Thinking Person’s Self-Improvement Books: A Few On Our Radar

Leave your chakras at the door, please. Cosmic keys, untethered souls, sleeping inner-giants, energy-bolstering crystals – the section of any large …

* This article was originally published here

3 Reasons Why I Finally Stopped Being A Cynic

While I know I didn’t arrive in this world as a cynical baby, I still don’t know the exact moment when I adopted the belief that the world is filled with selfish, self-serving people that should never be trusted.

All I know is that by the time I started college, my cynical beliefs were deeply entrenched in my mind.

I had no sense of spirituality, thought there was nothing more to our existence than pure coincidence, and above all, believed that the world was out to get me.

Many of these self-limiting beliefs were subconscious but they nevertheless ruled my life, making me doubt everyone’s intentions and filling my mind with fear.

But then sometime in my mid-20s, I began to change. I simply could no longer ignore all the ways in which cynicism had negatively affected my life and hindered my growth.

Here are the 3 reasons why I finally stopped being a cynic:

1. Negativity had overtaken my life

Negativity and cynicism feed off of one another.

When you believe everyone has ulterior motives, your brain looks for ways to confirm this belief, which then feeds your negativity, fuels your cynicism, and the cycle continues.

Of course, I had zero awareness of this pattern. At the time, I was living life on autopilot, believing that the negative way my mind was interpreting the world around me was factual.

When I finally uncovered this pattern, I dared myself to go a few days without consuming negative content (especially on social media) and to get a grip on my automatic negative thinking.

The change in my mood was so drastic that I knew I couldn’t possibly go back to the way I was before.

2. Cynicism caused me to stagnate

When cynicism becomes your default state, this makes it incredibly difficult to be hopeful or optimistic about any challenge you’re facing. And when you lose all hope, you also lose any willpower to make your life better.

Since cynicism is rooted in a fear of disappointment, you’d rather stay where you are than risk failing, which leads to stagnation in both your personal and professional life.

Once I awoke to this fact, I realized that I had been sabotaging myself for a very long time. The fact that I had let so many opportunities pass me by because of my cynical beliefs was painful, to say the least.

After I took some time to mourn what could have been, I became determined to replace my cynical attitude with a growth mindset that would enrich (and not sabotage) my life.

3. It affected my personal relationships

Because cynicism impairs your ability to celebrate the good not only in your own life but also in the lives of others, it can also cause your personal relationships to suffer.

Don’t trick yourself into thinking your loved ones can’t pick up on your negative, defeated energy – it’s most definitely there, affecting your every interaction.

Because I had conditioned my mind to view every positive piece of news as ultimately having a bad outcome, it was hard for me to be genuinely happy for someone else. And people pick up on that.

Even if your friends and family are too kind to let you know that your energy is bringing them down, this doesn’t mean they’re okay with your behavior. You should still make an effort to change for the better to prevent your relationships from deteriorating over time.

Final Thoughts

Deciding that you’re going to kick your cynical beliefs to the curb is a major move and I congratulate you on embarking on this journey.

In a world that’s become overtaken by cynicism, it can be difficult to adopt a more positive outlook on life – but it’s absolutely possible.

You just need some determination and bravery to leave your old limiting beliefs behind. But what will welcome you on the other side is a world filled with opportunity, gratitude, and happiness.

Aida Knezevic is a digital media content creator and personal development enthusiast. Her blog, A Glass Box Of Emotion, is home to all of her musings on emotional wellbeing, relationships, and mindset. You can connect with her on Instagram and Pinterest.

The post 3 Reasons Why I Finally Stopped Being A Cynic appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.

* This article was originally published here

Top 10 Tips to Improve Your Athletic Performance

Sometimes, progress as you’re trying to step up your athletic performance seems slow or small. There are so many different aspects of becoming a better athlete that thinking about it all can feel overwhelming. Strengthening your performance doesn’t come naturally. Even the best athletes undergo rigorous, well-rounded training. It takes intention, a plan, and even […]

The post Top 10 Tips to Improve Your Athletic Performance appeared first on Personal Development.

* This article was originally published here

Council Post: How Successful People Differ From The Rest

Dr. Michael Thiemann at Strategy-Lab™ is a bilingual Business Model Strategist, Key Note Speaker and Innovation & Agility Facilitator. People and companies all want to be successful. But what actually makes success, and how do successful people differ from others? Vision And Purpose In my conversations …

* This article was originally published here

You Are Worthy Because You Exist

If you have never felt loved or accepted, I am writing this for you. If you don’t know how to love yourself, I am writing this for you. If you don’t know how you fit into this judgmental, chaotic world, I am writing this for you.

You are exactly as you are meant to be. You are not a mistake. You are not broken.

Maybe no one has ever told you that you are enough. But you are, my love—you are more than enough. You are so worthy of your every dream, wish, and desire. You are not wrong for being who you are. The world is wrong for trying to cage you into a definable category, an acceptable algorithm in whatever these bullshit societal norms demand. And trust me, they are complete bullshit. The world is wrong, not you.

