Globally, health experts agree that incidences of stress and obesity are rising. In the US, recent studies show that up to 1 in 5 adults often or always feel lonely, anxious, or depressed. Similarly, obesity is growing rampant, with two-thirds of all adults in the US qualifying as such. 

As it happens, the fact that these two issues are on the rise at the same time is no coincidence. Health experts have found that excess weight and heightened stress levels perpetuate a toxic cycle, where one encourages the development and progression of the other. This is concerning since the World Health Organization (WHO) notes that obesity-related complications are responsible for nearly three million deaths from around the world every year. With this in mind, it’s important to understand how stress and weight are connected and how to cultivate a positive weight-loss mindset. 

Where weight and stress meet

Although stress is primarily mental and weight is physical, they are undeniably linked, where one’s symptoms manifest in the other. To start, when the body is stressed, it causes hormonal changes. Chief among these fluctuating hormones is cortisol, which regulates the body’s fight-or-flight mode. During this period, the metabolism naturally slows. High cortisol levels also cause slower production of the hormone leptin, which controls feelings of satiety and hunger. Without enough of this, appetites can increase and lead to weight gain. Stress can also demotivate a person from pursuing weight management methods like diet and exercise.

Meanwhile, eating is a self-coping method for many people, even though any relief it brings is temporary and causes more problems down the road. For some people, what makes weight management tricky is that the extra pounds slowly creep up, making many underestimate the impact of what they’ve gained. However, when you look at the difference between overweight and obese individuals, it’s clear that graduating to obesity carries severe health issues. The extra adipose tissue you gain when obese can trigger inflammation and deregulate blood sugar. Over time, this can lead to up to 200 pressing chronic ailments. A few examples of this include sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancers, gallstones, and, of course, anxiety and depression. Societal biases against obesity can also heighten any depressive ideation. From here, the two continue to impact each other, while an individual just gains more weight and feels more depressed. 

Ways to manage mindset

Obesity is not easy to reverse, but having a positive mindset is the first step in the process. To begin, try to be more compassionate with yourself. We are our own worst critics, so the next time you find yourself thinking overly harsh thoughts about yourself, picture saying this to somebody you care about. Instead, surround yourself with a support system that can quell any of your self-criticisms and lift you up. Having this kind of support is not only inspiring but also a great opportunity for you to receive first-hand tips that can help you.

Next, find a weight loss approach that suits you. There’s no point in following the latest diet or exercise if you find it unsustainable. Even if the approach you opt for is slower to show results, if it’s something you can maintain, you’re bound to feel more fulfilled. For example, if you’re not too keen on traditional gym classes, maybe you’re better off with something like walking. Though more low impact, it’s free, easy to do, and great at helping lower stress, blood pressure, and overall body weight. When you’re doing something, you actually enjoy, it’s easier to keep a level head and keep going, even when the going gets tough. 

Finally, learn to celebrate small wins. Most people end up hyper-fixating on their bigger goals. While not losing sight of what you ultimately want is good, these big goals do take time to reach. As such, you may feel like this goal is so far off and you’re not working to get there fast enough. Naturally, this can lead to feelings of depression. To fight this off, recognize your mini milestones. Doing this helps you acknowledge the progress you’ve made so you can cut yourself some slack and see that you are making changes slowly but surely, along the way to unlocking your best life!

Article written by Sophia Emma Exclusively for Lifestyle Magazine

The post Is Stress Affecting Your Weight? How to Manage Your Mindset for Weight Loss appeared first on Lifestyle.

2024 is nearly half over. If you’re actively crushing your goals, congratulations, you’re in the top 9% of goal achievers on the planet!

But if you’re like most people… chances are when you read that question, it’s probably the first time you’ve thought about your New Year’s goals in a long time.

Remember how motivated and excited you were about the possibilities when you made your New Year’s resolutions?

You were focused and clear about your intentions and the changes you wanted to make.

And chances are you still want to take charge of your life and make those changes, so it’s not a lack of desire.

The Culprit

So what’s the culprit? It’s what gets in the way of most of us when we’re trying to learn anything new or uncomfortable:

RESISTANCE.

Resistance comes in the form of self-doubt, fear, discomfort, worry, procrastination, lack of commitment, comfort, etc.

