • Creating healthy boundaries is a crucial step in promoting a better work-life balance. It involves setting clear limits on how much time and energy you dedicate to work and personal life. By defining when your workday begins and ends, you can ensure that your personal time remains sacred, free from work-related intrusions.

  • Communicating these boundaries with colleagues and superiors is essential, as it fosters understanding and respect for your personal life. Embracing technology wisely, such as using separate devices or applications for work and personal matters, can help reinforce these boundaries. Healthy boundaries empower you to recharge, reduce stress, and maintain a healthier equilibrium between your professional and personal life, ultimately enhancing your overall well-being and productivity


Taking Time To Unplug

  • Unplugging is paramount for achieving a healthy work-life balance in our increasingly digital and connected world. The constant stream of work-related emails, notifications, and responsibilities can encroach on our personal time, leading to burnout and stress. By disconnecting from work, whether it's at the end of the day or during vacations, we allow ourselves to recharge and focus on our personal lives, relationships, and well-being.

  • Unplugging not only reduces the risk of burnout but also fosters mental and emotional rejuvenation, enabling us to return to work with increased productivity and creativity. It reinforces the boundary between work and personal life, helping us strike a more harmonious balance between the two, ultimately leading to a happier and healthier existence.


Taking Time Off When Needed

  • When you notice yourself feeling exhausted, lacking in creative ideas, or experiencing a general sense of decreasing productivity, it may be well worth taking a break or, when possible, going on vacation for a couple of days or a week.

  • Although sometimes it may feel unproductive to take time off and rest, with many of us feeling guilty for even thinking about it, it is crucial to do so; otherwise, we can become seriously burnt out and further hinder our health.

  • Many studies confirm that the benefits associated with taking time off far outweigh the downsides of not doing it. With proper planning and coordination, you can take a break without feeling guilty and return to your workplace without encountering disarray or an overwhelming backlog of work.


Make Time For Yourself And Those Who You Love

  • Even though your career and job are important aspects of your life, they shouldn't be your entire life. Studies show that genuine and frequent social interaction is a key predictor of happiness and overall health in humans. That's why you should make time each day and each week to spend time with the people you love, such as family, significant others, friends, or colleagues. Find ways to support more social activities in your weekly routine, such as scheduling future meetups and dates on a calendar or simply calling or texting your friends more often.

  • Time spent with yourself is just as important as time spent with other people, as it allows you to recharge, explore new hobbies, learn about new fields of interest, and work on self-improvement. Both aspects are needed to find happiness.

  • The aim is to do your best when it comes to prioritizing both yourself and all the other important individuals in your life, as meaningful and trusting relationships are truly important for our overall happiness and satisfaction in life.


Having An Occupation Which Truly Excites You

  • If you dislike what you do every day, obviously, you will not be showing up to work happy and energized. In the long run, this can lead to a severe decline in productivity, poor self-esteem, and even depression. This is an example where work-life balance may take a turn in the other direction, where we want to spend as much time out of our job as possible. This can lead us to overindulge in comforting activities such as overeating, leading a sedentary lifestyle, and, in general, not taking good care of ourselves.

  • When you find a career that fits you and excites you, your overall happiness and energy levels can return to normal. This can help you rebuild a weekly schedule that supports both your personal and work-related matters, ensuring a healthier work-life balance in the long run."


Listen To Your Body And Emotions

  • One of the key causes of burnout is when we start to lose touch with our own bodies and well-being, suppressing emotions or feelings, and pushing ourselves when our body and mind are clearly signaling the need for a break.

  • We need to become more aware of our body's signals, which tell us when to take a break or perhaps to focus and put our heads down. Overdoing it in either direction is not beneficial.

  • Your body is constantly providing you with feedback about your current physical and mental well-being. However, if you keep ignoring it and pushing it aside, your health will inevitably take a downturn. Therefore, take a couple of minutes each day to truly slow down, perhaps as the first thing in the morning or the last thing at night. Consider how you truly feel, whether you experience any discomfort or pain, and what your body truly needs in that moment. These needs will vary from week to week and may include things like the need for proper sleep and recharging, the need to break out of a boring routine and try something new, or the need to spend less time alone and socialize more


Implement suitable changes

  • Once you have gone through the above steps and figured out how you feel and what is causing you to feel this way, it is time to consider which suitable changes you can make to support these new changes that you want to make in your life.

  • When it comes to changes in your private life, you might want to get better at imposing boundaries on when you choose to work and when you choose not to work, or turning down excessive demands from work when you already have plenty going on. In terms of public changes that you can make, you can establish better communication between you and your boss regarding your current capabilities in terms of time and energy. You can suggest to your boss that perhaps a couple of days per week of working from home would work better for you (if that is an option), or maybe discuss the addition of a couple more days of vacation each year.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Overall, it is important to realize that everyone has challenges with finding a work-life balance that works for them. Striving for this balance is something that all of us have to work through every day in order to establish a work-life balance in the long term. The point is not to strive for some perfect idea of work-life balance that is unrealistic and unattainable. Instead, we should try our best each day to prioritize what is truly important to us and what truly makes life worth living in the end.

🧠 KEY IDEAS

In todays blog post we discussed the idea of work life balance, in terms of what it is, what are the issues of a poor work life balance as well as 10 practical tips on how to realign your priorities and restore that balance.

✏️ REFERENCES

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Understanding And Coping With Stress

Wether you are currently going through a stressful period of your life or not, we all experience stress at some points in our lives which is why I wanted to look into this topic more thoroughly.

Even though I have previously written about stress here, I wanted to provide an additonal understanding of this topic by explaining the biological mechanisms behind our stress response, what are some common symptoms of stress that we can recognize as well as exploring the negative impacts of chronic stress on our bodies. We conclude with talking about ways to manage your stress levels better because to know how to do that is a true super power in todays fast paced world.

I hope you enjoy and are able to gain a some new knowledge and understanding of stress and how to best deal with it.

WHAT IS STRESS?

Stress is a natural response of our bodies to various life situations and pressures.

It can be triggered by new or unexpected events that challenge our sense of self or situations where we feel a lack of control. The way we handle stress varies from person to person and can be influenced by factors such as genetics, early life experiences, personality traits, and social and economic circumstances.

When we encounter stress, our body releases stress hormones, which initiate a "fight-or-flight" response and activate our immune system. This physiological reaction is designed to help us respond effectively to potentially dangerous situations. In some cases, this stress response can be beneficial, enabling us to overcome fear or discomfort, whether it's running a marathon or giving a speech. Typically, once the stressful event subsides, our stress hormone levels return to normal, and there are no lasting effects.

However, excessive or chronic stress can have adverse consequences. It can lead to a prolonged state of "fight-or-flight," leaving individuals feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope. Over the long term, this persistent stress can take a toll on both physical and mental health. Stress is essentially the body's way of reacting to perceived threats, prompting a complex chemical reaction that readies us for action and self-preservation. This includes increased heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle tension, and elevated blood pressure, all geared towards preparing us to protect ourselves from harm.

CAUSES OF STRESS

There are many factors which can contribute to our stress levels rising, including:

  • Being under lots of pressure to do something

  • Facing big changes in your life

  • Experiencing a change in your relationships

  • Being worried about something

  • Responsibilities which you find overwhelming

  • Feeling a lack of control over the outcome of a situation

  • Going through a period of uncertainty

  • Experiencing discrimination, hate or abuse either at work or home settings

COMMON SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

Everyone experiences stressful situations every once in a while so here are some useful lists of stress related symptoms which are grouped by emotional, physical, cognitive and behavioral symptoms:

Emotional symptoms

  • Being easily agitated and frustrated by yourself or others

  • Finding it hard to calm down and relax

  • Feeling intensively overwhelmed

  • Feeling as though you are loosing control and that you need to assert more control

  • Being afraid

  • Being worried and anxious most times

  • Experiencing prolonged periods of sadness or depression

Physical symptoms

  • Headaches and migraines

  • Feeling lethargic and a lack of energy

  • Having stomach and digestion related issues such as poor digestion, constipation, diarrhea or nausea

  • A rise in pulse and possibility of heart palpitations

  • Shallow breathing or even hyperventilation

  • Restlessness and insomnia

  • Tense muscles and pains around he body

  • Poorer immune health with more colds and infections

  • Cold sweats

  • A loss in libido and sexual desire or ability

  • Being fidgety, nervous or shaky

  • Having a clenched jaw and grinding of teeth

  • Having a dry mouth and finding it hard to swallow

Cognitive symptoms

  • Finding it hard to calm down your minds racing throughs

  • Poor focus and concentration

  • Experiencing constant worrying, anxiety and thinking about something

  • Forgetfulness and being disorganized

  • Poor judgment

  • Impaired decision making

  • Being more inclined to be pessimistic

Behavioral symptoms

  • Experiencing changes in appetite (Eating more or too little)

  • Use of stimulants such as alcohol, drugs or cigarettes

  • Withdrawing from social circles

  • Being less tolerable to other people

  • Being prone to more procrastination and avoiding of responsibilities

  • Sleeping issues (Falling asleep or staying asleep)

  • Being more indecisive and inflexible

  • Making worse decisions in general

  • Experiencing sexual problems

  • Part taking in nervous behaviors: Nail biting, fidgeting and pacing

UNDERSTANDING THE NATURAL STRESS RESPONSE

When a perceived threat comes into play, the brain's hypothalamus, a small but crucial region at its base structure, initiates a complex alarm system within the body. Picture a scenario where a large dog barks at you during your morning walk; this qualifies as a perceived threat. Through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system activates the adrenal glands, situated atop the kidneys, prompting them to release a surge of vital hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline swiftly elevates your heart rate, increases blood pressure, and boosts energy levels. Meanwhile, cortisol, the primary stress hormone, raises blood sugar (glucose) levels, enhances the brain's utilization of glucose, and makes substances available for tissue repair. Notably, cortisol also temporarily suppresses nonessential bodily functions like digestion, reproduction, and growth processes. This intricate natural alarm system also communicates with brain regions responsible for regulating mood, motivation, and fear.

