A calm mind can be had during pandemic or pandemonium. This GenuLines list of tips can help guide you through rough waters.
Check out the list then listen to an explanation by clicking on here.
Be well!
JohnK 11-2-2020
Tag Archive for genuine living
Overwhelm And Your Hectic, Stressful Life
Overwhelm and living a hectic life are two of the most common stresses. But it just so happens that you can control them!!
GenuLines looks at how these two things skyrocket your stress level and what you can do about it.
Overwhelm And Your Hectic, Stressful Life
A hectic life forces you to stay in a constant state of stress. You go and go with little to no break.
This is not good for the human body.
Time out
You need to take a break, allowing you to calm your mind and body, starting anew with fresh energy. Keeping yourself in a constant state of busyness is horrendous for your stress level. This, in turn, is bad for your health.
If your life seems too hectic you can start delegating. This will help you to reduce your stress and feel less overwhelmed.
What to do about it
There are some hectic and overwhelming things that are out of your control. Yet there are things you can do to help calm things down and reduce your stress.
First, get your priorities in order. Make a list of everything you have to do in descending order of importance.
When you’re done, see what you can cut out or delegate to someone else.
Get better organized
Organization can help reduce your stress. Keep a well-detailed calendar.
Divide your day into what you have to do and the time you’ve allotted in which to get it done. This will help you to feel less overwhelmed.
Finally, ask for help. It might surprise you to know how much your loved ones want to help you.
So let them. Start delegating tasks and try to make your life less hectic.
Delegating can help make all the difference
It can be hard to let certain things go, but sometimes, when it comes to your health, you have to. Delegating can help you keep a handle on the hectic parts of your life.
It can help you to reduce stress and prevent you from feeling so overwhelmed.
Delegating means allowing others to do some of the work for you so you have time to do other important things. You can delegate chores to others in your household.
You can have someone else drive your kids to their extracurriculars. These can take some weight off your shoulders.
Why you should bother
You need to know that stress kills. It can cause heart attacks, strokes, and other life-threatening conditions.
Minimizing your stress can help you think clearer, sleep better, and be healthier. It can help lessen your anxiety, as well.
So why, given an easy way to lessen your stress, would you not try it? It could mean a life and death difference for you.
Final Thoughts
We all deal with stress daily. But that stress builds up and could cause some serious health problems.
Being overwhelmed and living a hectic life are two of the biggest stresses in a lot of people’s lives. It’s good to know that with some practice you can manage them.
JohnK 10-26-2020
Overheard: “If I cannot overwhelm with my quality, I will overwhelm with my quantity” ~Emile Zola
What Kind of Mindset Do You Have?
Your mindset can take you to great heights. Or, it can keep you mired in the depths.
Today GenuLines steers you around the negative mindsets and on the path to genuine living.
(You can listen to this article by clicking on here)
What Kind of Mindset Do You Have?
Your mindset is what compels you to take a certain action or leads you back off from acting on something. It influences how you see yourself and those around you. Different types of mindsets can mean different things to each of us. And they can say a lot about how and why you think like you do.
Each has benefits and drawbacks.
A numbers game
The number of mindsets that exist is dependent on how much you generalize them. Finding your type is key to understanding how you operate in every area of your life.
There are two main types of mindsets, Fixed and Growth. Each has benefits and downsides.
If you have a fixed mindset, you tend to believe your skills or qualities are set and you resist changing them. These include your intelligence level, and your personality or character.
This can cause you to limit yourself and focus on proving yourself to others.
Some of the sub-mindsets of a fixed mindset include these tendencies:
· Fear
· Laziness
· Envy
· Greed
· Short-term thinking
· Anger
· Tendency to follow
Characteristics include:
1. Blaming others for things that are wrong
2. Lazy habits
3. Relying on addictions
4. Insatiable and always want more
5. Self-absorbed, with little thought of others
6. Limited initiative to achieve
7. Obsessed with what others are, do or say
8. Waste time
9. Come across in a negative way
With a growth mindset, you tend to believe in a basic set of qualities. You feel you can cultivate and develop them through effort, strategy, and help from others.
