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Category Archives: Motivation
How to Feel Alive Again
Often, we are just going through life without really enjoying or being fully present. Without a sense of vitality, we go through life without feeling alive each day, and our contentment is frequently influenced by the outcomes of our actions.
Every morning we get out of bed, shower, brush our teeth, have breakfast, drive to work, lose track of time in our work, return home, complete our chores, and prepare to go to sleep. We do this every single day. We restart the cycle the next day and do it all over again.
Are We Alive?
We no longer seem to be as enthusiastic about life as we were when we were younger. I guess that the adolescent years are an exhilarating time in your life. Because you’re having a good time every day, you are content. And you’ve got big plans for what you’d like to do after college.
But sadly, things began to shift. It’s easy to fall victim to the illusion that life isn’t as exciting as it should be once you begin working and living independently. Your everyday life suddenly becomes a series of predefined plans and steps that seems boring and less interesting. It is like we stop living completely.
Here are some quick solutions to help you feel more alive again if you are feeling low:
1. Set Smart Goals
If you want to rediscover your zest for life and feel alive again, you must set yourself smart goals. You need a goal to get back into the swing of things, whether it’s about money or you want to go for a vacation.
Smart goals have a specific timeline to achieve them. By simply taking time to set your goals and your to-do list, you will feel alive. The simple act of breaking your bigger goals into smaller achievable goals makes everything easier to achieve and easier to handle.
2. Try out a New Skill
Your brain will go to sleep mode if you don’t practice something new every day. You either use it or lose it! Learn a new skill and bring something fresh to your life. It could be something you are interested in or a talent that you wish to master.
The technicality of learning something new will keep you alive and your brain will be working hard to ensure you achieve it. But this will require deliberate practice every day to improve. You should not let any day pass without practicing the skill.
3. Read a book
Whether you are a fan of books or not, to feel alive again, you should read books. Books help us to connect to the authors or the characters and experience life differently. When you read about the life experience of someone else, fiction or real, you get to understand how someone else would have handled the situation that you are in.
Books are the easiest way to travel the world and enjoy the experience of different countries, religions, ethnicity, and cultures. By so doing, you will feel alive again just by acknowledging that there are some people out there dealing with even more complicated situations than you are in at the moment.
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Five Easy Ways to Get Your Brain to Focus on What Matters
Your brain is the most complicated organ in your entire body. It controls all the activities of the body, whether you are asleep or awake. Because of this, our brain is constantly switching its attention from one thing to the other in split seconds. Getting your brain to focus on one item can be overwhelming.
However, for maximum productivity, you should learn how to get your brain to focus on what matters. Productivity is only realized by focusing on the critical tasks that pay us the most. When your brain wanders all over with a different type of thought, and you allow it, that will become your default way of thinking. And this may lead to reduced productivity and a lack of motivation to achieve your task.
So, how do you get your brain to focus on what matters and discard anything that will cause destruction?
Here are five ways to get your brain to Focus on Important Matter
You are what you think, and not the other way round. Therefore, the first step to getting your brain to focus is to first think about focus. That way, you will be aware of what is causing the destruction. You will be away from the environmental, physical, and emotional factors that affect your focus.
Here are some simple but very effective ways to get your brain to focus on what matters most:
1. Customize Your Environment for Focus
As I mentioned earlier, the most complex organ in your body is your brain. The second most complicated organ is your eye. Because of this that 50% of your brain is dedicated to processing visual data from the eye. What does this mean?
It means that what you see will determine what and how you think. Therefore, if you want your brain to focus on what matters, your environment should be full of only the important stuff that matters most. Failure to do so will keep your brain from wandering from one thing to the other that it sees.
2. Re-energize Your Body Regularly
Your brain is the Central Processing Unit (CPU) for your body. Therefore, like the computer CPU, it uses most of the resources from the body. Because of this, you have to take good care of your body for the optimal functioning of your brain.
This can be achieved by exercising and taking regular health and meditative breaks. When you exercise your body, the flow of blood to your brain will be enhanced, and so is your ability to focus on what matters.
3. Eliminate Negative Thoughts
We are emotional beings. And our thinking is likely to be swayed by what we feel inside. Because of this, you should ensure you fill your brain with positive thoughts only. That way, you will think clearly through things and come up with even better ideas. When you have negative thoughts, you are likely to have a biased way of thinking. Also, negative thoughts will make you lose focus on the most important things.