You deserve your own love and trust more than anyone else. Like most of us, you probably spread it out to everyone around you and leave nothing back for yourself. You hurt when your efforts aren’t reciprocated. You were taught that you had to earn love, that you had to give yourself away in order to be worthy of anything. That’s not true. You are allowed to be selfish with your love – in fact, it’s necessary for your survival in this predatory world. Love yourself first. Trust yourself first. Set boundaries around yourself, even though it feels scary. In the end, those who aren’t meant for you may leave. It will be painful, but you have to create space to let the right ones in.

They will come. It’s hard to believe in the beginning, but once you start shining that beautiful light of yours inwards and illuminating all the darkest parts of yourself, you set yourself free. You show your true spirit to the world and your tribe will respond, drawn to your magnetism. Drawn to the unique being that you are, the bravery and truth that you represent. Your people show up when you stand in your authenticity. Until you find the courage to do so, you’ll always feel like you don’t fit in because you are attracting the wrong people. People who feed off of your giving nature. People who take you for granted and steal your precious energy. It is up to you to stop the eternal drain, to say no more, to decide that you can have better.

You deserve love. You are love. How could you not deserve it when you embody it? We are all beings of light and integrity who have simply lost our way on this journey of humanity. Our task is to come back to ourselves. Our mission is to unlearn all the conditioning and heal the trauma of our lifetimes.

Do not listen to the world. You have listened to it all along – has it done you any good? The sooner you tune in to what you want and need, the easier it is to let go of what others think. You cannot live your life for other people while they go on living for themselves. You will never win that battle. In the end, you’ll be left with nothing and they’ll tell you that you did it to yourself. They aren’t wrong – we are responsible for our choices. Stop abandoning yourself. Do whatever it is you need to do to get back to the root of your true spirit, your inherent nature.

You can be the light that you are searching for in this barren landscape. That is the only answer that will bring you what you’re craving. Everything you need is within you. Truly.

I once did not believe that. I once loathed myself and searched for others to fill the wounds, the empty unknowable spaces inside me. I felt like a gaping void of sadness all of the time, and I could not solve my problem. I could not solve it because I was endlessly, desperately looking for answers outside of myself. They never lived there, so I never found them. I had to learn to heal my own self-worth. That was the solution all along.

I’ll tell you again: You are worthy. You are enough. You are absolutely right to be exactly who you are. You deserve to live as that person without any judgment, harassment, rejection, or shame. If you exist here on this earth, you are meant to be here. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Don’t let anyone take your humanity away from you. I am here to tell you that you are loved, you are precious, and you deserve everything you ever wanted. I am here for you. I see you. You belong.

* This article was originally published here

Entrepreneur Gary Barnhart Shares his Perspectives on the Link Between Growth, Income and Impact

24-year-old businessman Gary Barnhart believes that our own success is not measured in dollars but in days you’ve spent helping others. 24-year-old …

* This article was originally published here

Read this Before You Move Closer to Your Family

Moving closer to family is one of the most popular reasons for relocating these days. With the increase in remote work, you and your loved ones may have more options for staying connected. There are many factors involved in the decision, including money matters. Whatever your motivation, where you live will have a big impact […]

The post Read this Before You Move Closer to Your Family appeared first on Personal Development.

* This article was originally published here

How to Prevent Stonewalling in Your Relationship

Have you ever been in an argument with your partner that just keeps getting more and more intense? Everything said seems like the same thing over and over again. And then the argument escalates to the point where one partner completely withdraws, pushing the other way. It’s like a stone wall was built to solve […]

The post How to Prevent Stonewalling in Your Relationship appeared first on Personal Development.

* This article was originally published here

How To Prioritize Employee Wellness On The Return To The Office

As restrictions lift and the world begins to return to its former pre-pandemic working system, it’s clear to see that a large percentage of the corporate population are all but dreading the reluctant return. Whether it’s the lasting effects of Covid-19’s bitter reign or the early commute just around the corner, studies have shown that Brits just don’t want to go back.

(Source: Statista)

The question is, why are workers so reluctant to return? After swapping the office environment for a bedroom desk in early 2020, life as corporate workers knew it has changed dramatically. From remote communication to isolating restrictions, the impact that the pandemic has had on the mental health and wellbeing of young workers could make returning to pre-pandemic normality harder than employers think.

(Source: Statista)

In fact, a recent study by LCP found that 3 in 5 Brits were currently worried about their mental health on their return to the office.

As more businesses brace themselves for a post-pandemic working future, it’s time for employers to step up if they want to see a successful workforce on return to the office. In fact, the success of the company may just depend on it. Studies predict that there is a direct link between workforce support and business success. Whether it’s mental or physical wellbeing, the more supported employees feel, the better they will perform.

Therefore, as we step back into a post-Covid corporate world, prioritising staff mental and physical wellbeing is the key to a smooth transition back into the office. Below we have listed some of the most important wellbeing strategies that business leaders can implement on return to the office for a future of happy workers and ultimate company success.