Some of the sub-mindsets of a growth mindset include:
· Social
· Business
· Dreamer
· Gratitude
· Confident
· Creative
Characteristics include:
· Willing to help others
· Solve problems
· Think big and know what you want
· Feel gratitude for what you have
· Eager to learn
· Dedication to achieve and grow
· Able to change and develop skills
· Embrace challenges
· Learn from failures
What type of mindset is the basis of your thoughts and actions? Do you believe that this is how you are and can’t change?
Do you believe you can change, and things can be different for you? The good news is you can change your mindset to one of growth and abundance.
JohnK 10-19-2020
Overheard: “Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance” ~Samuel Johnson
5 Simple Ways to Avoid Daily Distractions
No matter how focused you are, some days, it’s hard not to get distracted. And, in a time of societal upheaval, those distractions can get out of hand.
Let GenuLines help you with this list of points to bring back your focus.
5 Simple Ways to Avoid Daily Distractions
Life can sometimes get in the way of meeting your goals, but it doesn’t have to derail you.
Here are some expert tips on how to stay on track, no matter what else is happening around you.
1. Get Organized
It’s easier to focus if you’re not distracted by the small, daily tasks. Commit to a nightly practice of preparing for the next day.
Decide what to wear, what to have for lunch and the other necessary things that are part of your routine. Have your gym bag ready and packed so you can just pick it up and go.
It can help to get organized for your week on a Sunday evening. For example, have all your work clothes clean and pressed and ready to wear.
You might even consider a minimalist work wardrobe of similar garments to mix and match. You can also bulk cook and freeze meals so that you don’t even think about dinner during the week.
2. Do the Tough Things First
You can free up a lot of mental energy by putting the difficult tasks and decisions at the top of your to-do list. Do the hardest tasks when your brain is still fresh first thing in the morning.
This way you can get on with your day without a nagging dread at the back of your mind.
3. Keep Your Energy High
It might surprise you to hear that fatigue can be a distraction. If your energy is low, you won’t be performing at your best, so make sure you take regular breaks.
Get out of the office and get some fresh air. Eat your lunch in the park and give your eyes a break from looking at a screen.
Eat lots of fresh foods and stay hydrated by keeping a water pitcher on your desk.
4. Manage Your Priorities
Chances are, many of the requests you get during the day don’t deserve to be your top priority. Instead of responding straight away, decide on how urgent the request is.
Do you really need to answer that email now? Learn to focus on requests and respond as you see fit.
5. Keep Your Eye on the Prize
There are so many distractions in modern life that it can be easy to lose sight of what you want to achieve. Have a visual reminder of what you’re working toward.
This could be a mission statement or a post-it note on your computer. Check-in every day to see how you’re tracking and make sure you keep a line of sight on your big goal.
JohnK 10-12-2020
Overheard: “Creation is in part merely the business of forgoing the great and small distractions” ~E. B. White
Article Image by by Cristofer Jeschke on Unsplash
You Can Cure Your Mental Fog
Mental fog is not just unsettling, it can hold you back in many ways. There are ways to come out of this fog.
GenuLines invites you to read on to find out how.
You Can Cure Your Mental Fog
We’ve all experienced mental fog. Its symptoms include:
• Difficulty concentrating
• Diminished memory
• Focusing problems
• A drop in communication skills
• Low motivation
• Easily distracted
Origins
Mental fog is due to any type of imbalance in the control center of the brain. This area is the hypothalamus. The imbalance can be a result of inflammation or free radicals. Or any type of stress brought on by several factors, such as:
• Multi-tasking
• Exhaustion
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• Imbalanced hormones
• Infections
• Not getting enough sun exposure
• Substance abuse
Mental fog is natural given our busy, nonstop lifestyles. But it can become frequent. If this is the case with you there are some simple changes you can make that will help.
• Eat right
It’s amazing how much power our food has over us. Processed foods, foods high in saturated fats, and gluten all have a negative effect on the brain.