4. Develop a System and Stick to It
When you are engaged in complex and repetitive activities like writing, reading, etc. It is important to develop a system that will allow you to focus. You can do this by using the Pomodoro technique. This technique states that you divide your activity into smaller sub-activities that you can achieve in 25 minutes. Then takes a short break of 5 minutes between each Pomodoro. That way, your brain can easily focus on the task at hand for 25 minutes without straining.
5. Observe Your Overall Health
Lastly, what you eat is what you get! Okay, I just made that up, but what it means, when you are hungry, your brain will not focus on the task at hand. Your brain will be wandering around thinking of how you will get your next meal. Therefore, before you sit down to work on any task, make sure you are well fed. Too much food will also make you lose focus because the brain will handle the digestive system. Therefore, only eat enough.
Final Thought
Above all, you should be mindful of what you feed your brain. As it said in Information Technology (IT), Garbage in Garbage Out (GIGO). So, ensure you provide your brain with positive thoughts and keep learning new things by reading and consuming valuable information. That way, your brain will automatically know what to take in and what to keep out. With consistent practice, these will become easy and automatic processes for your brain. You will be able to easily focus on what matters with little or no effort.
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How to Turn Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness
What is your definition of happiness? It is about money, respect, inventing something amazing? You likely have thought about this question more than once and have a clear idea in your mind of what you think ultimate success is, however, actually achieving success and happiness might seem a bit too far. The key is not jumping into success, but utilizing simple disciplines to achieve the ultimate happiness and success goal. Here are some tips to turn simple disciplines into massive success and happiness for your life.
Understand the Importance of Every Day
These days, it seems as though every day is running together. Whether you are working from home, helping kids with school, or among our essential workers still droning on as normal as possible, days can sometimes get away from us, but it is important to find something to ground you. You must take back the day and realize that every day, no matter what is going on, is important. Start the day by noting the actual date and day of the week. It seems a little silly, but noting each day can help realize its individual importance and the fact that you will never get that particular date back ever again. Count each day as vital to your success and a stepping stone to your ultimate happiness.
Value Meditation Time
You have a routine that you do every day. That is great, but what about time to really connect with yourself through meditation or prayer? You will find that when you research successful people, they all have something they believe to be a way to ground their life. Meditation or prayer seems to be the most common entities.
Taking time at some point throughout the day to simply be silent, think on the day, pray, or do something else that is just for you. This time is vital to your overall success. These small, still moments allow you to have just a little time to visualize the end goal of success. For some, this time will be during the morning before the family rises for the day and the house is quiet. For others, it might be at the end of the day to help download what happened during the day and what can be done to make the next day even more of a success.
Write Things Down
When was the last time you wrote out a schedule for your day? If you are like most of us, you simply wake up and do the same thing every day without the thought to write things down. However, some of the most successful people you will ever meet are those that discipline themselves to write out a schedule of daily tasks. There is something unique about writing down tasks. It seems to solidify them in your mind. You have a clear-cut goal in mind and a timeline available to get it all done.
Writing out a daily schedule can become a healthy habit, but it takes time to get started. Start out by writing out simple things such as when you intend on getting up, eating, and sleeping. You can work in detail throughout the day until you have a full schedule. Soon, you will find comfort in scheduling and it will become automatic to you. This is just a simple way to begin to organize your life and reach your ultimate success and happiness goals.
Let Nothing Get in Your Way
It seems as though no matter who you are or what your goals may be, there is always something that stands in your way. You will start out strong with great intentions and something ultimately tears you down during the process of achieving your goals. Bumps in the road will happen. Failures will occur, but what you have to have set in your mind is that nothing is going to stop you. When setbacks happen or something tries to get in your day, move on. It might put you down for a little time, but get back up and try again. Never back down.
Ultimate happiness and success are different for everyone. However, knowing what you want is a universal concept. Take time to write down your goals and see what it is, exactly that you want. Find out what true success and happiness look like for your life. Remember, it is about what you want, so do not compare yourself to the success of others. These simple disciplines will help you begin to build a roadmap to your ultimate success and happiness goals. Remember, you are in control of your own destiny and bad habits can knock you off your path. Get back up, keep going, and let nothing stop you. You can achieve happiness and success.
