"Henry Ford said it best: “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.” Thinking is not only hard—it’s the single most important thing in life. Remember: The quality of our thoughts determines the quality of our lives. And our decisions are a result of our thoughts."

Thinking 

Quality of our thoughts determines the quality of our lives. 

I know something about you without knowing you. I bet you spend A LOT of time in your head. You know, thinking, worrying, stressing, freaking out -- call it whatever you want. I call it a preoccupied mind. And with what? 99% of your thoughts are useless. William James, once the leading psychologist in America, and one of the founders of the philosophical school of pragmatism, put it best: "A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices." Pragmatism believes that the mind is a tool. Your mind should work for you, not against you. People who don't master their mind, don't believe it's possible. They say: "I can't help but thinking these things." Well, you can TAKE CONTROL of your mind with enough practice. I've done it. And in THINK STRAIGHT, I share exactly how. It's a quick read and you can use it to immediately to improve your thinking. You have the ability to decide what you think. Or, you can choose NOT to think. And that is one of the most important and most practical things you can learn in life. Before I learned that skill, I would spend hours and hours inside my head. Just think about how much you think. - "I wonder what my boss thinks?" - "What happens if I screw up and lose my job?" - "What if my business never takes off?" - "Does she love me?" - "Why does my life suck?" - "What if I get cancer?" - "I can't finish anything. What's wrong with me? And the list goes on. THINK STRAIGHT reveals the recipe for taking control of your mind so you can improve your life, career, relationships, business. I wrote this little book in a way that you can read it more than once. And I hope that this book serves as an anchor to you--especially during trying times. The mind is the most powerful tool on earth. Change the way you think. And you'll change your life.

philosophy

Philosophy

health

Health

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

books

Books

I know something about you without knowing you. I bet you spend A LOT of time in your head. You know, thinking, worrying, stressing, freaking out -- call it whatever you want. I call it a preoccupied mind. And with what?99% of your thoughts are useless. William James, once the leading psychologist in America, and one of the founders of the philosophical school of pragmatism, put it best:"A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."Pragmatism believes that the mind is a tool. Your mind should work for you, not against you. People who don't master their mind, don't believe it's possible.They say: "I can't help but thinking these things."Well, you can TAKE CONTROL of your mind with enough practice. I've done it. And in THINK STRAIGHT, I share exactly how. It's a quick read and you can use it to immediately to improve your thinking.You have the ability to decide what you think. Or, you can choose NOT to think.And that is one of the most important and most practical things you can learn in life. Before I learned that skill, I would spend hours and hours inside my head.Just think about how much you think.- "I wonder what my boss thinks?"- "What happens if I screw up and lose my job?"- "What if my business never takes off?"- "Does she love me?"- "Why does my life suck?"- "What if I get cancer?"- "I can't finish anything. What's wrong with me?And the list goes on.THINK STRAIGHT reveals the recipe for taking control of your mind so you can improve your life, career, relationships, business.I wrote this little book in a way that you can read it more than once. And I hope that this book serves as an anchor to you--especially during trying times.The mind is the most powerful tool on earth. Change the way you think. And you'll change your life.

Darius Foroux (pronounced as Da-reeus Fo-roo) is the author of 7 books, and the creator of 6 online courses. He writes about productivity, business, and wealth building. His ideas and work have been featured in TIME, NBC, Fast Company, Inc., Observer, and many more publications. Until now, more than 30 million people have read his articles.

Darius Foroux

THINK STRAIGHT: Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life

Think Straight

It was only when I came across the disease in a #nasdaily video with #billgates which talks about the disease, which although not preventable, has very limited medical treatment available.The disease is the second most common causes of blindness after Trachoma. Affected patients can develop eye lesions (tumour or wound) which can lead to visual impairment and permanent blindness.

