Think Tank: The Neuro Blog
Caffeine is Not Just in Coffee. Here are Other Alternative Sources For It
If you’re planning to go for an all-nighter, coffee is definitely your first and most dependable choice. It has always been a trusted companion for when you just need that extra energy boost due to its caffeine content. But hey, you’ll be surprised to know that there are other sources of caffeine aside from coffee. But first, what is caffeine? As most know, caffeine is a stimulant for your nervous system. It boosts your alertness and promotes wakefulness by blocking adenosine A2A receptors in the brain. Given that everyone is different, however, it’s important to know that everyone may have a different reaction to caffeine. As others may have a high tolerance for it, few may instantly be triggered even in little doses of it. Regardless, it has that inevitable charm that everybody just can’t seem to unhook. In fact, according to the Food and Drug Authority, about 80% of American adults consume caffeine on a daily basis. Studies have even shown that caffeine withdrawal can yield different effects on the body such as headaches, tiredness, difficulty concentrating, nausea, muscle pain, and irritability. Apart from your everyday pal, coffee, though, a lot of food and drinks do contain caffeine. Some might even surprise you. Chocolates Everyone’s favorite contains caffeine. Cocoa beans, where chocolates come from, have a natural high content of the stimulant. Instead of drinking 2.5 cups of coffee, you can opt for a 100% cocoa chocolate, which equally has 240 mg of caffeine. Better refrain from binge eating on these before going to bed because it will for sure not help when you’re minutes away from dreamland. Green tea Caffeine is naturally occurring in green tea much as it is in black, white, and Oolong tea. Who knew a calming, warm cup of tea has caffeine in it, right? Yes, you heard it right. Together with the amino acid L-theanine, the caffeine in green tea will aid in improving your focus and enhance your attention. Taking in green tea, whether through its pure form or incorporated with your favorite desserts, can also invigorate your mood, alertness, and cognition. Now, just imagine if you’re drinking a dirty matcha, which is a fusion of espresso and matcha. That’s automatically a double dose of caffeine! Energy drinks As the name suggests, energy drinks are supposed to bring you that instant punch with high amounts of caffeine. One of the popular ingredients of most energy drinks, is the native plant called guarana. This plant found at the Amazon is usually used to enhance athletic performance. Energy drinks, however, should not be confused with sports drinks. The latter is consumed in replacement of their drinking water and as a form of rehydration. Its main ingredient, electrolytes, contains minerals such as potassium, calcium, sodium, and magnesium. They are meant to rehabilitate the body’s fluid balance that was being depleted after sweating. Supplements Dietary supplements which have caffeine in them are widely used by a lot of people from different industries, particularly those who need to stay awake and alert for long periods of time. Some use them to quickly boost their short-term energy and focus functions to finish a certain task. The amount of caffeine in these supplements range depending on the brand. Commonly, they contain 100 to 200 mg per tablet, which is more than most cups of coffee, but less than in some energy drinks. They are readily available over the counter, but still, it is recommended to consult your doctor before consuming any of these supplements. Neuro, for instance, is a great example of a new, refreshing way to take your caffeine. It is in a gum and a mint form so it’s a much fun and convenient way to sustain your mental endurance all throughout the day without the thought of having your tongue get burned by a cup of espresso. Also, there is absolutely no shame in being dependent on caffeine! As any other substance, its impact and effect vary per person. It’s just important to be knowledgeable about its other sources for you to track the amount of your intake since anything that’s excessive is bad for you. You know what they say, everything is good in moderation.