Reflect on the first few months of 2024. What headwinds of resistance have been keeping you from reaching your goals?

The bad news is that the year is nearly half over. The good news is that you still have six months to make 2024 your best year.

There’s still time.

Setting Goals

Most people need to become more familiar with how to set appropriate goals.

In January every year, people usually write down two to three goals in each of the following categories: personal finance, relationships, jobs/business, spiritual, and personal.

In fact, this year, the top six New Year’s resolutions were to improve fitness, improve finances, improve mental health, lose weight, improve diet, and make more time for loved ones.

But here’s what typically happens: We’re told to prioritize our goals and set a deadline to achieve them. Then, make a list of tasks to accomplish those goals by the allotted date.

Unfortunately, this type of goal-setting only leads to failure.

Consider how many Januarys have come and gone where you’ve written goals; June arrives, and you’ve barely looked at them; December arrives, and you’ve not achieved them. This is because they are overwhelming and out of reach.

Goal-Setting That Works

Setting goals is more than dreaming about the kind of life you want.

Goal setting is about creating a life vision for yourself where you successfully achieve your goals without any specified time limits.

Not setting a time limit for your goals may be a new concept.

However, by setting a time limit for achieving your goals, you are setting yourself up for failure, and here’s why.

If you set a time limit on a goal that is sooner than you could conceivably expect to achieve it, your mind will tell you that it is impossible, you will feel overwhelmed, and your productivity will plummet.

On the other hand, if you set your goals for a time that is considerably out of reach, then your mind will tell you that you have a significant amount of time to achieve this goal and that you can “start tomorrow” and not have to work towards it anytime soon.

The Power of A Life Vision

When you create a life vision in which you see yourself accomplishing your goals or enjoying the fruits of your labor, you are more likely to work towards achieving those goals and avoid failure.

Next, set “process tasks” that take you in the right direction and into the reality of your vision.

It’s almost a cliche, but fall in love with the process not the payoff.

The chasm between where you are and where you want to be is bridged by a process—by a batch of certain habits and tasks—that gets you there.

These tasks will have a timeline and strategies, which you should initiate and track using as many time management productivity tools as you find necessary. Unless you measure your progress regularly, you will never follow through. And this time next year, you will be in the same place you are today.

Accomplishing your goals is a matter of keeping them at the top of your mind and in your current consciousness, where you will continue to make forward movement in your task list daily to sustain momentum, much like standing next to a fire to keep warm.

Setting goals isn’t about identifying tasks but discovering what you truly want in life and the person you want to become and establishing a road map to the final destination that unlocks your best life.

The post Did You Forget This? appeared first on Lifestyle.

Our brains are the command center of our lives and are essential for the quality of our physical, emotional, and mental performance. Chronic stress, poor diet, smoking, and excess alcohol take a severe negative toll on our brain’s functionality. 

These habits also contribute to high blood pressure, cognitive decline, and dementia.

But you can always learn new habits and strategies and change your life. Here are 8 tips to prime your brain for success and unlock your best future.

Mediterranean Diet (MeDi)

High-quality foods are essential to your brain health and physical fitness.

The Mediterranean diet focuses on plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, fish, whole grains, and healthy oils like olive and avocado. 

Based on a study of 502,536 participants, people who followed the principles of the MeDi had a 23% lower chance of developing dementia. Research has also found that the MeDi may improve cognitive capabilities, such as memory.

Tame Stress 

Chronic stress harms brain function. Yale Medicine defines chronic stress as “A consistent sense of feeling pressured and overwhelmed over a long period of time.” 

There are many causes of chronic stress today because life is busier and more complicated than ever. These include life changes, unfulfilling jobs, economic distress, and family dysfunctions. 

When stressed, the brain increases glucocorticoid production, including the stress hormone cortisol. 

The mind goes into overdrive and starts worrying about the future and everything that might go wrong, causing panic and anxiety. 

Reading the Bible and praying have a calming effect on the mind that keeps us anchored in the present. Practicing Mindfulness helps us stay focused on the present rather than dwelling on the past or situations that cause us to worry. Other key concepts include paying attention to our surroundings, accepting ourselves, and focusing on our breathing.