Introduction

The disease is caused in huge numbers in tropical countries where there is vegetation and high density.The disease is prevalent in Kenya The carriers of the infection are the black flies in areas where there is rich combination of agricultural soil and water bodies.In lesser developed areas of the world, especially the remote places, are the biggest victims of this dangerous disease.Symptoms include severe itching, disfiguring skin conditions, and visual impairment, including permanent blindness.

Causes

When the infected black flies repeatedly bite humans, it leaves larvae of the worms which grow on to be adult worms and spread the disease in the body.These worms then migrate to different parts of the organs like the eyes and can cause visual impairment or permanent blindness.

Development of the Disease

Although no proper cure or vaccine exists for the disease, WHO recommends using ivermectin to treat the disease for 10-15 years. The antibiotic doxycycline weakens the worms by killing an associated bacterium called Wolbachia, and is recommended by some as well.The only measures of prevention can be proper clothing to avoid bites, sanitation, spreading of insecticides and medical check ups to detect the disease early on.Source of information- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/onchocerciasis

Cure and Prevention

More than 99% of infected people live in 31 African countries. The disease also exists in some foci in Latin America and Yemen.The Global Burden of Disease Study estimated in 2017 that there were 20.9 million prevalent O. volvulus infections worldwide: 14.6 million of the infected people had skin disease and 1.15 million had vision loss.

How prevalent is the disease?

Diseases like this are lesser known in bigger countries and thus creates ignorance. Having known these details helps us to identify any such real life cases and to treat them as well.

I gave Bill Gates a dead fly as a "gift". 

See, this will never make it to the world news, but did you know that we just beat a disease in a country in... 53 comments on LinkedIn

Do you know about River Blindness (Onchocerciasis)?

At the end of Autumn and start Winter, I suffered quite a bad bout of depression. I still have My moments, but now I am back to feeling quite motivated and I will tell You how I achieved that systematically, without Anyone else’s help.Fck Other People and The Advice that is never there, Friends that are always missing, Lovers that never show up at Your Home, People that know You that don’t give You what You really want. Sorry, but I don’t have time for any of those People. I’m just going to move on to the Person Who DOES give Me attention and Who I can have reciprocal Love with.

Planning Your Time And How It Attacks Depression! 

So I made up a DAILY PLAN for the next THREE WEEKS…It generally went like this…<ul><li>Alarm, Meds, Feed Cat, Breakfast, Reading</li><li>Put washing on, start work </li><li>Shower, get ready, iron outfit</li><li>Hang out washing, tidy up kitchen, laundry, bathrooms </li><li>Lunch, Social Media </li><li>Work </li><li>Exercise </li><li>Feed Cat, Cook Dinner </li><li>Eat Dinner, Social Media </li><li>Work </li><li>Meds, Feed Cat </li><li>Something fun and different every night </li><li>Bedtime, Social Media, Reading </li></ul>

The Ensuing Schedule...

You know, it’s People that are RICH AND FAMOUS that convinced Me to do things like this. Maybe not the washing – that’s a personal obsession that no Other fcker can wash clothes as well as I can (except MUM ❤). I am very particular with My clothes. I can’t pay People to look after them as well as I would like them to, so I have to do it. That’s the way My Life is atm. OK. I am accepting of it. I will work to fit it in My day because I don’t want to get around in daggy-arse clothes.

Qveen comin' back with a brand new style...

<ul><li>Clearer thinking allows more accurate functional processes</li><li>Helps with success</li><li>Achieves more</li><li>Expends less energy</li><li>Expends less will power</li><li>Preparation is thrifty</li><li>Preparation means You are provided for</li><li>Less stress</li><li>More involvement</li><li>The project can be on a grander scale</li><li>In sync with nature</li><li>You’ll remember more</li><li>You’ll free up thinking room for ideas</li><li>You’ll become more organised</li><li>More can be considered</li><li>Different thinking processes are used</li><li>Perhaps more resources can be accessed as You have more forethought.</li><li>Perhaps more knowledge can be applied and research done</li><li>As success grows it effects happiness</li></ul>

Reasons For Wanting Scheduling 📅 

THREE WEEKS LATER…I am feeling not too bad! I am lacking emotional support, so in the end, that is something that really matter I do believe. We are not on this planet to be floating Alone.The individual cannot become Human by Himself. Self-being is only real in communion with another Self-being. Alone I sink into isolation.

