Archive for the ‘Focus’ Category

Do you ever get “stuck in a funk” when it comes to
maintaining your energy and zest for your family, job,
exercise or even just being with yourself ?

No matter how passionate you might be about your life, you
may find yourself dragging once in a while and if you
don’t make an effort to address it right away you could
wake up one day and realize 6 months has gone by
and your still stuck!

So how do you keep your attitude fresh and uplifted
over time?

I have 3 new ideas to share with you.

1. The first is very basic SLEEP. For many mood disorder sufferers this can become a question of which came first the extreme mood swings or the nocturnal lifestyle but it is very, very (should I ad another very to make my point) important to get enough sleep every single day! 6 hours or less a night of good uninterrupted sleep is a prescription for psycho behavior, 7 hours is mentally functional (by the bare minimum of standards) but always feeling or complaining of being tired, 8 hours is really good for most people especially if you are in bed by 10:00pm and 9 hours is excellent for most people who are already emotionally compromised, experience adrenal fatigue or have extreme responsibility or burdens in their life.

Before you say I’m nuts give it a try. You will wake up energized, accomplish tasks easier and more efficiently and your family and friends will start talking to you again AND most importantly you will be better equipped to implement ideas 2 & 3.

2. Become a non-conformist and enjoy it! Do whatever it takes to break out of habitual behaviors. If the words “I never” do that or “I always” do this are part of your everyday vocabulary it’s time for something drastic. As long as it ‘s not illegal (or at least don’t get caught) do something out of character for you. This can be as simple as not responding to emails for a couple of days or not returning phone calls if you are “always” a hyper-responsive person or arriving early to work and appointments if you “never” seem to get anywhere on time. If you are someone who is a care taking martyr to the very core of your existence you may try not being available to everybody who asks you for a favor. Let your self worth come from self love instead of the outside approval of others you feel when you are addressing others needs over your own. This is especially important for people who tend toward depression.

3. Take a brain break. Develop a daily practice, 5-10 minutes a day is plenty, that is devoted to consciously resting your brain. If you experience anxiety or stress you know what it feels like to always have your mind thinking, worrying or stressing. For others if they randomly check in with their thoughts they realize they have been having an argument in their head for the last 10 minutes with their spouse or boss while they were driving (which is especially confusing for the poor spouse or boss who doesn’t even know there is a problem).

It is sometimes extremely difficult for mood disorder sufferers to be alone with their thoughts. You may find yourself with a song you can’t get out of your head or not be able to eat a meal at home without the television blasting or reading a book.

Treat your mind like a little child who is trying to keep it’s mommy or daddy happy but has no idea or the skills to do so. You need to soothe the child and acknowledge achievements. And most importantly you must give your child a nap or else it gets cranky and makes everybody around it miserable.

Do this by sitting quietly for 10 minutes each day with no agenda. It doesn’t matter if its in your car or in your home. Eyes open or closed is up to you. Morning, afternoon or evening are equally effective. This has to be a conscious practice. When thoughts come up, interrupt them and then go back to your 10 minute break.

Practice, practice, practice living outside the box and see how happy your mind becomes.

Everybody has fears.

You may fear losing your job, your home, your way of life. You may even be a little afraid of the dark or nervous when confronted with a spider. Fear is just nature’s way of warding us from danger, telling us to flee from things we are subconsciously afraid of. Yet in some cases, fear becomes something more – a phobia.

There is a difference between general fear and a clinical phobia. The difference is usually how extreme the reaction to the object of the fear or phobia is. If, for example, when you see a snake, you feel uncomfortable and your heart races a little, you are afraid of the snake. This is a normal reaction based on survival instincts. If, however, you see a snake and want to scream or run away, you begin to sweat or tremble or experience other symptoms of anxiety, then you have a phobia.

Sometimes, a phobia can become so pronounced the person cannot even say what it is they are afraid of – the word alone is enough to bring on a physical reaction of terror. Thousands of people refuse to even come in to contact with the object of their phobia if they can avoid it, such as refusing to fly on aircraft if they have a fear of flying. Phobias are an extreme, natural overreaction to everyday things, events and circumstances.

Phobias are primarily dealt with using exposure therapy, where a person forces themselves to ‘confront’ their fear. This can involve placing themselves in the same room as a snake, or boarding an aircraft. While terrifying, this kind of therapy is hugely effective, and phobias can be managed once and for all.

Stop Losing Your Control

Heal Your Hidden Self

Have you ever been to the grocery store when a toddler is throwing a royal temper tantrum because their parent would not buy them candy at the checkout register? When we observe this behavior we know the child has not fully developed their self control. Don’t we all have a hidden self? It is an inner toddler that never grew up. Our hidden self in some stressful situations wants to yell, scream and lose control.

When we stop losing self control we are demonstrating maturity. We build our ability to maintain control when we face situations in our life. Facing our problems builds our mental attitude or will power. Withhold your judgments and accept the things that cannot be changed. Be tolerant of life. You can change things that you have control over. By changing your behavior you are healing your hidden self.

Do you wish life would remain constant? It sure would be boring if it did. Life is dynamic. If you cannot adjust to the ebb and flow of life you are prone to losing your control. Don’t make problems worse by being trapped in an inability to change.  You can make your life better overall. Heal your hidden self by gaining control.

Let’s face it we are all human. We all know our moods can swing from positive to negative. It is necessary to feel our emotions. At appropriate times we need to show our emotions. Then, in some situations it is necessary to step back and observe things objectively. You do not want to emotionally over react. The remedy is to handle the situation with logic. It will build your ability to stay calm during difficult problems.

Stress can make you weak. If you are overstressed it hinders your subliminal mind-to the point you are unable to look at a situation logically. Do not overburden your perspective by focusing only on the stress in your life. Take a moment to redirect your thoughts to the positives in your life. What makes you feel your life is fulfilling? Alter your mood by opening your mind and heart. Train yourself to control your emotions and the physical reactions that occur when your inner toddler takes over.

Heal your hidden self by not losing your control.