Physical Activity

The Center for Creative Leadership asked over 1,500 executives how exercise impacts their performance. Approximately 90% said that physical activity “clearly impacts” their performance, 12% reported “some impact,” and no one reported zero impact.

They reported regular exercise improved mental clarity, focus, alertness, and problem-solving.

In addition to improving your brain, exercise has physical benefits such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing anxiety, improving sleep, decreasing insulin resistance, and strengthening your immune system.

Be Mentally Active

People who don’t “exercise” their brains are at significant risk for early cognitive decline. You can do many activities to give your brain a workout, such as reading, memorizing scripture, learning a new language, playing games, or working on a jigsaw puzzle.

Sleep Well

The importance of sleep and its effect on brain health is huge! When you get good quality, deep sleep, the brain repairs itself and rejuvenates your immune system. In REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, the brain compiles details you learned during the prior day.

Inadequate or insufficient sleep can contribute to feeling exhausted, cause concentration, mood, and memory disorders, and suppress the immune system.

You know the drill: create a bedtime routine by going to bed at the same time nightly and waking up at the same time in the morning. Over time, this will help set your internal clock and become a regular sleep pattern. Also:

• Turn off your electronics at least two hours before bedtime. This includes cell phones, computers, and social media.
• Eliminate caffeine after 12:00 p.m. The most common sources of caffeine are coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate.
• Avoid eating before bedtime to prevent gastrointestinal issues that may keep you awake.

Stop Smoking

Although people feel that cigarettes or cigars help to calm them and are pleasurable, they pose severe risks to brain functionality. 

A study by the American Heart Association (AHA) found that smoking is associated with cognitive decline, leading to worsening performance. You deserve better. So do yourself a huge favor and stop smoking.

Be Socially Active

Social connections can help reduce stress and depression and prevent memory loss. Look for ways to interact with others, especially if you live alone. 

Brain atrophy has been linked to a lack of socialization. 

Interpersonal relationships and being socially active enhance physical well-being and strengthen brain health. 

Find Inspiration

How often do we take the little things in life for granted? We often overlook these special moments of inspiration, which can be so good for brain health. 

For example, Psych Central says watching the sunrise gives you a feeling of awe, bolsters your mood, and helps you have a “big picture” mentality where we view situations broadly rather than focusing on limited details. It opens your mind to evaluating scenarios entirely rather than breaking them into detailed parts. 

People may also find inspiration from art, visiting a park, or watching the sunset.

Conclusion

A healthy brain keeps our sensory, cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and motor functions working smoothly. Good habits such as eating properly, being physically, mentally, and socially active, and getting sufficient sleep are essential to overall well-being and life satisfaction.

The preceding tips can boost brain health, priming your mind for success and well-being so you can unlock your best life!

The post 8 Ways To Prime Your Brain For Success appeared first on Lifestyle.

It has long been proven that the mind-body connection is real, with physical health influencing mental wellness and vice versa. So, besides making healthy lifestyle changes through diet and exercise, you can refer to a previous post about the science of happiness for strategies for boosting your mental health and overall quality of life. These include finding your purpose for a more fulfilling life, nurturing supportive relationships with family and friends, and practicing self-compassion.

However, a lesser-known fact is that focusing on eye health specifically can also influence your mental health. Below, we look at how poor eyesight can contribute to poor mental health and what you can do to invest in eye care for better holistic wellness.

The connection between eyesight and mental health

In this digital age, one of the most straightforward ways your eye health can impact your mental well-being is through the stress-related effects of excessive screen time. Specifically, prolonged exposure to the blue light emitted by electronic devices can increase the risk of digital eye strain. Its symptoms include fatigue, dryness, headaches, and blurred or double vision, which otherwise go beyond physical discomfort to also contribute to or worsen stress levels.

Besides stress-inducing digital eye strain, research shows that vision problems like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism can also lead to poor mental health. Findings of a systemic review published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that the proportion of depression is higher among those with poor or low vision, especially older adults. Since your eyesight is essential to navigating your surroundings and performing basic tasks, getting your vision compromised can worsen your mood and mental health due to increased feelings of loneliness, helplessness, and isolation.