Personal Results...

Great ideas on why organising Your time works!

At the end of Autumn and start Winter, I suffered quite a bad bout of depression. I still have My moments, but now I am back to feeling quite motivated and I will tell You how I achieved that systematically, without Anyone else's help. Fuck Other People and The Advice that is never there, The…

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

habits

Habits

timemanagement

Time Management

Success with Planning Your Time

Track gratitude and achievement with a journal. Include 3 things you were grateful for and 3 things you were able to accomplish each day.

1. A Gratitude Journal

Start your day with a cup of co­ffee. Coff­ee consumption is linked to lower rates of depression. If you can’t drink coff­ee because of the caff­eine, try another good-for-you drink like green tea.

2. Coffee Or Green Tea

Experiment with a new recipe, write a poem, paint or try a Pinterest project. Creative expression and overall well-being are linked.

3. Try Something New

Boost brainpower by treating yourself to a couple pieces of dark chocolate every few days. The flavanoids, caffeine, and theobromine in chocolate are thought to work together to improve alertness and mental skills.

4. Eat Dark Chocolate

Go off the grid.  Leave your smart phone at home for a day and disconnect from constant emails, alerts, and other interruptions. Spend time doing something fun with someone face-to-face.

5. Screens Off! 

Go ahead and yawn.  Studies suggest that yawning helps cool the brain and improves alertness and mental efficiency.

6. Yawn It Out

Relax in a warm bath once a week. Try adding Epsom salts to soothe aches and pains and help boost magnesium levels, which can be depleted by stress.

7. Warm Bath + Relax 

Do your best to enjoy 15 minutes of sunshine , and apply sunscreen. Sunlight synthesizes Vitamin D, which experts believe is a mood elevator.

8. Grab The Sun 

1. Track gratitude and achievement with a journal. Include 3 things you were grateful for and 3 things you were able to accomplish each day.
 
2. Start your day with a cup of co­ffee. Coff­ee consumption is linked to lower rates of depression. If you can’t drink coff­ee because of the caff­eine, try another good-for-you drink like green tea. 
 

mentalhealth

Mental Health

8 Tips To Boost Your Mental Health

<ol><li>At wake up, try to remember your dream.</li><li>Make your bed. Our brain loves order. Spatial disorder is a sign of mental disorder</li><li>Brush your teeth with your opposite hand</li><li>Take a tall glass of water</li><li>Cold shower (if you can)</li><li>Some tea with honey</li><li>Put something on your journal. Don't touch your phone</li><li>Brain foods to include some in your breakfast: avocado, blueberries, broccoli, coconut oil, eggs, salmon</li><li>Read a book. This is the best moment where your brain is alert, so sharpen your knife first.</li></ol>

9 morning routine steps to have a better brain

Make the most of your most important asset: your brain

Do you want to stay up to date with every new episode and get my brand new Kwik Brain Accelerator Program? JOIN 👉 https://kwikbrain.com/ Check out the full interview here! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkfFLU4h9cc  SUBSCRIBE for more Kwik Brain tips:  https://www.youtube.com/kwiklearning?sub_confirmation=1  FOLLOW JIM:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimkwik/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimkwik Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jimkwikofficial/ Website: https://KwikBrain.com/

career

Career

Do you want to stay up to date with every new episode and get my brand new Kwik Brain Accelerator Program? JOIN 👉 https://kwikbrain.com/ 

Check out the full interview here! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkfFLU4h9cc

SUBSCRIBE for more Kwik Brain tips: 
https://www.youtube.com/kwiklearning?sub_confirmation=1

FOLLOW JIM: 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimkwik/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimkwik
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jimkwikofficial/
Website: https://KwikBrain.com/

Jim Kwik, founder of Kwik Learning and NYT bestselling author, is a renowned brain performance and memory improvement expert. As a brain coach, his clientele includes CEOs, athletes, celebrities, and high-achievers. Kwik overcame a traumatic brain injury at age 5 and personal learning struggles, developing methods to unleash the limitless potential of the mind. He has been sharing these methods for over three decades.

