TRAIN YOUR BRAIN

 TRAIN YOUR BRAIN

Recently, I listened to two podcasts that talked about how to train our brains to help set our moods for the day. Also, it will help with anxiety issues. Everything was actually based on scientific research by well-known neurologists. I found it fascinating. Although I have not taken the steps to train my own brain for all 30 to 60 days, I am working on it, and I can already see some positive results.

Every day, our brains are being trained. The real question is, are you the one doing the training, or are the headlines, a painful rejection, past mistakes doing the training? Without even being aware of it, everything around us can determine our mood for the day. So much so that some of us find it hard to even get out of bed, much less with a smile on our face or feeling good.

If each of us woke up and had a one-minute pep talk with ourselves, we would feel more in control. I found that this kind of thinking, before my feet hit the ground, really did help to give me inspiration and set the tone for my day. Wouldn't it feel great to be in a good mood for no particular reason? What is amazing to me is that research backs this up. Brain scans have proven that people feel better when their brains are trained to think more positively. Being aware of good opportunities, having more confidence, knowing that small wins add to the bigger ones, plus stopping the pressure to try to be perfect is empowering.

There are 8 little statements to say to yourself each morning that take all of 1 minute to say.

#1 - Today is going to be a great day. 

You may ask, "Why is it going to be a great day?" Perhaps you are going to a funeral? In your brain, you can direct it to this funeral and hug others a little longer, be there for those around you. Or speak about the loved one and all of the loving memories that you have of this person. It can become a celebration of life. You end up having a better day along with those with whom you came in contact. It is a win-win.

Maybe you wake up and brace yourself for what you may be facing at work or something with your family? It is time to direct your mind to look for the positive, not mean self-talk! The old saying of "Garbage in - Garbage out." is what computer techs use. Well, our minds need the garbage out and more positivity put in by taking control of our brains. "Negativity out and positivity in!"

#2 Something cool is going to happen to me.

While saying this, we may not know what specific thing is going to happen to us, but the anticipation? It is being aware that something could be right in front of our noses, and the day becomes an adventure instead of a nightmare. An example could be a text from a long-time friend that you have not heard from. You may bump into a classmate that you have not seen in a coffee shop. This is training our brain to LOOK for the good things that happen. Having a good attitude for no particular reason helps. It seems that we could have a bad attitude for no particular reason. Remember that it is a learned skill to look for good things. We deserve to be in a good mood every day. By default, our brains go to the dark side. It is all about how we talk to ourselves. 

An example would be to ask yourself, "What do you say when you do something wrong?" Do you say, "You idiot?" Or you trip over something and you say, "How clumsy!" That is how our brain defaults to a bad attitude. The best skill to develop is to train our brains to default to a good attitude for no particular reason, because it helps us handle stress and get through life.

#3  No matter what happens today, I can handle it.

If you are a worrier, full of anxiety, it is because it is a moment of uncertainty where you doubt your ability to handle the situation. If we train our brains, it becomes a game-changer. Summon up your resilience.  An example of this could be finding a note from your boss that she needs to see you at 1:00. You may (probably) go into worrying mode about what you must have done wrong - assuming the worst. Training your brain to know that you can handle whatever comes your way helps you to weather it better - no matter what it may be. If you wake up with your heart already palpitating, then your whole body becomes tense. This suggests that we need to train our brains to start each day with a positive mindset. We can handle it. 

Research on this topic shows that cortisol or the CAR increases alertness for the day. It can feel like a sense of dread, so you begin to doubt yourself. You just want to cover your head and go back to bed. BUT, we all have the power to train our brains to have a good day and we can handle it!

#4  An exciting new chapter in my life is starting today.

This makes our brains look for a fresh start. Don't get stuck in the same routine. Examples are things like updating a resume, going home a different way, taking a walk, stopping off at a coffee shop, and saying hello and smiling at everyone. It trains our brains to change and start new and fresh beginnings. In our brains, there is a filter. In the scientific world, this is called RAS. It helps to filter out information that we don't need, or else our brains would explode with all of the information going in. This means we train our brains to filter in positive information and kick out the negative. What we focus on will be all positive if we use repetition. This is the way to train our brains. 

#5  I need to give myself more credit for how hard I'm trying.