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Effective ways to bounce back after slipping up
Human nature is one of the biggest deciding factors between the life we live and the one that we want to live. We often see targeted programs advertised to people that are trying to change their lives. The programs generally promise quick and lasting results for a myriad of issues such as weight loss/gain, substance abuse, etc. Those of us who do not want to make use of these programs might be quick to disregard them, but a majority of the population tends to fall prey to them simply because our human nature makes it incredibly difficult to change things and thus makes a unique niche for such products/programs. Imagine how difficult it must be to overcome our own natures, that we go out looking for help for things like waking up and exercising.
Do you often find yourself lamenting over the way your life is going at any given point? Do you make plans to change things? Do you find it incredibly difficult to make a difference? If yes, you’re not alone. Change is just as tricky as it is essential. It can apply to our lives in common things like changing the way we look and work to significant events such as beating illnesses such as addiction. It takes about 66 days to turn action into a habit. It seems like a deceptively short time frame to do something consistently, and it is indeed deceptive. Consistency is tough, and we often find ourselves falling off the wagon midway, if not sooner. Slipping up is very subjective. Depending on your goal, slipping up can be a minor inconvenience or a major train wreck. Regardless of the context, one thing that you can always count on is the ability to start over. No matter how severe of a setback you think you’ve suffered, you can always go back and start again.
A very common reason people give for letting go of their new habits or changing lifestyles is having a slip-up and then allowing it to turn to a spiral till they’re at the point of no return. It is primarily a result of being taught that mistakes are unforgivable. The conditioning makes us unforgiving towards ourselves and makes us less likely to try again once we perceive failure. Learn to forgive yourself. You must become gentle towards yourself and be accommodating of your humanity. Failing once does not take away from your worth or potential as a person. You can still try a second, third, or even a hundredth time; try till you succeed. Learn not to be ashamed of the number of tries or the time it takes to achieve things. Some failures preceded every success in the world; they exist even if we don’t talk about them. Remember that and keep going regardless of how many times you have to start again.
An effective habit to help combat loss of confidence following a slip-up is admitting and acknowledging your mistakes. Don’t make excuses for what has happened. Identify the problem and find ways to avoid it in the future. Nothing in life is absolute, and it is a good idea to always remember that. Neither failure nor success is permanent, and you should always continue to try and achieve your goals. The more you focus on the solution, the better you’ll get at whatever you’re trying to do.
A lot of us lose confidence if we don’t immediately succeed at something. This mentality makes it difficult for us to learn things. Learn to give yourself time and space to learn things. If you put undue pressure to be perfect on yourself, you don’t leave space for error. No one is perfect, and this thought process only sets you up for failure. It is normal not to succeed immediately, so even if you slip up and miss your workout, or something similar, don’t fret and simply start again.
The most enormous disservice you can do yourself is not taking chances in life. You will fail at 100% of the tasks you don’t try. If you feel like one failure is enough to get you to give up entirely, then you’ll indeed fail. The only way not to fail is to keep trying despite falling off the bandwagon and remembering that things don’t always stay the same. In the future, you will remember this failure that seems so impossible to overcome right now and think of it fondly. Learn from your mistakes and shortcomings so that you can get better every single day.
It is normal to fail sometimes. It is perfectly alright for you to fall short of perfection sometimes. It is okay to fall off the wagon sometimes, just so long as you pick yourself up and start again. Keep your progress and your setbacks to yourself, and keep moving towards your goals quietly. Nobody needs to know your business except you and your loved ones. Not everyone will be happy or supportive about your journey, so it is your job to preserve your time and energy for people and things that aid in the betterment of your life. Not everyone deserves to be kept in the loop about your life. Once you realize this, you’ll find yourself being less anxious about your failure and successes.
The conclusion is that slipping up really isn’t as big of a deal as we make it out to be. You can always start again, so long as you keep your goal in sight. It doesn’t matter how many times you have to start from scratch. What matters is that you eventually get where you want to go. So, slip up, fall, and get back up again. The only thing you shouldn’t do is give up.
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How To Be Motivated Every Day.
If you are like me, you must be having those days you call ‘bad days. Mondays have always been the victim of being a bad day. These are those days that you don’t even feel like waking up. And when you do, you don’t feel motivated to do anything, regardless of how important it is.
When this happens, you will probably end up procrastinating a lot, and sometimes you will hate everything or everyone around you. Many things can lead to being demotivated, these include; When you lose someone, or something you loved, e.g., job, divorce, death, etc.