As a sought-after speaker, Kwik presents to a quarter-million people live yearly. His accelerated learning academy, Kwik Learning, has students across 195 countries. His esteemed clientele features Google, Virgin, Nike, Zappos, Wordpress, SpaceX, U.S. Air Force, Cleveland Clinic, Caltech, Harvard, and Singularity University.

Jim also hosts “Kwik Brain,” one of the top educational podcasts on iTunes with 50+ million downloads.

Follow his mission: “No brain left behind” @JimKwik.


Jim Kwik

Use This TRICK To 10x Your Learning SPEED!  | Jim Kwik & Lewis Howes

This is where hope lives for all of us - the unique adaptability of our miraculous brains.what has happened to us in past shapes who are we , how we behave and how we do things.Through the lens we can build a renewed sense of self worth and ultimately recalibrate our responses to circumstances, situations and relationships.it is in other words, the key to reshape our lives.

What Happened To You?

Not only is “what happened to you?” The key question of you want to understand someone, you need to understand their brain.In other words, personal history, people and places in your life influences your brain development. The result is they each of the brains are unique. Our life experiences shape our lives and each one of us looks and perceives world in their own way.This is why asking “ What happened to you?” Is so important in understanding what’s going on with you now.

Making Sense Of The World.

How much do you think about your heart?since before you were born, that miraculous machine has been steadily pumping energy of life throughout your body. Day in, day out at least 115,000 beats each day, with sole purpose of keeping you alive.

Seeking Balance 

Given love, the unloved can become loving .if you are loved , you learn to love The capacity to love is the core of the success of human kind, the reason we have survived on this planet is that we have been able to form and maintain effective groups. Isolated and disconnected, we are vulnerable.Relational glue keeps our species alive, and love is relational super glue.

How We Were Loved 

As you revisit your past, know that no matter what happened simply being here, alive makes you worthy. And know that there is hope.wellness is possible.It happens one moment, one step at a time.

The Spectrum Of Trauma 

making the connection, finally understanding both cause and effect of myself is a game changer for me.As you consider your individual response patterns, know that by putting a small moment of space between the immediate feeling and your instinctive reaction, you are allowing yourself to stay in present and ultimately regain control.

Connecting The Dots 

What ever your past experience created in your brain, you can’t just delete them. You can’t get rid of the past.Therapy is more about new associations. This is why understanding how resume impacts your health for everyone.

From Coping To Healing 

We take our focus off the tragedy, move on with our lives, telling ourselves that “they” will be okay.The impact of trauma doesn’t simply fade away.We can help each other heal, but often assumptions about resilience and girt blind us to the healing that leads us down the painful path to wisdom.

Post Traumatic Wisdom 

Very often, “what happened” takes years to reveal itself. It takes courage to comfort our actions, peel back the layers of trauma in our lives and expose the raw truth of our past. But this is where healing begins

Our Brains, Our Biases, Our Systems 

It is easy to be discouraged and overwhelmed by many problems in the society, to be demoralized by the many problems in our society and trauma that are all too pervasive in our world.our world is filled with so many kind, capable and creative people.We will continue to discover, invent and learn.We can make our world a safer , more just, and humane place for all.