Focusing on the things that we may have done wrong is NOT going to help. Become your own cheerleader. Stop dragging yourself down. You don't need others to validate you. If you get up and go to the gym, then good for you. Tell yourself, "Good Job!" If others are not acknowledging this fact, then just let them. This will fuel your desire to do more. Saying these statements out loud, in your head, or even writing them down is the repetition that you need to train your brain. Remember that it takes 30-60 days of training.

Develop the skill to be in a good mood, and now is the time to start re-wiring your brain. Just think about how long it took you to develop your brain to doubt everything you do and focus on the bad attitudes. (basically all of your life up to this point) After 30-60 days, your brain will be on autopilot.  Waking up to check texts on our phones is not in the program of reprogramming our brains.

#6  I'm allowed to be a work in progress.

If you struggle and put things off because you want it to be perfect, this is for you. It is ok not to be perfect. Give your brain training and tell it that you don't have to have all of the answers. Tell yourself that you can figure it out. 

#7  If I keep showing up, life will reward me.

Let's face it. It is easy to put your head down and do "the reps." Just over and over - therefore, it is also easy to just quit. The reps can be boring, but if we keep showing up, life will eventually reward us. Think of all the people, from authors to actresses, to musicians...they all did not make it overnight. They did keep showing up and plugging away. And they were rewarded. Keep going. Show your stamina!

#8  I have an important contribution to make to the world.

We all know something that matters. It affirms your deep belief in yourself, your ideas, and your actions. They have powerful and rippling effects. Speak to the barista, speak to the doorman, the server, the janitor...The way you move through life is person to person. Being kind, sharing kindness starts with your energy and attitude.

Be intentional about having a good day and having a good attitude. You will be surprised at how much your anxiety level goes down and how much happier you will be!

WHAT ARE THE ANSWERS?

WHAT ARE THE ANSWERS?

?????

First of all, this is strictly my own opinion. I don't have 'the answers.' After all, it is my blog...with that being said, I always let comments come through, whether you agree or disagree. I just wanted to clarify that I am not posting this blog for the purpose of debate. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. We all must at least agree that we need to come up with 'the answers.' At least a start to help solve this chaotic mess going on in our society.

The question is, when will all of these mass shootings stop? It seems as if they are happening more and more often. They are in high schools, middle schools, elementary schools, public schools, private schools, universities, churches, Walmarts, grocery stores, hardware stores, manufacturing plants, military bases...and the list goes on.

I have come to the conclusion that it is a multitude of actions that should take place. Doing what we are doing now is not helping. And as the saying goes, if we continue doing the same thing, then nothing is going to change. 

First, it truly is a gun control issue. I already know that many have already turned me off. I don't mean to take away the guns that hunters use to legally hunt with a license. I don't mean the individuals who legally have their own private handguns for personal safety taken away. I am talking about individuals owning semi-automatic weapons or the kind that have a Glock switch. For what reason do private individuals need this kind of gun? And I can hear the naysayers talking about the fact that they are out there now, so how are you going to stop them? Well, we have to start somewhere. Make those illegal. Then, if someone uses one for a crime, the jail time is increased, and that gun is then removed. Yes, it is one at a time, step by step, gun by gun.

The next step is to make sure that proper measures are taken when an individual wants to purchase a gun. All of the background checks are completed thoroughly. (even if it takes longer than a couple of days) When red flags go up in the background check, then it is a no sale. There could be ways to dispute it, however, it will take time to find out the reasons for these red flags. 

In a perfect world, we would not need all of the mental health facilities that we are missing from our society today. Let's face facts. We do not live in a perfect world. There are a lot of angry people out there, and many times they write or tell someone about their issues, yet nothing is done to help them. There are times these ideas are put on social media. Yet, no one reports what they see until after the fact. IT is past time that we all need to get involved.

There has even been actual discussion that the reason for the last horrible mass shooting at a Mass inside a Catholic school happened outside through the windows into the pew areas with the gunman never even entering the building. And the reasons I have heard is that he was a male turned female. Really? It does not matter if he is a he or she is a she or they are purple with pink polka dots. That has nothing to do with the horrible fact that innocent children lost their lives. The fact goes back to mental health issues, and this individual needed to be with a therapist and possibly in an institutional setting until his anger and hostility were under control (if it could be). I am not a psychiatrist. I just know that we are all dealing with unstable individuals who need help before they go on a wild rampage of mass shooting.

I am sure that many of you have other ideas that could help deter the mass shootings. Let's all get ideas together and actually do something. Sitting back and watching time after time the killing of innocent people is NOT the answer. It has not worked so far. Even when actions are taken, it will take time for them to help. There is no overnight answer to this problem. 

