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!

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People tend to like helping nice, friendly people – people who are caring, selfless, and trustworthy. Those traits can win over the most difficult, reluctant people. 

Since there’s an art to honing the friendly powers of persuasion, here are five ways to start being more persuasive today. But remember, persuasion isn’t about being selfish or manipulating people; we shouldn’t exploit or abuse this power to meet our selfish needs.

Be Confident

Believe in what you want and why you want it, and be confident that you deserve it. Let the reasons why you want it to be uplifting.

Believing in what you want and being confident you deserve it makes the person you’re asking feel confident and subconsciously influences them to give you what you want.

According to a study by the University of Leicester, “the single significant behavioral difference between persuaders and persuadees was in the expression of confidence.”

Your ability to persuade others starts with your level of confidence. The more confident you are, the more persuasive your appeal is. 

How can you be more confident? Choose to act more confident. Take a deep breath, smile, be helpful and agreeable, and show them what you’ve got!

Just ensure you’re not arrogant, and don’t be pushy because you’ll come across as entitled or cocky, which are big turn-offs. 

Have Logical Reasons 

Although many people are persuaded by their feelings, most use logic to support their decisions. 

Suppose you want a co-worker to help with a project or to get caught up with a pile of work. Initially, they’ll resist you and say they’re too busy with their own stuff. 

Explain why they’re the best person to help you, which is why you’re asking. And then mention that by working together, you’ll both finish your work faster, making the boss and the company happy.

Words Matter 

It makes sense that some words are more persuasive than others, and those are the ones you want to use.  

For example, ‘reasonable’ sounds so much better than ‘okay,’ and a ‘lucrative’ deal is much better than saying, “it’s a good deal.”

You don’t have to memorize a list of “persuasive words.” Just be mindful that words matter; some are more influential than others. 

Think about what you want to say, and then choose words that communicate the heart and spirit of your message. 

You’ll be a more skillful communicator and sound more intelligent, confident, and coherent —all of which make you more trustworthy and, ultimately, more influential; it’s called the power of rhetoric.

Point Out How The Other Person Will Benefit

People gravitate towards friendly people who seek win-win situations because everyone always asks, “What’s in it for me?”

Let’s say you have to move and want your friends to help, but you know that no one likes the headache and hassle of moving; it’s a pain and a lot of work. 

But, if you tell them you’ll be giving a lot of your stuff away, they might be more inclined to help you. Or tell them you don’t expect them to do it for free – that dinner is one you at their favorite restaurant. 

Make it a win-win. Don’t just take; give back.

Find Something To Affirm Or Compliment

Some people flatter people to get what they want. So be careful with this tactic because it can make you seem manipulative.

Find something about them or their work that you can compliment or affirm. Remember, this isn’t a bribe. 

Give them sincere, appropriate compliments that build them up and boost their self-confidence; make them feel good about themselves. When they see your heart, they’ll listen, and consider what you’re asking. 

Treating others how you want to be treated is a good rule to remember when persuading someone to do what you want. Be confident, have good reasons, choose your words carefully, emphasize how they will benefit from this partnership, and build them up because when you do all of these things, people will naturally want to help you because they can see that you’re a good person who gives back. 

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Procrastinators have learned the habit of delaying something they must do until the last minute or until it’s past due. Sometimes it’s not a big deal and might even be helpful.

But it can create anxiety and stress, harming one’s career and relationships. 

Imagine suffering from the side effects of chronic procrastination, living under the crushing weight of mounting pressure and frenzied work hours, feeling rushed and unprepared, and plagued by guilt, resentment, and missed opportunities, always under the gun.

Who in their right mind would want to live like that? 

It’s an exhausting lifestyle of overwhelming stress and anxiety, haunting pressure caused by perfectionism, anger, lack of motivation, poor time management skills, and nagging frustration. 

Imagine waking up every day to the crippling fears and regrets of procrastination.

Dealing with Procrastination and Stress

Procrastination creates stress. 

Some people use recreation and physical activity to reduce their stress levels to manage and enjoy life more while dealing with the fallout of procrastination as they learn to stop procrastinating and be more productive. 

Other stress-relieving activities include listening to soul-soothing music, lighting candles, and creating a more relaxing environment.

Putting a stop to procrastination is the best antidote. 

Dealing with Procrastination and Perfectionism

Perfectionism is an underlying cause of procrastination for many people that paralyzes them, keeping them from unlocking their best life.

Perfectionism is faulty thinking.

Use deadlines to put perfectionism in its place.

Without a deadline, you can get trapped in a loop of perfectionistic thinking that delays you indefinitely; you never get off the starting blocks.

Besides using a deadline to snap you out of the doldrums of perfectionistic thinking, give yourself permission to be human! 