Too much on your to-do list
Fear of failure
Self-doubt
Lack of self-confidence
Poor time management
Burnout from jobs
Easy Ways to Be Motivated and Stay Motivated Every Day
The first step in solving any problem is to understand the root cause of the problem. The issues above are just but a few of the things that may demotivate you. It is essential to understand the root cause of your lack of motivation so that you don’t address the symptoms rather than the problem itself.
Once you know what is bringing you down, you can adequately find solutions. But don’t beat yourself so much when this happens. It is very ok to have some down days. We cannot function the same for all 365 days in a year. Some days we will feel low. How you deal with such days will determine how successful you become.
Here are some simple steps you can take to stay motivated every single day permanently:
1. Practice Positive Affirmation
Motivation is hugely determined by how we feel inside. It is the manifestation of how we think about ourselves. When you doubt your abilities or have little or no self-confidence in your abilities, you will most likely feel demotivated to handle your daily tasks.
Therefore, you should practice saying positive things to yourself. A simple daily mantra can help you get your motivation to handle tasks. For example, you can tell yourself, “I can do it.” When you say this repeatedly, you will automatically be optimistic about your abilities to handle the day’s activities.
2. Take Some Time Off
Burnout can kill your motivation. If you want to stay motivated for the entire day, you need to take some health breaks from your core activities. This will help your body and mind to re-charge. When you work for so long on a task, your productivity will reduce. This will compromise the quality of your output.
It is vital to take some time off and meditate alone. For your peace of mind, you can take a few minute’s walks in the forest or a quiet place. This connection with nature will revitalize your mind and help you stay motivated to handle what is thrown at you during the day.
3. Avoid Perfectionism
Perfectionism is the number one killer of motivation and the lead cause of procrastination and failure to tackle our daily tasks. We often put things to another day when we feel motivated to do it. This is a bad move because you may never feel motivated enough to do it.
Especially when you are doing what you don’t love, here, you should stop thinking of delivering a perfect job, but just do what you can do within the shortest time possible and get feedback on it. That will motivate you to work on your next tasks.
4. Divide Your Activities into Smaller Achievable Sub-tasks
How long is your to-do list? If it is longer than one A6 size page, then that is the source of your demotivation. Also, more significant tasks seem to demotivate people and make them feel lazy to handle them.
What you should do is to divide the bigger task into small sub-task. And just work on a few of the tasks during the day. Achieving these smaller goals will eventually make you feel good and motivate you to work on even more complex tasks. Prioritize your tasks from the most important and urgent to the least urgent. Then work on the most important ones first.
5. Take Action Immediately
Lastly, taking prompt action on your tasks at hand is the only way to stay motivated. When tasks are left untouched, they will pile and kill your spirit. Therefore, it is important to work on your to-do list first thing in the morning.
Also, work on the most challenging tasks, or those that you are likely to procrastinate. As Brian Tracy says in his book “Eat That Frog,”. We should consider the most challenging task as a frog. They should be eaten first. When you wake up, tackle the “frog” first. Don’t be confused by the tadpoles (small and easy tasks). Concentrate on the complicated tasks first. That way, you will be motivated the whole day because you will know that you have handled the most challenging problem of the day. This will motivate you to handle the other smaller jobs with enthusiasm.
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How To Face Life’s Challenges and Overcome Adversity
You cannot avoid adversity in life. Even the most sheltered and privileged individuals find themselves in adverse conditions at some point or the other. Adversity is not convenient, and it often throws a wrench in your plans, but there is no way around this aspect of life. You have to accept that as a part of life and focus on the consequences of these situations rather than worrying about the purpose. Some say that adversity is to be considered a test of strength, and they may be right. However, I feel like we glorify adversity, too, much like all else in life. Adversity is an inconvenience that you often cannot circumvent and should be treated as such. There have been various studies that have looked into the ways in which one can overcome adversity, the foremost being having resilience.
You must remember that not every single inconvenience in life is going to be the reason life ends. It is natural for things to go wrong from time to time, and you must accept that as soon as you identify a problem. Remember that you have been through difficult situations before, and you’ll go through more of them in the future. You are strong enough to deal with whatever has been sent your way. That is not to say that you need to deal with adversity alone. Talk to your friends and family. Acknowledge and accept their help because you are not alone in your situation. More often than not, we start to take pride in how little help we ask for, but no one gets a medal for doing things the hard way. You will not receive one either. Make your life easy by asking for and accepting help when necessary.
