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Choose Your Reaction to What Life Sends Your Way

August 10, 2020 John Uncategorized No comments

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

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Overheard: “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on”

~Robert Frost

Find Your Authenticity by Embracing Your Inner Self

August 3, 2020 John Uncategorized No comments

With all the madness we’re seeing in society it’s easy to lose connection with our authenticity. Who can be blamed for feeling a little like part of the “herd mentality?”

GenuLines understands that feeling and offers this bit of support for staying connected to your “genuine self.”

Find Your Authenticity by Embracing Your Inner Self

Human beings have an inherent tendency to avoid standing out from the crowd. From the very beginning, our survival relied on safety in numbers.

And that habit stays a part of our nature despite any real need for in today’s world. This reality flies in the face of a society that lives on social media.

Every day there’s pressure to mask your authentic self. It could be at work, with friends, or on social media.

In this article, we look at a few of the many reasons that embracing your inner self benefits you. And how it can benefit most everyone around you.

One of the best traits of human beings is that each of us is unique. We differ in our individual talents, abilities, perspectives, and so on.

But we often mask these differences to avoid standing out. This deprives us and others of the benefits of our self-expression.

Think about history’s greatest inventions and discoveries. These came from people willing to be different and to resist the status quo.

We do want to accept ourselves. But this can clash with the need to fit in.

When you’re able to embrace your inner self and go against the grain, you invite others to do the same.

When people around you notice your self-acceptance they’re more likely to follow suit! It’s a ripple effect.

The others gain from the fellowship of collective talent and abilities.

It’s ironic that you burn more energy blending in than by being your genuine self.

Going with the crowd involves a conscious effort to act and behave a certain way at all times.

It wastes mental resources you can use in much better ways. Going your own way can bring impressive results.

No Regrets

One of the most painful feelings we can experience is that of regret. You don’t need a reminder to know that life is short.

If you squander your gifts the sad day will eventually come when you’re aware of what you did.

Often the most monumental chances in life come and go in the blink of an eye. And when those chances are gone they’re gone.

By embracing your inner self, you can mitigate so much regret down the road.

Standing out from the crowd will feel odd at first.

But, you’ll find that the benefits to you and those around you are more than worth it!

JohnK 8-3-2020

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Overheard: “To find yourself, think for yourself”

~Seneca

Are You Wasting Your Energy on Meaningless Things?

July 27, 2020 John Uncategorized No comments

Challenging times demand that you maintain a state of peak energy. But that peak condition can wear down in ways you’re not aware of.

Today GenuLines looks at ways you might be squandering your energy.

Are You Wasting Your Energy on Meaningless Things?

When you get too caught up in the things you don’t like, it’s easy to lose sight of your goals and the path to achieving them. When you begin to indulge in your anger, you feel worse each day.

You end up fueling all the wrong emotions.

Let’s say you wake up in the morning angry and disheartened over things you don’t like. You’ll live much of your life in a negative energy mindset.

And that’s bad for your mental and physical health.

Staying in a constant state of anger or sadness is bad for your health in many ways. You might find yourself experiencing more frequent headaches, fatigue, and stomach problems.

These are all side effects of stress, which goes hand in hand with negative emotions.

Mentally, you’ll be more irritable and upset, which can affect your loved ones, too.

What’s more, you won’t have the focus you need to work on your dreams.

If you dread seeing a certain coworker each day change your thinking. Be grateful that you have a stable job.

Focus on the things that you love and the things that you need to do.

Complaining about your coworkers is useless, and it only causes you issues, not them. Instead of complaining about things that’ are wrong, focus your efforts on fixing what you can fix.

Energy Re-direction

Put your attention on the things that you enjoy. Spending your energy working on things that you want and enjoy cuts into your stress.

You wake up feeling energized and excited to start your day.

Doesn’t that beat dreading another useless day of getting nothing done?

Get on a good sleep schedule if you’re not already on one so that you can spend more time doing the things that you love. You’ll find that your mind is more at ease and you feel much healthier.

You’ll gain a sense of satisfaction by knowing that you’re taking control of your path. And that you’re living life on your terms,

JohnK 6-28-2020

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Overheard: “The energy of the mind is the essence of life”

~Aristotle

Food And Drink And Your Anxiety

July 21, 2020 John Uncategorized No comments

Anxiety is something we connect to the conditions around us. The bad stuff is always “out there.”

But GenuLines looks at how the things around you are impacted by what goes inside you.

Food And Drink And Your Anxiety

If you’re feeling anxiety you might tend to blame your environment. But what you eat and drink can have a big effect on your body’s chemistry.

Some foods and drinks may actually worsen your anxiety. Here are some of the culprits.

Drinks

-Coffee

As you might have expected, the caffeine in coffee can make anxiety worse. It causes constriction of blood vessels and that feeling of the “jitters.”