In fact, research links gluten sensitivity to low concentration and focus abilities. Also, not getting enough water into your system can lead to brain freeze.
• Take your vitamins
Your diet is lacking in antioxidants. You want vitamins, such as D and B complex, and minerals, such as calcium, zinc, and magnesium. Supplements could help you here.
• Get better sleep
We all sleep, but it’s the quality of our sleep that can either make us or break us. High quality sleep improves brain function as a whole.
While it’s ideal to get the full 8 hours each night, some people only need 6 for optimal effectiveness. Find what works best for you.
Regulate your sleep using a relaxing bedtime routine and a comfortable sleeping area.
• Work out
When you exercise, you send fresh, oxygenated blood to your entire body, mainly your brain. This boosts its cognitive functions and diminishes brain fog.
Studies have shown how exercise can improve learning and study skills. It helps with concentration and memory ability, too.
• Find a hobby
It may seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day to do to get things done. And it could be tough to squeeze in a hobby.
But there are ways to incorporate fun, relaxing activities into your weekly schedule. The first step is to carve out some “me” time and stop thinking it’s selfish, like many of us do.
The second step is to find something you enjoy doing. It could be meditating by yourself in a quiet room, or a class or club where you’ll meet new people.
The final step is to decompress and enjoy.
Conclusion
Brain fog is reversible. You need to do the work and find out what works for you.
Each one of us is unique, so it may be a bit challenging at first to find that perfect fit. But you’ll be glad you put in the effort once you regain clarity and you’re able to perform at your best.
JohnK 10-5-2020
Overheard: “Derive happiness in oneself from a good day’s work, from illuminating the fog that surrounds us” ~Henri Matisse
Article image by Tyler Sturos from Pixabay
Is Age Really All In Your Mind?
You grow older and you die. That’s a common timeline for many of us.
But how you deal with aging is another story, and GenuLines says that’s up to you.
(You can listen to this article by clicking here)
Is Age Really All In Your Mind?
Now we don’t mean that your mind can keep you from aging. But it can make you feel that way!
You often hear people over the age of 50 talk about aging. They talk about deterioration, decline, and feeling unwanted and not useful.One way to deal with this is to focus on the positive things age brings. Things like wisdom, understanding, and the ability to help others.
Doing your best to be healthy is another way to keep the bad thoughts at a distance.
Your outlook and quality of life are likely to increase, too.
Ignore the Culture Surrounding You
We live in a world obsessed with youth. Every day, older people get pushed to the side in favor of the young.
The late teens and early twenties are the years called prime.
To get past this and actually start living with an ageless mindset, you have to do your best to tune it out. You’ve aged to the best you’ve ever been.
You’re wizened and seasoned. Stop denying your aging and own it; that’s what will truly make you ageless.
Love Your Body and Own Your Age
The only way to ensure you keep having the ageless mindset is to continue to love your body. Remind yourself that you’re getting better with age.
Appreciate your body for what it does for you and how far it’s taken you. Every day that you’re alive, you can learn something new and adapt to changes around you.
Never Say ‘Never’
One thing that will knock you off your path towards an ageless mindset is negativity. We psych ourselves with an attitude that we’re too old to do certain things.
You feel too set in your ways to learn. That can lead to feeling too old to be of value.
These thoughts are toxic and they threaten the positivity you’re working to maintain. Block negative mind chatter about your abilities, your worth, or your age.
It may take you a little extra effort to get where you want to go, but if you make the effort, you can.
How you deal with aging is up to you. You can dye you hair and lie about your age.
Or you can move forward with a new positive mindset that will have you feeling ageless.
JohnK 9-21-2020
Overheard: “Age is not important unless you’re a cheese” ~Helen Hayes
4 Solid Ways To Stop Procrastination
Procrastination.
I do it.
You do it.
The fact is, we do it more often than we like to admit.
So GenuLines urges you to get moving on some ways to stop procrastinating.
(You can listen to this article by clicking HERE)
4 Solid Ways To Stop Procrastination
Procrastination is more than turning in school or work projects late.
It can also include putting off important life decisions.