The stress response unfolds within the brain itself. When an individual encounters danger, whether it's an oncoming car or another threat, sensory information from the eyes or ears is sent to the amygdala, a brain region involved in emotional processing. The amygdala quickly interprets these sensory inputs, and upon detecting danger, promptly transmits a distress signal to the hypothalamus.

The hypothalamus serves as a command center, facilitating communication with the rest of the body via the autonomic nervous system. This system regulates involuntary functions like breathing, blood pressure, heartbeat, and the dilation or constriction of critical blood vessels and bronchioles in the lungs. The autonomic nervous system comprises two components: the sympathetic nervous system which initiates the fight-or-flight response to provide an energy surge for responding to perceived threats, while the parasympathetic nervous system induces the "rest and digest" response to calm the body after the threat subsides.

Following the amygdala's distress signal, the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system, relaying signals through autonomic nerves to the adrenal glands. These glands respond by releasing epinephrine (adrenaline) into the bloodstream, setting off a cascade of physiological changes. The heart beats faster, directing blood to vital organs and muscles, raising pulse rate and blood pressure. Breathing quickens, and lung airways open wider to maximize oxygen intake, sharpening sensory perception. Simultaneously, epinephrine triggers the release of stored blood sugar (glucose) and fats into the bloodstream, providing energy throughout the body.

These responses unfold so rapidly that individuals often act before fully processing the situation consciously. As the initial surge of epinephrine diminishes, the hypothalamus triggers the second phase of the stress response through the HPA axis, involving the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands. This hormonal network maintains the sympathetic nervous system's activity when the brain perceives an ongoing threat. If the perceived danger persists, the hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which signals the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH, in turn, prompts the adrenal glands to release cortisol, keeping the body on high alert. When the threat eventually dissipates, cortisol levels drop, and the parasympathetic nervous system takes over, alleviating the stress response.

HOW DOES CHRONIC STRESS IMPACT OUR HEALTH?

Chronic stress can have profound impacts on our health and if we don't take care to calm down our stress responses we can be putting our bodies at serious risk of disease and ill health. below you can find out how being persistently under stress impacts your mental and physical health:

Mental health

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Finding it hard to focus

  • Issues with memory

Physical health

  • Digestive issues and discomforts

  • Muscle tensions and pain

  • Issues with sleeping properly

  • Weight gain and obesity

  • Eating disorders

  • Sexual dysfunctions

  • Consistent headaches

  • Being more prone to heart disease, heart attacks and strokes

  • Elevated blood pressure

  • Excessive hair loss

  • Skin issues: Acne, psoriasis and eczema

10 WAYS TO BETTER MANAGE YOUR STRESS

  1. Recognize Stress: First, acknowledge when stress becomes a problem in your life. Be attentive to physical and emotional signs like muscle tension, fatigue, or headaches, and categorize stressors into manageable, time-dependent, or uncontrollable categories.

  2. Make Necessary Changes: Evaluate your commitments and responsibilities to identify areas where you can make changes. Prioritize tasks, delegate when possible, and reorganize your life to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

  3. Build Supportive Relationships: Cultivate relationships with friends and family who can provide practical advice and emotional support. Engaging in social activities and volunteering can broaden your social network and boost your mood.

  4. Maintain a Healthy Diet: A well-balanced diet can positively impact your mood. Ensure you're getting essential nutrients and stay hydrated to support your mental well-being.

  5. Monitor Smoking and Drinking: Reduce or eliminate smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, as they may initially appear to relieve tension but can exacerbate stress and anxiety.

  6. Exercise Regularly: Physical activity, even in small amounts, can help manage stress by releasing endorphins that elevate your mood. Start with short walks a few times a week.

  7. Take Breaks: Prioritize self-care and relaxation. Balance your responsibilities with moments of rest and self-indulgence to reduce stress levels.

  8. Practice Mindfulness: Incorporate mindfulness meditation into your routine. Research suggests it can effectively manage and reduce stress and anxiety.

  9. Prioritize Sleep: Improve sleep quality by reducing caffeine intake, limiting screen time before bed, and creating a to-do list for the next day to clear your mind.

  10. Be Kind to Yourself: Keep things in perspective and avoid excessive self-criticism. Cultivate a positive attitude by focusing on the things you're grateful for in life.

Additionally, consider these bonus tips for stress management:

  • Take Control: Empower yourself by taking control of your life and actively seeking solutions to your problems.

  • Connect with Others: Build a strong support network with friends, family, and colleagues to share and alleviate your stress.

  • Allocate "Me Time": Dedicate time to activities you genuinely enjoy to balance the demands of work and life.

  • Challenge Yourself: Set goals and embrace challenges, fostering confidence and an active lifestyle.

  • Avoid Unhealthy Habits: Resist the temptation to rely on alcohol, smoking, or caffeine as coping mechanisms.

  • Help Others: Engage in volunteer work or small daily acts of kindness to boost resilience and well-being.

  • Work Smarter: Prioritize tasks that truly matter and accept that not everything can be done at once.

  • Maintain Positivity: Cultivate a positive outlook by recognizing daily successes and things for which you're grateful.

By incorporating these strategies into your daily life, you can effectively manage and reduce stress, leading to improved mental and physical well-being.

If you are further interested into how to create a life filled with more calm, you can read about that here.

🧠 KEY IDEAS

In today's blog post, we delve deep into the intricate topic of stress, encompassing a comprehensive exploration that spans from defining what stress truly entails and uncovering its root causes to unraveling the intricate biological mechanisms that underlie our stress responses. Moreover, we embark on a journey to discover effective strategies for skillfully navigating and coping with challenging and stressful situations

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20 Pieces Of Timeless Wisdom And Advice

Welcome to my 100th blog post !

My first blog post was written a little over a year ago, which is why I wanted to take the time to reflect on my writing journey and share some of the lessons I've learned along the way, along with timeless pieces of advice that can apply to any stage of our lives.

Thank you to everyone who has read my work up until now, and thank you for joining me on this journey of self-discovery and exploration.

I hope you enjoy this moment of reflection and find something valuable within it 😊.

TIMELESS LEARNING LESSONS


You Are In Charge Of Your Own Life Path

  • Remember that you are responsible for your own life path and your own well-being, and most importantly, you have the ability and control to influence these aspects and become the master of your destiny.

  • Many times, we get influenced by other people's ideas, thoughts, or actions, or even peer pressured into conforming to some set routine or shape. However, we must be resilient enough to live our own lives in a way that suits us and at a pace that works best for us. You are responsible for setting the goals for where you are headed, how you choose to get there, and the speed at which you progress, broken down into as many steps as necessary.

  • It's also important not to neglect the significance of your everyday thoughts on your future because what you generally think is what you attract and thus create within your reality of life.


Choose To Never Stop Learning

  • Many of us believe that once we exit the formal education system of schools or universities, there is no more proper learning. However, the truth is, we never stop learning.

  • Your journey of learning continues seamlessly, whether you are aware of it or not. It occurs in your daily epiphanies, personal thoughts, time spent at work, interactions with new people, traveling to new places, or picking up a new book, podcast, or hobby.

  • Learning experiences, knowledge, and wisdom are all around you; you just have to become aware of them. Most importantly, never stop learning because when you do, you cease to grow, and at that point, you stop truly living.


Rest But Don't Quit; Persistence And Consistency Are Key To Everything

  • There will be days when you'll want to quit and give up entirely, days when it becomes challenging to stick to the process, and the easiest option seems to be stepping away.

  • Instead, if you find yourself feeling this way, take a moment to rest and recharge, then get back on track. Because once you persist and achieve whatever you were pursuing, all the hard work and effort you put into the process become worthwhile.

  • They say that you never really lose until you stop trying, so it's not a problem if you occasionally stumble and falter; what truly matters is that you get up and continue striving to be and do your best. The act of choosing to persist even when it's tough is what defines you and grants you boundless inner strength and resilience to keep moving forward.


You Will Never Regret Being Kind To Yourself

  • It's often very easy for us to be hard on ourselves and be overly judgmental or unaccepting, which can lead to low self-esteem, depressive thoughts, or a general mindset of dissatisfaction with ourselves and our performance.

  • Realize that you are human, and we all have days that go great and others that are less so. It's impossible to perform at your absolute best every single day. Understand that it's okay to take it slower on some days to recharge or reflect before you can get back on track. Recognize that we all make mistakes, and these errors don't define your self-worth; they are merely evidence that you are out there trying and learning new things.

  • As difficult as it may be at times, practice self-acceptance and be at peace with who you truly are because that authentic version of you is the most beautiful one 😊


Prioritize Your Health Early On

  • I have written about many health-related topics on this platform not only because it is a subject I am passionate about but also because your health is truly vital. It is your number one resource and possession that you should absolutely take care of. The sooner you begin taking proper care of your mental, physical, and emotional health, the better.

  • Some essential things to consider when aiming to improve your health include: What kinds of foods do you eat, and how do they make you feel? Are you sleeping and resting well? Do you aim to incorporate some form of physical activity into your daily routine? Do you find that you are consistently stressed, and if so, how can you find more time to truly relax, unplug, and manage your stress better?