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4 Practical Ways to Build Confidence in Yourself
Merriam Webster Dictionary defines confidence as “a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something”. It is a feeling and a state of mind that propels you forward into doing things. It is a strong, intangible force that may determine whether you succeed or fail at something. Do a quick inventory of the people you know and identify at least 5 people who, in your opinion, are confident. What do they have in common? What aura and energy do they exude? What are their personalities like? How do you feel when you’re interacting with them? Confidence affects a person’s self-esteem and the way they interact with people. It influences the way they show up, talk, choose, even the way they eat! Struggling to feel confident? Here are 4 very practical ways that you can start building confidence in yourself. Start with the small things Confidence, as important as it is, doesn't happen overnight. There is no juice, pill, workout, or cleanse that you can do that will make you confident in a snap of a finger. It doesn't work that way. Confidence is a skill that you need to nurture, practice and put effort into so you can see results. You build and increase confidence by accomplishing things, by getting things done. Everyone and their mom were all up in Adele's business when she lost a lot of weight. While people only saw the change in her physical looks, Adele says "it's not even about the weight". She was going through a tough time and she didn't know how to navigate her day but her daily 9 am workouts gave her a semblance of order. She didn't know what would happen throughout the day but showing up at 9 am and allowing herself to get this seemingly small task done every single day gave her a sense of purpose. The more you get things done, the more your confidence increases. Navy SEAL Commander Admiral William McRaven says that making your bed every morning helps you get into the right state of mind for the rest of the day for the simple reason that you’ve already accomplished one thing - you’ve made your bed. This simple act will propel you towards achieving more simple tasks and prepare you to move on to more complex tasks. Invest in yourself Investing in yourself doesn’t just mean buying a whole new wardrobe every time there’s a sale in H&M or Zara. While looking presentable undeniably adds a ton to your confidence tank, investing in what’s inside is equally important as well. Do you need to be an extrovert to be viewed as confident? Not necessarily. Confidence doesn't just mean you’re the life of the party or you know the right things to say, rather it is knowing what to say, how to say and when to say it. How will you know what to say when you don’t know what you’re talking about? Investing in yourself can be in the form of doing new things, enrolling in classes about things you’ve always wanted to learn, or going to places you’ve always wanted to go. If you feel good on the inside, then chances are, you’re going to feel good on the outside. Invest in your health and make sure you’re putting in the mental focus and effort to take care of your health. Practice and prepare Confidence comes from knowing you are good at what you do. How do you get better? You prepare and practice. You do your homework because those who don't get exposed very easily. The “fake it ‘til you make it” culture is not only exhausting physically and emotionally exhausting, but it also lacks finesse and puts your past accomplishments in a precarious situation. It may work for some time, but building your confidence based on whether you can stomach another round of treatment that you know is beneath you, will have a toll on your self-esteem and mental health. It may work in the short term, but it's not a strategy you want to put all your energy in. Building confidence through practice and preparation may be a slow run, but it's sustainable and a win-win. Not only do you get to weed out opportunities and people who are not the right fit for you, but you also build enough discernment to know what's best for you. Want to be confident for a job interview? Research the company you're interviewing for. Find out what their culture is like and talk to people who can give you honest insights. Don't stop there, in order to exude a level of confidence that'll make the hiring manager go crazy about hiring you, you have to treat the interview as a conversation, not an interrogation. How? Ask sensible, thought-provoking questions! Make them sell their company as a workplace that you’d want to spend your working hours, talents and skills at. Be your own cheerleader This one may mean looking inwardly and evaluating years of conditioning, but this is such an important part of building confidence. Ask yourself these questions: Why is it so easy for you to applaud someone for their accomplishments, but so hard for you to recognize your own? Why do you always tend to downplay it and credit it to luck or any other reason, rather than from your very own ability to accomplish it? Why is it so easy to say amazing things to describe someone but a tad too difficult to say something positive about yourself? Why do you get so uncomfortable when someone compliments your work, or your shirt, or your looks? Say you’re doing a major project and 90% of the work was done on time, and 10% was late. How is it that you’re too focused on beating yourself up for the remaining 10% but find it hard to celebrate yourself for the rest? Recognizing that you’re amazing is not being conceited, nor being arrogant. It is an important part of the confidence-building process, therefore shouldn’t be ignored. You can’t say you’re confident, and then beat yourself up for every minuscule thing that didn’t go according to plan. The next time someone asks you about what you do, speak positively about you and your work. Speaking “positively” doesn’t necessarily mean bragging, especially if you stick to the truth. The next time someone asks you to do something at work and it’s out of your bandwidth, refuse politely. Standing up for yourself may be difficult, but setting boundaries is important and people should know you’re serious about them. Most importantly, be patient with yourself. Confidence doesn’t happen overnight and it doesn’t happen very easily. It’s hard work and would require you to step miles away from your comfort zone most of the time. But if you make the first step today, and the second step tomorrow, and so forth, you’ll be surprised at how far you have come. Hero Image by Autumn Goodman on Unsplash