The second thing to focus on is your surroundings. Surround yourself with positive people who are rooting for you. Your surroundings can affect your mood as well as your response to adversity. You are vulnerable in times of adversity, so the effect is even more pronounced. The right guidance at the right time. People who accept mistakes and understand how they are an essential part of life Supportive people who favor your success. While your surroundings are greatly influenced by the people around you, it is also dependent on your own mindset. Write about your feelings, and make sure you check any negative thoughts you might be having. Keep track of how you feel and how you’re responding to your surroundings. Do not indulge in self-loathing and try to be reflective instead. Understand your situation after recovering from its initial shock and move on from it when you’re comfortable doing so. Accept the situation and start to look for ways to solve your problem. It might seem like a herculean task, but the best thing to do in times of adversity is to get busy. Put your energy into making things better, and you’ll thank yourself once the situation has been resolved. In the midst of all this, do not forget to express your feelings through your writing. Eventually, you’ll be able to track your progress over time, allowing you to remember that no matter how bad things get, you can always make it through.
The modern world is full of wonderful technology, which makes our lives easier, but it is not without its limitations. One major limitation is the introduction of one more aspect of life for us to worry about. This could be anything from your social media presence to the inability to regulate how available you want to be to the people contacting you. While one may deal with these reasonably well in good times, it may not be as easy to do so in difficult times. Take a break from technology and social media in whatever capacity suits you. This ties in with the fact that you are the most important person in your life. Prioritize taking care of yourself before you take care of others. Try to take nature walks or sit in the fresh air if it is possible for you. Research shows that outdoor activities and immersion in nature reduce stress, so try to get some sunlight every day and follow your body’s natural circadian rhythm to allow for recovery.
Life has strange ways of teaching you lessons you don’t realize you need. It is important to remember to keep your eyes and mind in times of adversity to allow the learning to continue. You might see your relationships more clearly in your time of need. You can identify your own habits that may have been holding you back. Invest in your own development. Make time for yourself and make improvements to the quality of your life. You cannot pour from an empty cup, so even if you are more inclined to care for others, know that you can’t keep doing that if you’re not feeling happy and satisfied.
There will always be adversity in life, and you can be sure of that. However, none of these are situations you can not survive. The adversity can result from your actions, or it can be entirely out of your hand. The key is not to take it personally. Don’t waste your time wondering why you’ve been dealt a bad hand. Take this time to introspect and work on making sure you don’t have the same problem twice. Things will be out of your control sometimes. There will be times when the only thing to do will be to let go. In situations like that, learn to practice satisfaction and detachment. Don’t get comfortable in your misery, and it is easy to become complacent to your situation. The challenge is to take every adversity and face it head-on with the clear intention to overcome it. Know that you are capable, and you’ll surely succeed.
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What to do when motivation fades?
Motivation, by definition, is the willingness to carry out any given task. It is the drive for all human behavior and an indispensable part of life. It is always said that hard work and determination can achieve anything. Many people fail to mention that both require motivation, and motivation has never been an easy beast to tame. We often hear people talk about how the most gifted individuals have difficulty excelling due to a lack of motivation. The lack of motivation is often looked at as a derivative of laziness, but that could not be any less true. We are often harsh on our own and other people’s demotivation as we see it as a deliberate act rather than a natural emotion. We cannot speak for everyone but more often than not, people want to work hard and succeed in life. So why do we still run out of motivation, and what can we do to regain it?
The past year or so has been challenging for our planet as a whole, and there is no need to point out the dire state of our collective mental health. Pandemics, much like many other historical events, are traumatic for the masses. We are jarred by the loss of what is known to us while simultaneously being forced to act like nothing is amiss. In the midst of this pandemic, we have found ourselves feeling burnt out and demotivated. In response to this, we do the one thing that we shouldn’t, which is pushing through anyway. Ignoring the root cause of your demotivation often turns to resentment towards your task, leading to more and more dissatisfaction. You can not pour from an empty cup, so it is of utmost importance to introspect and self-improve.
We all know what the problem is; we know that we want to solve it, so half the road to improvement has already been traveled. All that is left to do now is to look into the science of it and find a solution. As per the Hierarchy of Needs theory, individuals can only be motivated to complete greater tasks if their most basic needs are met. Your loss of motivation stems from the lack of fulfillment of your most basic needs. Ask yourself these questions –
Am I taking care of my body?