Like whether to ask your boss for the raise promised you last month. Or whether you should join a gym, or end a relationship, or have a baby.
The list of possibilities is endless.
The effect of not dealing with this can be life-long. Your relationships, career, and health might all take a hit.
But the tendency is to put things off until later. There’s always tomorrow, right?
It won’t be easy but try to identify the stress factor behind your procrastination. It could be fear of failure, fear of confrontation, fear of not being perfect.
You are your own worst critic.
Follow these tips to help you avoid procrastination once and for all.
1. Turn burdensome tasks into habits
We all have enough willpower to get about 3 or 4 tasks done each day. Turn yours into habits rather than mundane tasks.
You’ll give it less thought, and rely less on willpower. You won’t fall into the procrastination rut.
Why not turn healthy eating, daily exercise, or turning in reports ahead of time into daily habits, too? Procrastination is all about taking that dreaded first step.
So why not ease into it knowing that in time, or once you’ve finished X, you can watch videos or head outdoors.
2. Break work tasks into chunks
Instead of cleaning out the entire garage, do the right side first. Take a break.
Then do the left side. Take a break, and then finish off the rest.
At work, big tasks may seem daunting when you look at them as a whole. The answer?
Break them down into smaller tasks. Make an outline of the entire project, and then divide it into smaller tasks.
Working in 30-minute increments also helps break down tasks into smaller chunks. Those are manageable and not so intimidating.
After the 30 minutes, take a break and assess your work. Seeing how much you’ve accomplished will give you that boost of confidence you need to keep at it.
3. Remove distractions
Checking your email every 5 minutes isn’t doing you any good. So, once you’ve committed to doing the job, limit distractions by putting your away.
You can find apps that help you stay on track, but some will say that’s completely missing the point.
The important thing is that you set up a certain time for checking emails or your social media. Once you’ve started your task, you avoid the urge to take a sneak peak.
Another serious distraction is multi-tasking. Even though it may seem that you’re being productive, the truth is it wastes time and energy.
Yes you’re working more. But your end results will be below average.
4. Work during your peak hours
We all have certain times during the day when we’re most alert. Some of us are morning people, some are night owls, and some have more energy during the afternoon hours.
Find out what your peak hours are and tackle your most difficult tasks then. You’ll be more of a powerhouse then with your brain working at its highest capacity.
Procrastination is different than laziness. When you procrastinate, you delay one task for a more pleasurable activity.
So why not turn that mundane task you’re dreading into something more fun and enjoyable? Then you’ll put the brakes on procrastination.
JohnK 9-7-2020
chiforyourself.com home
Overheard: “Procrastination is opportunity’s assassin”
~ Victor Kiam
Article image by Sam Solomon on Unsplash
6 Hacks to Keep Your Motivation Going Strong
Motivation is great- when you have it. But sometimes it slips away like the proverbial thief in the night.
Just ahead you’ll find some GenuLines tips to bring the motivation back where it belongs.
(To listen to the article click HERE)
6 Hacks to Keep Your Motivation Going Strong
So you got motivated recently. Maybe you saw an awesome speaker or got a stinging dose of honesty from a friend or family member.But initial motivation often fades…so here are a few ways to keep it going strong.
1. Remember the pain points
In sales lingo, pain points are problems that come about when the solution offered is not taken. Try to keep in mind all the things that could or will happen if you don’t stay the course.
For example, if you were once motivated to go running three times a week. Think about what will happen if you don’t give your heart the exercise it needs.
2. Don’t play leapfrog
Feelings of motivation can sometimes slip into the category of finding the next high. Don’t bounce from goal to goal.
Instead finish what you start before getting motivated about something else. Let’s say you enjoy language and made a goal for yourself to learn French.
Learn it before you switch to learning German, and then Italian, or whatever else.
3. Know Thyself
When you try to reach goals that other people set for you, your motivation can wane. Take a look at those goals.
Make sure they’re yours…not goals that other people want you to achieve. If they’re not, you may want to set them aside and reassess where you’re going.
