How Much Time Do You Have In A Day?

Actively posting nearly every day over the last two weeks, I began to think about how overwhelming all this information might be. Particularly so for someone who is struggling for time or maybe a little unwell or can't slow their brain down long enough to consider many the options.

From the numerous readings that I have undertaken over the last few months, every book on resilience, well-being, wellness, and the myriad of other topics on self-development espouse the benefits of taking 30-minutes each day to do what they suggest is the best thing that you can do for your health and wellness.

Depending on which book, article, research paper, journal or dare I say it LinkedIn Post, I should be spending 30-minutes on; reading, quiet time, meditation, training my brain, meditation, visualisation, exercise, prayer, listening to music, doing something that I enjoy, meeting new people, doing something to excite me, doing something to relax me, etc., etc.

There is only so many hours in a day and to do all of these suggestions would fill the entire day. So what is best single thing that is the very best for your mental and physical health?

Exercise. A 30-minute medium-to-fast pace walk at the end of the work day.

This form of exercise has to be undertaken at the end of each work day to burn off any remaining adrenaline and cortisol in your blood from the day's stressors. If you still want to go to the gym at the beginning of the day, fantastic, go for it. But why not do a little bit of cardio at the end of each day as well?

If exercise is not for you, or perhaps for some reason you are unable to do this activity, then simply choose one of the other activities from the list I have provided over the last few weeks. Pick one activity that resonates with you as most are of equal benefit. Better still, why not do a different activity each day to spice things up a bit.

It only takes 30 minutes each day to keep yourself well, surely you can find that much time in your busy schedule? If you just said "no" to that question, then you need to change what you do because you are far too busy and won't last for much longer at that hectic pace.

Slow down, you move too fast, you've got to make the morning last..... and feeling groovy - Simon & Garfunkel.

Even More STRESS Buster Techniques!

How about a few more stress buster techniques you ask? Well here you go, some very short easy things to do to manage stress;

• Eat right - the better you eat, the better you feel, the better you perform. I am no dietitian but what I do know is that you need to cut as much sugar out of your diet as possible. It's that simple.
• Pray - praying has been found to have the same benefit as meditation.
• Love - not that kind of love, (although that is also very good for you), do more of what you love doing. Choose one thing each day that excites you or makes you happy. Furthermore, be around those who you want to be around, particularity those who make you laugh.

In case you didn't notice the first three techniques - Eat, Pray, Love!

• Reading - reading, particularly action fiction novels, has been found to have great benefit for your 'emotional' brain in the same way that prayer and meditation has.
• Take regular breaks - when under the pump we tend to try and work harder to catch up or to get ahead. Take it from me, no matter how hard you work you will never catch up. Take a break every 50 minutes to stretch, get a drink, go for a quick walk, or maybe just to go to the toilet. Research shows that the more breaks you take the more efficient you become.
• Exercise - 30 minutes of exercise at the end of each workday is enough to burn off any adrenaline and cortisol that has built up over the day.
• Be a learner - your brain likes to be active, interested and excited about new things. It has a thirst for information because each night it dumps out what hasn't been used in the last 30 days. (I doubt that you would end up with nothing in your head if you didn't learn new things but let's not risk it!) Learn as much as you can to keep your brain active, you will never ever be able to fill it up.
• Reward yourself - Treat yourself to one pleasurable thing each day which will stimulate the good chemicals in your brain.
• Play - there is a child in all of us, satisfy that child by playing as much as you can. Do whatever it was that you enjoyed doing as a child.
• Break routines - three letters in the word RoUTine = RUT. If you end up in a rut it is actually worse for your brain than being too busy.

Next week I will provide more quick fix things to do to manage stress, these will be for the most important part of your brain, the emotional part that keeps us thinking about what could go wrong.

Don't be frightened by them, be excited. 

More STRESS Busters!

Thanks for your feedback over the last two days, I appreciate your guidance. The majority of you want me keep my posts at the same length - short, sharp and to the point knowing that the research has been done.

