1. Journaling
Getting into the habit of writing down your observations in a journal can help you practice noticing. What is “noticing”? It’s really just being more aware of your thoughts, emotions, and actions. But developing that awareness opens the door to managing your attention span, which is the key to improving, and ultimately mastering your focus.
As you start journaling, you’ll find yourself gradually feeling more present. It doesn’t take much. Just a short entry daily or every other day, can make a big difference in your life. Expressing yourself creatively, as you do when you write in a journal, is a powerful tool for relieving stress and enabling you to recognize the things in life that aren’t serving you.
Journaling regularly will help you organize your thoughts, express yourself more effectively, and process your emotions (both positive and negative) more constructively. This is an important first step on the way to achieving a positive mindset, improved focus and ultimately a happier, healthier mind.
2. Positive Mindset
Mindset is everything, especially when you want to achieve your best work. The 4 PILLARS of a Positive Mindset will transform your way of thinking and train your mind to reduce anxiety and help you feel happier overall.
1. Gratitude – By practicing a regular habit of gratitude, you will begin to see and think differently.
2. Label Emotions – You feel awful today. Give that feeling a name. Sad? Anxious? Angry? Simply describing an emotion in just a word or two helps to put things into perspective.
3. Decide – Make that decision. Neuroscience suggests the act of decision making reduces worry and anxiety, and encourages you to take action. Making a “good enough” decision is enough.
4. Touch – We need to feel love and acceptance from others and when we do not, it’s painful. Relationships are very important to your feelings and happiness. Take it to the next level by hugging or holding someone’s hand. Even handshakes or pats on the back make a difference.
3. Attention Span & Focus
If you want to achieve maximum potential, you must learn to sustain your attention. When practiced regularly, The 5 RULES of Attention Span & Focus will significantly increase your patience and allow you to think more clearly and concisely.
1. Stop Multitasking – Multitasking reduces your efficiency and performance because your brain can only truly focus on one thing at a time. When you try to do two things at once, your brain lacks the capacity to perform both tasks successfully.
2. Exercise – Exercise improves blood flow and memory; it stimulates chemical changes in the brain that enhance learning, mood and thinking.
3. Meditate – Studies show that meditation helps relieve our subjective levels of anxiety and depression and improve attention, concentration and overall psychological well-being.
4. Mother Nature – Nature gives us a physical and mental sense of being away from our busy, everyday lives. Whether images or the real deal, nature scenes give us visually-rich stimuli that nourish the brain.
5. Reduce Interference – Creating a distraction free environment when trying to complete your best work is critically important. Learning to “batch” check email, texting and social media are good examples of creating a distraction free environment.