What We Need Now 

Our earliest experiences shape our lives far down the road, and What Happened to You? provides powerful scientific and emotional insights into the behavioral patterns so many of us struggle to understand.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Our earliest experiences shape our lives far down the road, and What Happened to You? provides powerful scientific and emotional insights into the behavioral patterns so many of us struggle to understand. “Through this lens we can build a renewed sense of personal self-worth and ultimately recalibrate our responses to circumstances, situations, and relationships. It is, in other words, the key to reshaping our very lives.”—Oprah Winfrey This book is going to change the way you see your life. Have you ever wondered "Why did I do that?" or "Why can't I just control my behavior?" Others may judge our reactions and think, "What's wrong with that person?" When questioning our emotions, it's easy to place the blame on ourselves; holding ourselves and those around us to an impossible standard. It's time we started asking a different question. Through deeply personal conversations, Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry offer a groundbreaking and profound shift from asking “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” Here, Winfrey shares stories from her own past, understanding through experience the vulnerability that comes from facing trauma and adversity at a young age. In conversation throughout the book, she and Dr. Perry focus on understanding people, behavior, and ourselves. It’s a subtle but profound shift in our approach to trauma, and it’s one that allows us to understand our pasts in order to clear a path to our future—opening the door to resilience and healing in a proven, powerful way.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Our earliest experiences shape our lives far down the road, and What Happened to You? provides powerful scientific and emotional insights into the behavioral patterns so many of us struggle to understand. “Through this lens we can build a renewed sense of personal self-worth and ultimately recalibrate our responses to circumstances, situations, and relationships. It is, in other words, the key to reshaping our very lives.”—Oprah Winfrey This book is going to change the way you see your life. Have you ever wondered "Why did I do that?" or "Why can't I just control my behavior?" Others may judge our reactions and think, "What's wrong with that person?" When questioning our emotions, it's easy to place the blame on ourselves; holding ourselves and those around us to an impossible standard. It's time we started asking a different question. Through deeply personal conversations, Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry offer a groundbreaking and profound shift from asking “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” Here, Winfrey shares stories from her own past, understanding through experience the vulnerability that comes from facing trauma and adversity at a young age. In conversation throughout the book, she and Dr. Perry focus on understanding people, behavior, and ourselves. It’s a subtle but profound shift in our approach to trauma, and it’s one that allows us to understand our pasts in order to clear a path to our future—opening the door to resilience and healing in a proven, powerful way.

As the visionary and leader behind OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and formerly the supervising producer and host of the top-rated, award-winning “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” Oprah has entertained and inspired millions of viewers to live their best lives. Her accomplishments as a global media leader and philanthropist have established her as one of the most respected and admired public figures today.

Oprah Winfrey

Bruce D. Perry is an American psychiatrist, currently the senior fellow of the Child Trauma Academy in Houston, Texas and an adjunct professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois.

Bruce D. Perry

What Happened to You?

<ul><li>If you think it's gross that there are <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/vegan-nail-polish-zoya-sparitual_n_1896463">beetles in your nail polish</a>, you're not going to like this truth about lipstick.</li></ul>

Beetles In Your Nail Polish!! 

<ul><li>Anyone who has read <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rainbow-fish-marcus-pfister/1100058470?ean=9781558580091">The Rainbow Fish </a>knows that fish scales have a certain pearly quality to them. </li><li>That glow makes them a <a href="http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/guanine">commonly used ingredient </a>in various shimmery makeup, lipstick included.</li><li>When scales, which have been used to create that same pearl-like look in jewelry, are layered on top of one another, they have a crystallized effect. </li></ul>

The Rainbow Fish

<ul><li>As light hits the plane of each crystal, some light is reflected back, and some keeps going down until it hits another crystal. </li><li>As light gets thrown up, in a diffuse way, from many different levels, the scales seem to emanate light from within. </li><li>Slather enough layers on a bead, and it has a glowing, pearlescent quality. If it works on a bead, it must do the same for lipstick.</li></ul>

The Physics Behind It 

<ul><li><a href="http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/guanine">Check the ingredients list for guanine</a>, the name by which this crystalline substance made from fish scales is typically listed.</li><li>And if slathering on fish scales just isn't your thing, try out<a href="http://www.peta.org/living/beauty/red-lipsticks-bold-cruelty-free-look/"> PETA-approved lipsticks </a>instead.</li></ul>

How Can You Tell If Your Makeup Contains It? 

food

Food

fashion

Fashion & Beauty

marketingandsales

Marketing & Sales

💄Fish Scales in Your Lipstick? Are You Kidding Me? 

