5 Ways You Can Use Mindfulness to Fix Your Brain, Decrease Stress and Improve Performance
Mindfulness meditation has multiple studies showing how it changes your brain. Research has found it impacts eight areas of the brain. Two of those regions increased brain activity and the density of brain tissue. You can reap the multiple benefits of mindfulness in just a few minutes a day.
10 Scientifically Proven Tips for Beating Procrastination
Procrastination is one of the biggest blocks to success. It affects productivity, effectiveness and confidence. The suggestions in this article will get you off the starting block and taking small steps. And generally, just getting moving is all it takes to break through that block.
6 Ways That Night-time Phone Use Destroys Your Sleep
Using your phone at night makes you sleep-deprived and exhausted. This article is based on a study by Harvard researchers that found why you need to shut it off an hour before bed. And it’s not just your phone. Your computer, tablet, e-reader and television can affect your sleep, as well.
Ask, believing that you can receive, in meditation and affirmation for what it is that you want. Then go out into the world, asking for guidance every step of the way. No matter what path you take, if you’re open and seeking, you’ll be directed. And persist, not giving up. This convinces the subconscious, which is the part of you that needs convincing, that you really do want it.
~ Linda-Ann Stewart
Would you like to have more abundance in your life? For the most part, the only person preventing it is you. Focusing on negative ideas limits your subconscious mind from finding opportunities in your life. The converse is also true. When you focus more on the positive, your subconscious seeks to help you achieve what you expect. This is a meditation to expand your acceptance of abundance so that your subconscious mind is primed to find it for you.
Transcript:
Would you like to have more abundance in your life? That’s a stupid question, isn’t it? Of course you would. So what’s preventing it? Believe it or not, for the most part, you are. Your old belief in struggle and lack are limiting the amount of abundance you accept. Those old ideas are causing difficulties in your life, because they’re what you expect. And your subconscious tries to help you achieve what you expect.
Another reason you may be restricting abundance is that you may feel uneasy accepting more. Have you ever felt that way? If so, you’re not alone. Many of my clients have had this issue. But that thought pattern is simply a shredded remnant from the past and doesn’t need to affect you anymore.
I’d like to lead you through a short meditation to open yourself to accepting more abundance into your life. When you do, you program your subconscious to scan the environment and seek to create it for you.
Linda-Ann Stewart of Heartvision Consulting, and I’m a vision strategist. You know how women business owners and entrepreneurs spin their wheels and get stuck as their business runs them? Using my 30 years of background as a hypnotherapist, I help them take charge, create strategies that keep them on track and accelerate their business to the next level and beyond. They align their heart with their vision and bring their vision into reality.
To begin to accept more abundance, you have to start with envisioning it flowing to you and then your accepting it. Now, abundance means many things. Health, harmony, peace, joy, prosperity and much more. What does abundance mean to you? How would it feel to have more of it in your life? Let’s start opening yourself up to that.
Close your eyes. Breath. Using your imagination, in any way that works for you, imagine a warm energy, a gold light, like sunshine, flowing down from the heavens towards you. It’s safe and comforting as it approaches. You welcome it. You know that it wants the best for you.
Imagine that you raise your arms to greet it, and create a funnel for it to pour into you. This energy is pure abundance, pure love, pure harmony, grace, joy, health, and all good things. This abundance guides, directs and inspires you along the next steps of your life. Ideas and solutions appear in your mind. New doors open, opportunities show up. Ideas and solutions appear in your mind. Your prosperity expands as you allow more abundance to flow into you. You are at peace as your acceptance of greater abundance grows.
This energy brings avalanches of abundance into your life. You expect the best to happen for you in any situation. Imagine everything falling into place for you. That this energy allows all of your needs be met. You are filled to overflowing the this energy of the abundance of all good. This abundance eases every step you take, making your way smooth and easy.
A golden river of light and good energy pours into and through you into your world, into every situation and circumstance in your life. You embrace this light and energy, allowing it to fill every part of your mind and body. You feel secure, uplifted and joyous. As you go about your day, you remind yourself of this abundance flowing into you, through you and into your world. When you’re ready, open your eyes.