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5 Ways you can Improve your Daily Performance
Our daily lives are inundated with a lot of things - deadlines, news, chores, expectations, goals, etc. We wear different hats for our different roles and sometimes we feel that the 24hrs we have in a day aren’t enough to do everything we need to do. But since we can’t have more time, how do we make sure our day is enough to fit in everything? Everyone only has the same hours in a day, but if we optimize our daily performance, we give value to our time and make sure to spend it doing only the things that add value to us as individuals. Do you need some help in improving your daily performance? Here are some ways you can get started. Plan, Organize & Prioritize Imagine this - you just got off the weekly meeting with your team, and while everyone left with their fair share of tasks for the next week, you feel like you got the majority of the harder ones. You sulk a lot, fidget a little and decide that the world is conspiring against you. How in the world are you going to do all these tasks in the coming week?! Okay, let’s say for the sake of argument that you have a ton of things to do on your to-do list, and they may all seem time-sensitive. But, if you take a closer look at each of them, you’ll see they might not all need to be done “immediately”. Start by organizing them into the bigger categories - which tasks can be grouped together? Which tasks are similar in nature? Which tasks are dependent on another? Then, prioritize each category according to urgency. Which of the tasks is the “mother of all”? Which one needed to be done so the rest can follow? Finally, plan your week and set goals for each day. How much time do you think you’ll need to finish one category? Is it doable within the given time frame, or is your manager asking you to do something impossible? Having a workflow to start your day may also help. Allocate specific time slots in your day to do blocks of work. If you have 8hrs of work, divide by the number of tasks and the time needed to complete each one. For example, which time slots in your day are you reserving for meetings? And for how long? Which time slots are you dedicating to clearing out your inbox? Set aside time for each task and block them in your calendar so you know what exactly you need to be doing at a certain time of each day. Planning helps you identify your goals clearly. Organizing helps you make sense of the chaos that is either in your head or at your desk. It’ll reduce the chances of being overwhelmed and make you see clearly the direction you’re going. Time is a very valuable resource, and learning how to prioritize gives value to where you spend yours. Learn how and when to say “no” and mean it Whether you’re a confident, outgoing extrovert or a shy, timid introvert, saying “no” may be difficult, especially if you’ve been saying “yes” most of your life. If you want to optimize your daily performance, saying “no” might be a skill you need to learn. How many extra tasks at work have you said “yes” to just because you don’t want to offend an officemate? How many meetings did you attend when you really had no business being there in the first place? Learning when and how to say “no” to these things will give you the time you need to do the things you’re actually needed to do. In these instances, learning how to say “no” respectfully will help you avoid awkward conversations and situations. Saying “no” applies to yourself too! Sometimes, you are the distraction to whatever it is you’re doing. You’re distracted by every stimulus and you just can’t help it. Just today, how many times did you check your phone “just because”? When distraction knocks, try saying a loud “no” to refocus yourself. If saying “no” to digital distractions may mean putting yourself on a phone timeout and uninstalling certain apps on your phone during the week (just reinstall them over the weekend), then go do it. Aim for progress, not perfection When you procrastinate and wait for something to be perfect before you do it, you’re going to end up waiting forever. Sorry to burst anyone’s bubble here, but nothing is ever going to be perfect. But that doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful. Perfectionism slows you down. It gets in the way of you being open to other ideas and ways to do things. How many times have you procrastinated working on a project because the “time is not right”? If you focus on progress, on the other hand, it motivates you to keep going. It gives you wins and reasons to celebrate and move forward. Set yourself up for success Setting yourself up for success daily is a key factor in driving up your performance. Making sure that you have an optimal physical working environment is important as well as ensuring that the correct systems and tools are in place. Do you have the right tools and systems to accomplish your tasks? When was the last time you upgraded your computer’s software? Are your systems and tools helping you make progress, or are they slowing you down? Taking advantage of digital resources to make your daily workflow easier will definitely increase your performance too. Can any of your tasks be automated? Can you set up templates so you don’t need to manually do everything? Can you set up SOPs with detailed instructions so other team members can also pitch in on the tasks? Take care of yourself Last but definitely not least, you can improve daily performance by taking care of your most important asset - you. How can you expect yourself to perform at your best when you’re not feeling your best? Burnout is real and it will affect you physically, mentally and emotionally if you don’t do something about it. Your energy and focus are key factors in your success; thus, they should be a priority. Making sure that you get enough sleep, eat healthily, and incorporate a simple fitness regimen in your daily routine will help in improving your daily performance, not just at work, but in life in general. Setting clear boundaries between work and personal life is also important. No one will respect your boundaries if you keep trampling on them. Set them, make them known, and stand by them. You may be on the quest to always be better at what you do, but remember, you are not in this world to work and pay bills. There is a big, beautiful world outside your laptop and it is waiting for you. Take breaks when you need to and buy yourself that *insert whatever is in your online shopping cart* because you’ve been such a hard worker and you deserve it. Hero Image by Adeolu Eletu on Unsplash