In many sleep studies, the first night of sleep is omitted. This is because of the “first night effect,” or getting poor sleep on the first night of being in a new place. Fortunately, there are several tips based on consistency that may help with getting good sleep while on the road.

Practical Tips To Sleep Well During Travel

We can’t control every aspect of a hotel room or guest room, but we can do some things to make the space more comfortable. You might consider bringing a set of physical items to maintain similar conditions that you have while at home. <ul><li>Some sleep researchers have mentioned bringing your own pillow when you sleep somewhere new. </li><li> White noise machines and calming scents could also be helpful with falling asleep and staying asleep at a new place. White noise machines can mask the sound of a noisy environment, and essential oils may be used to help with sleep quality and falling asleep more easily. </li></ul>

Create A Travel Pack For Your Sleep

Maintaining similar sleep practices from at home while on the road may help with sleeping well in new places. <ul><li>Some people journal about their days, plan for the next day, and meditate before bed. Others have more simple rituals that just involves brushing their teeth and putting on night clothing. </li><li> Any behaviors that you engage in before bed should be calming. </li><li>These rituals may not be identical during travel, but having some similar bedtime routine will aid in forging consistency between your sleep environment at home and others during travel. </li></ul>

Try to maintain sleep rituals during travel. 

Identify the sleep timing (bed time and wake time) that helps you get enough sleep at home, and maintain that timing during travel. <ul><li>Travel during times that will allow you to maintain a similar sleep/wake schedule. Avoid early morning travel or red-eye flights if they would interfere with the time that you would normally be sleeping. </li><li>Most importantly, do not attempt to drive after having little to no sleep. For your safety and the safety of others, don’t drive for long time intervals without getting adequate rest. </li></ul>

Sleep at the same times as you would normally. 

It can be difficult to get good sleep while on the road. Traveling during the holidays can sometimes mean not getting enough sleep and sleeping poorly. Here are some practical tips to maintain high quality sleep during travel.

A trip away from home often means poor sleep. We’ve all been there. After having done quite a bit of traveling myself, I can attest to that fact. Traveling for conferences, visiting family, friends…

Practical Tips To Sleep Well During Travel: Forging Consistency

Before you start working toward improving your mental focus, you might want to begin by assessing just how strong your mental focus is at the present moment.<ul><li>You find it easy to stay alert</li><li>You set goals and break tasks up into smaller parts</li><li>You take short breaks, then get back to work</li></ul>Second set of statements: <ul><li>You daydream regularly</li><li>You can't tune out distractions</li><li>You lose track of your progress</li></ul>

Assess Your Mental Focus 

If the first set of statements seems more your style, then you probably already have fairly good concentration skills, but you could be even stronger with a little practice.If you identify more with the second set of statements, then you probably need to work on your mental focus quite a bit. It might take some time, but practicing some good habits and being mindful of your distractibility can help.

Is It Good Or Bad? 

While it may sound obvious, people often underestimate just how many distractions prevent them from concentrating on the task at hand. One way to deal with this is to seek out a calm location where you know you will be able to work undisturbed. The library, a private room in your house, or even a quiet coffee shop might all be good spots to try.A few strategies you might want to try to minimize or eliminate such internal distractions are to make sure you are well-rested prior to the task and to use <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-positive-thinking-2794772">positive thoughts </a>and imagery to fight off anxiety and worry.

1. Eliminate Distractions

While <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/multitasking-2795003">multitasking </a>may seem like a great way to get a lot done quickly, it turns out that people are actually rather bad at it. Juggling multiple tasks at once can dramatically cut down on productivity and makes it much harder to hone in on the details that are truly important.Think of your <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-attention-2795009">attention </a>as a spotlight. If you shine that spotlight on one particular area, you can see things very clearly. If you were to try to spread that same amount of light across a large dark room, you might instead only glimpse the shadowy outlines.Try to give your full attention to one thing at a time.