Fortunately, these mental health concerns can be addressed through the eye care tips in the next section.

Eye care tips to boost your mental wellness

Update your eyewear

As previously mentioned, individuals with vision impairment are at higher risk of chronic stress and depression due to the difficulties of daily life. So, it’s best to regularly update the prescription of your eyeglasses for optimal vision correction and comfort. When ordering an updated pair, consider going to Ray-Ban not only for its wide range of frame styles like the bold Wayfarer and timeless Clubmaster to suit your features but also for the high-quality design and material that prevent discomfort while you wear your glasses all day. Besides prescription glasses, the countless frame and lens combinations include protective features, such as blue light filters to reduce glare from digital screens and other artificial sources.

Regulate your screen time

Because digital eye strain can also negatively affect your mental health, remember to regulate your screen time by taking regular breaks to rest your eyes, rehydrate, and even do simple eye exercises like blinking and rotating your eyeballs. Additionally, you can better monitor your screen use by using a mobile app like Digital Wellbeing for Android devices. Much like Apple’s Screen Time feature, the app allows you to set up screen time limits for certain apps, schedule Focus and Bedtime modes to take a break from your phone, and track your overall screen usage to foster a healthier relationship with technology.

Get routine eye exams

Lastly, schedule routine eye exams every one or two years for ongoing monitoring and assessment of your vision and overall eye health. Going to a qualified optometrist can not only detect early signs and symptoms of eye problems but also introduce treatment and prevention approaches to avoid these conditions from affecting your mental well-being.

Overall, eyesight is one of the five basic senses that help you experience life to the fullest, so make eye care a priority in your daily life. For more helpful resources on health and lifestyle, continue exploring the rest of the posts here at Lifestyle.org.

(Article written by Sophia Emma Exclusively For Lifestyle Magazine.)

The post Poor Eyesight Can Lead to Poor Mental Health— Here’s What You Can Do appeared first on Lifestyle.

With everything that’s happening in the world today and living lives of constant and never-ending activity, it seems our stress and anxiety levels reach new highs each day.

Taking care of our mental well-being is crucial. 

Controlling our mood is a must, too. Otherwise, it will quickly control us, plunging us into overwhelm and depression. 

Of the many tools and rituals for reducing stress and finding calm, exercise is among the best.

Physical activity improves mood. 

Research has proven time and again its many positive impacts.

Why does exercise boost your mood?

Exercise causes the brain to release a neurotransmitter called endorphins.

Endorphins interact with receptors inside the brain, reducing pain and triggering positive feelings throughout the body. 

Have you ever heard someone refer to a “runner’s high”? It’s the euphoric state runners often feel at some point during their run. 

The euphoria comes from all the endorphins released during a strenuous workout. 

Once the runner slows down, that wash of chemicals courses through their bodies, making them feel extremely happy, content, and satisfied. 

But, is pounding the pavement for endless miles the only way to enjoy exercise-induced euphoria?

Absolutely not! Although it’s called the runner’s high, this euphoric experience accompanies many other physical activities.

Other neurotransmitters are released during exercise besides endorphins.

Two other neurotransmitters released by physical activity are serotonin and dopamine, critical players in mood regulation. 

Serotonin is nicknamed “the feel-good” hormone because it makes a person feel satisfied and happy, which is why it helps regulate mood, appetite, and sleep patterns. 

The more a person exercises, the more serotonin will be available for the brain to receive. 

Similarly, dopamine, nicknamed “the reward” hormone, is directly tied to your feelings of pleasure and motivation. 

When you exercise, you boost dopamine levels, leaving you feeling accomplished and satisfied at the end of a workout session.

How does exercise reduce stress levels?

Exercising regularly reduces the amount of stress hormones in the body, such as adrenaline and cortisol. 

Adrenaline is the “go” hormone that spikes and triggers you into action when extreme stress hits, like the sudden rush you feel when slamming on your car’s brakes to avoid a collision. 

That rush you feel is adrenaline surging through your body to help you think fast, act quickly, and, in this case, hit those brakes! 

Adrenaline is helpful when it functions as designed. But, if you’re constantly on edge and stressed out, it can cause major damage to your body. 