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4 Reasons Why It’s Time To Get A Pet
Whether you’re already a pet parent or have admired pets of friends and family (even strangers) from a distance, you know how amazing it can be when you spend time with these little gifts of sunshine walking on four legs. Videos of cute animals receive millions of views every day for the very simple reason that they make people feel better. Pets have that effect on people - they’re too cute and adorable without even trying. Pets are companions that love you without condition and bias. They just simply do! If you’ve already watched a dozen dog videos on YouTube and are thinking of becoming a pet parent but can’t seem to get over the line, here are some reasons that may just help you make up your mind. Pets are an amazing source of comfort and support Imagine this, you come home after a long, hard day at work and the minute you open your front door, you are greeted by your overly excited pet - wagging tail, warm, fluffy, cuddles, and all. It doesn’t matter if you left him alone the entire day, the only thing that matters to him is you’re home. Now, wouldn’t that turn any bad day into a good one, in an instant?? Pets are also known to provide comfort and support during difficult times for the very simple reason that they fulfill the very basic human need for touch. According to research, interacting with animals decreases the stress hormone cortisol and also lowers blood pressure. Oxytocin or the hormone responsible for creating a sense of calm and comfort have been observed to increase in people interacting with animals. Therapy dogs are especially good at reducing hospital and nursing home patients’ stress and anxiety. Dr. Ann Berger from NIH Clinical Center in Maryland shares that mindfulness, a way to help decrease stress and manage pain, is something that animals do innately. Pets can improve your health If you have pets that need exercise and physical movement as part of their routine, chances are you’re going to be moving with them too. Walking your dogs, or cats in a nearby park not only allows them to get the fresh air and physical activity they need, but you also get your daily dose of sunshine and movement as well. A growing number of studies have also shown that kids who grow up surrounded by furry animals are less likely to develop asthma and skin allergies like eczema. Having pets are also proven to reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels while providing a lot of opportunities for socialization! Pets give you purpose Kookai, a fur mom to her furry Dirk, shares that her “little boy” changed her life. She always wanted a pet dog growing up, and one day she just decided to come home with one! Her entire life changed that day, and the rest is history. “Taking care of a dog is the BEST feeling you’ll ever experience in your life. It’s life-changing and it will bring you immeasurable happiness and love. Because of Dirk, I finally understood what unconditional love meant. He made me feel I have a purpose”, shares Kookai. Pets need their owners for survival, and this need gives their owners a sense of purpose and reason. When a living thing depends on you for something, you find it in yourself to deliver and be there for them. Pets make you responsible One very important nugget of wisdom that you have to remember when getting a pet is that it is a living, breathing creature that requires food, water and attention to survive. Not because they’re fluffy, furry and cute doesn’t mean you can leave them lying around when you’re done playing with them just like you would to a stuffed animal. NOPE. Kookai shares one bit of advice to future parents, “Love them as your own. If you want a pet, don’t keep them in a cage nor tie them up. If you’ll only put them in one, then don’t get one. They don’t deserve that kind of life.” Pets require attention, resources and energy from their carers. When you decide that you’re ready for that type of commitment, you knowingly and consciously bear the responsibility that comes with getting yourself a fluffy (or even scaly) companion. While dogs and cats are the common pet options for most people, don’t discount other animals too! Some pet owners choose to take care of fishes, turtles, and tortoises, among others because they are low maintenance and don’t require as much attention compared to dogs and other furry pets. If you feel you’re not yet ready and you still need a bit of time and adjustment before taking the plunge, worry not! There are plenty of other alternatives available for those who want to spend time with animals but are not yet ready to take care of them full time. If you have friends with pets, you can volunteer to be pet sitters for a few hours while they run errands. You can also try and be a volunteer in animal shelters that care for animals that need permanent homes. Hero Image by Eric Ward on Unsplash
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3 Ways Fitness Helps With Mental Health (+ a few tips to help you get started)
When you hear the word “fitness”, what comes to mind first? Abs? Muscles? Weight Loss? Diet? While strong muscles, toned abs, beach body and weight loss are among the commonly known benefits of having a regular fitness routine, being physically fit has benefits that go beyond the obvious. Did you know having a regular fitness routine can also do wonders for your mental health? Seeking professional help is always advisable when it comes to dealing with mental health issues but a great way to complement this is to have a routine that helps you cope and thrive day to day. Here are 3 ways fitness helps boost and improve your mental health: It helps you sleep better 8 hrs of sleep does wonders for your mental health, and having a regular fitness routine increases the likelihood of having a full night’s snooze. Exercising may reduce the amount of time you need to fall asleep and decrease the amount of time you lay awake waiting to fall asleep. Recent research also indicates that exercise helps in realigning your internal body clock and decreases cases of insomnia among patients. Try doing at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercises today and see how it affects your sleep tonight. It leads to increased self-confidence and self-esteem Self-esteem shouldn't be tied with the way you look, rather it should be tied with the way you feel. How are you going to feel confident if you