2. Limit Your Focus 

You have probably heard people talk about the importance of "<a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/use-this-simple-brain-hack-to-finally-stop-worrying-2337510">being present </a>." It's all about putting away distractions, whether they are physical (your mobile phone) or psychological (your anxieties) and being fully mentally engaged in the current moment.It may take some time but work on learning to truly live in the moment. You cannot change the past and the future has not happened yet, but what you do today can help you avoid repeating past mistakes and pave a path for a more successful future.

3. Live In The Moment

Mindfulness is a hot topic right now, and for good reason. Despite the fact that people have practiced forms of mindfulness meditation for thousands of years, its many <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/mindfulness-the-health-and-stress-relief-benefits-3145189">health benefits </a>are only recently starting to be understood.Practicing mindfulness can involve learning how to meditate, but it can also be as simple as trying a quick and easy <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-reduce-stress-with-breathing-exercises-3144508">deep breathing exercise </a>.

4. Practice Mindfulness

Start by taking several deep breaths while really focusing on each and every breath. When you feel your mind naturally begin to wander, gently and uncritically guide your focus back to your deep breathing.While this might seem like a deceptively simple task, you may find that it is actually much more difficult than it appears. Fortunately, this breathing activity is something you can do anywhere and anytime. Eventually, you will probably find that it becomes easier to disengage from intrusive thoughts and return your focus to where it belongs.

5. Quick Tip To Regain Focus 

Shift your attention to something unrelated to the task at hand, even if it is only for a few moments. These short moments of respite might mean that you are able to keep your mental focus sharp and your performance high when you really need it.

6. Take Short Breaks 

Building your mental focus is not something that will happen overnight. Even professional athletes require plenty of time and practice in order to strengthen their concentration skills.One of the first steps is to recognize the impact that being distracted is having on your life. If you are struggling to accomplish your goals and find yourself getting sidetracked by unimportant details, it is time to start placing <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/how-the-glorification-of-busyness-impacts-our-well-being-4175360">a higher value on your time </a>.By building your mental focus, you are able to accomplish more and concentrate on the things in life that truly bring you success, joy, and satisfaction.

7. Keep Practicing

Get helpful tips on what you can do to improve your mental focus so you can achieve your goals that much faster.

productivity

Productivity

mindfulness

Mindfulness

7 Useful Tips for Improving Your Mental Focus

Feelings of sadness that last throughout the holiday season—especially during the months of November and December—are often referred to as the holiday blues or holiday depression. The holidays are usually viewed as a time of happiness and rejoicing. But for some people, it can be a period of painful reflection, sadness, <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/loneliness-causes-effects-and-treatments-2795749">loneliness </a>, anxiety, and depression.

What Are Holiday Blues? 

Even people who love the holidays can experience the blues during this busy season. The holidays are often a time of high emotion and demands, which can leave a lot of people feeling stressed and exhausted.

But I Love The Holidays? 

People with a prior mental health condition may be even more prone to experiencing holiday depression. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 64% of people with an existing mental illness report that the holidays make their condition worse.1

Holidays Make Their Condition Worse

<ul><li>Changes in appetite or weight </li><li>Changes in sleep patterns </li><li>Depressed or irritable mood </li><li>Difficulty concentrating </li><li>Feelings of worthlessness or guilt </li><li>Feeling more tired than usual </li><li>Feeling tense, worried, or anxious </li><li>Loss of pleasure in doing things you used to enjoy </li> </ul>

Signs & Symptoms

Feeling sad during the winter and holiday months may also be a sign of <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-seasonal-affective-disorder-1065408">seasonal affective disorder </a>(SAD). SAD is a form of <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-clinical-depression-1067309">major depressive disorder </a>(MDD) that occurs in seasonal patterns during certain months of the year.Holiday depression and SAD can be difficult to distinguish from one another, but the duration and severity of your symptoms are usually your best clues:

SAD V/S Holiday Depression

<ul><li>Duration : The holiday blues start around November or December and lift shortly after the new year ends. SAD, however, typically lasts about 40% of the year—starting in the late fall and early winter and going away during the spring and summer. </li><li>Symptom severity : The symptoms of holiday depression are fairly mild. SAD, on the other hand, is often more severe and can be debilitating. </li> </ul>

Difference Between SAD And Holiday Blues

<ul><li>Lack of sleep : A hectic holiday schedule can lead to a <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/how-sleep-affects-mental-health-4783067">lack of sleep </a>, which increases stress.</li><li>Excess eating and alcohol use : Unfortunately, people sometimes turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms to handle holiday sadness and stress. Excessive drinking and overeating can make the symptoms of holiday depression even more pronounced.</li><li>Financial stress : Overextending yourself financially or struggling to afford gifts for family and friends can create an added burden of <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/understanding-and-preventing-financial-stress-3144546">financial stress </a>.</li></ul>

Causes Of Holiday Blues

<ul><li>Isolation and loneliness : Not being able to spend the holidays with your family and friends can make the holiday season seem especially lonely.</li><li>Unrealistic expectations : Sometimes even having high hopes for the season can lead to holiday stress and sadness. The over-commercialization of the holidays can create the expectation that people are supposed to feel nonstop joy and holiday cheer, which can create pressure to feel a very specific way, adding yet another stressor to an already hectic time of year.</li></ul>

In addition to talking to your doctor or a mental health professional, there are a number of things that you can do on your own to make the holidays easier to deal with.

Coping 

Alcohol is a depressant and drinking too much can exacerbate any negative feelings that you might have. This doesn't mean you need to go cold turkey. Instead, limit your consumption and avoid using alcohol as a way to deal with or avoid difficult emotions. If you choose to drink, try to limit yourself to one or two alcoholic drinks when you are out at social functions.Don't drink alcohol if you're feeling down. Excessive drinking will only increase your feelings of depression.

Drink In Moderation

Social isolation can be a major risk factor for depression. The problem is that sadness often makes you want to hide by yourself at home. And if you are on your own apart from family for the holidays, reaching out and finding <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/social-support-for-psychological-health-4119970">social support </a>can be all the more difficult.Look for ways that you can enjoy social connections, even if you aren’t able to go home for the holidays. If you’re feeling lonely, ask a friend to come over for a heart to heart. Join a local club, volunteer for something you believe in, or even see a counselor for support.

Don't Isolate Yourself

While it can be difficult to stick to a workout schedule when you are feeling down, research has shown that <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-link-between-exercise-and-depression-5089055">regular physical activity </a>can play an important role in preventing and reducing symptoms of depression.So while hitting the gym can be tough when you are stressed, busy, and feeling sad, try to remember that you don’t need to glue yourself to the treadmill or weight machine to feel the benefits. Even a casual activity like going for a short walk each day might be enough to help keep the holiday blues at bay.

Exercise Regularly

Make sure that you leave enough time for yourself to relax. Even 15 to 20 minutes a day to enjoy some quiet time, read a book, listen to music, take a bath, do yoga, or some other relaxing activity can do wonders for your stress levels.

Find Time For Yourself

It’s fine to be excited about the holidays and make plans for the things you want to do. But it is also important to keep your <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/expectation-vs-reality-trap-4570968">expectations realistic and reachable </a>.The holidays don’t have to be perfect to be special. They don’t have to be exactly like the holidays of the past to be just as meaningful and memorable.

Keep Realistic Expectations

The holiday blues refers to feelings of sadness that occur during the holiday season. Learn more about holiday depression, including symptoms, diagnosis, and how to seek treatment.

What are the Holiday Blues? 

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