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8 Mental Blocks That May Be Affecting Your Thinking Without You Even Noticing
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Telling Yourself You Can’t
By saying “I can’t”, you’re creating powerlessness, one of the hardest mental blocks to overcome.
You have decided your potential is limited, and have given up on yourself before even trying. Working to make your goals a reality, you can learn more about yourself and figure out your possibilities.
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Lacking Support
Your friends choose to be a part of your life, and they are your biggest fans. If you need a pep talk, just give them a call or text during the day, and they are sure to encourage you.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, you might just find out that some are worth even more than just a good time.
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Improper Nutrition And Hydration
Your brain needs glucose, oxygen, and fluids to perform at its best. These mental blocks are easily solved by listening to your body’s demands.
If you are feeling frustrated, try grabbing a glass of water and a couple of snacks. Re-evaluate how you feel 10-15 minutes after consuming both fuel sources, and you’ll probably realize you feel much better.
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Lack Of Sleep
Sleep is something that your body and mind need to be able to recuperate and combat stress on a daily basis. Some function relatively well with a few hours of sleep every night, but most need at least eight hours of sleep a day.
If you feel you are at the end of your ability to handle stressors, try taking a nap or going to bed early that night.
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Frustration From Getting Nowhere
If your head hurts from trying to solve issues, take a small break. Doing this can reset your mind and clear the mental blocks that have been building throughout the day.
Walk away from the situation for a minimum of 10 minutes and close your eyes. Start relaxing your muscles from forehead to feet. Picture yourself somewhere else.
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Setting Unrealistic Goals
Your mood and health will suffer, as well as your belief in yourself if you set yourself unrealistic goals.
Dividing a larger goal into bite-sized chunks will make it a lot easier to digest throughout the years.
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Motivation And Meaning
There are stagnant periods in life, but you don’t have to remain stuck for long.
It may not add progress to your current life goal, but try donating your time to an organization that interests you. The surroundings and people working with you could provide inspiration to push you past your current mental blocks, while you are likely doing the same for them.
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Getting Aggressive
Acting while your mind is in a state of unrest can result in people being hurt physically and emotionally. Once you’ve calmed down, it will most likely hurt you in return.
After you’ve cooled off, try discussing the problem to resolve whatever issue is bothering you.
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SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
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Key Ideas
Freewrite
When you are feeling stuck, start writing about whatever is on your mind.
Set aside 10 to 15 minutes. It may start out as a page of gibberish, but soon ideas will start to flow.
Tackle smaller tasks first
If you feel overwhelmed by how little you have progressed, switch to working on mindless tasks that require little attention and allow the mind to wander. Wash the dishes, organize your bookshelf, or do laundry.
By accomplishing small wins, you develop momentum and confidence to overcome your mental block.
Change your environment
- Having a neat, organized desk will improve your productivity and focus.
- A messy space can enhance creativity and help you gain fresh insights.
Play around with your home or office environment and discover what works best for you.
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Describing mental fatigue
It is the feeling that your brain just won't function properly. People will describe it as brain fog. You can't concentrate, and simple tasks take too long. You find th...
Causes of mental fatigue
Contributing factors to mental fatigue are poor nutrition, lack of sleep, hormonal imbalances, or cognitive overload. Cognitive overload can take the following forms:
- When you focus on a single task for an extended period of time.
- When you spread your attention across too many things.
- Worrying about tasks. It is as mentally taxing as doing the task.
Give your brain high-quality fuel
Your brain is fuelled with the same food as your muscles. What you eat has an enormous impact on your cognitive functioning.
- Cut down on refined sugars as it decreases alertness. Aim for sustained energy levels throughout the day.
- Plan your meals in advance. If you wait until you're hungry, you're already low on energy and willpower and will reach for a quick energy boost in the form of sugar.
- Don't skip breakfast. Without it, you may likely crash in the middle of the morning. Eat more eggs, yogurt, and oatmeal to sustain your energy levels until lunch.
- Snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon to give your body consistent fuel.
- Stay hydrated with water. Mild hydration can negatively impact cognitive performance.
- Listen to your body to figure out what makes you feel best. The same nutrition advice won't work for everyone.
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Restrict yourself
Research suggests placing self-imposed limitations can boost creativity.
It forces your brain to come up with creative solutions to finish a project around the parameters you’ve ...
Re-conceptualize the problem
Instead of thinking of a cut-and-dry end goal to certain situations, creative people sit back and examine the problem in different ways before beginning to work.
If you find yourself stagnating by focusing on generic problems, try to re-conceptualize the problem by focusing on a more meaningful angle.
For example: Instead of thinking “What would be something cool to paint?” rather ask, “What sort of painting evokes the feeling of loneliness that we all encounter after a break-up?”
Create psychological distance
Creating “psychological” distance may be useful for breaking through a creative block.
Try to imagine your creative task as being disconnected and distant from your current position/location - this may make the problem more accessible and can encourage higher level thinking.