  • Additionally, make sure to schedule regular doctor visits for check-ups and visits to the dentist to take care of your dental hygiene.

  • To read more about the fundamentals of our health, click here


Listen To Your Intuition

  • All of us have this innate voice inside of ourselves, which usually unconsciously guides our decision-making and whether something feels "right" to us or not. Sometimes, we may experience that we have fallen out of tune with that inner voice or that we simply don't hear or recognize it. To help with this, read this blog post I have written on the topic.

  • Your intuition is there for a reason, so honor it. Learn to truly listen to your body and take this inner voice into consideration for your daily decision-making.


Get More By Giving Even More

  • I like to believe that the more you give to someone, whether it's time, energy, money, trust, specific resources, or attention, all of that will be reciprocated at some point in the future. It may not return in the same form as when you gave it, and it might not come from the same person you initially gave to.

  • Giving and serving others is rooted in general compassion and understanding, which, like a boomerang, is always returned to you in some way or another. So, whenever possible, give and share as much as you can.


The Relationship You Have With Yourself Is The Most Important Relationship

  • Although this is often an underestimated aspect, the self-talk you have with yourself and how you generally act and behave towards yourself are crucial for overall self-esteem, mood enhancement, and stress management. You must learn to support yourself even when no one else is there to do so.

  • Because of this, it's essential to ensure that you treat and speak to yourself as you would talk and treat a good friend of yours. Learn to collaborate with yourself rather than working against yourself, as you should not be your own biggest obstacle.


Express Gratitude Every Day For Even The Smallest Of Things

  • The expression of gratitude is often mentioned as a practice to improve well-being, and extensive research confirms that people who openly express thanks tend to experience better sleep, a happier overall mood, healthier immune systems, and even improved pain management.

  • Sometimes it may be challenging to come up with things we are grateful for, but it could be even the smallest of things, like being able to smell your fresh cup of coffee in the morning, the ability to sleep in a warm and safe bed, or perhaps living with someone like a family member, flatmate, significant other, or even a pet.

  • Gratitude allows your brain to perceive the world around you differently and learn to recognize what a truly unique and incredible experience this thing we call life is.


Keep Your Core Family And Friends Close

  • Another rather understated thing is to truly value the people closest to you in life and continuously realize how much they mean to you and what a significant role they have played in your well-being and journey up until now.

  • Express gratitude and perform acts of kindness for all your family members who are by your side today, all the friends you hold dear and who mean a lot to you, as well as any other acquaintances or memorable social interactions that have made a significant impact on who you are today.

  • Interactions with people, such as talking, laughing, debating, learning from each other, or engaging in activities together, are what make life worth living.


Think Before You Act

  • Often, our actions and behaviors may be driven by impulses and triggers. To avoid this, simply take a few seconds before you actually say or do something. It's important to realize that the way you behave and the words you speak each have their own consequences, which are worth considering in advance. For example, if I want to take action XYZ, how will this impact my life or someone else in my life?

  • Things will never go as smoothly as we plan them, but taking those few seconds of rational contemplation beforehand can, in the long run, save you from many conflicts, arguments, disappointments, and even strained relationships.


Don't Be Scared Of Making Mistakes

  • In a world that revolves around perfection and flawless living, it is easy to assume that we must avoid making mistakes at all costs to achieve that elusive "perfect" lifestyle.

  • Well, it turns out there is no such thing as a "perfect" life. Mistakes are simply proof that you are trying something new, challenging yourself, or stepping out of your comfort zone. The goal is not to intentionally make mistakes, but rather, firstly, to not approach them with the mentality that mistakes are inherently bad and that they define you, and secondly, to learn from those mistakes when they do happen. The process of learning and getting back up after making a mistake is much more important in defining your character than making mistakes in the first place.

  • So, to sum up, don't be afraid to make mistakes. Venture out, try new things, and when you do make a mistake, acknowledge that it is proof that you are trying and that a mistake does not define you. Recognize what went wrong to classify it as a mistake, learn from the experience, and move forward.


Your Attitude Is Always Your Choice

  • The one thing that no one can take away from you is your attitude and how you choose to respond to situations and circumstances. You may not always be able to control the circumstances and events happening around you, but your attitude is always within your control. You can intentionally choose to emerge better from a circumstance.


Small Consistent Steps Get You Far

  • Whenever we set long-term goals for ourselves, it can initially feel overwhelming when you consider the distance between your current self and the version of you that you want to become.

  • The good news is that a) you have control over reaching your desired goal, and b) you can achieve it by breaking the long journey into small, manageable daily or weekly steps that move you in that direction.

  • For example, if your goal is to write a book within a year, a good starting point would be to allocate some time each day or blocks of time each week to write sections of the book. This approach makes it much easier and more manageable to work towards your goals without feeling overwhelmed and without giving up before you even start. Your life is in your hands, so seize the opportunity to pursue the goals that excite you.


Put Into Practice What You Have Learnt

  • Sometimes we may believe that we know a lot about a certain topic or that we are highly educated on it. However, the true extent of our knowledge becomes much clearer when we put that theoretical knowledge into practice and observe how we can actively apply it in practical settings.

  • Furthermore, it is essential to emphasize that you should not fear making mistakes when applying your theoretical knowledge. These mistakes can reveal areas where you could improve or deepen your understanding. By putting knowledge into practice, not only does your knowledge benefit, but your self-esteem also grows as you actively demonstrate your competence to yourself.


Put In The Work For Things Which Means A Lot To You

  • You should have a clear understanding of the direction you're heading in and what you want to dedicate your time and energy to. Once you have these things clarified, you must be prepared to consistently invest effort and work to bring your dreams and visions into your daily life. This may require working diligently, staying up late to complete tasks, adjusting your priorities, and communicating your boundaries for time and energy with those around you.

  • If what you're working toward holds significant meaning for you, then making the aforementioned sacrifices and compromises will feel worthwhile. Otherwise, it's important to assess how important these goals truly are to you.

  • You need to develop disciplined habits and intentions, stand by your side even when no one else does, and, most importantly, keep yourself on the right track.

  • Learn to acknowledge when it is time to focus and put your head down to work and also learn how to take time for yourself to relax and unplug.


Every Moment Has The Opportunity To Count

  • Life often passes by faster than we can truly grasp, and when we are young, we often believe that we will never age and that we have endless amounts of time to play around. However, in reality, time consistently ticks by.

  • Realize that all the minutes and hours that make up your days, weeks, months, and years can be used for meaningful and memorable actions, making those times worth living.

  • You have the opportunity to make every passing moment count by choosing to intentionally spend it working on your dream project, socializing with friends and creating new memories, or allowing yourself much-needed rest and recharge time. How you choose to spend your time is a luxury for you to decide, but ensure that it is invested in things that truly matter and hold significance for you in the end.

  • Consider this: What do you want to share with your grandchildren when you have them? What kind of life did you lead? How do you wish to be remembered by those closest to you? You have the power to shape your own legacy, so let that inspire you.


Practice Altruistic Prosocial Behavior

  • Being of service or help to someone not only strengthens your relationship and trust with the other individual but also provides a natural sense of fulfillment because we are designed as social animals who interact and cooperate with others around us.

  • Humans are not naturally oriented toward self-sufficiency and driven solely by selfish desires. Instead, we thrive and experience our best when we engage with a community of people to interact, share experiences, and grow together. Recognize that all of us have this innate need, so don't hesitate to reach out to someone when they need help or express your need for assistance when necessary. We are inherently built for social connections, so the next time you have any social interaction, consider how you can provide more service or value to the other individual(s) and how you can contribute positively to your community or society as a whole. Genuine and deep social connections are the foundation of genuine happiness.


Keep Moving In The Right Direction

  • We are all constantly in some phase of our lives. Either we are already facing in the right direction and need to continue walking down this path, or we are still discovering what that right direction is for us. In the latter case, keep exploring and discovering what truly excites you and ignites your passion.

  • In both scenarios, it's important to remain persistent and find purpose in the daily adventures and challenges you encounter on your long-term journey of self-discovery and moving in the right direction.

  • Remember that in this moment and space, you are exactly where you need to be at this age.


Replace Envy With Forgiveness

  • Often, it is much easier to cultivate adversaries than to nurture friendly relationships in your life. However, by harboring envy and expressing negative emotions, you are not benefiting anyone, especially your own well-being.

  • Instead, when you experience envy or jealousy in any aspect of your life, take the time to analyze why you are feeling this way and what is causing it. Then, choose to replace that envy with acceptance and forgiveness. If your envy relates to a person, reach out to them and inquire about the source of your envy, such as how they achieved a certain position in life that you covet.

  • Breaking free from the cycle of envy can be challenging, but through forgiveness, gratitude, and a change in personal perspective, you can do so while granting yourself a fresh new start.

Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has read my work up until now and continues to do so. I'm also thankful to anyone who has contributed to the ideas or topics that I have written about. I appreciate all the feedback and love I have received during this journey, so I am excited to continue writing in the future.

As always, please feel free to let me know if there are any specific topics you would like me to explore, and I will gladly do so.

Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day 😊.

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Are Cold Baths And Showers Worth It?

INTRODUCTION

The concept of embracing cold baths or brief cold showers has gained significant popularity in recent years within the health and wellness community. Advocates argue that it can elevate your mood, enhance blood circulation, and contribute to greater mental resilience.