I recommend you take a minute or two every morning to practice this. You may be surprised at what happens when you practice it regularly. Unexpected good will probably come your way. It does in mine when I remember to practice it. Synchronicities can happen to benefit you. I’ve won gift cards and had unexpected opportunities land in my lap. The imagery doesn’t take long and you have everything to gain.
If you’d like some help in achieving your goals, apply for a complimentary Clarify Your Vision coaching consultation.
I would love to hear how your life responds when you practice this meditation.
As a vision strategist, hypnotherapist, and speaker, Linda-Ann Stewart helps women entrepreneurs and small business owners who feel stuck, immobilized and overwhelmed to to get clear, focused and on the fast track to the next level of their business. If you'd like some help to reach your goals, email her at LAS@Linda-AnnStewart.com with "Complimentary Consultation" in the subject line.
What spiritual disciplines are you doing to expand your awareness? Are you meditating each day, saying affirmations, acknowledging the goodness of the Universe in each situation, or some other activity? If you aren’t, then you’re closing off the flow of the Universe. Each day you need to touch into your spiritual core to renew yourself. Choose something, even if it’s only a five minute meditation every morning. A spiritual discipline keeps you on track and makes sure that you remember to exercise your connection to the Infinite.
~ Linda-Ann Stewart
7 Quick Ways to Calm Down When You Are Overwhelmed
Do you sometimes feel like you’re always running behind? And that you have so many things to do, you’ll never get them all done? Unfortunately, that feeling of stress just slows you down and keeps you from performing at your best. This article suggests some commonsense ways to reduce your stress so you can be more effective.
Study suggests meditating can prevent age-related mental decline
Less than 10% of the U.S. population meditates. And that’s unfortunate, because study after study show that it can help with mental, emotional and physical problems. This particular study shows how it can prevent age-related mental decline and difficulty focusing.
How to Stop Making Excuses
Unfortunately, we don’t always realize when we’re making excuses, but they sabotage our ability to achieve our goals. There is a difference between an explanation and an excuse, and this article dives into this difference. When you’re able to tell them apart, you’ll stop undermining yourself and be more successful.
Our lives today are filled with things that keep us busy and distracted. We obsess over our cell phones: talking, texting, tweeting, checking Facebook and surfing the internet. We’re working longer hours and have less time off. When we do take vacations, it’s generally rushing to a location so we can participate in activities that keep us busy.
Our frantic lives have become a habit. We have a need to fill every waking moment with activity. When we don’t have anything to do, we feel anxious, panicked and seek to do anything that will relieve the discomfort. This craving to be productive has spun out of control.
We can actually become addicted to the adrenaline rush that stress provides. Many people become adrenaline junkies, seeking thrills in ever dangerous sports so that they get their hit of this chemical. Once we’ve reached this high level of stress, our ability to think things through, reason, be creative and learn decreases.
We can become addicted to the habit of stress. A habit is formed by doing the same thing over and over until it becomes automatic. Not only do we get a physical jolt of adrenaline from it, but we also receive emotional rewards. And a habit tied to an emotional benefit can become hard to change.
Some of the benefits to chronic stress include:
Stress can distract a person from what isn’t working in their life.
It gives people the excuse not to deal with a bad relationship, unhealthy eating habits, or family issues because they’re just so busy.
People have used it as justification to indulge in destructive lifestyle habits, such as drugs or excessive drinking.
Many people think that when they’re frazzled, they look more important or committed.
Looking busy and stressed can also keep people from dumping more responsibility on them.
People feel sorry for the person who’s stressed, and do what they can to keep from upsetting them.
Chronic stress will eventually lead to a physical, mental and emotional collapse, because sooner or later the adrenaline runs out. This amount of stress also reduces the effectiveness of our immune systems and makes us more susceptible to illness and disease.
Stress caused by our own busyness is a choice. We make decisions every hour of the day that contribute to the pressure we feel. Some of it is caused by trying to control every aspect of our lives. Trying to be perfect also pushes us to feel overwhelmed. Neither of these is realistic or constructive.
Like any habit, it’s uncomfortable when we begin to break it. Some people get panicky when they first start to relax. It feels unfamiliar, unnerving and unsafe.
It takes a change of perspective before the habit can be altered. We have to realize that our mindset and decisions have helped create the stress that we’ve been exhibiting. Then we have to be willing to handle the things we’ve been avoiding.