Cortisol levels rise whenever you’re stressed. And, like adrenaline, too much cortisol in your system for an extended period without relief (chronic stress) can create physical issues that cause discomfort and increase the risk of disease. 

Exercise helps your stress levels and boosts your mood in another significant way: it can improve your sense of self-esteem and self-confidence, both of which are necessary for your overall well-being. 

Sticking with your plan and seeing yourself improve over time and achieve fitness goals is something to be proud of. It should give you a sense of accomplishment while boosting your self-esteem. 

Regular physical activity can improve your body image and help you see yourself more positively.

How much exercise for mood enhancement?

According to experts at Harvard Health, not much! 

Even a simple fifteen minutes per day of running or an hour of walking can boost your mood, ease stress, and combat depression. 

Though specific amounts of exercise were recommended from the study’s findings, the doctors at Harvard Medical School emphasized that any amount of exercise has the power to combat feelings of depression and boost one’s mood. 

The quality of your life is directly tied to the quality of your mindset, which you can improve and brighten with a few minutes of physical activity every day. 

The post How (and Why) Exercise Brightens Mood appeared first on Lifestyle.

Life is messy and unpredictable sometimes. We don’t make the best decisions, or things spiral out of our control, or we suffer the unfortunate consequences of other people’s choices. 

How we react to certain triggers and situations and show up in life either fills our life with more or less hope, joy, or misery. To have more hope, joy, and happiness is an intentional choice. 

As the famous quote goes, “It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you react to it that matters.“-Epictetus.

Here are some strategies for your consideration for living a joyful life: 

Find and prioritize your purpose.

There’s joy in finding your purpose and living it. You have a calling, an assignment, something to do to serve and improve the world. Finding a purpose is vital to living a joyful and fulfilled life. Some people may find purpose in their work and jobs, but you can also find it by volunteering your time and resources for the good of the community or society. 

Take a moment to think about some things you’re passionate about that contribute positively to the world; maybe your gift or passion is something you do well and allows you to make an income. There’s a good chance this is your calling. When you find and prioritize your purpose, you have something to look forward to and wake up to every morning. Fulfilling your purpose fills your life with joy and meaning, leading to a happy and satisfied life. 

Nurture relationships.

When we look at the centenarians from the Blue Zones, we see that they highly prioritize and nurture their social relationships with friends and family. They live a simple life, and one of their main focuses is building and nurturing supportive relationships. 

Even at 90, these people are seen to be fit, healthy, happy, and free of chronic diseases due to their lifestyle and familial support. We learn from these people of the Blue Zones the wisdom of nurturing healthy relationships; it’s a pillar of living a happy life. We all need support, a shoulder to cry on, and like-minded friends to share the joys of life with. 

Release things that no longer serve us. 

Life has different stages, each requiring a different and more evolved version of you. To live a joyful life, learn to let go of things, people, situations, and memories that no longer serve you or support your faith and values. Be brave and clear on who and what deserves to move forward into the next season of your life. 

Embracing the process of letting go leads to a happier life. To live more joyfully, learn to let certain attitudes go, too, like perfectionism and how you think life ‘should be’ or what ‘could have been.’ Embrace the present moment and declutter your life, heart, soul, and mind of habits, negative mindsets, toxic relationships, and feelings of regret, guilt, or shame from the past. Learn to let go of any emotional baggage that may deter you from living a joyful life. 

Be kind and compassionate to yourself.

Nurturing your relationship with yourself is essential to living a happier life. This can mean being kind and compassionate to yourself by not talking negatively to or about yourself. It can mean showing yourself compassion and forgiveness and treating yourself well, like taking time out of work to rest and wind down instead of overworking yourself, improving your mental and emotional well-being, taking care of your body, and whatever else enriches your life and soul. 

To be happier and emotionally healthy, you must ditch the negative self-talk, rewire and reframe your mindset to be more positive and supportive of yourself. And observe how your life shifts from misery to joy. 

Joy can look different to every person. What you perceive as joy may not be the same for someone else. Some may find joy in nurturing relationships, while others may prefer some ‘me time’ in solitude. 

Lastly, remember to fill your cup first so you have something to give and pour it into others. You can’t pour from an empty cup, so find your purpose, do activities that enrich your life, release whatever isn’t serving you anymore, lean on others, and laugh more to live a joyful life. Find your version of joy to unlock your best life!