HR Training

One of the most effective forms of employee support is to introduce a strong HR presence to the team. Not only are HR considered the driving force behind a large portion of company success, but are also vital components in a business’ wellbeing scheme. There to provide support and understanding for vulnerable employees, a powerful HR system can leave employees feeling reassured on their return to the office, reducing post-pandemic anxiety and boosting team morale.

The key to post-pandemic HR training is communication. For a workforce to remain successful in the wake of Covid-19, HR professionals need to improve their communication skills and alter their wellbeing schemes if they want to see success.

In a time like no other, providing strong lines of communication between the employee and the employer is essential, especially when it comes to mental health. Using HR to provide that line of communication and break the stigma surrounding post-Covid mental health issues will improve mental wellbeing and enhance team communication as a whole.

Post-Covid Wellbeing Workshops 

Another key to creating a strong HR support scheme is to introduce wellbeing workshops into the post-Covid HR plans.

Whether they focus on working in a post-pandemic environment or team-building exercises that can boost staff morale, workshops are a great way to improve team-building skills and break stigmas around mental health and workplace stress, improving inclusivity and communication amongst a reluctant workforce.

Not only do workshops encourage team members to bond with each other, but they also encourage those who suffer from common conditions such as anxiety and depression to step forward and seek support from their HR team and most importantly their employer. Remaining open on the topic of mental health and implementing these conversations into your wellbeing scheme has never been more important.

Ergonomic Wellbeing

Physical wellbeing is also not a factor to be forgotten on return to the office. Swapping the couch for the office scene may seem like an easy transition, but ergonomic care must also be thought about during the return to work post-pandemic.

A recent study suggested that a whopping 86% of office workers are sitting for too long during the working day and the pandemic has only increased this number. Implementing healthy schemes to get employees up and moving during lunch hours and during periods of the working day seriously reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and improves employee energy which can be refocused into their working schedule.

For those employees who do spend their working hours looking at a screen, company leaders need to also be aware of eye strain during long periods of blue light exposure. According to Eyeglasses, encouraging staff to take regular screen breaks and investing in blue light protective eyewear is the first step towards a safer and healthier working environment post-pandemic.

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My name is Mary, and I'm a lifestyle writer based in London. I've been featured in Pinstripe Magazine, HubPages and Sivava Spirit. I also run a blog, An Eye Behind, that focuses on the secret life of London.

The post How To Prioritize Employee Wellness On The Return To The Office appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.

* This article was originally published here

The Goal Isn’t Happiness

Let me repeat that: The goal is not happiness. You might be sitting there thinking to yourself, “But why? Shouldn’t everyone aspire to be fully satisfied with their life, themselves, and their relationships? Shouldn’t everyone be happy? Why would you not want to be happy?”

In order for us to really dive into this concept of happiness, I’m going to share a personal experience that happened to me just last month, so bare with me:

It was a regular Sunday, and I was doing some laundry while simultaneously fighting those damn Sunday scaries. I had just gone for a run for the first time in what felt like forever and was taking that runner’s high in stride with my productivity. All of a sudden, I heard a ‘ping’ coming from my phone in the other room, signaling a new text message. Before I even picked it up, I instantly froze seeing my ex’s name light up on the screen along with four prying words: Hey, how are you?

After my brief state of shock, I turned my phone upside down and decided to ignore the text. Why would he reach out to me like this? What the hell does he want? All of these thoughts and more swirled around my head as I continued to ignore him for the next four hours. By the fifth hour, I couldn’t help myself and opened up the message.

There were those four words again, glaring at me, begging to be answered. But because I was filled with a mix of anger and annoyance, I decided against answering the question. Instead, I responded to the four word question with a five word question of my own: Why are you reaching out?

I know what you’re thinking: ignore him, sis! You should’ve left him on read! In hindsight, yes, that’s exactly what I should’ve done. But my pride had other plans, and I was too curious to know why he was being intrusive. I mean, we had been broken up for five months for God’s sake. Either way, the conversation lasted for about an hour, during which he admitted why he reached out and I finally let my guard down and admitted that I was doing well with my job, blah blah blah. He then followed up with another prying question regarding my state of happiness.

Was I happy? Was I content?

I sat there, looking at my phone, and took a giant deep breath. Chills rushed over me as I experienced one of the most eye-opening epiphanies of my life.

I finally came to terms with the toxic way society paints this image of happiness. Everyone talks about it, aspires to have it, preaches about it, and craves it. It’s almost as if we’ve unconsciously set this unrealistic standard that our goal should be happiness all day, every day. Until we reach that point, we haven’t made it yet.

So what does this mean?

Does this mean that every New York Times bestselling author is always happy? How about winners of the Nobel Prize? Grammy-award winning artists?

Sure, success can definitely equal happiness, but it doesn’t mean we have to be happy all of the time. It shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all.