Here are five steps to break the habit of chronic stress:
1. Become aware of what you’re doing that’s causing you to be so busy and pressured.
2. Learn what the benefit of it is for you, and decide if it’s worth the eventual burnout and exhaustion.
3. Address whatever emotional reason has pushed you to be so busy.
4. Let go of some of the control that you’ve been exerting in your life. Delegate to others and let them run with the project. Accept that everything isn’t going to be perfect. Don’t look at your cell phone more than once an hour. When you’re with someone at a restaurant, if your phone rings, let it go to voicemail.
5. Take time outs. Do deep breathing, learn mindfulness meditation, practice yoga, do relaxation exercises, exercise. These all work by switching on another physical system that naturally reduces stress.
When you begin to practice these steps, you may feel strange and uneasy. That’s normal. But the physical, mental and emotional benefits are well worth the effort. You’ll be able to think clearer and have more resources to deal with the challenges of your life. Feeling centered will become more natural.
Breaking a habit is rarely easy. You have to perform new actions consistently over and over until you’ve created a new behavior. However, once you have them instilled in your life, you’ll find that your life is much happier and healthier.
Affirmation:
I deserve to have time to enjoy my life. Whatever has been promoting stress in my life is out of balance with the Universe. I now make new choices to restore balance and harmony in my life. Divine Order is now taking place in every area of my life, allowing me to be calm and centered. The Universe supports me in my endeavor to establish peace and serenity.
~ Linda-Ann Stewart
As a vision strategist, hypnotherapist, and speaker, Linda-Ann Stewart helps women entrepreneurs and small business owners who feel stuck, immobilized and overwhelmed to to get clear, focused and on the fast track to the next level of their business. If you'd like some help to reach your goals, email her at LAS@Linda-AnnStewart.com with "Complimentary Consultation" in the subject line.
6 Exercises for Positive Emotions: Start Your Upward Spiral Today
Over the past few years, many researchers have found new and scientifically proven ways to increase positive emotions and well-being. The techniques described in this article have all been shown to boost positive emotions. They take some commitment, but they’re well worth the effort. Choose one, practice, and enjoy the changes.
7 Myths About Meditation Preventing You From Grasping The Amazing Benefits of Mindfulness
Meditation is becoming commonplace. But there are lots of misconceptions about it. People think mistake the goals and how to practice it. Meditation improves your concentration, self-awareness, and productivity, and your ability to show up in the world.When you’re able to better connect with yourself, you improve your relationship to yourself and others.
How to Make the Best Decision When You Have Too Many Options
Research has shown that when people are faced with too many choices, it can produce anxiety that actually makes us less likely to choose. As a result, we’re less likely to succeed. A study has the best strategy to use confronted with a large number of choices. When you’re having trouble choosing from too many options, use this technique to reduce your stress.
~ Linda-Ann Stewart
6 Tactics Narcissists Will Use To Silence You
Only a true professional can diagnose a mental disorder. That said, we all should recognize when people try to manipulate us. Narcissism is one of those disorders that can be relatively benign or all the way to downright toxic. Learning about their behaviors can help you spot who they are and what they’re doing so you can take care of yourself. And many of these tactics are also used by bullies or controlling people.
Neuroscience: This Simple 10-Minute Exercise Will Give Your Brain an Immediate and Lasting Boost
We all want our brains to work at their best, especially when we’re making a decision or working on a project. But sometimes, we feel like we’re wading through molasses. Scientists have found a quick exercise that can give you a 14 percent gain in cognitive performance. And that could make all the difference.
How To Rewire Your Brain For Happiness
You can literally create new neural pathways that lead to compassion, gratitude, and joy instead of anxiety, fear, and anger. It does require conscious effort, but all change starts with that. If you knew you could experience more positive emotions, wouldn’t you make the effort? This article gives you some direction on how to do that.
VideoComments Off on 6 Simple Ways to Take Control of Stress
Feb082018
In today’s fast paced world, we experience more stress than ever. A lot of it comes from our feeling like we have no control. When we feel like we have more control, stress and its impact reduces. Wouldn’t you like to be able to channel all that energy into something more productive? Learn 6 simple ways to take control of stress so that you have more clarity and are healthier.