Intrigued by these claims, I decided to delve into this topic to assess whether taking a cold plunge or shower can genuinely exert a positive influence on our overall well-being. I invite you to explore this topic with me. 😊

HOW DO COLD BATHS WORK?

The proposed mechanism for how cold baths or showers work is that when your body comes into contact with cold water, it causes your blood vessels to constrict in order to minimize heat loss from your skin (also known as vasoconstriction). During vasoconstriction, your blood is redirected toward your organs, away from your extremities such as the skin, which delivers more oxygen and nutrients to internal organs.

In contrast, when you exit the cold waters, your blood vessels relax (vasodilation), allowing nutrient-rich oxygenated blood to return to your external tissues and remove any built-up waste products, such as lactic acid, that accumulated during exercise.

Now, let's explore some practical information regarding how to take cold baths and showers.

PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The Water Temperature

  • Studies have indicated that for a cold bath or shower, a temperature of 10-15ºC is most effective in promoting muscle recovery and delivering the associated benefits. Any colder than this can be dangerous, especially for prolonged soaking.

Duration

  • The recommended duration varies depending on an individual's overall body mass, muscle mass, and fat mass, all of which can affect how long it takes for your body's core temperature to be impacted.

  • For beginners, it is advisable to start with 3-4 minutes in a cold bath and gradually increase the duration as you build resilience and experience.

  • Remember that prolonged exposure to cold water can also have adverse effects on your health.

10 REASONS WHY COLD BATHS AND SHOWERS MAY BE WORTH IT

Could Enhance Post Exercise Recovery

  • Studies have indicated that taking a cold dip after exercise has been shown to delay muscle soreness compared to other more passive interventions that involve only rest. In this way, exposure to colder water can provide relief to our sore muscles.

  • Additionally, the vasoconstriction that occurs when we are submerged in cold water causes blood vessels in our skin to reduce in size and constrict blood flow in order to minimize heat loss. This reduction in blood flow to our muscles reduces inflammatory responses in those areas of muscle damage after exercise, making it easier to recover afterward.

May Help In Reducing Pain

  • Cold water therapy has been shown to help with both short-term and long-term chronic pain. It achieves this by reducing inflammation levels in the body, which can otherwise accumulate and lead to persistent pain.

  • Additionally, a therapy known as contrast water therapy, where you alternate between hot and cold water, may also be beneficial in treating pain associated with conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and ankle sprains. This alternating between hot and cold water creates a pumping effect as our blood vessels expand and constrict, thereby boosting blood flow and delivering more oxygen and nutrients to our tissues, further aiding in the reduction of inflammation.

Could Boost Your Blood Circulation

  • As your blood vessels transition from a relaxed state to a constricted one and then back to a relaxed state, they contribute to improved blood circulation by facilitating the removal of various waste products from your body. This, in turn, leads to healthier tissues and organs.

May Elevate Your mood

  • A commonly reported post-cold dip experience is feeling more "alive" or "awake" in a psychological sense. This phenomenon may be attributed to the fact that taking cold dips can significantly increase dopamine concentration in your body, leading to a sense of well-being afterward.

  • This boost in dopamine can manifest as improved mental clarity, alertness, and overall cognitive acuity throughout the day, helping with concentration and staying more focused in stressful conditions.

Has Been Shown To Build Mental Resilience

  • It takes a considerable amount of willpower and mental strength to commit to a cold shower or dip. Gradually building your mental fortitude in this way can significantly aid in developing greater mental resilience, equipping you better to handle stressful situations in life.

  • Although being submerged in cold water does lead to a substantial increase in stress-related hormones such as adrenaline, epinephrine, and noradrenaline, the difference lies in the fact that once you return to a normal temperature, individuals have reported experiencing everyday stressors to a lesser degree or intensity. Additionally, they generally report higher overall well-being.

Reduces Inflammation

  • We have previously discussed inflammation in the context of muscle recovery. It is also important to note that exposure to colder temperatures reduces blood flow, which, in turn, limits swelling and the access of white blood cells to damaged muscle tissue. This can ultimately lead to reduced inflammation and, consequently, accelerate muscle recovery.

Reduces Stress Levels

  • One benefit of taking cold showers or baths is that you regularly expose your body to small amounts of stress, which over time leads to a process known as "hardening." During hardening, your body gradually becomes accustomed to handling moderate levels of stress, which can help you stay composed in everyday stressful situations.

  • Additionally, cold water therapy also trains your vagus nerve, which is the longest nerve in your autonomic nervous system responsible for regulating functions such as digestion, heart rate, and breathing (involuntary actions). Training this nerve with cold water exposure can make it easier to manage stress in your daily life.

  • If you are interested in learning more about how to better manage your stress levels, I have previously written about it here.

Encourages A More Alert State Of Mind

  • Some people prefer to begin their day with a cold shower, asserting that it helps wake them up and instills a lasting sense of alertness. This is because colder temperatures in the morning stimulate both circulation and breathing patterns, ensuring that more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to your organs and tissues throughout the day. This, in turn, helps you feel more energized in the process.

Strengthens Your Immune System

  • Some scientific studies have found that taking cold showers increases the number of white blood cells in your body, known for their role in protecting against diseases and enhancing the immune response to viruses and other pathogens.

  • Researchers believe that this improved immune response is a result of the increased metabolic rate you experience during cold water immersion, which indirectly stimulates your immune system.

  • If you are interested in learning more about the workings of your immune system and how to strengthen it, you can read further about it here.

May Help With Weight Loss

  • Exposure to cold water is known to increase resting metabolic rate, which is the amount of energy or calories your body burns in a day just to maintain its everyday systems. This can make weight loss easier.

  • Additionally, cold water also stimulates the generation of brown fat, which acts as a store of energy. This stored energy is later burned to maintain our core body temperature.

PRECAUTIONS

  • The first thing to note is to avoid spending too much time inside a cold bath or shower, as prolonged exposure can cause your body temperature to drop below healthy levels, potentially leading to adverse health effects, including hypothermia.

  • Additionally, individuals with preexisting cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure should be cautious about immersing themselves in cold water, as it can cause unnecessary contraction of blood vessels and slow down blood flow. This reduction in blood flow can be dangerous and increase the risk of cardiac arrest or stroke.

  • Furthermore, it is essential, especially for beginners, to lower themselves into a cold bath slowly, limb by limb. Rapid changes in temperature can be too shocking for the body, leading to increased feelings of panic and discomfort.

  • Finally, individuals with type I or II diabetes need to exercise caution in cold water, as these conditions can make it more challenging for the body to regulate its core temperature during extreme temperature changes.

🧠 KEY IDEAS

This week, we are discussing the widely talked-about topic of taking cold baths and showers and whether the discomfort of being under cold water is really worth all the hype.

✏️ REFERENCES

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Walking - The Most Underrated Form Of Movement

We are told to stay frequently active and keep our bodies moving, so most of us resort to running, going to the gym, or trying out different sports. While all forms of movement are good, we often underestimate how simple yet effective walking can be for our health.

It is something that the mast majority of people can do and is widely available to be done in various different locations. Instead of looking at walking as just a commuting thing or to go for a relaxing stroll, we can also try to incorporate walking, either on flat ground, uphill or at a faster pace, into our weekly lifestyle for a different and low impact form of movement.

Ready to explore why such a simple thing as walking can be so profound on our health?

Then read onwards 😊

WHY IS WALKING GENUINELY GOOD FOR YOU?


A simple action such as walking can have profound impacts on both your mental and physical health. Find out all about these benefits bellow:


MENTAL BENEFITS

  • Improves your mood

  • Reduces stress and anxiety

  • Improves memory and mental cognition

  • Increases general energy levels during the day and alertness

  • Reduces the frequency of depression and negative emotions

  • Fights against fatigue

  • Increases creativity


PHYSICAL BENEFITS

  • Improvs cardiovascular fitness and health

  • Improves muscle endurance

  • Works to prevent a variety of chronic conditions (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, type II diabetes)

  • Reduces blood pressure

  • Slows down our resting heart rate

  • Contributes to maintaining a healthy weight

  • Strengthens our bones and muscle tissue

  • Helps with ensuring deeper sleep

  • Walking after a meal can help with lowering blood sugar and keeping it within healthy measures

  • Reduction in overall body fat

  • Works to improve your balance and coordination

  • Strengthens your immune system

  • Improves posture

  • Eases joint pain

HAVING THE RIGHT TECHNIQUE FOR WALKING

Although the vast majority of us know how to walk and can do so with ease, I wanted to direct some special attention to certain aspects of walking to watch out for:

  • When walking, keep your head up and your gaze directed forward, instead of looking down

  • Try not to walk while looking down at your phone since that additionally worsens your posture

  • Keep your shoulders, neck and back relaxed

  • Don't lean or slouch forward with your shoulders and instead keep them slightly more back to to keep a straight back and keep a good posture

  • Your arms swing alternatively with a slight bend in your elbow

  • Keep you abdominal muscles slightly tightened, helping to create a straighter back

  • When walking, your heel touches the ground first, rolling onto your toes afterwards

If you would like to use walking as a way to loose weight and tone your muscles, specialists think it is best to achieve this when we are repeatedly lowering and raising our heart rate, instead of keeping our heart rate at one pace. Therefore, if you decide to walk on a treadmill, make use of the incline and speed options to vary your walking movement and style on the treadmill to maximize your bodies caloric output. Similarly, if you rather walk outside, finding a hill or uneven trail path will also do the job just as well.