The post The Science Of Happiness: Strategies For A Joyful Life appeared first on Lifestyle.

5 Ways To Stop The Negative Effects Of Social Media

According to DemandSage.com, nearly 5 billion people use social media worldwide, which is more than half of the world’s population (61%). Experts predict that number will rise to 5.17 billion by 2024. It’s probably no surprise that Facebook leads the field with 3.05 billion users. The typical social media user is on six different platforms. 

Social media has many benefits and can be a positive tool. It allows us to connect with family and friends and interact with businesses. 

We can use it to preserve memories and share experiences or things of interest. 

We can use it to learn new skills or teach others. Take YouTube, for example, you can learn just about anything you want to know, from fixing the garbage disposal to knitting a winter scarf!  

Let’s not forget about Pinterest and its vast pictures and short reels. Then there are Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and others that offer images and videos with brief written explanations.

Despite these benefits, social media also has its disadvantages. 

Research shows that spending too much time on these platforms can lead to increased stress, loneliness, isolation, and depression.

Claude Mellins, Professor of medical psychology in the Departments of Psychiatry and Sociomedical Sciences, writes, “Although there are important benefits, social media can also provide platforms for bullying and exclusion, unrealistic expectations about body image and sources of popularity, normalization of risk-taking behaviors, and can be detrimental to mental health.”

We need to be wise and protect our minds when using social media. Why? To maximize its benefits while minimizing its detrimental effects. 

Here are five ways to do just that.

Customize Your Feed

Be ruthless. Social media exists for you; you don’t exist for social media. 

Unfollow, block, or remove negative or fearmongering people or pages. Delete toxic friends. 

Limit who views and comments on your posts. 

People are not entitled to have access to your life. So, don’t let them guilt, shame, or manipulate you into thinking they should have a say in your life. 

Keeping a small circle of virtual friends is perfectly okay (and perhaps even healthy).

Replace people and organizations with accounts that inspire and encourage you – that build you up and make you feel good about yourself.

Look for people who embrace their natural beauty and focus on wholesome things. Follow people who are constantly spreading positive words of motivation across their feeds.

Use this Ancient wisdom as your guide: 

“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8; New Living Translation.)

You are in charge of what kind of social media content streams into your mind and heart. 

Be The Boss

How many times have you bombarded your mind with updates, news, and irrelevant posts as soon as your alarm goes off and you wake up? 

This is one of the worst ways to start your day. It often leads to losing track of time, rushing out the door because you’re late, and adding unneeded stress and anxiety to your life. 

Why let social media boss you around and dictate the quality and flow of your day? Isn’t it time for you to be the boss?

Instead, consider adding screen-free activities to your morning routine, like journaling, meditating, and practicing gratitude.

When you start scrolling through social media at a time of your choosing, set a time limit on how long you spend on each app. And don’t let the virtual world replace the real world. 

Turn off Notifications

Just because you always have your phone with you doesn’t mean you must always be available. Cut yourself free from social media’s umbilical cord of relentless streams and feeds.  

Give yourself a few minutes of peace and quiet or focused, uninterrupted time to do your work or something that’s really important to you. 

Remember, social media makes its money through advertising dollars, so the apps are designed to interrupt your attention and hijack your focus to lure you to their feeds so they can generate revenue from ads.

One of the most effective ways to regain your precious time is to switch off notifications as often as is necessary during the day. Don’t let social media use you.

Be Aware

Be critical of social media and realize that most posts and reels you see are someone’s best moments; they only show you what they want you to see. They’re projecting an image or a brand; they’re not displaying their typical day-to-day life for the whole world to see.

Detox

Try this sometime today or this week: Set your phone down and be fully present in the moment. 

Look around the room, notice how the light shines through the window, and listen to the different sounds around you; be aware and fully present. 

Time yourself for sixty seconds. Breathe. Live. Soak in the sights, fragrances, and sounds of the world around you. If you’re brave enough, do this a few times a week or day to wean yourself off your addiction to social media. 