Transcript:
Got stress? We all have it, some more than others. It happens as a result of everything from running late one day to having 3 projects due at once. A lot of our chronic stress is due to feeling out of control or not having any control over conditions. So I wanted to share some ways you can get some control over the stress that I’ll bet you’re experiencing.
I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist. For almost 30 years, I’ve been a hypnotherapist and coach. One of my specialties was to help people deal with stress. We identified the causes and reframed their attitudes about them, as well as giving them other strategies to reduce the stress.
Now, as a vision strategist, I help women entrepreneurs get a clear vision, get focused on its strategies and get back in control so they’re able to accelerate to the next level of their business.
It helps them handle their stress so they can be more successful
You know how, when you’re stressed and can’t get a handle on it, you tend to get overwhelmed easily? You flip into reactive mode. It’s like you have a hammer and everything is a nail. Right? But you hammer things that aren’t nails, and that can be counterproductive. Instead, you need to grab some control so you can deal with things more rationally. Feeling like you have some control also allows you to channel that energy into something productive. Isn’t this what you want?
I want to share 6 easy ways that you can start to manage your stress and get back in control. Are you ready?
1. 1 thing. Take 1 thing you can control and handle that. Handle your email, / turn off your phone notifications so you can get some work done it quiet, / say NO to a request that you know will send you over the edge. I did this last one just recently. Handling 1 thing gives you a center to work from. What 1 thing would that be for you?
2. Daily routine. Instability and never knowing what’s next contributes to stress. Creating security through a daily routine can give you some breathing room. It gives you a sense of organization and control over your time. It’s especially good to have one it the morning, as it sets the mood for your day. Do you have a daily routine?
3. Self-hypnosis / relaxation training. This is one of the things I helped people with in my practice. I led them through some relaxation, and taught them self-hypnosis. I had a client who’d used massage, yoga, and other types of stress management techniques tell me that what we did was the most beneficial of all of them. This helps reset your body and mind, building resiliency. Doesn’t it feel good to relax?
4. Reframe. When you’re anxious or worried, you go into the fight or flight mode and you get paralyzed. Shuts down your thinking processes. But if you’re able to reframe the feeling to excitement or challenge, you’re able to come up with possibilities and be more innovative. Even using different words, such as “hassle” or “pressure,” can reframe the stress. How could you reframe things that stress you?
5. Help others. This one sounds counter intuitive. When you help others, you’re giving your precious resources of time and energy. But studies find that people under stress who helped others didn’t experience the damaging effects of stress. They also felt more satisfied in their lives. Don’t you feel good when you’ve helped someone?
6. Practice meditation or mindfulness, both of which helps the skill of concentration. Yes, concentration, attention and focus are skills. In today’s frenetic world, they’ve gotten rusty. Meditation / mindfulness train you to be more focused. They also keep your mind from spiraling out of control and keeps your attention on what you can handle. It also helps you to let go of what you can’t control. What can you do to build the skill of focus?
Don’t try to do all of these at once. That would throw you back into being overwhelmed and stressed. Take one of them and practice it. Which one would you want to start with? Practice and see if you feel better. Then add another one. The whole idea is for you to take more control. And once shift your attitude towards stress from it being a buggy bear to it being manageable, you’ll have more clarity and be healthier.
If you’d like more tips on how to make your day flow more smoothly, download my free guide, Take Control of Your Day.
Thank you for watching. I hope you’ve gotten an idea that works for you to manage stress.
As a vision strategist, hypnotherapist, and speaker, Linda-Ann Stewart helps women entrepreneurs and small business owners who feel stuck, immobilized and overwhelmed to to get clear, focused and on the fast track to the next level of their business. If you'd like some help to reach your goals, email her at LAS@Linda-AnnStewart.com with "Complimentary Consultation" in the subject line.
People tend to think that all stress is bad. But what is bad is chronic stress or situations that overwhelm your inner resources. Some stress is beneficial, because it helps push you to discover new abilities and solutions. Just as you exercise to build muscle, some stress stretches you to reach farther. The secret is to know when you’re being stretched too thin or pushed beyond your limits. It’s at those times when you need to take steps to retreat and retrench. Meditate, relax, take a walk, reduce some of the pressure you put on yourself. Because too much stress distresses you.
5 Ways You Can Use Mindfulness to Fix Your Brain, Decrease Stress and Improve Performance