It is overall recommended to be active for at least 30minutes per day, where if you are a beginner when it comes to exercising, walking is a great way to start moving your body more an gradually start incorporating more different types of exercises into your daily or weekly routine as you feel more comfortable. Remember, moving your body should not be seen as a chore or something that you have to do, but instead, movement is something that you get to do. Not everyone has the ability or vitality to just freely move their body around, so if you do, respect and honor that ability.

HOW TO WALK MORE OFTEN

It is definitely true that if you want to make something a consistent habit, it is much more easier to do so if we find the activity enjoyable. Therefore, I have put together a list of ideas for how to personalize your walks and make them that much extra more enjoyable, while making sure to keep you consistent with them.

  • Try walking with friends or joining a walking group

  • To keep you motivated, use a walking app that will also simultaneously track your steps

  • Listen to music or a podcast while you walk

  • If you walk outdoors, try to keep the scenery or walking location varied

  • Investing in a good pair of walking shoes and activewear that makes you feel good

  • Track your progress in terms of how often you go on walks and how many steps you walk per day

  • Getting a dog who loves going on walks might give you a great source of motivation and enjoyment for going on more walks

  • Join online or in person walking challenges

  • Start with a simple walking goal and then gradually work your way up the numbers

  • Try varying your route or walking location to keep the walks more interesting

  • Don't be too hard on yourself if you miss a day or two or you find that somedays you just cant fit in a certain amount of steps. Its all okay, just keep trying your best

  • Try fitting in walking into more mundane parts of your day (Eg: Commuting, going on a walk during your lunch breaks, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking a bit further from your work place)

  • If you have a family, try finding a time for walks that works for all of you (Eg: After dinner)

🧠 KEY IDEAS

In this blog post we have looked at the profound and varied benefits that lie behind one of the most understated forms of exercise : Walking. Find out all about why its good for you, how to have a proper walking posture and some ideas for making your walks more enjoyable and exciting.

✏️ REFERENCES

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How Laughing Can Boots Your Productivity

Laughter and productivity are two words that we don't often find together in a sentence or that we associate would have a positive effect on each other, but recent research is showing that the two are more correlated than we might have previously thought.

Most research so far has established a positive link between the two and I wanted to take a look into what ways bringing more laughter into our daily work habits can boost our performance and productivity when it comes to getting things done well.

This however is not the first time that I am writing about the effects of laughter on the human body and mind, where I have previously discussed the general well being effects associated with regular laughter. You can find this blog post here.

I hope you enjoy this more humorous outlook on productivity and find useful ways of implementing such practices into your own lifestyle.

Enjoy 😊

HOW DOES IT WORK?

It turns out that laughing has a variety of benefits on the mind and body.

The physical effects of laughing include:

  • Relaxing our muscles

  • Lowering blood pressure

  • Reoxvgenating our body

  • Improving our cardiovascular health

  • Strengthening our immune system

The emotional and mental benefits of laughing are:

  • Increasing a variety of chemicals and neurotransmitters in our brain such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins, which keep us happy and our mood elevated.

  • Reducing cycles of negativity

  • Can improve our memory (we also remember emotionally charged events much more)

  • Can improve creativity which improves our problem solving abilities

BENEFITS OF LAUGHING IN THE WORKPLACE


There is a variety of benefits when it comes to implementing more humor and laughter inside of your workplace or personal work routine:

  • Strengthening relationships and understanding with the people you laugh with

  • Improving communication and trust within group settings

  • Promoting cooperation and team work by creating a more relaxed environment

  • Boosting engagement and interest within the work that is being done

  • Enhanced creativity which improves problem solving abilities and team work

  • Enhancing analytical precision and general productivity

  • Making work feel more fun, worthwhile and meaningful

  • Increasing employee competency by part-taking in laughter and jokes which can help people with their self esteem

  • Easier to manage high stress levels by creating a more relaxed environment

  • Helps you recharge from a difficult day of working

🧠  KEY IDEAS

In this post we have discussed the different benefits that groups and individuals can receive from implementing more laughter and humous within work settings

✏️ REFERENCES

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Time Spent In Nature Is Healing - Here’s Why It’s Important

Because spring is the time where nature returns back to its vitality and bright colors along with the outdoor temperatures slowly starting to warm up again, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to write about how the time we spend outdoors in nature can be so beneficial and healing for us.

I have been recently inspired to write this from attending a gardening activity within my university where in groups we helped plant new plants, take care of existing plants all while building a community of nature enthusiasts.

I strongly believe that anyone can gain something good by interacting with nature and making an effort to every so often disconnect from our technological and material world and step into the environment which we all evolved from in the first place.

Practices such as these where you fully immerse yourself in natural settings are not new and have actually become a lot more popular due to the Japanese concept of “forest bathing”, which is also a subject we will be exploring today.

My Intention Today: To inform you about the many ways that spending quality time in nature can be very therapeutic and beneficial for your health as well as offer you advice on how to make this a more consistent practice. 🌿🌳

BENEFITS OF SPENDING TIME IN NATURE


You often hear people saw “Go get some fresh air” when someone is feeling anxious, angry or uninspired, and that is for good reason. More and more research is point out how such a simple solution as spending some time each day or week being immersed in nature can help our both our mental wellbeing as well as out physical health.

Mental benefits from spending time in nature

  • Boosting your mood (Releases feel good chemicals like endorphins and dopamine)

  • Increasing your mindful awareness

  • Reducing symptoms of depression

  • Reducing stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol

  • Higher self esteem and confidence levels

  • Lowers levels of anger

  • Reducing loneliness and isolation

  • Shifting your perspective

  • Enhancing spirituality and feelings of being connected to a larger whole

  • Restored capacity for concentration and attention

  • Improved ability to retrospect and reflect on an issue


Physical benefits from spending time in nature:

  • Lowering of blood pressure

  • Being able to breathe in cleaner air which lowers your risk of respiratory concerns

  • Reduced muscle tension

  • Allowing for higher quality sleep by exposing yourself to sunlight during the day

  • Possibly contributing to a higher pain tolerance

  • Improving your physical fitness by being more active

WHY DOES IT WORK?


  • It is proposed that time spent in nature benefits us due to the following reasons:

    • Cohesive nature: Our interaction with nature allow us to develop meaningful human relationships.

    • Formative nature: Our interaction with nature has an impact and influence on our mood, attitude, behaviors and even our values.

    • Satisfactive nature: When we interact with nature, we can feel that our expectations and needs are satisfied through our interactions with it.

    • Transcendent nature: Many people view nature as an anchor for their spirituality by experiencing benefits related to their religious or spiritual values after spending quality time in nature.

MAXIMIZING YOUR BENEFITS


  • A study from 2019 had shown that spending at least 2 hours a week outside in nature has been shown to have a significant boost and increase in your health and wellbeing also among elderly people and people with existing medical issues. The research also pointed out that these 2 hours can either be spent all in one go or in small chunks throughout the week where both will still yield the mental and physical benefits we previously discussed.

  • How to make the most of your time in nature?

    • Find a place you feel safe in: The point is to find a safe environment which will not further increase your stress.

    • Try your best to be present with your surroundings and your breath: Pay attention to your senses; the colors, sounds of birds or water, smells of flowers or soil etc.

    • Keep your phone to a minimum: We already spend so much of our time digitally connected so it is most useful if you do not use your phone when trying to connect with nature.

HOW TO DO THIS MORE OFTEN


  • Here I have prepared two lists of ideas, the first one being how you can make it easier and more likely for you to spend more time outdoors among greenery and the second one is more of a lifestyle approach about how you can bring more of nature into your own life. Therefore the first list is about going out into nature and the second one is about bringing nature to you.


How to spend more time in nature:

  • Performing more of your physical recreation outdoors - Walking, running, body weight exercises, bringing your exercise mat to a park, swimming in a lake or ocean etc.

  • Going outside with a friend

  • Taking breaks from working by going outside

  • Focusing on small actionable tasks (finding a near by park or green zone instead of having to drive out somewhere)

  • Visiting a large park, botanical garden or nature based site

  • Try out gardening as a hobby and growing some of your own produce

  • Going outside first thing in the morning (Also helps with waking you up)

  • Starting or taking part in a nature club

  • Taking part in a nature clean up activity (Such as collecting trash in natural sites)

  • Taking up a new nature based hobby (bird watching, gardening, hiking, fishing, camping, photography, horse riding etc.)

  • Possibly replacing your morning commute with a walk or bike ride instead of driving


How to bring more of nature into your everyday:

  • Having more plants in your home or on outdoor balconies/ terraces

  • Using more furniture made of natural materials (wood, stone, straw, clay, cotton, marble, cork, linen)

  • Using more earth tones for your home decorations (Muted yellows, browns, soft greens, blues and a variety of beiges and sandy/ clay colors)

  • Letting in natural sunlight if possible

  • Visiting local farmers or markets and getting closer to the primary producers of our food

  • Hanging up nature related artwork around your home

FOREST BATHING


Forest bathing also known as Shinrin-yoku is a concept and term originating from Japan around the time of 1980’s and is accredited to Dr. Qing Li who today is still an expert in forest medicine and immunology.

This practice consists of spending quality time outdoors and connecting and was developed for two main reasons at the time: 1) An antidote was needed for the tech burn out that the Japanese society was experiencing at the time and 2) Forest bathing wanted to inspire residents to further connect with and protect Japan’s local nature and green spaces.

The beautiful thing about forest bathing is it is highly individual and there is no exact way fo doing it right or wrong, but just based on what feels good and right to you in the moment when you are in a natural setting.