Am I environmentally and financially secure?
Am I safe and loved in my relationships?
Am I in good esteem?
Am I confident in my efforts?
The answers to these questions will help you identify the reasons for your lack of motivation. If we go sequentially, the most basic need for anyone is sustenance. If you’re not taking care of your body and health, then invariably, you will end up feeling drained and demotivated. An easy fix is staying hydrated, being particular about your nutrition, and keeping your surroundings in order.
The second question pertains to your physical and financial security. Building upon the previous point, we know that bad health cannot possibly work to our full potential. Give yourself time to heal instead of trying to work while you’re not physically ready for it. You can’t walk on a broken foot forever. Do not put your health and safety in danger for your task, and watch the motivation shoot back into your life.
Humans are social beings. We cannot and should not exist in isolation. With isolation becoming a way of life in the current scenario, we have been subjected to a different kind of loss of contact. Ask yourself if you need to talk and then find someone to talk to. It could be a friend, a relative, or your therapist. In addition to this, you must re-evaluate the relationships in your life. The people you surround yourself with make a huge difference to the way you carry yourself in life. Chose the people you share your life with care. The point doesn’t just apply to romantic relationships. Any relationship that weighs down on you instead of uplifting you is only making you less likely to live up to your potential. Don’t carry the stress from these deadweight relationships, and allow yourself to grow.
The matter of esteem in the workplace is often taken for granted. One can indeed have a thick skin and not care about how others treat them in the workplace, but there is only so much one can take. Creating a safe and comfortable work environment is the first step in ensuring maximum output from yourself and your team. While it is the responsibility of the workspace to ensure good esteem, it is also a personal responsibility to make sure you command the respect you deserve. Holding people in good regard and being held with the same helps keep up motivation and thus improves output.
The last thing that you must evaluate is yourself and your self-esteem. It is always great to have people who support you around, but it counts for nothing if you don’t believe in yourself. The most important person you need in your corner is you. You can only stay motivated if you know that your effort counts for something, and thus it is incredibly important to believe in yourself.
Ideally, motivation would be straightforward, and its lack would be easily remedied. Unfortunately, what is ideal is not always real and so staying motivated is hard work. Acknowledge that and make an active effort to evaluate your situation. If you know your needs and know how to fulfill them, you will never run out of motivation. Make sure to keep yourself at peace so that you can perform to your full potential. On some days, motivation may be difficult to find, but I assure you it exists within you. It is up to you to know yourself and see it daily, be it through meditation, affirmations, or a good night’s sleep. Know that you’re not wrong or lazy for feeling demotivated, and then go ahead and regain it. The world is your oyster, don’t let this minor slump dissuade you.
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How to deal with procrastination.
We often find ourselves putting off tasks that need our attention to the very last minute. It is rarely a result of laziness, but people, ourselves included, have a hard time understanding. You want to do the job, and you know that it is required of you, but you find yourself unable to focus, so you defer it. Procrastination is often the sign of something deeper.
Considering the current situation in the world, people have found themselves getting more and more aware of the mental hurdles that students and workers have faced for ages. Procrastination is often the result of being burnt out or exhausted; sometimes, it can also result from a lack of confidence in your abilities.
I think that it helps to approach procrastination with a well planned and kind approach. Understand why you’re demotivated and procrastinating, then make a plan to combat it. A pro tip in the matter would be to focus less on the result and more on your effort. Shifting the focus from the result can help you combat any undue anxiety/stress you may have, related to the job at hand.
Secondly, set achievable goals for yourself. If you have 15000 words to write, then start by setting the goal to make notes to build your writing on. By setting achievable goals, you allow for your mind to get used to the feeling of fulfilling a task. Once you’re able to enter that mindset, it will enable you to set bigger goals and thus complete your work.
The next thing to think about in the matter of procrastination is planning. The previous points may help you not procrastinate now, but you have to make long-term changes to see long-lasting results. You must start planning things so as to allow yourself the time to complete all your tasks comfortably. Try to map out your day in advance; this does not mean that you should mark every second of every day. Mapping out your day just refers to jotting down the main tasks you need to complete on that particular day. You can choose to do a little bit of a lot of tasks in a day or the entirety of one or two tasks a day. Either way, this approach will allow you to be mentally prepared for your work and will thus help you avoid procrastination.
It is almost like tricking your brain into wanting to work, but you’ve got to do whatever it takes to get things done.