Why not trade social media time for something more constructive with your time? Do something to improve your life by acquiring a new skill, write a paragraph of the next great American novel, resurrect an old hobby, read, exercise, enjoy a stroll in the sunshine, journal, draw, paint, or play a musical instrument, and more!

Live Life!

Live with passion and unlock your best life! Laugh, be curious, explore, celebrate love, and have adventures! Grow, serve, and give back instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media, living life through someone else’s screen.

The post 5 Ways To Stop The Negative Effects Of Social Media appeared first on Lifestyle.

Negativity doesn’t just suck up precious mental space; it leaks into every area of your life, undermining your hopes, dreams, and plans. 

Pessimism and negativity are toxic to your mental health, physical health, and social health. Let’s have a look.

Mental Health

Besides making you feel miserable, negative thoughts compromise your long-term mental health. These are some consequences of letting negative thoughts occupy your mind:

• Major Depressive Disorder
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Social Anxiety Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Psychosis

But even if the condition of your mental health doesn’t result in an official diagnosis, being pessimistic and having negative thoughts create numerous other mental health symptoms. Some of these include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Low self-esteem
• Perfectionism

Whenever a negative thought invades your mind, use your will to shift your focus to something positive and hopeful, like a blessing or a promise in the Bible or finding something good in someone.  

Physical Health

Your mind exerts a powerful influence over your body, probably more than you realize. How you think and the quality of your thoughts impact how healthy your physical body is. These are examples of how negative thinking can affect the body:

• Increased risk of diagnoses such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure
• Decreased immune system strength
• Healthier weight
• Healthier blood sugar levels

There’s something to the old adage “mind over matter.” You can use the power of your mind to manage the body’s physical reactions to external stimuli.

Negative thinking and a pessimistic imagination will always make your physical well-being and health outcomes worse. So, even if the situation seems bleak, put the odds more in your favor by focusing on something positive. 

Social Health

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to have a healthy and happy relationship when it’s filled with negativity and pessimism? Negativity ruins relationships.

Indulging in negative thinking tends to blind you to the positive experiences and good in others. And when you see something good, it’s stained with skepticism or cynicism.

Worse yet, negativity and pessimism can make you see things that aren’t even there, causing you to believe things about the other person that aren’t true. Unfortunately, assumptions are made, or devastating scenarios are created in your mind that make you think and behave in ways that damage the relationship, sometimes irreparably.

Negativity and pessimism can make you overly sensitive to jokes and comments because you take them too personally. This negativity damages your trust and connection with the other person and causes you to treat others negatively. Examples of social relationships that can be affected include:

• Your marriage
• Romantic partners
• Friends
• Family members
• Coworkers and/or supervisors
• Neighbors
• Teammates and hobby club members
• Classmates

How to Let Go of Negative Thinking

People only change when they want to or have to, like when diagnosed with a severe disease that requires them to change their lifestyle habits. 

Therefore, the first step in detoxing your mind from negative thoughts is to create the desire and motivation to overcome negativity and pessimism by replacing it with positivity and optimism. 

Desire is key. Without desire, you will never change your habit of thinking.
It will take effort and commitment on your part. But as long as you’re consistent and persistent, you’ll make it. 

Try these tips for overcoming negative thinking and pessimistic thoughts:

• Keep a journal: List your negative thoughts and emotions daily. Why put them on paper? Because it gets them out of your head and keeps them from lingering in your mind.

• Play Detective: Look at your list of negative thinking for patterns and clues of underlying causes that need attention and healing.

• Schedule a time of day to review negative thoughts. The last thing you want is to obsess about your negative thoughts the whole day. Scheduling a time to process your negative thoughts frees up your mind to make the most of your day instead of wasting precious mental energy on endless problems and negativity.

• Acknowledge negative thoughts when they occur and replace them with positive ones. For example, instead of beating yourself up for being late, be thankful that your friend is willing to be flexible.

• Be intentional about receiving and giving love and positivity.

• Take care of your physical health. Remember the powerful mind-body connection. Taking care of one takes care of the other.

• Use Bible promises and positive affirmations for yourself and others. Focus on what’s possible when you and God work together as an unstoppable force. And remember to celebrate your wins no matter how small.

• Be grateful for your relationships, possessions, achievements, and opportunities.