feel sluggish, and have aches and pains all over? If it exhausts you just climbing 2 flights of stairs? Having a regular fitness routine motivates you to set goals relevant to your physical health, and achieving these goals are generally tied to your confidence and sense of self. If you feel good, you’ll look good. If you look good, you’ll feel even better. A regular fitness routine allows you to get to know who you are, what you're capable of and how much you're willing to do to get to your goals. It gives you a sense of community They say “no man is an island” and no matter how much of an introvert you say you are, this can be true for you at certain moments in your life. Isolation and loneliness, according to research, have significant effects on a person’s mental health and will have a negative impact if left unchecked. This is where fitness may come to the rescue; having a regular fitness routine can help you build interpersonal relationships and have a sense of belongingness. Popular YouTube exercise videos encourage you to leave comments, post your workout photos using their hashtags so you can see that you’re not in the journey alone. Other people, who may very well be on the other side of the planet, are doing the same exercise routine as you and are experiencing the same transformation as you. Having a fitness partner, may it be a spouse, a friend, or an entire virtual community will help you be more accountable to yourself and to your goals. If you have a community, the motivation doesn’t just come from your personal resolve, it comes from a group of people who want to see you win. Any exercise routine or activity becomes less like work and more like fun when you share it with someone. Don’t think you can make it work? Sure you can! Try these ultra-easy tips to get started. Start with the basics Having a “fitness routine” doesn’t mean you need a full-on home gym to start. It doesn’t even mean you need to subscribe to a gym. In fact, being fit doesn’t even have to happen inside a gym!If you’re already tired just by watching and reading all these crazy preps and requirements - the equipment, the clothes, the post-workout snacks, etc that the internet is making you do, don’t listen to it. Start with the basics, and move up from there. All you need is your body, and your willingness to move, to get started. Suffering is optional Again, being fit doesn’t only necessarily mean lifting weights, doing crazy pull-ups and push-ups in a gym. If you don’t enjoy that sort of thing, then don’t subject yourself to that kind of suffering! Instead, find something fun and that you enjoy doing. There are a ton of options that are available and it’s absolutely possible that you’ll find something you like. A yoga class, pilates, dance class, sports, or running in the great outdoors are among the popular options! Make the activity something that you like, so your brain can associate it with “fun” instead of “ugggh, here we go again”. Make time Here’s the thing, everyone only has 24 hrs in one day, that’s a fact and there’s nothing you can do about that. If you keep saying “you don’t have time”, then you will never have time. What should you do? Make time! Out of the 24 hrs in your entire day, how much time do you spend in your fitness routine? If you can devote a full hour browsing whatever’s the top story in IG or sifting through tweets or playing another round in your online game, then you can devote 15 mins doing three sets of 1 min planks, 15 squats and 15 lunges. TODAY is better than tomorrow Don’t get caught in the never-ending cycle of “tomorrow, I’ll do it”. Today is yesterday’s tomorrow so you owe it to yourself to get off your butt and move. So what if you can’t do a single push up to save your life? That doesn’t matter! Progress, no matter how small, is always better than perfection. What else are you waiting for? Go on and get moving! Hero Image by Chase Kinney on Unsplash
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You're Stronger Than You Think! Here Are 5 Reasons Why
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” - Mahatma Gandi When do you know you’re strong? Is it when you’re able to lift heavy weights or you’re able to bench press a hundred lbs at the gym? While having physical strength is an advantage in virtually any situation, having mental strength and toughness. Sometimes, when life gives you the hardest battles to fight, and especially when it’s one after another, it seems so much easier to just give up. You find yourself questioning, “what’s the point in fighting if there’s no winning anyway?”. However, most of the time, and contrary to popular belief, winning isn’t everything. The number of times you lost is also the number of times you realized where you went wrong and the number of times that you tried again. Before you raise the white flag and count yourself out of anything, DON’T! You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for, and here are 5 amazing reasons why: You’re still here In all the years of your life, you’ve probably gone through so much and in each of those instances, you probably thought it’s something you wouldn’t get over. But look at yourself, 5 years after that breakup and you’re still here. COVID-19 put everyone’s lives on hold and it’s not something you (or anyone else) could have prepared for, but look at you now, more than a year after, still able to put one foot in front of the other and carry on. All of that, and you’re still here. Beaten down, probably, but given up? Nah. You now know that “quitting” is reserved only for things that are not for you or are not good for you, but never on you. You’ve identified your strongest ally Yup - it’s you. You’re strong because you know you can count on yourself when push comes to shove. You know you got your back when things get hard and you know it now more than you’ve ever known it your entire life. You’re learning to invest in your focus and clarity in the same way that you invest your time and resources in people. You know to say “me too” and prioritize your mental health because you know that a stronger “you” means a stronger friend, parent, employee and person. You know that if you bet on yourself, you’ll never lose. You’re learning to identify your limiting beliefs, breaking them and creating new liberating ones for yourself. You know better than to be in the company of people who are bad for you and who dim your light. You’re learning to narrow your circle and keep only the people who truly, genuinely have your best interests at heart. As a human being, you