It can also cause or worsen insomnia. And it inhibits the absorption of Vitamin C, a key nutrient for optimal mind and body function.

-Soft Drinks and Colas

Even caffeine-free, sugar-free soft drinks, can worsen your anxiety. The high-acid content of dark colas produces an acidic environment in the body.

This process sets off a reaction that leaches calcium and magnesium from your bones. Both of these minerals are crucial to proper brain and muscle function.

In fact, reduced calcium and magnesium impedes muscle relaxation.

That increases muscle tension.

So if you choose a clear, caffeine-free, sugar-free soft drink, it won’t worsen your anxiety, right? Wrong!

The artificial sweetener in these drinks, aspartame, may have significant cognitive effects. It may actually worsen the psychological aspect of anxiety.

-Alcohol

Alcohol seems like a good option for anxiety sufferers. But over-consumption can worsen depression and inhibit the absorption of key nutrients.

Foods

-Chocolate

Chocolate is often called the “feel-good” food. But it contains significant caffeine and large amounts of sugar. Next, we’ll take a look at sugar.

-Excessive Sugar

By “excessive,” some nutritionists mean anything over 5 tablespoons of refined sugar daily. While you may think that would be easy, it’s not.

Sugar is in almost everything, and 5 tablespoons is a bit more than 1/4 cup. If you drink several large glasses of sweet iced tea, you can take in close to 1/4 cup of sugar.

And that doesn’t take into account the sugar in your food. This sugar is either hidden (such as in frozen foods) or obvious (such as “frosted” cereals).

So why is sugar a problem? For one thing, the body uses Vitamin B6.

It’s crucial to mood and proper hormone function and metabolizing sugar. But sugar depletes your body of this and other important nutrients.

It can also create high and low moods, and bring on a post-sugar “crash,” or low blood sugar.

-Refined Flour

Refined flour acts much like sugar in the body. And it has none of the essential fatty acids, fiber, and other nutrients that whole grains do.

-Processed Foods

Many processed foods are full of preservatives, artificial flavors, and artificial colors. Some of these can pass through the blood-brain barrier, affecting cognitive function.

Then there’s yellow #5. This is often found in candy, gum, margarine, and other processed foods.

It can disrupt the hormone balance in the body.

Think about what you put into your body. It can go a long way toward keeping you calm.

JohnK 7-21-2020

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Overheard: “Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.”

~Charles Spurgeon

Better Thinking With Brain Power Boosting (Adds player)

July 14, 2020 John Uncategorized No comments

Your brain works hard. And in tough times it works even harder.

When it bogs down you can turn to these simple GenuLines tips to power up your “gray matter.”

Better Thinking With Brain Power Boosting

Muddled thinking seems like a virus in itself. From negative news to personal challenges it can affect your well being.

One way to counter this mind fog is through a brainpower boost. So, here are some steps to help you keep your brain working in tip-top condition.

Regular Exercise

Simple exercise like a walk or jog might not be intense. But it’ll get you started.

You can work on the intensity as you go along.

Simple work-outs may trigger the release of neuro-chemicals known as endorphins. These chemicals are responsible for making us feel happy.

Feeling happier translates into a positive effect on the brain.

Supplement your Diet

Natural supplements can help keep both mind and body healthy. You can find supplements anywhere from health food stores to sites on the internet.

Use it or lose it

It’s great to exercise your body. But you should exercise your brain too.

It’s a muscle that needs to keep fit – think and learn. You can read, talk with other people or even play educational games.

Experiment with activities that can keep your brain working well.

Play Games

Choose games that will have a good effect on your brain. Stay away from games that are “no-brainers.”

Computer games can exercise your brain. Be sure to make good game choices.

Gaming consoles are also following the fad into increasing brain function. So, do your part in boosting your brain power by playing games that will increase it.

Enjoy an Educational Hobby

Choose a hobby that will teach you something. Just be sure to do things that aren’t monotonous.

Your hobby should be something that will help you learn new things every time you perform it. This way, you’ll be able to use parts of your brain you didn’t use before.

Sleep Well

Sleeping helps your body rebuild and recharge. Many professionals believe that you should sleep for at least six to eight hours a day.

Aside from these hours, you should also try to take ten-minute power naps. These naps will leave your refreshed.

And they’ll give you the energy that will fuel what you do for the rest of the day.

Relax

Society’s complexity will tax your brain as much as your body.

So take time to relax and cleanse your mind of worries that can overwhelm your thoughts.

You can visit a spa or meditate to give your mind a break.

When you relax you’ll feel that you’re prepared to take on whatever your day throws at you!

JohnK 6-14-2020

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Overheard: “The human brain, then, is the most complicated organization of matter than we know”

~Isaac Asimov

Article image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Better Thinking With Brain Power Boosting

July 14, 2020 John Uncategorized No comments

Your brain works hard. And in tough times it works even harder.

When it bogs down you can turn to these simple GenuLines tips to power up your “gray matter.”