No one is perfect. 

An imperfect plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow. So get moving!

If you find yourself stuck in an endless loop of perfectionistic thinking that you know is keeping you from achieving your dreams and goals, realize that progress is a process. 

A commitment to constant and never-ending improvement gets you much farther than a commitment to making sure everything is perfect. You can’t get to the next level without getting through this level first.

Be committed to taking action now and revising along the way. 

Dealing with Procrastination and Poor Time Management Skills

Time management is really about organizing your time effectively. 

It’s hard for a distracted or disorganized mind to organize time effectively because it isn’t clear on what it wants, needs, or should do; the target is always fuzzy or moving.

We an be disorganized internally and/or externally.

A disorganized environment drains energy and can make people avoid doing what they should, making it easy to put things off.  

It’s pretty hard to organize your time and stay on task if your thinking is disorganized and your work/life environment is dirty, disorganized, and cluttered, all of which fuels procrastination.

Time Organization Strategies

 A popular strategy is to organize time into 30-minute chunks, give or take. 

Here’s how it works. Schedule a task you think you can get done in thirty minutes or less., and reward yourself immediately after completing it. 

Choose a reward you’ll look forward to and enjoy. Maybe your reward is taking a 10-minute walk in the fresh air, watching your favorite show after work, or enjoying your favorite snack.

You’re training yourself to become a person who gets stuff done. 

Some tasks will take less time, and some will take an hour or ninety minutes. 

Even if the thirty-minute task is unpleasant or uncomfortable, you’ll stick with it because you can put up with just about anything for thirty minutes, plus you have a well-deserved reward waiting for you at the end. 

If thirty minutes is too long at first, choose something shorter, like ten or fifteen minutes; even five or six minutes might be enough time to get you started and in flow. The goal is to jumpstart yourself into action so that you’re a doer, not a procrastinator. 

If using shorter time chunks, decide how many you must complete before enjoying your reward. If the idea is to reward yourself for every thirty minutes of action taken, you must finish three 10-minute chunks to enjoy your reward; make a game of it.

Dealing with Procrastination and a Lack of Motivation

People procrastinate when they’re not motivated. A lack of motivation can come from a place of helplessness or hopelessness. It’s hard to start when you keep thinking, “What’s the point?”

Although everyone occasionally struggles with burnout and laziness, ongoing low motivation points to deeper issues to address before change can occur. 

If you’re struggling with low motivation, ask yourself, what’s my purpose? What do I want from my life, career, relationships, or marriage that I’m not getting? If I were living my best life, what would be driving me?

By identifying the emotional “clog” that’s gumming up your motivation, you can face the situation, no matter how difficult or uncomfortable it might be, find your “inspiring why,” and push through to the next level.

Being driven by an “inspiring why” decreases procrastination because you’ll do what’s necessary and take imperfect action to get what you need, want, or dream. 

Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of a good coach or counselor to help you identify blocks and get clear. They will hold you accountable, inspiring you to take action toward living the life of your dreams.

Procrastination is paralyzing. It restricts your potential and limits how far you can go. At best, procrastination creates an average, mediocre life. At worst, it creates a life of quiet, fear-driven desperation. 

Every cause has an effect. If you don’t like the effects you’re dealing with, it’s within your power to change the cause. Use one of the strategies in this article to create momentum, and then keep building on it to unlock your best life.