give yourself the grace to have “human moments” at times. You allow yourself to cry, break down and question the universe. But you pick yourself right back up, start your engine and get back on track. You also realize the time it needs you to transition from the state of wallowing to getting back up is shorter and shorter each time. You already know you’ve got whatever life gives you - because you’ve got you. You've changed and adapted to change Go through your Facebook memories and look at the post you made 10 years ago. Do you think the “you” now would have lost sleep over something that kept you up at night 10 years ago? Probably not. You may not realize it, but you have grown and changed so much throughout your life. You have evolved and continued to do so as you go through life and this has allowed you to survive and thrive amidst all life’s challenges. You know that change is inevitable, and while it’s taking you a little longer to adjust to some of life’s changes, especially those that need you to move out of your comfort zone, you know that it’s an essential process in life and it will only get you to where you need to be. You know when to ask for help While you know that you are your greatest asset, you also know that there are people out there who want to see you win. You build genuine connections with these people and seek their help when you need to. You build mutually beneficial relationships with them and these relationships help give you perspective. You now know that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of being human. You're hopeful To be hopeful is to be optimistic about the future. It’s something you don’t see, something you can’t measure and sometimes, something you don’t even have the evidence for. Life may have brought you down to your knees, but there’s a fire in your heart that although may sometimes dim, can never be extinguished. You know very well to protect this light because it lights your way and motivates your actions. A study published in the Journal of School Psychology posits that hope may be considered a psychological strength that can “protects” adolescents when facing life’s challenges. Your hope makes you optimistic and keeps you going. It tells you what however dire your situation is today, there will be a tomorrow, and that tomorrow is another chance to change things. You’re not wishing for any more problems, no you’re not. But you also know that in life, with all its unpredictable twists and turns, problems will come. And when they do come, you’ll be your usual amazing and resilient self, only so much stronger. Hero Image by Matheus Ferrero on Unsplash
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Are You Stressed? 4 Ways to Calm Down
Here’s something we hear everyday - “stress is all around you”. We may not like it, but we know that it’s true. As human beings, we each have our own encounters in the battlefield with stress and anxiety and some of them may not be very pretty. Have you been feeling stressed lately? There’s no need to raise a white flag and surrender; here are 4 ways to help you calm down. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing Anxiety and stress affects your breathing, and depending on the gravity, it may even feel a little difficult to breathe sometimes. Part of the body’s typical stress response is shallow and upper chest breathing, which oftentimes may feel a little uncomfortable. When this happens, it may feel counterintuitive to physically stop moving, especially if your body is in a state of panic, but stopping and closing your eyes to focus on your breathing may be your best bet. Trying out different types of breathing exercises may help reduce stress and anxiety. If you can, incorporate one or two in your everyday routine by practicing and setting aside as little as 5 minutes every day. Not only will these make you feel better, they will also make your lungs healthier. Side Note: For some people, concentrating on their breathing triggers hyperventilation. If you know that you are one, it is highly recommended to move on to the next tips. Spend time with nature The soothing, healing and restorative power of nature does a great deal to reduce stress and anxiety. This is largely because time with nature gives us perspective and widens our horizons. It makes us aware that there is a bigger world out there where we can find meaning, beauty and purpose; an environment where we can find something we are passionate about. “Spending time with nature” doesn’t necessarily mean going on hikes, or taking long vacations outdoors. It can be as simple as taking a walk in a nearby park, spending your lunch hour in an al fresco garden restaurant, taking time to cuddle and snuggle with your furry pets, tending to your garden or making one at home! In a digital world where online is the norm (an average American spends about 10 hours/day staring at a screen), consciously taking time to disconnect and make time for nature will do wonders to reduce your stress and anxiety. You’ll be surprised - that walk in the park may just be what you need to feel refreshed. Do something that will require your concentration and focus Dealing with stress and anxiety may feel like an uphill battle all the time. It takes up your energy, focus and makes you feel like a rocking chair - always moving but getting nowhere. However, it doesn’t always have to be. Take back your power by redirecting your focus and energy to something else that you enjoy doing. Yoga and meditation are good ways to focus your mind and eliminate the stress-causing noise that seeks to control your mind. Doing these can give you a state of calm, a feeling of peace and a sense of balance which are good for your overall well being. Engaging in physical activities is also a fun and productive way to distract you from the things that trigger your stress and anxiety. Find something that you enjoy doing regularly, whether alone like running, swimming or working out, or with friends like basketball or football, among others. Writing down your thoughts is also a good way to calm you when you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed. When emotions and thoughts jumble in your brain, writing them down may help declutter and make sense of the chaos. Try journaling before you sleep to release your mind from the day’s events and destress you from the day’s worries. As you make it a habit - when you put your pen down, close your journal and get ready for bed, you’ll know that in that night’s battle, you won. Calm down with Neuro Gum & Mints A