Moving on to the point of self-confidence, we must address the fact that people often avoid tasks because they’re scared of failure. It is essential to understand that victories and failures are part and parcel of life. It is impossible to have one and not the other. The hustle culture often tells people that they need to work to the point of exhaustion every single day, and all their days should be full of success and nothing else. The truth is that for every victory, there have been that many, if not more, failures that have paved the way. Real-life is not all flowers and rainbows, and that is not something to lament about; this just gives us all the more reason to forgive our own mistakes and move on. The less you worry about failure, the more you’ll be able to work; this ties in with the idea of focusing on your efforts rather than the results.
The tips mentioned here will certainly aid in avoiding procrastination, but it is not a sure-shot way to efficiency. Sometimes you succeed, and sometimes you don’t, but the point is always to try. If you still find yourself procrastinating, then it may point to a different problem. It may be because you’re not interested in your tasks. If you often find yourself dreading your job, then it may be time for re-evaluation. On re-evaluation, if you find that you’re not interested in your work, then it may be time for a change. If you find that you are interested in your job yet find yourself falling short of your capability, then it is worth a shot to try counseling. A surprisingly large number of individuals suffer from physical and mental ailments that do not allow them to function to their full potential. It may be a manifestation of poor physical health, poor nutrition, or poor mental health. If you feel like procrastination and demotivation are new to you, re-evaluate your lifestyle and make changes to promote better output.
The conclusion is that procrastination is normal and not a good enough reason to beat yourself down. Don’t get comfortable in this zone and make an effort to return to your work. Understand that you are human and cannot always work at the same frequency and adjust according to your present situation. Know that doing a little bit of a task is better than doing none of it and go from there. Take small steps in the direction of productivity because sometimes the smallest step in the right direction becomes the biggest step towards changing your life.
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How to Overcome Feeling suicidal
If you are having suicidal thoughts, your situation may feel overwhelming, with no end in sight. It is important to realize that you are not alone, many others have felt similar pain and the same desperation. Yet, there are ways to deal with suicidal feelings and there are people who want to help.
There are well-trodden paths to lead you out of the depths of your despair and on, to new possibilities and a brighter future. So, reach out to people who have been where you are now and have found their way past the pain and the hopelessness. You don’t need to suffer all alone, in silence.
With the right support, and given time, you can overcome your problems and leave the pain and suicidal thoughts behind. Think of the people who care about you, and how you could make a difference to someone else. Think of good times in your past where life was worth living. Unleash the inner courage we all have inside us and get yourself back to those good times.
To find your strength to face life again, embrace these thoughts:
How you feel now will definitely change as time passes, give it a chance
What you are experiencing now could change tomorrow or next week
If you leave us, your friends and loved ones would suffer unnecessary grief and loss
There are so many wonderful experiences you will miss, that you deserve
There is so much you could achieve as your life matures
You have so much to give to others less fortunate than you
There are many reasons why people suffer deep emotional pain which can lead to thoughts of suicide. It can be hard to see real solutions to your problems, and you may resist connecting with people who can help. Like other people who have been there too, you can recover and move on. Don’t be afraid to seek help through therapy, medication and support, to improve your situation and don’t give up before you’ve found the solution that suits you best.
To overcome suicidal thoughts and feelings, follow these steps:
Make a firm resolve to wait a little longer before doing anything drastic
Don’t make things worse by turning to alcohol or drugs. Your thoughts may take on exaggerated proportions and your problems seem much larger than they really are
Get rid of anything that could do you harm, like weapons or medications, or go somewhere safe where these types of things are not easily accessible or in plain view
Seek help. Share your thoughts and feelings with someone you care about or talk to someone you trust like a doctor or clergy, or teacher or coach.
People do survive such awful feelings of despair or depression, so there is plenty of hope for you, too. Give it time and don’t keep your problems to yourself, seek help and support.
Talking about your suicidal thoughts and your difficulty coping can be hard to do. But just decide to set aside your embarrassment or feelings of guilt and talk to someone who will truly listen and won’t judge you.
Tell them you are having thoughts of suicide and explain why you have come to this desperate state of mind. You could even jot it down in notes if you find talking too difficult at first. If your friends aren’t nearby, you could call a crisis helpline for immediate help.