The times in my life when I still believed that happiness was the be-all and end-all was when I, ironically, became the most depressed. That sort of toxic positivity made me feel like a shell of my former self. There I was, presenting this facade of a happy face to the outside world, and for what?

But it was because I believed that in order for me to be liked and accepted, I had to keep showing that bubbly personality of mine, even though I was tearing apart at the seams in reality.

Years later, and I’ve never been more at peace with myself, my life, and the trajectory of it. When I feel happy, I feel it. When I feel angry, I feel it. Sad? Grumpy? Creative? Energetic? Tired? Yep—I feel every damn emotion.

So what changed?

What changed was my outlook. What changed was switching the idea that I had to be happy in order to succeed in life. What changed was the realization that there’s more to the spectrum of human emotions than happiness. We are not robots. We are not perfect. And that’s the beauty of existence. Every twist and turn in life leads you to where you are today and takes you to where you’re going. Relish in those twists and turns. Appreciate the hurdles.

So if you’ve made it this far, switch your belief that happiness is the goal, and replace it with peace. If your goal is peace, you’ll always be okay. Even if hardships arise, you’ll be okay. You’ll accept that life is unpredictable, and with that, take every day in stride.

So start uncovering that inner peace that has always been inside of you today and always. We’re not perfect and we never will be—and darling, that’s beautiful.

* This article was originally published here

What Being An LGBTQ+ Ally Actually Looks Like

Our world is growing to be as diverse as ever, and our communities must come together to support inclusivity. It's becoming more and more common to run into people who identify as something other than straight or cisgender.

Now, around 5.6% of U.S. adults identify as someone in the LGBTQ+ community. That number will most likely increase as more young people are coming to terms with their identities.

Because more people are coming out and living their lives authentically, LGBTQ+ members must receive support. Being an ally can be mystifying for some people — what does it mean to be an LBGTQ+ ally?

There's no one answer to this question, which means allyship can look different from person to person. The main objective of an LGBTQ+ ally should be to fully understand what it means to be LGBTQ+ in today's society. This includes facing stereotypes, dealing with discrimination and internalizes shame or guilt.

Let's dive into what allyship with the LGBTQ+ community looks like and how you can improve your sense of inclusivity when you're around LGBTQ+ folks.

How to Be an LBGTQ+ Ally

It's normal for cis-gendered straight people to feel uneasy, awkward or uncomfortable when discussing topics related to LGBTQ+ individuals. Thankfully, there are plenty of resources available to people who are looking to be allies. Here are some other ways to show up for your LGBTQ+ friends who help make our world a more diverse place.

1. Understanding the LGBTQ+ Acronym

People outside of the LGBTQ+ community are sometimes at a loss for what the acronym means, but it's crucial to use this as a starting point. Let's break it down:

• Lesbian: A woman who is attracted to women emotionally, romantically, or sexually.
• Gay: A person who is attracted to a person who is the same gender either emotionally, romantically or sexually.
• Bisexual: A person who is attracted to more than one sex or gender, simultaneously or not, and not necessarily to the same degree.
• Transgender: A term for people who identify as something other than their assigned gender at birth. Transgender does not refer specifically to someone's sexual orientation.
• Queer: A term that is often used to cover a wide variety of identities and attractions that are outside the traditional framework.

It's important to note the + in LGBTQ+. The plus sign covers all other identities and attractions that are not listed in the LGBTQ acronym. This could include individuals who are intersex, asexual, or pansexual to name a few. By having a +, anyone who identifies as something unlisted is still considered a community member and should be valued as one.

Understanding the acronym is the first step in being a reliable ally. It's crucial to use someone's preferred pronouns and understand that their identity is an essential piece of their lives. Many people take comfort in knowing their sexual orientation, but it may take some time after coming out to reach that point.

2. Ask Questions and Check Your Privilege

Many straight and cis-gendered people are privileged in the sense that they're free to explore relationships with members of the opposite sex. It's considered the norm to be in a heterosexual relationship, and some privileges come with that.

Like any norm, people will fall into the margins of society if they're not supported or feel included within that norm. Asking questions to educate yourself about LGBTQ+ topics is crucial if you're looking to be a good ally.

Suppose you're not a member of the LGBTQ+ community. In that case, you're unable to use the firsthand experience to form an understanding of the struggles associated with being LGBTQ+. Be sure to ask respectful questions if you're looking to learn more about the experiences LGBTQ+ have, and always ask if specific questions are appropriate to ask.

3. Avoid Trivializing Someone's Sexuality

Anti-LGBTQ+ jokes come at someone's expense, and they can easily cause emotional harm, embarrassment, and other unwanted, negative feelings for the LGBTQ+ individual. Trivializing a part of someone's identity is unfair no matter what the circumstances are. LGBTQ+ individuals are a vulnerable group that can sometimes battle with mental health issues or substance abuse disorders, which only add to life's daily stressors.

As an ally, it's vital to approach conversations and interactions with LGBTQ+ individuals with compassion and care. Although there's more to a person than just their sexual orientation, it's essential to see it as a piece that helps make up the puzzle of their personhood.