So my blog is now coming to an end. My one hope is that it makes more people aware that when the whole village comes together with ideas to try, these ideas are brought before those who have the power to change some of the laws to help find the answers. I know that we all agree that something must be done. 

CHOOSE YOURSELF

CHOOSE YOURSELF

 

Many of us need to work on creating more positive inner narrative fuelings toward ourselves. Negative talk will come back to bite us by allowing us think this is the way it will be. When all we must do, is take responsibility for what things are not working in our lives and believe that we CAN give ourselves the gift of love. Take in what it is that we really want in our lives. It can awaken us to a whole new beginning of a more vibrant kind of life. One that we all deserve!

In all of our hustle and bustle of everyday life, we need a reminder that it is ok to choose to focus our attention on what it is that we want and appreciate. Whatever we give our attention to will grow; therefore, we want to be intentional about choosing for ourselves. It is not selfish to practice self-love and follow whatever it is that we need to help us grow as individuals.

There are times that we should be observers as long as we are aware that observers may allow uncertainty to block them. They end up staying where they are, even when they know it is not where they want to be. It is the doers who choose differently. They don't wait for the perfect moment or allow their inner critic to run their show. They almost always choose to connect to what lights them up, to get support, and take imperfect action to create what may be next. If you don't have a specific plan of action, it will be ok. Let it happen. Try new things. Be open to what may come.

Examples that I have read about involve people who retired and thought that their best years were behind them. Many discover a way to launch a new beginning to their lives that working 9 - 5 would not allow before. Now is the time to choose a new YOU to feel more energized and confident within yourself. 

For myself, it happens to be something that I love to spend time on and gives me total relaxation. This happens to be writing and painting. I quickly learned that compared to what I did when I was working, my daily step count lowered considerably. And, we all have heard that 'sitting is the new smoking!' Moving makes us stronger, but writing and painting had me sitting way too much. After some research, I learned that prolonged sitting causes many problems.

Because this is hard on the eyes to read, I will put bullets to list the problems too much sitting can cause:

• Higher risk of depression
• Stagnation in lymph movement
• Low bone density
• Lack of joint lubrication
• Computer vision syndrome
• Increased risk of heart failure and blood clots
• Decreased lung capacity
• Compromised digestive tract
• Sluggish metabolism
• Increased risk of diabetes

After learning all of these possible risks, I decided to set my smartwatch with an alarm every hour to give me a signal to get up and walk. If it is nice outside, then it is outside, which is even better for us. If not my kind of weather, then just a ten-minute walk around the house. Some can be taking the dogs out and finishing up in the house - just movement. Our bodies are meant to move.

The main idea of this blog is to just do it for yourself. Find what makes you happy and always keep the "YOU" in your plans.

SELF-DOUBT

 SELF-DOUBT

If there's something we want to do but our fear and self-doubt keep us "stuck in the middle of nowhere," then what do we do?

I know that I am not alone in this natural human feeling. It can be overwhelming. Like me, I am sure that many of you have your own bucket lists. Some of the things on your list have already been checked off. Other things on that list may not happen if we allow self-doubt to take charge. 

Maybe you want to travel somewhere that you have never been, write that book, learn a new instrument, start your own business, take an art class...the list can go on and on. Trust me, it will if we continue to talk ourselves out of it before we even start. 

Sometimes we must drop the idea of perfection and just go exploring into the unknown. The 'should-haves and would-haves need to be kicked to the side. It really is just a matter of letting go. The possibilities are endless. We can actually discover how creative we are. This alone energizes me, and I certainly hope that it does you, too. There should be no upper limits to following our dreams.

Let practicality go by the wayside. Once we let go and see what invisible thread is holding us back, it becomes easier to carry on. Just recognize that belief about yourself that is quietly holding you back from being the real YOU.

Sometimes it is a matter of taking up space. Go ahead and prioritize yourself, ask for help. Others will need to just "hold their horses!" We need time to find ourselves, and this may mean we will be taking up space to get there.  Don't worry about others judging us or tapping their feet with impatience. We all deserve a moment to refocus to bring the joy back into our lives. Go ahead and cultivate self-love and know what is important to you. Creating our own paths is what makes us our own special humans.            