steady state of mind is always a canvass for success. Take notice of life’s greatest moments - didn’t you start with a sense of regency followed by a sense of calm? As you spend time with nature, journal your thoughts and breathe your stress away, a couple of Neuro Calm and Clarity Mints will seal the deal and take you to that optimal state of calmness and relaxation. Every Neuro Calm and Clarity Mint is expertly developed and infused with GABA, Vitamin D3 and L-theanine. All these ingredients are known to ease tension, calm your nerves and relax you. Identifying your trigger area/s When you’re calmer, less anxious and more relaxed, try to identify where the stress and anxiety are coming from. Identifying these things will help in lessening the stress and anxiety by enabling you to steer clear from things that trigger them. Try to retrace your steps and see what you did prior to feeling stressed. For example, some people feel anxious after watching the news because the majority of what they see and hear are negative. Most importantly, if stress and anxiety affects your daily life in a serious and destructive way, never hesitate to seek professional help. The first step in solving any problem is acknowledging that it exists. The sooner you come to terms with it, the sooner you can regain control of your thoughts and of your life. You don’t just win a battle, you win the war. Hero Image by Emma Simpson on Unsplash
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3 Reasons Why It's Okay to Quit
Let’s talk about something uncomfortable - quitting. How many times in your life were you told that “winners never quit” or “quitters never win”? Most of us have been directly and indirectly conditioned since childhood that in order to succeed at something, we must persevere, we must be relentless and we must never quit. While these sayings may be true at a certain level, the majority of us have been conditioned to take these things in the literal sense - that whatever happens, whether the things that we’re pursuing are hurting us physically, psychologically, mentally and emotionally, we shouldn’t stop, or else we won’t win. The thing is, sometimes you have to quit so you can win. Say for example, you have a problem, and like the go-getter and high achiever that you are, you want to solve it. You have an approach in your mind that you know is going to work. You spend your time working on it. In your ideal world, it would work. But it didn’t. Like a dog with a bone, you hyperfocus on making your approach work. The idea of abandoning it didn’t cross your mind because you’re not a quitter, and you will do whatever it takes even if it makes you lose focus of what the entire situation is all about. Maybe it’s not even a problem to begin with? Maybe if you look at things from a different angle, you would see things differently? But because you’re focused on not quitting, you lose perspective. It might take a lot of mindset shifts in order for you to change the way you look at quitting. If you do plan on quitting anything - be it a job that sucks the life out of you, an abusive relationship, a toxic friendship, or a routine that isn’t doing you any good, here are some reasons that just might encourage you to take that brave step. Quitting doesn’t mean weakness Quitting something doesn’t make you weak. It doesn’t define you and your whole life. Think of it as a representation of a part of your life when you choose to prioritize yourself and the things that matter to you. Quitting doesn’t make you weak, or lost, or confused. In fact, because you quit on something that is making you unhappy, you allow yourself to be a step closer to the things that will make you happy. You’re strong enough to realize that your current situation is not working for you - it’s not aligned with your passion, it’s not sitting well with your values, it’s suffocating the fire in you, and you’re ready to quit. You’re also mentally strong enough to know that there is more to “quitting” than just giving your 2 weeks notice in. You’re strong enough to plan, strategize and make sure that you’re taking calculated risks and the timing is right. That’s not weakness, that’s strength. Quitting isn’t the same as “giving up” on your goals Everybody wants to be a winner, that’s natural. Everybody wants to achieve their goals, live their dream lives and work in their dream jobs - these are normal and intrinsic wants in life. You have to understand that quitting something that is not doing you any good, is not “giving up” on your goals. Rather, it means pursuing other things that are actually good for you to get you closer to your goal. Say for example that your goal is to be at the top of the corporate ladder and you slave away working long hours at a job you hate because “you’ve been there long enough” and it’s your “straight line to the top”. Ask yourself - is that the only way? Are you not meant to enjoy the journey as much as the destination? Quitting encourages you to take a step back and reexamine your goals - are they really what you want? Are they really what would make you happy? Quitting is an investment in you If you bet on yourself, you’ll never lose. Human beings tend to have a psychological quirk described as “escalation of commitment to a failing course of action”. It’s that voice in your head that tells you if you suffer just a little longer, things will eventually work out. Before you know it, you’re stuck at a dead end job or still in a toxic relationship, for years on end. Quitting on the things that are not good for you, is an investment you put towards yourself. It's a conscious step towards regaining control of your time, your energy, your resources, your talents, and then using them on the things that you actually enjoy doing. Quitting can create more space for what matters You only have 24 hours in a day, that’s a fact. If you’re using half of that time to do things that you do not enjoy or spend them with people who are not good for you, you essentially rob yourself of the time, energy and space to do the things that you enjoy and the relationships that can bring out the best in you. "Extra time" don’t magically appear out of thin air, they just don’t. You have to consciously make time for the things that matter, and quitting on things that don’t is a way to allow you to. Quitting allows you to intentionally create space for other opportunities, those that you actually want and enjoy, to come. In conclusion, quitting is hard and it will be uncomfortable, that’s for sure. It might mean moving out of your comfort zone and losing your sense of familiarity. But it might also mean giving yourself the opportunity to rediscover your identity, your strengths and your passion. It might allow you to do and experience the things that truly bring you joy and make you excited to wake up in the mornings. For these and more, don’t the rewards far outweigh the risks? Hero Image by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash
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Quit Binge Eating With These 6 Tips
It’s half past ten in the evening and for some reason, you just can’t sleep. You tossed and turned for a few more minutes and then finally gave up on the idea of a snooze. You picked up your phone and almost instantaneously, you heard a “ding” - your handy dandy food app just told you that the fastfood a few blocks away can deliver your favorite pizza in a few minutes. What do you do? If you’re one of those people who manages to put down the phone and tries to fall asleep again, then good for you. If you’re not, then you’re probably finished half of the pizza, like the rest of us, and you’re not even hungry to begin with. They say “eat when you’re hungry, not when you’re bored”, but when you’re at the cusp of stuffed crust pizza with lots of melted mozzarella (or whatever food you’re into), how do you even tell which is which? You probably have struggled with binge eating before and you’ve seen and felt the after effects. Shame, guilt, bloating - we’ve all been there and it may sound trivial, but when you’re almost always at the receiving end of these things, it stops being funny. Want to quit those nasty binge eating habits? Try these 6 tips: Know your why and remind yourself of it Why do you want to stop binge eating? The “why” is different for each person because we are motivated by different reasons. “I want to be healthy.” “I want to be able to grow old with my kids.” “I want to travel the world.” Know yours by heart and sit with it. Remember it with every slow breath you take everytime you’re confronted with the temptation to binge eat. It’ll be hard, oh it will be very hard, but your “why” will pull you back. Write it on a piece of paper, stick it on the fridge door, make it a screensaver on your phone, or write it on a post-it-note next to your laptop. Whatever you need to do to see it and be reminded of it, go do it. Your “why” will not only “taste” better than a pizza, it’ll last you a lot longer too than the 30 seconds of glory you’ll have after eating a slice. Don’t deprive yourself In a society where it’s almost always a norm to see people being celebrated for their amazing bodies and 6-pack abs, it’s not difficult to get people to subscribe to whatever diet they see that promises such outcomes. As a result, a plethora of fad diets and programs that promise to give you drastic weight loss results have taken over the world by storm. How many IG influencers in your newsfeed say they’ve done at least one kind of diet? One key component of these diets though, is restriction. If you come to think of it though, as human beings, don’t we always want the one thing we’re told we can’t have? The more you deprive yourself of one thing, the harder your mind tells you you want it, and the more stressful it becomes to keep the cravings and urges under control. Oftentimes, binge eating happens in a state of mindlessness. To counter this, try incorporating mindful eating practices like eating slowly and without distraction and engaging yourself in the full experience of your meal. Simple habits like appreciating your food, and not just gulfing it down, will make you more conscious of what you put in your body. Stay Hydrated Water helps you feel full - simple, effective and cheap. Try carrying a bottle of water with you at all times so you can easily drink when you need to. When you’re full, a slice of even the most mouth watering pizza will be less attractive. You can’t eat what’s not there If you do grocery shopping, then you can dictate what’s going to be in your pantry. As such, buy items that you know will be good for you. You can’t binge eat a gallon of ice cream while watching Netflix on a Sunday night, if it’s not there. If food apps are what’s keeping you awake at night, delete them! Or at least turn off all notifications so you’re tempted to order every single time there’s a new burger joint in town. You can also try meal planning! Hundreds of meal planning tips and templates are available online, each one can be customized according to your preference. Find a fitness routine that works for you A fitness routine is a win-win when it comes to binge eating. Not only will it distract from wanting to eat at a given time, it will also make you burn calories! It is important to find a fitness routine that works for YOU - remember, it is you who’s going to do it so it’s imperative that it fits your lifestyle, your energy level, your time and your capacity to commit. If you have 20 minutes to yourself every morning, why not try yoga and meditation? Or if you have a park or even a road nearby, how about going for a 3km run? Whatever sports or activity that gets you off the couch and moving, even if it’s just for a few minutes a day, is already a step in the right direction. Don’t be scared to get help What happens when “harmless” binge eating habits turn into a far more serious eating disorder? “Binge eating disorder (BED) is a severe, life-threatening, and treatable eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food (often very quickly and to the point of discomfort); a feeling of a loss of control during the binge; experiencing shame, distress or guilt afterwards; and not regularly using unhealthy compensatory measures (e.g., purging) to counter the binge eating.” BED may be severe and life-threatening, but the operative word is “treatable”. There is absolutely no shame in asking for help! Resources are readily available at your disposal. Gone are the days when disorders like these are unrecognized and swept under the rug. The earlier you detect it, the sooner you’ll be on your road to recovery. In conclusion, binge eating may feel gratifying the moment you’re doing it, but like how all bad things that camouflage as good will eventually show their true colors, the feeling isn’t going to last. Eating should be a happy, light and feel-good way of bringing people together. Let’s not confuse it with “overeating”. The next time you’re tempted to binge eat, what are you going to do? Hero Image by Marcel Heil on Unsplash
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