4. Support People When They Come Out

Like many of us, LGBTQ+ members are living life one step at a time, and we all know how tumultuous that journey can be. Having to come forward about one's sexuality is no easy feat. It can take years for someone to feel comfortable enough to be open about their feelings. The best thing you can do during this time if you know someone who just came out is to honor their feelings, lend a shoulder to cry on and let them know that you're there to support them fully. 

Keep in mind that these are only some ways you or someone you know can be a good ally to the LGBTQ+ community. Essentially, educating more people about LGBTQ+ life is the best way to encourage people to become supportive allies and speak out against discrimination.

LGBTQ+ Allyship in the Future

As the world enters a more progressive era, we can all hope to see more and more people shift to an attitude of acceptance. There's still plenty of work to do for the LGBTQ+ community, but building a supportive community of allies is undoubtedly a great place to start.

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Kara Reynolds is the Editor-in-Chief and founder of Momish Magazine. Mom and step mom living her best life while managing anxiety and normalizing blended families. She enjoys pilates, podcasts, and a nice pinot grigio. 

The post What Being An LGBTQ+ Ally Actually Looks Like appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.

* This article was originally published here

6 Symptoms of Chronic Stress to Be Aware Of

Are you suffering from stress? Everyone has moments of stress from time to time, such as when you’re stuck in traffic, or you have a hard day at the office. But, for some people, stress can also become a serious issue. Expose yourself to too much chronic stress and you’re putting yourself at significant risk […]

The post 6 Symptoms of Chronic Stress to Be Aware Of appeared first on Personal Development.

* This article was originally published here

Helping at-risk youth ride the wave of uncertainty

“HaGal Sheli” utilizes surfing as a tool for personal development among at-risk youth. Its participants are taught effective coping mechanisms that …

* This article was originally published here

Immune-Boosting Hacks to Remember as the World Reopens

You might think the pandemic has ended by the way many people behave. However, threats remain for many, including the unvaccinated and the immunocompromised.

Even if you are otherwise healthy, the novel coronavirus isn’t the only germ against which you need to protect yourself. Please follow these eight immune-boosting hacks as society reopens.

1. Eat a Healthy Diet

A plant-based diet rich in antioxidants and other vital nutrients is your best bet for providing your body with the requisite building blocks for ongoing health. The phytonutrients contained in plants neutralize toxins from pollution, bacteria and viruses.

You don’t have to live on salads alone, however. Increasing your seafood intake is ideal for getting more omega-3 fatty acids, also critical for cardiovascular and neurological health. Heart disease remains the number one killer of men and women, and this organ often becomes inflamed in those with severe COVID-19 infections requiring hospitalization.

You can cut your risk of dying from heart disease by a third by eating fish twice a week. You’ll also get plenty of lean protein for rebuilding damaged tissue.

2. Move Your Body

Exercise helps boost your immunity in several ways. Physical activity helps to flush bacteria and viruses out of your airways before you can get sick. Furthermore, the rise in body temperature you experience during a workout could restrain any germs from proliferating and making you sick.

Additionally, exercise causes changes in your antibody levels and white blood cell count. While researchers need further data, these alterations could boost your immune response.

Finally, working out keeps your levels of stress hormones in check. Excess cortisol can fuel inflammation, and controlling it through exercise may benefit your immunity.

3. Take Your Vitamins

You might have heard that you should take vitamin C or zinc supplements to reduce your chances of getting sick. This method does work, but when you take your dose matters.

For best results, take your supplements at the first onset of infection. Doing so won’t necessarily keep you from getting sick, but it can shorten the duration of your illness by as much as a day.

4. Go Outside More Often

After spending much of the past year indoors, you might be chomping at the bit to return to outdoor adventures. Fortunately, the CDC revised their advice on mask-wearing outside even before issuing new guidelines for vaccinated people. Relatively few cases of transmission occur in the fresh air.

Getting back to nature might help boost your immune health. Researchers investigated participants in the Japanese practice of forest bathing. They discovered an increased number and activity in natural killer cells, a type of immune cell responsible for fighting infection. 

5. Maintain Proper Hygiene

Cases of the flu all but disappeared during COVID-19. Part of the reason stemmed from people staying in more often. Another explanation is that fewer people sought emergency care out of fear of contracting the novel coronavirus.

However, much of the change arose from improved hygiene practices. Please continue singing “Happy Birthday” twice as you lather up your hands after you might have exposed yourself to germs. Carry hand sanitizer on your keychain for those instances where you don’t have a sink handy.

6. Reduce Your Exposure

If you take certain medications that lower your immune response, you might not react to the COVID-19 vaccine as effectively as others. As a result, you could face increased risks if exposed to the virus.

While it isn’t a foolproof method, try limiting your exposure to short periods in enclosed public spaces or crowds. It only takes one germ, but the less time you spend swimming in a sea of them, the better. Likewise, no rule says you can’t continue to wear a mask while you go grocery shopping — doing so might offer protection against bugs besides the novel coronavirus.