A BETTER AND HEALTHIER HUMAN

 A BETTER AND HEALTHIER HUMAN

Have you ever stopped to think about all the components of becoming a better and healthier human? It's more than just a few minor things. If that is what you were imagining, it may be time to think about re-evaluating our goals. I will say that I don't usually put these components all on my plate at once. Just for a moment, though, I took time to review ways to make changes to better myself and to become healthier.

If you want to have lots of positive feedback, then it helps to share some of your plans. That extra positive reinforcement (or pressure, as the case may be) might just be what we need to help us follow through. Sometimes it is all about motivation. Find what motivates you.

Surrounding ourselves with others is a wonderful way to learn new things. Keeping an open mind is the key to this step. We don't always know the answers, and getting others' feedback can only help us see new possibilities from different angles.

It is important to be realistic, and it is ok if we fail. That is how we learn. Get back up and try another way. It is not a race but a gradual process to continue to better ourselves. Setting smaller goals along the way as we work on ourselves for the BIG one. Get rid of what does not work for us in whatever way. 

While we are thinking about it, have you ever considered all of the ways out there to become a better and healthier you?

All issues should be addressed in order to have an overall better and healthier human. They all weave together. For myself, I prefer to start with the physical side, which lends itself to eating healthier. That leads right into my mental wellbeing because that is how my brain works. You can decide which way to go for yourself. There is no one way. Then there is my community of friends who help along the way with my social habits. Maybe it is because I am retired, but work did lead me to the financial well-being part of me.

Considering myself as a spiritual human allows my thought process to communicate with my own greater being out in the universe. Talking with God through prayers and meditation, along with having quiet times always guided me through this process.

 

Just taking the time to notice what is going on around you and getting rid of what does not make you happy, and trying to focus on what does make you happy. It helps to see where we are concerning the world around us.

YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH

 YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH

Do you ever feel like no matter what you do or how hard you try, it's never good enough? Just as the picture above demonstrates, you need to burn that thought from your brain. It can be easy to think that you are not good enough, but once you have those negative thoughts, you will start believing them.

It is a mindset to get yourself into, stop being afraid of what could go wrong, and start believing in the question of what could go right. If you continue to focus on how far away your success looks, then you will never feel that it is within reach. Step by step, you will continue to do better than you did before. The big issue is the 'self-fulfilling prophecy." If you think you're not good enough, then you won't be. 

You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress all at the same time. Everyone has a piece of good news within them. The good news is YOU don't know how great you can be and what you can accomplish. And what your potential is. This is paraphrased from the words of Anne Frank. Life offers new beginnings every day, and all we must do is make room for them.

Self-love must come from within, not from outside sources. The excuse of not having enough time needs to be kicked out the window. Not knowing where to start? Well, the easiest way is at the beginning. Slowly. Research what it is that you want to do and take small steps to accomplish your dream. It could be to learn Spanish, to knit, to go for a new career, or to try a new challenging hobby? The list goes on and on. 

It is that brain of ours telling us no! What if? And I say, yes, exactly what if! What if you never find that happiness or fulfillment that you crave? So we need to have a conversation with our brains. Let it know who is the BOSS.

The important thing to remember is that a belief is just a thought that you continue to think over and over. It is NOT written in stone. 

You Can Be a Masterpiece and a Work in Progress at the Same Time

DON'T GROW OLD

DON'T GROW OLD

Right now, I am sure that you are saying to yourself that growing old is inevitable. Well, I am here to say that it is not if you look at in through a different mindset.

Try reading and letting this Irish saying sink in.

 

It makes a lot of sense. Age really is just a number. It is what you make of it. I love a quote from Albert Einstein:

"Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born."

In reality, we should all approach life in this way. The phrase 'age is just a number' implies that age should not be a barrier to the choices someone makes or the things they want to achieve. It emphasizes that a person's abilities and interests aren't solely determined by their age.

It is a reminder used to help inspire us to follow our dreams and not to be constrained by societal expectations regarding age. Zeal and enthusiasm can remain vibrant regardless of how old one is. Age is no barrier. It is a limitation that we put on ourselves, according to Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

We can't help getting older, but we don't have to get old. There are 70+ year olds running marathons and doing so much more than many much younger than themselves. Now, admittedly running is not my thing but if it were, my age should not slow me down in training for it. 

I hope that everyone, no matter their age, continues to make their dreams come true and to try new things. Age indeed has no barrier, and we are never too old to learn. I feel as if I am not getting older; I am getting better. 

Here is another way to look at it:

Someone who is fifteen years older than I am needs to be thinking this same way! ❤️