4. Visualize
Picturing realizing your goal is a big help in motivating you to succeed. And it has some awesome side effects.
The positive energy you give that imagery will affect you at a subconscious level. The mental affirmation that you can achieve it will do loads for your self confidence.
This will also also help you stay the course.
5. Let go of stuff beyond your control
When it comes to motivation, it can be easy to give up because things don’t’ go according to plan. Learn to let go of things beyond your control. If you don’t they’ll reduce your motivation to succeed.
6. Get organized
If you want to stay motivated, you need to work a little bit to keep the motivation alive. If you don’t it’ll slip under the radar.
Motivation will be just another feeling unless you crystalize it. Put your goals on the calendar and make an action plan.
JohnK 8-31-2020
Overheard: “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing–that’s why we recommend it daily.” ~ Zig Ziglar
Article image by Dmitry Abramov from Pixabay
Change Your Beliefs – AND Your Behaviors, Too
Your beliefs can and sometimes do change. The process of living has a way of forcing us to see things with new eyes.
If so, remember to consider these GenuLines points to bring your behavior in line with your beliefs.
Change Your Beliefs – AND Your Behaviors, Too
A powerful enough event can change even your closest held beliefs. It could have been something traumatizing.
Or something minor, like reading a blog post.
But a change in thinking doesn’t mean you’ll change your behaviors to match your beliefs. For example, you read how successful entrepreneurs master time management.
It sounds great, but you don’t act to change your disorganized behavior.
Or you might find a new way of dieting, and you start noticing the many unhealthy things people eat. Then again, you might not actually be eating the healthiest yourself.
And you might want better treatment, while still being a bit unpleasant to those around you.This kind of behavior can hurt your relationships with your friends and family.
And it can kick up your stress, too.
Practice what you preach or those around you will see you as a hypocrite. They’ll only accept your beliefs if you reflect them in an accurate way.
It can be difficult, though, to make these changes. When you realize that you’re not behaving as you believe you should be, it can be hard to change your actual behavior.
Spend time every day thinking about what changes you want to make. Then dedicate time to following through with those changes.
It won’t happen right away – it’ll take a few weeks for you to get used to changing your behavior.
In the meantime, ask a friend or family member to help you focus on this change and keep you on track.
When you start acting as you believe you should, you’ll find that you’re happier with who you are as a person. You’ll feel better about the quality of your personality.
And your social life will improve.
The accurate display of your beliefs will make you seem more trustworthy. Folks then show you more respect.
You did the hard yards. And now you’re actually following through on what you say.
JohnK 8-17-2020
Overheard: “Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is” ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Article image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Choose Your Reaction to What Life Sends Your Way
Life has a way of knocking you to your knees. And tough times just seem to keep the bad stuff coming.
But GenuLines wants you to remember that a thought-out response can protect you from action you’ll regret.
Choose Your Reaction to What Life Sends Your Way
Whether life slams you or only throws you a curve you might tend to react without thinking. But making rational thought your first reaction puts you in control.
Knee-jerk reactions rarely work to your advantage. Here’s an example. A customer says your product is horrible and wants a refund.
You’re on the defensive but your calm response takes away the person’s power.
Now your life isn’t dictated by things happening around you. You control your emotions.
Taking the “reins” in this way keeps your emotions under control. And making this a habit can contribute to a happier and more satisfying life.
Reactions that aren’t thought out tend to be irrational. And this can get you into a lot of trouble.
Highway tailgaters might seem like your enemy. You get upset and you try to get away from them.
Or, you try to get back at them.
This can cause a crash or an altercation Think about simple solutions to solving the problem at hand.
There are times when an immediate reaction is appropriate, such as the loss of someone close to you. You’re not going to make a situation like that positive.
For the emotions that follow, such as grief, choose how you’ll handle having these feelings.
Talk things out with a grief counselor. Don’t put it on the back burner.
It’s important to recognize situations in which instant reactions are acceptable. Don’t confuse them with situations that call for well thought out, controlled responses.
JohnK 8-10-2020
Overheard: “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on” ~Robert Frost
RSS - Posts