7. Decrease Your Stress Levels

When your stress levels increase, your cortisol also rises. This hormone works to combat inflammation when it functions as it should. However, when you live under prolonged tension, you can develop cortisol dysfunction resulting in widespread inflammation.

The result on your immune system is akin to having multiple “fire alarms” going off at once. Your body doesn’t know what to battle first, meaning that germs can slip past your defenses.

8. Get a Good Night’s Rest

Cytokines are proteins that play a role in inducing sleep. However, they also increase while you rest and play a vital role in fighting infection. It’s possible that insufficient shuteye can damage your immune response.

To get your best night’s rest ever, create a peaceful respite in your bedroom. Use blackout curtains and white noise machines to shut out distractions that keep you awake. Leave your cellphone and other electronic devices charging in another room and invest in an old-fashioned dial alarm clock that won’t keep you awake with a neon glow until 3 a.m.

Please Use These 8 Immune-Boosting Hacks as Society Reopens

Even if you are fully vaccinated, the novel coronavirus isn’t the only germ against which you need to protect yourself. Please use these eight immune-boosting hacks as society reopens.

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Kara Reynolds is the Editor-in-Chief and founder of Momish Magazine. Mom and step mom living her best life while managing anxiety and normalizing blended families. She enjoys pilates, podcasts, and a nice pinot grigio. 

The post Immune-Boosting Hacks to Remember as the World Reopens appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.

* This article was originally published here

This Is What A Female Entrepreneur Really Looks Like

Visiting any high-profile female entrepreneur’s socials or website, we are often greeted with a massive hero shot of said woman.

The image typically involves a picture-perfect smile, a shampoo-ad-looking hairstyle, and last but certainly not least, a cup of coffee in hand to illustrate to us commoners that this woman is just like us. If you hadn’t double-checked the website address, you might have thought that you’d mistakenly taken a trip to Vogue’s site.

Why are these women presented this way? Well, unfortunately, much of our society still struggles to value women on anything other than physical appearance. This stems from a deep-rooted sexual objectification of women that takes form in casual ways like the sexed-up hero shot. While we may not realize it consciously, this representation of what a female entrepreneur should look like can begin to create self-doubt in our own abilities and appearances. Suddenly, even if we have a great business venture, we can begin to question whether we’re right for these build-your-business programs offered by these women, or even if we are the “type of woman” to be in entrepreneurship in the first place.

However, flawless pearly whites, a tiny waist, and legs that look like they live on a Peloton bike are not the criteria for starting your own business. Your appearance has no bearing on your business and the passion you have for it. The reason that women are made for business is not that they are the prettiest CEO in the room. Instead, it’s due to our innate intelligences, such as our high emotional literacy, our inherent ability to create, and our unmatchable passion.

Having self-doubt in our ability, rooted in a comparison of our appearances, has some negative side effects. We perpetuate the cycle of messaging that female entrepreneurs are businesswomen by day and elite models by night. Is that a message you would want to tell to your female friends? Your mother? Your daughter, perhaps? Most would likely answer ‘no’ to all of the above. So why do we subject ourselves to the same harsh, limiting beliefs that we deny we would push onto our peers?

It’s time to switch the narrative and stop trying to conform to how you think a ‘businesswoman’ should appear. Instead, celebrate that your strengths, skills, and passions define who you are as an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurs wear sweatpants and have their hair in a messy bun. Some of them have acne on their faces from the daily stress. Others are pajama-clad, in bed, answering emails in their blue-light glasses. Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes, skin tones, a wide array of outfits, and varying levels of ‘glam’. Stop comparing yourself to the air-brushed, dolled-up, sexy woman you see telling you that she can make you a million dollars in a year. Even she doesn’t look like that.

You are an entrepreneur for a reason. That reason has a whole lot more to do with what is in your head and your heart rather than what you look like. If you’re wondering what represents a female entrepreneur, take a look in the mirror. That’s what an entrepreneur looks like.

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Making Friends as a Highly Sensitive Person

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The Different Levels of Mindfulness And What They Mean

Looking back at my life before mindfulness, it was one that was full of anxiety, stress, and constant restlessness. I grew up as a social kid through my childhood. But slowly into my adulthood, I became abnormally quiet around people and even started feeling anxious whenever I attended social events or sat with more than one person to talk

My life became strange and as a young adult, I was overwhelmed since this is not something I had been prepared for in the past years.

Fortunately for me, I had a thing for intellectual and spiritual topics, and I stumbled upon mindfulness that way and started practicing it.

Although even before I discovered what mindfulness was, I was working with a mental exercise that was based on it for controlling my emotions, especially my temper (don't judge me, I was a short-tempered dwarf at the time, and I liked it. Although it, later on, came back and burnt my fingers and I had to do something about it).

Now through the years, I have practiced mindfulness consistently and have really improved as a person. I have shed off the anxiety, social awkwardness, abnormal quietness (that was also creeping me out), and overthinking, just to name a few of my embarrassing shortcomings.