• Avoid negative news and media. Add humor and heartwarming media to your life.

• Consider making meditation and prayer a daily habit to connect with Divine power.

Optimistic people are happier, healthier, more successful, and have pleasing personalities, attracting opportunities and like-minded people. Negative, pessimistic people are like a cold and foggy day; they repel people and opportunities. Where would you rather be, on a sunny beach or where the weather is dismal and dreary? Exactly.

Detoxing your mind of negativity and pessimism is one of the best things you can do to unlock your best life in 2024!

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Norman Vincent Peale said, “The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.”

How often do we seek praise over criticism? While no one likes being criticized, a critique can be a gift, depending on how you see it and what you do with it. 

Here are four ways to make criticism build you up instead of tearing you down.

Create Emotional Space Between Yourself and the Comment

Criticism can hurt your feelings and make you angry. It’s easy to get defensive and lash back, so you must create some emotional space between you and the critical comment. Why? To gain objectivity.

Becoming offended immediately gets you nowhere. 

The philosopher Epictetus said, “If someone in the street were entrusted with your body, you would be furious. Yet you entrust your mind to anyone around who happens to insult you and allow it to be troubled and confused. Aren’t you ashamed of that?”

Don’t let someone take charge of your thoughts and feelings with their words of criticism or praise! Don’t allow yourself to be easily manipulated like an animal being led around on a leash. 

Look at it this way: someone’s opinion only has the power you give it; you decide what impact their words will have on your life. You get to decide how YOU will feel about the matter; letting other people manipulate or control you with their words is dangerous and unwise. 

Creating emotional space between you and your self-worth and what people say is a powerful tool to help you navigate the minefield of social opinion and the societal pressure that can often lead to disapproval and rejection if you don’t conform or comply with their views and beliefs.

Let Life Educate You

Transform criticism into a learning experience; let life educate you. Learning from every experience is empowering because you maintain control of your life; no one else gets the privilege of being behind the wheel. 

Must you agree with what people or pay lip service to their “intelligence?” No. But you can be grateful because every interaction is a teaching moment. When someone criticizes you, it’s a great learning opportunity. 

Because of the emotional space you’ve created between yourself and their comment, you can evaluate what they’ve said to see if there’s anything useful to learn. This growth mindset transforms encounters from defeats to victories that support your life. 

Be Patient With the Process

Pride is a stumbling block to learning; humility goes a long way. 

No one is perfect or has “arrived; we’re all works in progress. Instead of feeling attacked, embarrassed, or belittled when someone criticizes you, remind yourself that you’ve embraced this process of examining what people say because you’re committed to growing and improving. 

Embrace the process of creating space and evaluating what people say because you might find something beneficial. Listen, evaluate, keep what’s helpful, and delete what isn’t; grow and move forward. 

Criticism and Creativity

Criticism can create new perspectives that lead the way for innovation. What if you saw criticism as feedback instead of rejection? Truth is, you choose whether to accept or reject criticism; the final say is yours. 

For example, when someone raises objections or points out problems in a proposal or presentation, their comments might ignite your thinking to see new ideas or solutions. Why not give yourself the opportunity for expanded thinking? 

According to Harvard Business Review, there’s a sweet spot in criticism that recognizes the flaws in something without discarding the idea altogether. They refer to this process as “yes, but, and.” In this scenario, the “yes, but” portion presents the issue with a presented idea, while the “and” part presents potential solutions.[1]

This approach allows leeway for criticism to be evaluated to find solutions and improvements before discounting it altogether because we feel offended or rejected.

Final Thoughts

Ideally, it would be nice if people were more considerate of other’s feelings and perspectives when doling out their constructive criticism. It would make communication more effective and create better outcomes. But even when that isn’t the case, we can make the most of the situation by embracing this process.  

Being criticized can be positive, even if the critic has questionable intentions. When we choose to evaluate their comments to see if there’s anything we can learn for our growth or improvement instead of taking them personally, we’ve created a productive encounter and reduced the sting of criticism.  

This approach to criticism is freeing and empowering! Criticism can be something that shuts you down or something you use to unlock your best life! 

References:
1 Harvard Business Review, https://hbr.org/2019/07/why-criticism-is-good-for-creativity.

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