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• Find A Supportive Community – Everyone experiences self-doubt. If you’re struggling with self-doubt, consider finding a group or community that focuses on that particular area of life for encouragement and support. 
• Journal – When we stay in our “head,” we tend to focus on the negative aspects of a situation, either what went wrong or could go wrong. Keeping a journal can sharpen our perspective by helping us be more objective. Feel free to write about your self-doubt but be sure to include how you overcame it by recording some of your wins and things that went right! Challenge yourself to focus on the positive, what you learned (or are learning), and how you grew (or are growing).   
• It’s About You, Not Them – Don’t compare yourself to others. Comparison is one of the absolute worst things you can do because you have no idea what other people are going through – you don’t know their “truth,” you only know yours. If you’re going to compare yourself to anyone, compare yourself to yourself – to the person you were yesterday and how you’ve grown and continue to grow. You are your only “competition.” Focus on who and what you are becoming.
• Express Gratitude – You can either count your burdens or blessings. Challenge yourself to find something for which to be grateful even in life’s most challenging moments. People who unlock their best life tend to find something positive for which to be grateful, even in times of darkness. For example, perhaps they’re devastated by the loss of a loved one, but, despite their pain and grief, they are grateful for having known that person and the special memories they’ll cherish forever.   
• Set Yourself Up to Win – Success defeats self-doubt. Choose a small goal or task that you cannot fail at achieving. Guarantee yourself a win. Make it small. Then when you reach it, set another goal. Positioning yourself to win boosts self-confidence and builds momentum.  
• Socialize with Optimistic People – Choose to hang around positive people. If most of the people in your social circle tend to be negative, it’s time to expand your circle to include positive, optimistic people – people who see the best in you and the situation… people who will encourage and support you – who make you feel good about yourself. Make some new friends by taking a class, joining a group, or finding a meetup in your area on something that interests you. 
• Respect & Appreciate Challenges – When people face challenges, they either have a breakthrough or a breakdown. We learn more from our challenges than our successes; resistance is a great teacher. Welcome challenges because of the person you know you will become in overcoming them; you will learn or gain something from them that strengthens your life in some way. No one ever unlocked their best life by taking the easy path.
• Grow from Your “Mistakes” – Stop punishing yourself when you mess up or make a mistake. Learn and grow from it. Rise. Discover. Evolve. 
• Know When to Let Go – Giving up isn’t always an acknowledgment of failure. If something isn’t working despite everything you’ve done or tried, maybe it’s time to let go. It could be an entrepreneurial endeavor, a relationship, or perhaps even a dream that no longer supports your life because you’re not the same person. Know when to let go and move on. 
• Let Discomfort Be Your Friend – As a general rule of thumb, if every choice you make makes you feel safe and comfortable, you’re not stretching yourself enough. It’s okay, perhaps even healthy, to feel a little uncertain about your goals and plans…and to be slightly uncomfortable along the way because it’s a sign that you’re challenging yourself. There is no growth without challenge.  
• Evaluate Your Strengths and Weaknesses – One way to defeat self-doubt is to take time to evaluate and appreciate your strengths. You have many more strengths than “weaknesses.” So, invest time and effort in honing your strengths. Don’t focus so much on your weaknesses. If possible, let someone else deal with an area of “weakness.” For example, if you want to eat healthily but hate to cook, subscribe to a meal service, etc. Workaround your weaknesses. Strengthen your strengths.  
• Seek Accountability – Consider finding a life coach or counselor, or even a trusted, optimistic friend with good judgment to be your accountability partner. It’s a great way to strengthen self-esteem and defeat self-doubt. You can share your dreams and goals and one or two things you’re going to do to achieve them so they can hold you accountable. Successful people don’t shun accountability; they embrace it because they know it’s essential to unlocking their best life.

Self-doubt can keep you stuck in a life you don’t want or enjoy. As you can imagine, this creates stress, worry, depression, and anxiety. But you have the power to defeat self-doubt. You can continue making excuses or begin unlocking your best life today and experience more love, joy, and fulfillment. 

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How much does fear rule your life? Is it turning you into a person you don’t like? Is it an unwanted companion you wish would go away?

Here are five common fears and tips for dealing with them.

1. You let what people think of you affect how you live

It’s nice to feel accepted… to belong. But when you compromise who you are to fit in and be accepted, something needs to change.

Never let the fear of rejection shape your desires or the kind of person you want to become.

Settling for a life that isn’t truly yours is settling for life in prison.

Never let people control how you act, think, or live. Sure, they have an influence – but not a controlling influence. Living a life of reaction isn’t living at all.

Your life is YOURS to live.

So decide what YOU want! Stop making unhealthy compromises just to fit in or be accepted. Don’t change who you just to keep “love” or certain people in your life.

Decide what you want and don’t want. Set realistic, achievable goals. And take action because “action” is an effective strategy for escaping fear’s grip.

2. You keep your thoughts and desires to yourself

The fear of criticism is as powerful as the fear of rejection. You might think that if they really knew how you thought or felt – if they knew the REAL you – they might not like you. So what? Is pretending to be something you’re not and sacrificing your happiness really worth it?

The thing is, people can tell when you’re holding back, leading them not to trust you or wondering if you’re being deceptive.

Give yourself the gift of being honest. It might take courage at first but peace of mind and heart, along with self-respect, are worth the risk.

Respect your ideas enough to share them because your thoughts, feelings, and desires are just as important as anyone else’s.

3. You resist trying new things

The fear of failure keeps us from taking chances and risks – even well-calculated ones.

This type of fear shows up as putting things off, sabotage, panic, and anxiety attacks.

The fear of failure is crippling. It undermines our abilities and confidence. We start believing things like, “I’m not good enough,” or “I’m not worthy,” or “I’ll never be as good as they are.”

If this sounds like you, find some inspiring quotes that give you the courage to move forward; keep them where you can see them all the time, like on a mirror or the refrigerator, to be reminded often of how amazing you are. As you take action, your self-confidence will grow, and your life will improve little by little.

4. You avoid doing the right thing

Fear makes people do things they know are wrong. It can also keep them from doing what they know is right by either saying nothing or doing nothing.