And in this post, I intend to share how my journey of mindfulness has been and how it has reshaped my life into something I never thought of before.

I will also be kind enough to share with you the specific mindfulness-based techniques I have been using since day one to now to help you get started with your journey and hopefully get to benefit from it as well.

The Different Levels of Mindfulness

My mindfulness journey has been a pretty rocky one. There have been times when I felt empowered, super confident, and ready to take on the world, and there were times I felt sad, discouraged, and of low energy.

However, one thing that stood out is that, in the grand scheme of things, my life was getting a facelift slowly by slowly. Even those moments of discouragement were also working in my favor without me even knowing it.

By being consistent with it, mindfulness started changing me, and the more I got involved in it, the more evident the changes were.

Up to now, I would confidently say I have gone through 5 levels of mindfulness with every level getting me into a much deeper state of awareness than the previous one.

To paint a clearer picture of my experience, here are the levels and what each level felt like.

Level 1 - Relaxation

When I started experiencing changes in my life, the first one was a prolonged period of deep relaxation. I felt a sense of calmness and serenity.

It was as if I had breathed in for 5 minutes straight, held it for another 3 minutes, and then breathed out. The feeling resembles a situation where you were carrying heavy luggage on your shoulder and walked for about 4 miles with it and then you arrived at your destination and put it down.

There are times we all feel relaxed and at peace. That is when things are going well for us and we don't have serious troubles in our lives.

The feeling experienced at this level, however, is twice to thrice as deep compared to that normal feeling of relaxation. It is something you easily note, and funny enough, there is something you feel in the middle part of your chest. A feeling of confidence and tranquility.

The feeling would come and last for hours but not days. And it kept recurring after every few days.

Level 2 - Deep Relaxation And a bit of Wakefulness

As I kept meditating, I also noticed that the relaxation was getting deeper but this time, instead of just feeling at ease with myself, I also felt my mind was awake.

It was awake in the sense that I was able to perceive things better than I normally do. When someone spoke to me, I listened keenly and understood what they were saying.

Normally, I was the kind of person who would listen halfway and interrupt the person to give my opinion. And sometimes it was so annoying that the other person had to tell me to give them time to finish first.

This time, I let them speak to the very end, and then they would ask me what I think about the whole issue they were talking about.

This was strange for me because I never knew myself to be that good at communication, and I had never consciously trained myself towards that, but I was good.

The patience and attention I was enjoying from my mindfulness meditation were giving me control over myself.

Level 3 - More Wakefulness And Peace

At this level, I felt as though my body was brought to an extreme state of calmness, and this paved way for my mind to reign. The mind was slowly taking over and I felt much more alive.

From time to time, I would be able to speak eloquently, use common sense perfectly to explain my way into making people understand what I wanted to do and they would buy it.

And if you are not the type that people always listen to, you find such experiences mind-blowing. I recall a certain incident where I use the deduction method of reasoning to convince a friend of mine that he was liked by a lady he was after.

He was having a hard time trying to figure out if he was really loved or if he was just being led on by her, and I broke it down for him in a simple way that also amazed me.

This level felt like I had woken up a sleeping giant in me and he was slowly catching up with what happening in the physical world after spending decades in slumberland.

Level 4 - Mental Clarity And Deep Wakefulness

The most memorable experience at this level is when I went to buy a car in a local dealership in my neighborhood.

At first, I was timid, shy, and clueless and the dealers there noticed it and tried to use that against me. They tried to manipulate me into going for a bad deal but they did it very politely and with smiles on their faces.

At that moment, I felt something fishy was cooking up and I raised it with them but they were able to tackle me intelligently and get me to do what they wanted.

They gave me the appearance that they are my friends and I should trust them.

When I went home I thought through everything and I figured out the point where they twisted my mind. So I decided I would go back after a few days but this time I would meditate first a few hours before going there and I would aim to remain aware throughout the period I was there so that I get things done my way.

On that material day, I purposed I would remain aware and think deeply about everything they said and determine what it meant for me and for them too.

And that's what I did.

Whenever each of them spoke, I listened intently and compared what they told me to what is supposed to happen in a typical scenario like that.

While I was doing my best to remain aware, I felt something sweep me and ground me even deeper in the moment, and gave me clarity on the matter without much effort.

A natural wave of mental strength and energy.

I was able to ask the right questions in the right way and I got them good. They rectified the mistake they had purposely made to get me to sign into a deal that was going to have me lose my money and I remained in control of things throughout that transaction.

Level 5 - Being Aware of Your Senses And Sharper Clarity

After the car purchase experience, I decided I would be meditating slightly before leaving the house when I am going to handle serious issues like purchases or negotiations.

Also, I would be consciously aiming to be in the present moment the entire period of handling the issues.

After doing this for several months, things got even more interesting.

I was able to remain aware of my thoughts and feelings even when talking to other people. It felt like a huge mental space was created for me to dwell there and observe every single thing that was happening on the outside and be sensitive to how I feel as well as think about it.

