We Are What We Repeatedly Do: Four Plans for Healthy Habits
Health and happiness have more to do with your habits than your circumstances, because your habits contribute to what you’re experiencing. Fortunately, with some focused effort, you can change your habits. Contrary to popular belief, however, willpower and self-discipline alone won’t create new ones.
3 Ways to Handle Disturbingly Negative Thoughts
Negative thoughts and judgements can pop into your mind when you’re least expecting them. And they can lead to more negative thoughts and sometimes unproductive actions. But they don’t control you. You can corral them and change them to something more constructive.
In Our Brutal Modern World, Science Shows Our Brains Need Craft More Than Ever
Technology consumes our time and attention, and both causes and contributes to stress. Now, more than ever before, we need to find a way to unwind. Learning a craft not only reduces stress, it builds a sense of capability and confidence. It’s also a way to get into a state of flow, which helps all areas of our lives. This is a fascinating article that explores all the benefits for practicing a craft. On a personal note, my primary craft is weaving.
The 10 Mindsets of Highly Productive People
Successful people are organized and manage their time, albeit in different ways. It all has to do with their mindset. When they manage their time, they feel more in control and they’re happier people. To be more efficient and productive, use these 10 tips on how to approach your time management.
What If You Don’t Do the Things that Matter Most to You?
You tend to do the things that are most important to you every day. It shows by your results. But are your results actually helping you to achieve the goal that is dear to your heart? What is a goal that you’re reaching towards? Be inspired to make it a habit to establish it as a priority.
Before You Dismiss Mindfulness…
Mindfulness has become a buzzword for meditation and yoga. And some have tried to dismiss it, misunderstanding and misrepresenting what it is. But it’s a powerful tool that research shows offers benefits for mental health. Mindfulness can help to rewire your brain and retrain your habits.
Attention, Students: Put Your Laptops Away
This isn’t just an idea for students, but for anyone who takes notes. The idea of taking notes by hand seems old fashioned when typing is faster. But when you type your notes, you’re just copying information down without processing it.Taking notes by hand means you have to pay more attention and thus learn more. Read about one of the studies that have confirmed that writing notes is better by far and why.
4 Signs Stress Is Negatively Affecting Your Well-Being
Stress is a part of our lives. Some stress doesn’t affect you much. But if it builds up, you could be in for trouble. There are different types of stress to be aware of so you can determine how to handle them. But you have to know what to look for before you can take action to help yourself. This article identifies the different symptoms and gives tips on how to deal with them for a better life.
~ Linda-Ann Stewart
High Self-Esteem: 15 Habits for a Positive Self-Image
Having good self-esteem is important for a variety of reasons. You’re happier, more confident, able to handle challenges better and be more successful. This article has some wonderful, simple and easy tips to practice to raise your self-esteem. The benefits will spread to other areas of your life.
5 Ways to Become the Person You Aspire to Be
To succeed, you’ll become a different person than you are now. Knowing who you are and who you aspire to be is one of your keys to success. Becoming that person requires tremendous courage, perseverance and a steadfast belief in yourself. These tips will help you stay focused and motivated to achieve it.
5 Subtle Ways to Tune In To Your Body and Soothe Your Stress
Every day, you have small crises that trigger your fight-or-flight system. Unfortunately, this chronic type of stress can strain your body and ability to recover. However, you can restore equilibrium and build up your resilience through these simple exercises.
Life doesn’t always flow smoothly. There are always bumps along the way. They can take you off track and make it difficult to get back on track afterwards. But there is something you can do to be proactive and keep yourself on course.
Transcript:
Thank you for watching. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart of Heartvision Consulting. When you set an intention and create a plan to achieve a goal or vision, you think you’re on the road to success, right? And if you follow your plan, you have a really good chance accomplishing it.
But unfortunately, your environment and life may lead you astray. Life Happens, doesn’t it? There are all sorts of distractions that can take you off course. Everything from an unexpected event, like oops, you forgot to put in that paperwork and have to carve out time from your busy schedule to do it. Or you could have a disaster like losing your phone, and with it all your contacts, photos, calendar. Or you could just be fatigued because you’ve worked (or played) so hard.
Things like this can knock you off course and make it hard to get back on track once they’ve been taken care of. They can throw you off your game, sabotage your progress, and make it difficult to get focused again.
But if you plan for them, deciding ahead of time how you’re going to handle unexpected situations, you’ll be able to stay on course. For instance, schedule empty time in your schedule each week for unexpected problems. With your phone, regularly back up everything on it. And figure out what automatic tasks you can perform when you’re tired. Think ahead.
I know you can’t predict all the specific unforeseen issues that can arise. But you can have a plan in place for how you’re going to stay on track during them or after they’re over. You don’t have to know the exact distraction, but you can know what to do when something comes up.
Because, life doesn’t always flow smoothly, does it? There are always going to be bumps and curves, but you can take them into account. You can plan for the expected unexpected circumstances. In this way, you stay in control and on course to whatever your goal or vision might be.
How to Change the Way You Feel (Without Changing Anything Else)
Happiness does not start with a relationship, a degree, a job, or money. It starts with your thinking and what you tell yourself today. You tell stories to yourself about yourself every day, and most of them are untrue. Take the two practices in this article and update your stories.
How to Say No: 10 Powerful Tips
Being able to say, “No,” is an important skill to have. For many, it doesn’t come naturally. It has to be learned and practiced. At the beginning, you’ll experience resistance from within and other people. But these strategies will help you stay on track to be healthier, happier and more successful at what’s important to you.
To Be More Likable and Make a Great First Impression, Science Says First Do 1 Thing
People generally want to be liked. Some naturally know how to connect with others. But those who are shy or insecure who have a hard time approaching social situations. Fortunately, there are specific strategies you can do to make a good impression and be liked. When you use these four steps, you’ll gain confidence and enjoy making friends.
