Is It More Than 1-In-4?

It is said, from statistical analysis, that one person in every four has had a diagnosis of some form of a mental illness (which I will term brain-break). The majority seems to be depression related. I often wonder if it is much higher than that?

I am fortunate enough to work with organisations whose focus is to help others by providing a service of some form or another. This includes professionals such as lawyers, accountants, bankers, engineers and pretty much every company who deals with people.

No longer am I surprised, and also very humbled, at the number of people who approach me after my presentations to tell me about their 'journey'. I would go further to say that I am no longer confident that the true figure of those who have had, or still have, a brain-break is as much as one in every two. 

Today is so fast that we seldom have time to slow down, to take a breath, to shut the world out.

I can only suggest that we all take a few minutes each day to stop, sit in a quiet room, and just breathe. In fact, breathe deeply using the 5-5-5 method. Breathe in for 5 seconds, hold your breath for 5 seconds, and let your breath out for 5 seconds. The benefits are endless and will help slow things down.

The world needs you more than you need the world. The world can wait, you can’t.

Hard Work, Was It All Worth It?

For many years now I have been working hard, in fact since the age of eight I have been in some form of paid employment. I sometimes look back on those years and wonder if it was all worth it.

By working so hard I missed out on a few things – completely enjoying my childhood, making life-long friendships from an early age, studying while young to increase my academic ability, savouring the moments of courtship, having a greater involvement in the raising of my children, being around when my wife needed me the most, being in the moment and enjoying every second of it.

Entering the third trimester of my life, I find myself wondering if all of that hard work was worth it. Where would I be now if I hadn't spent most of my life working? Should I have done things differently? What if I could go back and make it right?

I do know that I have gained a lot of things by working hard - a nice house, new cars, wonderful trips overseas, the ability to buy something if I need to. I don't have as much as I would like mind you, but I have enough to be comfortable.

Do I have regrets, yes. Am I sorry for working so hard when I should have been with my friends and family, yes. Is there some guilt inside me for not being around, some times. But it is what it was, I can't go back and change things but I can do my best to make things as right as I can and to be better at being there in the future.

So was it all worth it? Again the answer is yes, without a doubt. You see most of the time that I have feelings of guilt and regret is when I compare myself to others. I am taking on their wishes and desires, their life’s journey. And they are not me. I am who I am and lived how I chose to. Isn’t that what life is about, living life how you want to and not how others think that you should do?

For me, hard work was worth it. Sure I missed out on a few things in life, but I also gained a few other things. Not just material things, I also gained knowledge and experience that I can pass on to others. And the moments I had while working hard were also good ones and I wouldn’t have had those moments if I hadn’t chosen to work as hard as I did. Hard work set a strong platform for me to grow upon.

If I was to have the chance to do it all again would I work as hard as I have? In a heartbeat. Would I have done things differently, probably. Yet I have no regrets for working hard, hard work brings its on rewards.

There is no doubt that for most of us, the harder we work the luckier we get.

If You Don't Like It, Get Another Job. Really!

I hear it time and time again, "If you don't enjoy what you are doing then leave and get another job". Really, do you think it is that easy to find another job if you don't have the necessary skills, knowledge, experience or attributes to get another job?

I prefer to say, "If you don't like what you are doing then change something about the way in which you do your job".

Often we don't like our job because we are bored, we have been doing the same thing for far too long and have become way too comfortable, we are in a rut. Here is some things that you can do towards improving yourself;

• Set yourself a target for each day/week - try and improve the amount/quality of the work that you do.
• Request to undertake professional development opportunities - is there a secondment position, perhaps working for a short period with another company, or maybe relieving at a higher level.
• Seek out training opportunities - there are always training courses available, both in-house and external.
• Look to higher education - sign up for an accredited course from a reputable provider.
• Move to a different part of the organisation - the greater the breadth of your knowledge the more valuable you will become.
• Look at what you want to do and work towards that – if you do want to find a new job, start planning and developing yourself towards that goal.

If none of those are a consideration for you then here's some other things to try;

• Change the way in which you travel to work - train, boat, bus, bike, or walk.
• Change your work schedule - can you start later, earlier, or maybe work from home for one day a week?
• Become a social director - organise celebrations and special events within and outside of your workplace.
• Join a committee - is there a committee that you could add value to? If not, ask a manager how you can help in this area.

Rather than change your job, change something about your current job. Believe it or not your brain likes change and likes to be challenged.

Keep Going In Tough Times.

There is little doubt that we live in different times to that of 30 years ago. Things now are faster, shorter, instant, processed, and largely artificial. When things don't go as well as we thought that they should have we tend to give up without a fight.

I get like that at times, wanting to give up on my goals and to move on. Life does get hard at times, often challenging, and it is all too easy to move on to something else because it didn't happen fast enough for us or the way that we hoped it would. 

Those who follow me will know that I post a lot about working hard, to keep going, to strive for what you want to achieve. I also post inspirational quotes each evening on the same topic through FaceBook. These posts and quotes keep me going as does the feedback I receive from those who read them.

When you feel like giving up on something, sit down and assess your goals. Re-evaluate what is important to you and let go of what isn’t. Reset your motivation switch. Most of all, keep going.

After all, what have you go to lose by pushing forward? Much less than if you simply gave up I would suggest. 

Random Facts About Your Brain!

Here's some random facts about your brain that may help explain some things about you;

·        Exercise increases your brain power - throughout evolution we learned new things while continually moving. 

·        Exercise also assists in the aging process - if you don't exercise you will die young hence the term 'survival of the fittest, your brain's neurotransmitters grow when you exercise.

·        The time of day has a strong influence on our brain - it's all about our circadian rhythm. (Notice how you sometimes get tired at 3pm and wake up at 3am?)

·        Believe it or not your brain likes inconsistency and variation - you need excitement in your life to keep your brain engaged and to grow in knowledge.

·        Chronic stress is bad for you - adrenaline can scar your blood vessels which may lead to a heart attack or stroke and the cortisol going to your brain can reduce your ability to learn.

·        Neurons (those things that make your brain work) go through a massive growth and culling stage at the age of two and in our teens - that's why kids become 'challenging' at those ages.

·        You can't multitask - you can only focus well on one thing at a time but you do have the ability to hold three things in your frontal lobe making you think that you are multitasking.

·        Your brain can only concentrate on something for up to 10 minutes unless it is exciting or interesting.

·        We forget 90% of what we learn within 30 days - most of that occurs within the first few hours of leaving the room.

That's probably enough for now, I hope you haven't dropped off already!