Forrest bathing can be done as simply as by being present in nature and taking note of the unique sounds, smells and sights that are present around you. It is meant to temporarily detach you from the fast paced modern world that is ever connected in technology and things to do and keep track off - A moment to take some time for yourself in peace.

🧠 KEY TERMS

  • Forrest bathing: A Japanese term (shinrin yoku), describing the process of bring calm and quiet among trees, while observing the natural wonders around you and focusing on deep relaxed breathing.

🔑 KEY POINTS

  • Several studies have shown that spending some time each day or week in a natural environment can improve both our mental and physical health in ways such as reducing symptoms of depression and lowering of stress levels as well as improving the quality of our breathing and sleep.

  • In order to reap these benefits, even just spending 2 hours per week within nature has been shown to help contribute to a better wellbeing where you can do so by choosing to move some of your exercise habits outside, inviting a friend to go on a forest walk or hike or even trying out activities such as gardening and photography which allow you to immerse yourself in the wonders that nature has to offer.

  • Some people like to practice what is called “Forrest bathing” which is aimed at disconnecting you from a fast paced and ultra connected lifestyle in turn for allowing you to notice and appreciate different aspects of nature that are around you such as the sounds of birds, the warm feeling of sunlight on your skin or the invigorating smell of a pine forrest.

✍🏽 REFERENCES

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CBD - Does It Actually Work?

With many more countries and states around the world legalizing and becoming familiar with cannabis and hemp based products, so too has cannabidiol or CBD risen in popularity. CBD is a compound that is a part of a larger group of molecules found in cannabis known as cannabinoids, where there is a growing body of research that wants to discover how this group of chemicals affects the mind and body and whether it has the genuine potential to help with many of the proposed conditions and ailments.

Therefore, my intention today is to discuss all things related to CBD, starting firstly with understanding what it is, what it can help us with and lastly assessing the safety/ side effects and the possible ways of taking CBD.

I hope you can learn some new, powerful insights about today's theme 🍀

WHAT IS CBD?


  • Cannabidiol or CBD is a compound that is naturally found in and derived from the cannabis/ hemp plant.

  • The cannabis plant has been found to contain many other chemical compounds which are known as cannabinoids, one of which also includes THC or Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol which is responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis on the brain and body.

  • Hemp is recognized as a cannabis plant which contains less than 0.3% of TH content while marijuana is a cannabis plant that contains more than 0.3% THC. CBD can be extracted and obtained from both cannabis varieties and is not responsible for eliciting psychoactive effects or causing addictive behaviors.

  • Because CBD is approved as a prescription drug, it can be found in a variety of cosmetic products as well as certain dietary supplements.

HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM CANNABIS AND HEMP?


  • The cannabis plant exists in two main species; As (medical) Marijuana which has a high THC content but a low CBD content and also as Hemp, which is low in THC and more abundant in CBD - making it more useful for medical uses.

  • As an additional bit of historical context, the the US was facing large amounts of immigration in the 1910 to 1920 from Mexico due to the Mexican Civil War, where the influx of these immigrants promoted anti cannabis and anti Mexican immigrant movements across the US which was further supported by important figures at that time such as Harry Asnlinger who at the time was the commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in the US. Anslignger had created propaganda campaigns which used racist terms and descriptions to put those who smoked or used marijuana under a negative spotlight or as an “inferior race”. In this way, these campaigns used the Spanish word for cannabis, marijuana, which was connected to more of a negative imagery and darker skin tones, in order to convince people that this plant is a danger to all. Here we can see how history and racist tendencies have shifted the common perception of this plant and the effects it has from its use.

  • Studies have also found that CBD does not have addictive potential and is not associated with abuse potential.

5 BENEFITS OF CBD


HELPS WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS

  • More and more people are looking into CBD based oils in order to help with their anxiety or to achieve a general calming of the mind where the research of this effectiveness is mixed. Additionally, some people like to take CBD before bed time in order to further calm down the body and facilitate deeper sleep, where there is some evidence to suggest that CBD oils can improve sleep quality.

  • There is also quite a bit of research that analyses the link between CBD and its impact on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) management which is a type of anxiety disorder. Some studies have found that taking CBD for the management of PTSD symptoms such as nightmares among adults, has been effective and is also beneficial for children who may be struggling with PTSD.

  • Some research is also digging into the effects that CBD has with people who suffer from depressive disorders, but more work is needed to establish any formal links here.


IMPROVES PAIN MANAGEMENT AND RELIEF

  • The human body contains a special internal system called the endocannabinoid system which is responsible for regulating a variety of functions such as sleep, appetite, pain tolerance and immune system response. Through this system, our body naturally produces compounds known as endocannabinoids which in essence are special types of neurotransmitters that are able to bind to cannabinoid receptors in our nervous system.

  • Several studies have shown that CBD from the cannabis plant is able to reduce chronic pain by interacting with the endocannabinoid receptor activity and alongside that also reducing inflammation that is associated with chronic pain.

  • Some research has also shown that CBD alone may be most effective for treating nerve and back pain but is actually most effective when it is also paired with lower doses of THC, which is effective for the treatment of arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

  • Although more research is needed on human studies for the effectiveness here, there could be promising results from using CBD as an additional method of pain management.


NEURO-PROTECTIVE PROPERTIES FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND EPILEPSY

  • Because CBD acts on the bodies natural endocannabinoid system, researchers are trying to identify wether this could provide relief for those people who suffer from neurological disorders.

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) as well as epilepsy are two fields which have been quite heavily tested together with CBD since they are both neurologically linked.

  • The drug Sativex which contains a mix of both THC and CBD, has been shown to be an effective and safe way to combat muscle spasms (spasticity) among people with MS, where in one of the many studies, Satvixed use had reduced muscle spasms for three quarters of the 276 participants who were previosuly resistant to MS medications.

  • Furthermore, for children who suffer from Dravet syndrome (childhood epilepsy disorder), CBD oil has been found to be beneficial for reducing seizure activity when compared with a placebo.


ALLEVIATING CANCER TREATMENT SYMPTOMS & SIDE EFFECTS

  • A couple of pieces of research have shown that CBD may have a positive effect on managing and treating the common symptoms and side effects of cancer treatments such as nausea, pain and vomiting.

  • More research is needed in this field before anything can be properly medically prescribed to cancer patients.


HAS POTENTIAL CARDIOVASCULAR BENEFITS

  • Some research is pointing in the direction that using CBD has the ability to over time, lower high blood pressure, which otherwise if left unchecked, can manifest itself in many negative ways in the body such as increasing your chances of stroke, getting a heart attack or developing metabolic syndrome.

  • In studies, participants who took CBD across repeated doses maintained lower blood pressure levels in response to stress compared to the placebo group. Furthermore researchers from this study found that the group who took CBD also experienced reduced arterial stiffness and improved blood flow within the arteries.

IS IT SAFE TO USE?


  • CBD can be safe to take through the mouth, up to 200mg per day, which has so far been tested for up to 13 weeks and has shown to be safe.

  • For prescribed medications, Epidiolex can be be used for treating epilepsy and Sativex has been shown to be safe to use for managing muscle spasticity from multiple sclerosis.

  • Possible side effects from CBD use:

    • Dry mouth

    • Low blood pressure

    • Light headedness

    • Drowsiness and tiredness

    • Possible changes in appetite and weight

  • Additional, taking CBD is not recommend for people with:

    • Glaucoma (Group of eye disorders which can cause blindness)

    • Liver disease

    • Parkinson's disease

  • So far it is known that CBD interacts with any other medication we may be taking such as pain mediations, antidepressants, seizure medications and diabetes medications. For this reason you should always consult with a medical professional before choosing to take any CBD based medications.

  • Purity of CBD products

    • An additional source of concern when it comes to CBD products is the purity of the product itself. This is often the case because CBD products are marketed and sold as supplements and not medications, therefore for example the Food & Drug Administration within the US does not regulate the safety and purity of these products, so it is hard to guarantee complete purity and safety of these products which are otherwise sold on global markets.

HOW USE TAKE CBD


CBD today is found commonly in the form of oils, extracts, capsules, patches, vapes or skin creams.

Within the US, the only CBD based prescription oil that is legally able to be prescribed is Epidiolex which has been approved for being able to treat two types of epilepsy.

Outside of the US in other parts of the world, the prescriptive drug Sativex is approved for being used for managing muscle spasticity that is associated with multiple sclerosis and also for cancer pain.

Although cannabis and CBD use is a topic which is rising in popularity, both among the general public as well as medical experts, its uses and long term effects of use are still being researched. Always do your own research before thinking about using products with active compounds that we are still researching and do not fully understand yet.

I think that CBD has shown to be potentially useful in improving the lives of people with epilepsy, PTSD and multiple sclerosis as well as for general pain management, although relying on CBD alone for these conditions is likely not recommend (at least currently).

But who knows what findings further research will bring on this topic?

Thank you for reading this weeks topic, it means a lot to me.

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Decluttering And Organizing Your Space - Why Bother?

Since spring is right around the corner and is a time of year when many of us take part in what is called “spring cleaning”, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to look into the topic of decluttering your belongings and organizing your physical space.

Topics such as cleaning and organizing are not what we usually associate with fun and enjoyment, but in my experience, I think adopting some weekly or even small daily practices that keep your environment relatively clean and sorted, will greatly improve the way you approach your work and your overall mental state of mind.

I hope that I am able to present these rather dull topics in a more interesting and useful way to you and that you are able to walk away from this with some pieces of advice that you are inspired to apply to your own life.