On top of that, my senses sharpened. I would easily sense smell and hear things better than I've been doing over the years.

It was and still is surreal.

On top of that, I always feel very much in synchrony with my surroundings most of the time. I have become naturally aware of my breath when I breathe, and with every breath, I feel more and more in control of my thoughts, feelings, sensations, and speech.

I even remember to think before I take action, including the smallest and harmless actions. This is something I had struggled with for a long time and I am now doing it effortlessly.

Based on my experience, I have realized that mindfulness brings all the restlessness of the mind and body to a slow stop and gives you the chance to experience the beauty that is the universe in its entirety.

It wakes you up from "sleep" that is stress, anxiety, and racing thoughts, and helps you fully experience what is happening at any given moment without missing a single event, and without having worries of the past or the future, just as this study on mindfulness training that was published by Frontiers in Human Neuroscience concluded.

You are just there, in that moment. Completely.

Techniques that helped get into deeper levels of mindfulness

Now you might ask, "What kind of mindfulness activities are you doing that are getting you these kinds of experiences?"

Well, here they are.

1. Mindfulness meditation - Mindfulness meditation was my foundation. It was the first practice I started with. I used a guided meditation video from YouTube that was 10 minutes long, and then another that was 20 minutes after a few months. From there, I trained myself to do it on my own and I fell in love with that approach.

2. Visualization - Visualization has always been part of my life. I take interest in visualizing my future or a goal I'm working on which helps me get more motivated to work on it and also offers me relaxation, awareness of myself and life at times. But be careful not to be a victim of wishful thinking and lose touch with reality. It is easy to get over to that side and ruin yourself. I try to be moderate with visualization.

3. Reflection - Reflection has helped me increase my level of mindfulness in that it helps direct and maintain attention on the things I am reflecting about. I noticed that the amount of relaxation that comes from reflecting is nearly the same as the one that is gained from a meditation session. Reflecting on the current problems in your life and trying to solve them also offers just as much peace.

4. Mindful speaking - I ventured into this when I noticed that I don't always match up what I tell myself in private with what I say when I go out in public. After discovering this weakness, I trained myself to first reason deeply about something I am going to talk about and be aware of myself when I speak to ensure I say exactly what I told myself. I noticed this also builds your self-confidence and makes you firm and decisive in the long term.

5. Resting awareness - Resting awareness is all about being aware of yourself, mostly your thoughts, when you are resting and relaxing after you've been engaged in some activity. During this period, a string of thoughts rises. And if the only thing you do is simply observe without pursuing them, the thoughts go away on their own.

6. Mindful walking - Mindful walking is like regular walking but this time you do it with awareness. It helps to start with slow steps in an environment that is quiet and where you are alone, and then you can blend the concept in with regular walking any time you are doing it. When you have built that momentum alone and have mastered it, it becomes easier to walk mindfully in the streets and other public places. It also becomes a natural way of life in good time.

7. Note taking - This is also called labeling. It is where you remain aware of yourself over an extended period and whenever a thought, feeling, or sensation arises, you put a mental label on it by saying silently in your mind, "That is a thought" or "That is a feeling" or "That's a sensation". Doing this helps maintain your awareness at peak levels for a long time.

8. Mindful eating - Mindful eating entails being completely present and focused on the activity of eating. Here you put your phone aside, get away from the TV, computer, and all other devices, and direct your attention to the food you are having. This way you can be aware of how you get your food from your plate to your mouth, how you chew, the taste of the food, and how you swallow and repeat the process until the food is done.

Conclusion

The first 3 techniques I mentioned have been with me since my early days with mindfulness. I picked up the rest along the way when I realized that to be completely aware, you have to make personal effort outside of meditation sessions.

It's the only way you make progress.

If you're going to experience deeper levels of mindfulness, it's up to you to create a plan of how you are going to ground yourself in it and have the commitment and discipline to do it.

Starting small is the way to go. You can begin with 2 to 3 minutes of mindfulness meditation and slowly increase the time as you get comfortable.

After a couple of months, you can start incorporating the other mindfulness techniques one by one as you aim to be aware from when you wake up to when you sleep.

It may seem like a lot of sacrifices, but trust me, the hassle is well worth the benefits you get in return.

In your first days, be prepared for times when you'll end your meditation sessions feeling fresh and jovial, and times when you will feel tired, drained mentally, confused, and sleep through your sessions only to wake up and find yourself drooling all over the place.

These are quite common occurrences but if you keep going patiently, after a few months or years, you'll eventually reach your destination.

The good thing is, you can begin seeing some changes in a few weeks.

Research has found that even 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation can bring about improvements. So you don't have to worry about having to meditate for years without noticing any progress.

David Oscar is a huge meditation and mindfulness enthusiast. He is also a mental health researcher and the editor of improveyourbrainpower.org, a website that shares the legitimate and effective ways to improve the power and function of the brain.

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