~ Linda-Ann Stewart
If you’d like more tips on how to make your day flow more smoothly, be more productive and accelerate your progress, download my free guide, Take Control of Your Day.
Don’t Like Meditation? Try This Instead
Many studies show that Mindfulness Meditation can improve concentration, creativity and give you a new perspective on finding solutions. But people shy away from meditation, either because they don’t have the time or they’re intimidated by the idea. You don’t have to find a quiet space and empty your mind to have the benefits of meditation. This simple exercise can allow you to get the benefits and fit into your day.
6 Myths and 6 Truths About Perfectionism
Unfortunately, many cultures encourage a toxic view that perfectionism is beneficial. It doesn’t help you to be or do better. You’ll never be able to reach that impossibly high standard. And failing that creates a sense of shame. Stop chasing after perfectionism and understand the uncomfortable truths about it.
119 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Happier
We all strive to be happy, but sometimes we fall short of that goal. It doesn’t mean it’s unreachable. It just means you need to implement some new strategies. This article has investigated research on the subject and brought together tested ways you can incorporate into your life. It covers 9 different areas of your life that you can address.
~ Linda-Ann Stewart
As a vision strategist, speaker, coach, and hypnotherapist, Linda-Ann Stewart helps women entrepreneurs and businesswomen who feel stuck to get a clear vision, focus on strategies, and gain control so they’re able to
accelerate to the next level of their business. Sign up for her FREE guide, Take Control of Your Day.
How to Have a Positive Attitude: 6 Tips You Should Use
Being more positive is associated with better health and greater success. But how do you make the change from being a pessimist to being more optimistic? This article is written by a pessimist who does want to make that change, and he approaches the subject differently than most do. His tips are grittier than others I’ve read and make a lot of sense. The good news is, with a bit of work, you can make the change.
How Small, Positive Habits Helped Me Improve My Daily Happiness
Habits contribute to making you the person you are and to the success you experience in life. But many of your habits don’t contribute to your well being. If you can change some of them, in a small way, you can change the course of your life. This article gives you a map to follow to make those changes in a simple way.
Recognizing the Distinction Between Blame and Responsibility
This is an article that is long overdue in coming. I know many people who have a hard time understanding that they aren’t the same thing. Not only do you learn the difference between blame and responsibility, you learn how to choose the one that allows you to find solutions. This approach will help you think more clearly and have a greater sense of well being.
~ Linda-Ann Stewart
Follow These 5 Steps to Radically Transform Your Negative Mindset
Having a negative mindset is a common problem and can hinder your ability to be productive and successful. Your mindset determines how you respond to situations, challenges and opportunities. Made up of your thoughts, 98% are simply repetitions, your mindset can be altered. Use these 5 steps to break out of your habitual negative mindset and reprogram your life for success.
Psychological Secrets to Hack Your Way to Better Life Habits
Habits run your life. Your behaviors rule how much you accomplish and how effective you are. They either help or hinder you as you endeavor to reach your goals. Habits consist of a simple, but extremely powerful, three-step loop. Break that loop, and you can install a new habit that supports you and your goals. This article includes 4 tips on how to ensure the new habit sticks.
Unleash Your Potential
Fear prevents you from taking the next step along your journey or to seize opportunities. However, when you face your fears, you’re able to embrace your courage and potential. This article includes 3 ways you can empower yourself to overcome what’s holding you back and tap into your natural potential.
Optimists aren’t born, they develop the skill over years. They choose to focus on the positive and not the negative. As they do, they develop the habit to look on the bright side. This meditation will help you shift from negative thinking to positive, and to consider the best outcome for you.
Transcript:
Thank you for joining me. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart of Heartvision Consulting. I’d like to share a short meditation with you to help you to train yourself to become more positive. Optimists aren’t born, they develop the skill over years. They choose to focus on the positive and not the negative.
As they do, they develop the habit to look on the bright side. They literally train themselves to seek out the benefit in every situation. What they seek, they tend to find, because they set their subconscious the task to find it. This meditation will encourage you to do that and establish a more positive direction for your thinking.
If you feel comfortable, just close your eyes. Take a deep breath and relax.
Just notice what thoughts are running through your mind right now? Just notice what they are. It may take a moment or two to catch them, because they generally run beneath your conscious awareness. Just allow one of them to surface. Are these thoughts supporting you and your endeavors? Or are they hindering you and holding you back?
If your thoughts aren’t supportive or helpful, don’t accept them simply because you’re thinking them. That doesn’t make them true. What ideas are the opposite of your unhelpful thoughts? What idea would be more positive and uplifting? Once you determine what it is, repeat the positive idea that would be more supportive.
Then, consider what the best outcome for your endeavors would be. Visualize it, using all your senses, feel it. You may become aware of your next step along the way. If there are any challenges in your path, you notice them, deal with them, and move on. You search for and find the best in every situation. You focus and act on the positive possibilities and opportunities.
Whenever the negative, unhelpful ideas surface, or you feel anxious or upset, you bring your attention back to the positive idea that’s more supportive. Focus on it. Repeat the positive idea to yourself and then visualize the best outcome and result.
Open your eyes.
When you practice this short meditation every day, you’ll start to retrain your mind and brain to be more positive all the time. This way of thinking will become a habit for you. And it’s not just your thinking that will be changed. When you’re more positive, you take more action, because you expect it to turn out in the best way possible. This empowers you to make a greater impact in your world.
If you’d like more tips on how to use visualization to make your day flow more smoothly, download my free guide, Take Control of Your Day.
Thank you for watching. What positive thought could you focus on right now? Take care.