Happy early spring! 🌸

BENEFITS OF DECLUTTERING, ORGANIZING AND CLEANING

Lets look into some of the reasons why cleaning and organizing your space can be so beneficial and worthwhile to do in the first place:

  • Saves you time and energy: This will undeniably make it easier to find what you are looking for in the future.

  • Boosts your mood and relieves anxiety: Many people consider cleaning to be quite a therapeutic activity as you are refreshing the environment around you and in this way bringing new energy into the space. Furthermore, physically cluttered and dense spaces may be additional drivers of anxiety, where we may feel more stressed about more items accumulating around us and loosing control of that.

  • Enhances your creativity: Cleaning is a great mix of physically moving your body while also letting your mind wander and unwind itself for a bit, which is an ideal time for your brain to process information it previously took in and allow it to generate new ideas, connections and breakthrough that otherwise would not have occurred to you. Although some studies have shown that highly creative people tend to actually thrive more in slightly messy and disordered environments, perhaps helping them with generating more ideas. See what level of cleanliness/ organization you thrive best in and design your space accordingly.

  • Improves your ability to focus: Although some people may prefer their work enviments to be a bit messy and chaotic, most people tend to focus better when their environment is not providing any additonal distractions which would in the long run hinder your concentration. Consider what objects and clutter are currently negatively interfering with your focus.

  • Empowers your self esteem: By gaining more control and awareness of your environment, you are through regular practice able to assert more feelings of competency and reassurance of control with accomplishing things.

  • Relighting inspiration: This may be a result of looking through old items you forgot you had and simply becoming re-inspired to use them again.

  • Reducing relationship or family tensions: If you share a living space with someone else or several other people who each have their own preferred way of organizing and managing their belongings, then chances are you can run into conflicts about how clean a space should be and what should be placed where. Try and talk this through with the other person/ people and come to a compromise which works for everyone and will reduce fights and unnecessary eruptions of annoyance.

TIPS FOR ORGANIZING & DECLUTTERING YOUR SPACE

Become Better At Organizing:

  • Grouping together similar items (Examples of groups: Stationary, coats or cooking pots)

  • Batching all of your cleaning and maintenance work on one day of the week (Eg: Sunday)

  • Labeling any boxes, bins or drawers in which you store things

  • Get into the habit of putting away items in their correct place after using them

  • Consider how you want to organize your belongings (by size, color, name, how often you use the item etc.)

  • Make the process of cleaning more enjoyable for you (Put on music, listen to a podcast, do it with a friend, or try making it a challenge)

  • Look where there is currently wasted space in your room or house. How can you make better use of that space?

Learn How To Declutter:

  • Being intentional what you buy in the first place is the first step of decluttering, as it will prevent unnecessary clutter from building up.

  • For what you choose to buy ask yourself:

    • Am I sure that I will really use this?

    • Is this an impulsive purchase and do I really need this item?

    • Will owning this item bring me joy?

    • Would I regret it if I didn't or did buy this item?

  • Go through the items that you own and for each of them ask yourself:

    • When was the last time that I used this?

    • In the case that I have not used this in a while or ever, will I ever get to using it?

    • Could someone else make better use of this item and appreciate it more than me? If so, put these items toward donations and second hand shops

    • What is the real cost of owning this item?

    • How long will it make me happy?

    • What do I gain by buying this?

    • Is there something else that can bring me joy?

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope that it was a good use of your time by learning how to take better control and inventory of your physical space. I hope gained insight into how you can use this gained control to improve various aspects of your life such as improving your focus and productivity, maintaining a calmer state of mind or gaining more awareness of your belongings and material purchases. Thanks for reading. 😊

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The Science Of Sleeping Better

Recently I have not been getting the best sleep and because I am not entirely sure why, I wanted to look into this topic and see how I could improve my sleep as well as better understand the workings behind sleep.

And it turns out that sleep issues are a world issue where in 2017 in the United States alone, 35.2 Americans reported sleeping for less than 7 hours per night and getting insufficient sleep. That is pretty much every third person. Because technology is becoming ever so intertwined with our everyday lives and creeping later and later into our evenings, I believe that this statistic will continue to worsen.

Sleep is essential for all of us and should not be skipped out on. I have written on the importance of sleep here in the past (read about it here) but here I really wanted to more focus on the scientific background on how our sleep works and as well as recommending a set of practical advice on how to genuinely get a better nights sleep. After, we all want practical solutions that are easy to implement into our lifestyle.

I hope that this post helps you with getting a good nights sleep and that you are able to learn some new fascinating knowledge about your own sleep biology. Enjoy! 🌟🌛💫

SLEEP CYCLES


ABOUT SLEEP CYCLES

  • Based on the National Sleep Foundation, your sleep each night is actually made up of several separate sleep cycles where each cycle has its own 4 individual stages.

  • In an average night, we can go through 4-6 sleep cycles depending on our quality of sleep that night, where on average each cycle lasts about 90 minutes each.

  • From the 4 individual sleep stages of each cycle, the first cycle is often the shortest in length which lasts about 70-100 minutes, where later cycles last between 90-120 minutes. However, the extent of time that we spend in each sleep stage can vary from night to night and also from person to person as it is dependent on many factors such as age, alcohol consumption and previous sleep patterns.

  • Overall, each sleep cycle is composed of 3 Non REM sleep stages (NREM) and concluded with a stage of REM sleep. The higher the stage of NREM sleep in the first three stages, the harder it is to wake the person up

  • Now let’s take a look into the individual sleep cycle components.


N1 (NREM)

  • This is the first stage of sleep and is when the person first falls asleep. This stage is very short, usually lasting between 1 -7 minutes on average.

  • In this stage, the body is not yet fully relaxed but is beginning to slow down its activity and thoughts.

  • Stage 1, also called N1, is essentially when a person first falls asleep. This stage normally lasts just one to seven minutes. During this stage, there are light changes in brain activity associated with falling asleep.

  • During N1, it is still easy to wake someone up from sleep, however if the person is left undisturbed, they can quickly move onto the second stage of sleep.


N2 (NREM)

  • In the second stage of sleep, the body experiences deepened relaxation accompanied by a drop in body temperature, slower breathing and a lower heart rate.

  • During this time, any eye movement stops and our brains experience short bursts of brain wave activity which help us to resist being woken up by external stimuli.

  • This stage usually lasts between 10-25 minutes during our first sleep cycle, where each N2 stage progressively can become longer during the following sleep cycles.

  • Overall, it is proposed that a person can spend typically about half of their total sleep in the N2 stage.


N3 (NREM)

  • The third stage of a sleep cycle is commonly known as “deep sleep”, where our muscle tone, heart rate and breathing rate continually decrease and relax.

  • In this stage, our brain produces brain delta brain waves where it is much harder to wake someone up at this point.

  • Researchers propose that N3 stage of sleep is important for restorative sleep, essentially being important for growth and recovery of our body. It may also play a role in keeping a healthy immune system along with other bodily processes. Even thought our brain experiences a decrease in brain activity, some evidence nonetheless suggest that deep sleep also has a role in memory consolidation and insightful thinking.

  • Most time is spent sleeping in this stage in the first half of the night. During earlier sleep cycles, the N3 stage usually lasts between 20-40 minutes and as you continue sleeping throughout the night, these stages get shorter in each cycle and your body spends more time in the REM sleep stage.


REM

  • Finally, each sleep cycle is concluded with a REM sleep stage during which our brain experiences an increase in brain activity, almost nearing to levels experienced when we are awake.

  • At the same time, our body will also experience a phenomena called “atonia” which a temporary paralysis of our muscles, apart from our eye muscles and the muscles that regulate our breathing.

  • The stage is named “Rapid Eye movement” because that is exactly what can be observed during this stage; having closed eyes yet they are seen moving quickly.

  • REM sleep is believed to be essential for many cognitive functions such as memory, ability to learn as well as creativity. During this stage is also when we dream vividly, which is likely the reason for the increased brain activity.

  • Dreaming can occur in any sleep stage, but they are less common and intense in the first three NREM periods.

  • Usually, it takes about 90 minutes of being asleep for an average person to enter REM sleep. As the night goes on and we enter new sleep cycles, the REM sleeping stages get longer, which is especially observed in the second half of the night. The first REM stage that we experience in a night usually lasts for only a couple of minutes but later REM stages can last up to an hour.

  • Overall, REM sleep accounts for about 25% of total sleep in adults

10 SCIENCE PROVEN TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP


  • Have a consistent sleeping and waking schedule during the week and weekend

  • Optimize your bedroom: Keep it cold, dark, quiet and use dim warm lighting

  • Avoid blue light exposure from your devices 1-2 hours before going to sleep. Some people avoid having electronics in the bedroom all together.

  • Avoid caffeine, alcohol and drinking too many liquids before going to bed

  • Exercise during the day. This makes you more tired towards the evening

  • Get enough sunlight during the day

  • Limit your napping during the day

  • Relax before bed: Do something that relaxes you such as taking a shower, stretching, meditating, writing down everything that is worrying you or try reading a book

  • Create an evening routine which helps to calm you down and lets your body know that it is time to unwind (Eg. Making tea and reading)

  • Avoid eating large meals before going to sleep and opt for eating your last meal earlier in the evening

I hope that this blog post provided you with some more insight into the biological workings behind your bodies sleep mechanism and also how to naturally sleep better.

Sleep is crucial for all of us, so learning about how to really optimize for our sleep quality is essential to feeling energized and properly recharged for the next day.