Over the next four posts I am going to provide you with more 'quick fixes' to manage the pressures of life. Here is the first 10;

1. Smile - The two sets of unique muscles in your face send a signal to your brain that you are happy, your brain responds by releasing neurochemicals such as melatonin and dopamine therefore you will feel happy.
2. Make a decision - if you are struggling to make a decision; write the problem down, list all of the possible the options, write out the pros and cons of each option, and choose the best option to suit you. If that doesn't work, forget about it. The correct decision will eventually come to you when you least expect it (in the shower or at 3am) because you have lodged it into your subconscious which will come up with the right answer.
3. Maintain an emotional journal - writing down how we 'thought and felt' in situations where we have had an emotional response allows us to rationalise what occurred. You must write down both negative AND positive events.
4. Set goals - goal-setting motivates us and keeps us on track. Writing things down also controls our natural tendency to exaggerate under control.
5. Make lists - lists keep us in our left brain (the logical part), allows us to rationalise the many tasks at hand, and ensures that we don't forget things.
6. Stop multi-tasking - multi-tasking is a myth, no one can multi-task with prowess. We all have the ability to hold three thoughts in our frontal lobe and appear to be able to do three things at once. What you are actually doing is three things very badly! Do one thing at a time, deal with it, then move on to the next thing.
7. Stop comparing - Do not compare yourself to others. It is good to have people to look up to, who you want to be like, or to strive to be as great or as kind as. However, comparing yourself to others produces a negative effect and you will soon become despondent. Be yourself and do your best.
8. Meditate - I prefer to see it as sitting, breathing, and thinking. Take 10 minutes out of your busy schedule to sit comfortably, close your eyes, breath deeply and slowly, and listen to the sounds around you. It's as easy as that, you are now meditating.
9. Look for good - our negative bias causes us to add more weight to the negative thoughts, experiences and information that are around us. Concentrate on looking for the positives in every thing and every one. Break the pattern of negativity.
10. Listen to music - similar to smiling, music releases positive neurochemicals such as melatonin and dopamine in the brain thus we become relaxed.

Short or Long, Many or Few?

Last week I posted a series of short posts on ways to reduce stress - one per day. I was asked a question, "Why are your posts so short, I would love to read more of them." Another person asked me "Why do you post so frequently instead of publishing just one post every so often?"

My reply to both of these questions, "Because?" I publish whenever I have read new research, whenever someone has asked me about a particular topic, whenever I have met with someone who would like to know more on what is at the forefront of their mind, or as simple as when the 'mood' is right.

Like all business communications, there is no right or wrong answer to these two questions. If we communicate too often some will complain, not enough and others will complain, too much information and the communication is unlikely to be read, too little and it might easily be dismissed.

Personally, I like communications to be short, sharp and to the point. I enjoy reading posts but don't have a great deal of time in which to do so. The shorter the better for me. You might be the same, or you might prefer reading longer posts.

When I post, unless I state otherwise, all of the content is based on the latest research. What do I mean by research, whatever is relevant for the majority of people based on data gathering, empirical evidence, qualitative research, and the like. Generalisations might be another term.

I will continue to publish as much as I can in as many short posts as possible for those who like them this way. For those who prefer longer posts, save a few of them up and read them in one sitting as most of the posts I publish are linked in some way.

Lastly, thank you for those who have reached out to me. Whether you asked for more information on particular topic, requested the reference, or have offered your own opinion, again I thank you and ask that you please keep doing so.

Let me know your thoughts - short or long? After all, without you there is little point in me posting....  

STRESS Made Easy - 5.

Talk more, it's as easy as that. As a prolific reader of research, books, articles, flyers and everything else that I can find in my quest to identify ways of reducing negative pressure (stress), by far the most talked about method (pun intended) of reducing cortisol levels (an indicator of stress) is to talk more.

A recent study right here in New Zealand confirmed that the more we talk with other people the more relaxed we are. The caveat obviously is that you have to talk with someone you enjoy talking with otherwise the reverse will occur!

I could endlessly espouse the many benefits of talking, take it from me that it is THE best thing that you can do to help your well-being. If you don't believe me, try going for a day or two without talking with anyone - isolation can cause extreme stress that's why it is used as punishment for those who are incarcerated and in torture. Convinced yet?

How does talking reduce your stress levels;

• It helps rationalise your thoughts as you verbalise them.
• Worrying silently about your problems will only exaggerate them.
• Having someone independent can bring a new perspective to the table. 
• If you're talking to someone who is neutral, they are less likely to be biased. 
• Talking relieves pressure - a problem shared is a problem halved.

Talking was all that we had when we wanted to communicate with others, for thousands of years it was like this. It is only in the last 30 years or so that we don't have to communicate face-to-face. And because of that we no longer know how to listen, how to read visual cues, how to express ourselves as we once did.

Bottom line, talking is part of socialisation, a human need. So what are you waiting for? Let's talk.