While you may be feeling suicidal at the present, this isn’t permanent, you will feel better again over time. Give yourself the gift of life by working through your despair and chipping away at it until you see the brighter future that is just waiting for you to grasp it. Be sure to:
Talk to someone you trust, or a crisis helpline, every day.
Avoid isolation. Spend time with people you like and who care about you, as often as possible. This is reconnecting with the everyday world.
Draw up a safety plan, devise positive steps to take when things get really desperate; who to call; reassuring actions that will divert your anxiety.
Don’t do sad things, go for a walk instead and take in the beauty of a sunny day and the wonder of nature
Stick to a regular exercise routine or workout, which will help make you feel good and stimulate positive thoughts
Find the little things that bring you pleasure and joy, and embrace these things
Develop personal goals with little, achievable steps that will get you there as you persevere. Write down your goals and work out what action needs to be taken to achieve them. This will give you something concrete and positive to focus on, looking ahead to better times.
Take on a new hobby, sport or interest. Join a church choir or do some community volunteering which will make you feel good while at the same time helping others less fortunate than you.
The healing process will help you deal with stress and anxiety, and overcome your feelings of despair and suicidal thoughts. Focus on the good things in life, your new interests, your renewed faith in your ability to cope. Keep building your support network and surround yourself with positive people and worthwhile activities to help keep you on track and on the road to recovery.
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How to Get Back on Track When You Stop Believing in Yourself
Life is a rollercoaster ride. Sometimes you are up while at other times you are down and on occasion, you can feel so low, you do not see a way out of the situation. When you stop believing in yourself, it can be difficult to bounce back. However, it is essential that you find a way to bounce back and believe in yourself once more. Depression can take hold of you before you even realize it is happening, so here are some ways you can get back on track when you stop believing in yourself.
Take a Break from Social Media
Social media is a great way to connect with old friends and make new ones, but there is a darker side to social media sites that rarely receive adequate attention. We scroll through social media absentmindedly at times and what we see is a lot of posts about our friends going on amazing trips, meeting cool people, and overall having a better life than we think we have. Comparisons begin to form in our minds and we can begin to doubt ourselves and what we are capable of.
We often neglect to remember that social media posts are only a small fraction of the other person’s life. They only post what they want others to see and sometimes, even the most convincing posts can turn out to be a complete fallacy. Take it all in with a grain of salt and if it becomes too much for you, you always have the option of taking a break from it all. Taking a break from social media is among the healthiest things you can do for your mental health. You will focus more on your life and your accomplishments instead of focusing on others who may or may not be giving out the whole truth.
Make Peace with Yourself
When we are young, we often have an idealized view of what our life is going to be. Unfortunately, life often has different plans. You may not have the smoking hot spouse or that amazing job that brings in piles of money and it is perfectly fine that you do not. Everyone has their own journey to take in life. Some of us are meant to be superstars while others are meant to be the supporting cast. Without everyone involved from the lighting specialist to the set designer, the show cannot go on, so even if your life is not ideal, you have a place in this world.
It is time to make peace with your life. Bumps in the road happen and sometimes, you are completely derailed from your chosen path. It all has a purpose and is what makes you who you are. Accept your current situation as it is and if you truly want to change something in your life, go after it. Make small changes in your life to help change the entire situation and remember, as long as you are living your life to the best of your ability, you are not failing.
Trust Yourself Again
With a continual barrage of negativity, it is easy to begin to distrust your abilities. Self-doubt is a common problem, but one that is easy to contend with if you try. Failure is a part of life and just because you fail at something the first time, does not mean you should give up. Find what strengths you have and invest in those. Every single person on the planet has something that they can contribute to their society or individual household. Find it, do it, and have confidence in what you are doing. You might fail, but that is ok. On the other side of the coin, you could succeed, so look on the positive side instead of the negative.
Fear is a Liar
Fear is a funny thing. It is merely a depiction of what could happen but has not happened yet. It essentially does not exist but is something that we all contend with. Fear is a liar and you must keep that in mind when you are working to achieve goals. Fear can be used in a positive way to drive you to do greater things. Use your fear to drive you to the positive instead of allowing it to cripple you.
You are not done with life. You are not failing. You can do anything you set your mind to that you are willing to work for. Hold these truths in your mind when working toward a goal. We all have an important place in the world and we all, as individuals, make up the great entity known as humanity. Even those that seem to have it all together can experience levels of self-doubt. Push those feelings aside and strive for greater things. Your life is important and where you are right now, does not have to be where you are in the very near future.
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