Take care of yourself and don't skimp out on sleep. As always, thanks for reading ✨ 💤

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Fitness, Lifestyle Taya Bregant Fitness, Lifestyle Taya Bregant

The Powerful Practice Of Yoga

Recently I have fallen in love again. I have been doing so almost every morning, for 10-15 minutes in order to wake my body up and improve my flexibility. Since doing it and especially on the days on which I do yoga, I notice a big difference in my energy and general focus throughout the rest of the day.

I wanted to look into why I have experienced more clarity and calmness as a result of it, which brought me onto writings todays topic. In this way I hope to provide more insight into the ways that a consistent yoga practice can benefit you and how to make it easier to implement into your lifestyle. The great thing about yoga is that it can be adapted to your abilities and strength making it suitable for almost everyone, where I believe that everyone can gain something from it.

BRIEFLY ABOUT YOGA

If you are unfamiliar with yoga, we can describe yoga as being both a mind and body practice, which emphases controlled movements, strength and flexibility. It is a form of movements which combines a set of postures and poses (called “asanas”), where it is often also combined with various breathing and meditation techniques.

Yoga is said to have originated from India as long as 5000 years ago.

Nowadays there are many different types of yoga practices you can find, such as Ashtanga, Hatha, Hot, Vinyasa to mention a few. Each are different in their intensity, room conditions (such as temperature), tempo and difficulty, which is why yoga can be adjusted for your abilities and strength level.

10 HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA


  1. Improvement in Flexibility, Balance and Strength

    • Yoga is often under estimated as a form of exercise, but it actually is really beneficial for gradually building up body strength, flexibility as well as improving your balance. Through this, your body feels less stiff and you develop a greater range of motion in your joints, which allows you to move with more ease through any other form of movement you do. (Find out more about the benefits of stretching here)

  2. Helps With Weight Loss

    • If required, yoga can also be a way to loose weight, as there are types of yoga which are more difficult and intense, allowing you to break up a sweat and over time help with weight loss.

  3. Reduction of Heart Disease

    • A steady aerobic form of movement like yoga can be a great way to prevent heart disease as it has been scientifically shown to lower important aspects such as your blood pressure, resting heart rate, blood lipid levels (cholesterol) and you blood sugar levels.

  4. Relaxes The Body

    • If you have ever done yoga before, you have likely experienced that you felt more calm and relaxed afterwards. This is a common finding among common yoga practicers, where this relaxation can ease anxiety and stress levels, deepen your sleep quality, fight inflammation as well as lead to better immunity (Read more about immunity here)

  5. Can Lift Your Mood

    • After a yoga session you may also feel a sense of being reenergized yet calm. You may find that your mood feels elevated and you have a greater sense of positivity throughout your day.

  6. May Improve Bone Health

    • Like most other exercise, yoga can also strengthen your bones by over time improving their density. This usually occurs when we apply gradual pressure on our skeletal system as when we physically exert our body.

  7. Improvements in Body Posture

    • Yoga puts a lot of attention towards the way we position and hold our body throughout the practice, which is why it can be a great way to improve our overall body posture. Because of this, many people also find that it eases physical discomforts within their body or helps with lower back pain. (Read more about how to have good posture here)

  8. More functional Breathing

    • Another aspect which yoga emphasizes is the importance of breathing during your practice. Your breath is the bedrock of your life and it is what keeps you alive; Notice how your breathing changes when you are excited, stressed or calm. If we can control our breath we can likely also control the way we react to an experience. Much like mediation, yoga tries to synchronize your breathing with the movements and poses you do, which centers your mind, calms you down and improves your mental focus.

  9. Better Management of Depression

    • Some studies have also shown that yoga can be affective for people struggling with mental health or emotion related disorders such as depression. The reasons for this might be similar to other forms of exercise which re-oxidse your blood and release mood boosting chemicals.

  10. Helps With Increasing Mindfulness

    • Just like meditation, yoga can also heighten your mindfulness and levels of awareness. This can help you with being more present int he current moment, making it easier to express gratitude for something and experiencing a sharpness of mental focus and concentration.

HOW TO DO YOGA MORE OFTEN


Below you can find some advice and practical tips on how you can implement yoga into your own life and schedule if you are interested:

  • Attend a (online) beginners yoga class or two to get an idea of the poses

  • Begin with doing easier poses and build your way up in difficulty as you gain strength and mobility

  • At the start, I suggest you begin with shorter routines (10-15 minutes) and then once you want more, you can increase that time span

  • Set yourself a challenge and commit to trying yoga out for a week

  • Put an intention behind it - Why do you want to start doing it in the first place?

  • Try it out with a friend

  • Consciously decide at what time in a day will you do it

  • Put away judgements and expectations on yourself about the practice

  • Become more comfortable with stillness and slowing down

  • Try it out with calming music or silence and see what you prefer (There are plenty of yoga related music playlist available online)

  • Implement it into a already existing routine your may have (morning, evening, exercise routine)

  • Purchasing an exercise or yoga mat will likely make your practice more enjoyable and comfortable

  • Find a place where you feel comfortable and calm with doing yoga (In your bedroom, living room, yoga studio, park, garden, terrace etc.)

I hope that you found todays topic useful and interesting because I do genuinely believe that everyone can benefit from doing yoga at least in some way, even if you decide to not do it regularly. Try it out and see how you feel afterwards or wether it was something you enjoyed and want to continue doing. Let me know :)

Thank you so much for reading, wishing you all happy winter holidays 💛 ❄️

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Time Management Basics - Get More Done In Less Time

Today we will be exploring the topic of time management and how we can improve our work effectiveness. I believe this is really important to consider and focus on, as often we get flooded with work and responsibilities which causes us to aimlessly run around our day, without getting any of the actual important work done, while leaving us exhausted and overwhelmed at the end of the day. This is the classical case of where being busy does not match productively using our time.

Here I have included a lot of my own practical work and time management tips which I use on the everyday, in order to make the best use of my time and days.

If you are interested in similar work related topics, I would encourage you to dive into some other topics I have wrote on this subject matter:

Productivity tips

Take control of your focus

Dealing with procrastination

Working from home

Creating work-life balance

So how do we become more productive with our time? How can we get more done with less? How do we maximize our efficiency and effectiveness?

Read on to find out 🌟

WHY IS TIME MANAGEMENT IMPORTANT?


The reasons are plenty, but here is a summary of why you should focus on being effective and genuinely productive instead of just being busy with your time:

  • The more effective you are with your work, the less time it will take you to finish the work which leaves you more time to do whatever else you want to spend your time doing (This for me personally, is a great source of motivation).

  • Finding more effective ways to work means that you are likely able to better manage your responsibilities and in turn also your stress levels, which can considerably lower your chances of developing burn out or being chronically over stressed and exhausted.

  • With better time management you are also able to be more in control of your time with which you can deliver projects and assignments on time while still finding the time for yourself and personal endeavors.

  • It goes without saying, but better time management significantly improves your working efficiency, which can also boost your confidence as you are able to achieve more with less.

  • By becoming more time efficient, you are able to focus better and in turn produce higher quality work that will boost your performance in school or in the work place.

IMPROVING YOUR TIME MANAGEMENT



Exploratory Starter Questions

  • How are you currently spending your time and what you would like to change about that?

  • What are your current priorities at work/ school (specific projects, tasks, assignments etc.)?

  • What time of the day do you work best?

  • How will you keep track of your tasks (digital or paper)?

  • Why is some work not enjoyable for you to do?

  • How could you make that work more enjoyable for yourself?

  • Consider what aspects of your work could you simplify? Remove what is not important or relevant and focus on what truly matters

  • Consider the Pareto rule which states that 80% of your results comes from 20% of your actions: Which work leads to the greater amount of results for you?



Creating Healthy Work Habits

  • Health essentials: Sleeping enough, eating breaks, drinking enough water, moving your body

  • Waking up at a earlier time

  • Focus on regulating and managing your stress levels (click here to learn more)

  • Saying no to opportunities when you have enough going on already

  • Taking breaks during your day

  • Set time limits in your day (when do you start and stop working)

  • Have a source of motivation for completing the work and to keep you going



Set Up Your Environment & Maximize Focus

  • Try listening to music which makes you concentrate or even opt for silence

  • Manage your notifications and environmental distractions

  • Prevent your access to social media and other time wasters during work (try using website or app blockers)

  • Try to declutter and organize your environment very so often in order to keep track of where you keep items and files

  • Make sure to have a suitable desk chair which fully supports your back and enables you to sit at a good height at your table that will allow you to write or type more comfortably

  • Create environmental cues which get your brain into “work mode”: Working in a specific room, having a certain scent (candle, diffuser), preparing tea/ coffee or putting on music



Effective Task Management and Solving Procrastination

  • Focus on 3 main things you can get done each day instead of having a 20+ item to do list (busy is not necessarily productive)

  • If you have difficulties with starting on something try doing it just for 5 minutes and you will likely see that you will go past the 5 minute mark

  • Implement time blocking where you assign certain tasks or projects to a certain time period in your day

  • Do your most energy intensive and least enjoyable tasks first

  • Set deadlines for yourself if you don't have them already

  • Setting time limits on each task

  • Avoid multi tasking

  • Delegate low importance tasks if possible

  • If a task seems too complex or difficult, break it down into more manageable steps

  • Plan your day in advance

  • Leave some buffer time in between tasks when planning out your day

I wanted to make todays post as useful and practical as possible, because I believe that everyone can benefit from better time management and I think it also becomes quite motivating when we realize that the way we choose to spend our time is indeed within our control.

I hope you were able to pick up some useful tips and information from this post because I also enjoyed putting my own time management advice into it which has worked for me and continues to do so.

Thank you so much for taking your time to read this 💛

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