Are you afraid of offending someone, being punished, judged, rejected, ostracized, or of retaliation?

When forced to choose between right and wrong, remember your principles and what you believe.

Decide to stand up for what’s right.

If you need some courage to do the right thing, write on a piece of paper, all the things fear will cost you or others if you stand idly by and do nothing. Then, burn it up and move forward bravely.

5. You settle for less than you want or deserve

You settle for a career that’s just “okay,” or a safe but passionless relationship or you settle for “average” health that’s just a few pounds overweight.

You fool yourself into believing that it isn’t really that bad. “It could be worse,” you think… at least you’re safe and know what to expect.

You get one life. Never settle; it doesn’t do you or anyone else any good. Settling snuffs out hope. Want a dull, boring, numb life? Settle. Settling kills enthusiasm, hope, passion, and creativity.

Want to stop settling? Start taking risks, even small ones. You deserve to live life on YOUR terms; if you’re not trying, you’re not living. And if you’re settling, you’re not free either.

Stop worrying about disappointing people, and start living and dreaming of a brighter, more passionate tomorrow.

Different Types of Fears Holding You Back

Fear is a thief waiting to steal your joy and everything you hold dear to your heart. Here’ a common list of fears we all struggle with from time time:

• Fear of the unknown
• Fear of making a mistake
• Fear of criticism
• Fear of failure
• Fear of abandonment
• Fear of not being popular

Overcoming Your Fears

Below are some helpful tips for transforming fear from something that holds you back into something that propels you forward:

• Examine your values
• Believe in yourself
• Spend time in reflection and meditation
• Practice living in the moment and not in the past or the future
• Keep a journal
• Seek divine guidance
• Realize that you’re not alone
• Take an action every day that reinforces the best version of yourself
• Embrace a little bit of uncertainty in your life
• Be true to yourself no matter

This holiday season, give yourself the gift of courage and start living YOUR life.

Image by analogicus from Pixabay

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It’s easy to conclude that life’s out to get us whenever we don’t get what we want.

We blame God, or the universe, whenever we don’t win competitions, fail exams, or don’t get the thing we spent all day and night praying for.

Blaming God can be an understandable reaction, but it’s disempowering.

There’s a better way to handle this situation besides blaming God or wallowing in self-pity because life isn’t fair. Read on, and we’ll tell you what it is.

Be Content with What You Have

Have you ever considered that when things aren’t going your way, maybe it’s just life teaching you a lesson about contentment?

Many people think the key to happiness is getting what they want, whether it’s a car, a promotion, expensive clothes, or a million dollars.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting those things, but it raises the question: are we really going to be happy once we get them?

The answer is no. Why? Because how can we be happy with those things if we’re not content with what we already have?

People who are content with what they have don’t stress themselves with what’s “lacking” in their lives.

They focus on what they have, not on what they don’t have.

They live each day with gratitude and don’t throw a fit when things don’t go their way. They simply move on with their lives, knowing that something better is on its way.

Take Some Time to Reflect on Things

Instead of pointing fingers, wouldn’t it be so much better if we reflected on why things didn’t work out?

Sure, that’s difficult to do when emotions are running high, but it’s an excellent way of handling drawbacks because it turns “failure” into a learning moment.

Taking time to reflect on the events that transpired allows you to set your emotions aside for a more objective perspective.

It also keeps you from lashing out at people or feeling jealous or envious.

How we choose to deal with failure and rejection reveals the type of person we are…it shows our character. Besides, we learn more from failure and rejection than from success.

By reverse-engineering “failure” and reflecting on things, you can identify problem areas two work on and change.

Using this process spares you from the guilt, anger, and misery that often comes from personalizing failure. It’s one thing to “fail” but another thing to consider yourself a failure. It creates a venue for healthy conversations with yourself and enables you to focus more on solutions than on being denied what you wanted to have or achieve.

Rise From the Fall

A “no” doesn’t always mean no. Getting rejected the first time doesn’t mean you’ll get the same answer after your second attempt.

If you still feel like going after what you want after spending time in reflection, grab the opportunity the next time it presents itself.

Work on any problem areas you identified to increase your chances of getting a “yes” on the second try. If the second attempt doesn’t work out for you, learn from it, then try again.

Know what you want, work hard to get it, but be kind to yourself when life decides not to give it to you.

Practice the habit of looking for lessons in each setback – like an athlete studying game film. Maybe life is trying to teach you something. You’ll repeat the situation until you learn and grow from it.

You deserve to be happy; life is yours for the taking! So, don’t give up! Persevere. Endure. Believe. And have faith that you are becoming the kind of person who can create the type of life that makes you happy.

Image by eko pramono from Pixabay

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