End of the Year Decluttering: Don’t Forget to Include Your Mind, Also

The end of the year is a great time to leave the old behind to make way for the new. In addition to goal, this can be the time to declutter, aka, purging the old to make way for the new.

Before you can throw old items away, it’s vital to start by decluttering your mind. If you look at why you keep papers, mementos, and the like, is because there is some emotional attachment to them, hence mindset.

If you’re hanging onto to clothes that don’t fit, or the ugly vase your mother gave you for Christmas, or the exercise bike you might get around to using, you don’t just have a problem with too much stuff. You have a problem with letting go of bad feelings, ill-founded assumptions, old grievances and future worries.

If it feels good to declutter your house, it feels even better to declutter your mind, and letting go of those the ‘emotional baggage’ we tend to carry around.

Here are some useful expert tips to make some space in your mind.

 

  1. Use mindfulness or meditation techniques:

You don’t have to do the full sitting on a cushion in a darkened room thing to benefit from meditation techniques. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, some simple breathing techniques can help you calm down and focus.

For a few minutes, focus only on your breathing and nothing else, such as the 4-7-8 rule (breathe in slowly for a count of 4, hold it for a count of 7, then slowly breathe out for a count of 8). Even a two-minute breathing practice will give you calm so you can think more clearly and start to working on letting go.

If your mind wanders or gets back into the worrying groove, you must put that aside and come back to focus on your breath. Taking a walk or, even, sitting outside brings calm but focus on the sounds you hear, what you see, what you feel (the sun or the breeze).

 

  1. Write it down

It can help to write down anything that’s on your mind. Once all those worries are down on paper, you can prioritize them and work out a plan to deal with them. You can also assess them to identify what’s essential and what isn’t. When you can see what’s important, you can focus your energy and free up some of that mental space!

 

  1. Stay in the present

Brooding over the past and worrying about the future take up a lot of space in your mind and achieves, precisely, nothing. Let go of regret over past mistakes or resentment of past slights and move on.

Keep your focus on what you can influence right here, right now. Journal about it, write a letter to the person or situation – but you burn it in the end to release those old thoughts and feelings.

Focus on what you can control right now – not the past or the future. Say a mantra to keep you focused, such as ‘stay in the present.’ Out minds need verbal prompts so this is a good practice to adopt.

 

  1. Do one thing at a time

Multitasking is not only overrated and inefficient, it also leads to greater anxiety, and you won’t do any one thing properly. Actually, our brains can not do two things at one time, so trying to depletes brain energy.

It’s best to focus on doing things methodically and thoroughly. As you finish one task, move onto the next. Listing tasks you want to accomplish will give you direction on where to go, but not trying to accomplish all at once. Smaller steps lead to bigger changes.

 

  1. Control all incoming data you take in

Every day we are bombarded by so much information – TV, news, social media websites, podcast, radio, YouTube, and the like. It can be overwhelming and addictive if your ‘not careful.

We talk about being available 24/7 and the 24-hour news cycle, but there is only one person who can control this: You.

You can choose to switch off your computer, smartphone, and tv and control the amount of data your brain is trying to process. You may have to start small, such as turning off your electronics for 15-30 minutes, then increase your time; at night or during meals, turn your phone off off. You can control how much information comes in, which will help you emotionally and physically.

Decluttering your mind will pay off in all sorts of ways you hadn’t imagined. You will be more productive, less stressed, and more motivated. Overall, you will feel more peaceful and confident you can handle anything that comes your way.

If you struggle with productivity or negativity in your life, reach out to get help. You can be in control of your life,

 

What is a Mindset Coach Anyway?

As a Mindset and Performance Coach, a lot of people don’t understand exactly what this means or the benefit one can provide. Hiring a coach, whether executive, business, wellness, etc. is an investment you make in improving some area of your life, or those of others.

While those are definitely needed, the fundamental reason for all behavior starts in the mind. A difficult employee, a business leader who is unproductive or scattered, or putting off exercising in an effort to lose weight all have their basis with what goes on in the mind. So, this is where a mindset coach is beneficial.

A mindset coach will set you on the right course; they will help you dig deeper into your thoughts and fears – yes, fears – that you’ve been struggling with, perhaps all your life as fears don’t just arise. They have deep-rooted places that started somewhere early on. Thoughts are embedded deep in the reptilian brain but can come out at any time. They lead to our beliefs which drive our actions, thus, the way you react to situations or that you keep eating that piece of cake, even though you know you shouldn’t.

A mindset coach uses principles of psychology and neuroscience to guide you in banishing mental blocks once and for all, helping you to understand that their are biological, physiological, and psychological processes going on, some of which you don’t have control of. This understanding is where self-awareness comes in which, then, is when change can occur.

If you have ever had an idea that you want to move forward on but didn’t, there is a reason for that. You’re fight or flight response went off releasing cortisol, which goes directly to your prefrontal cortex and shuts it down, leading to feeling foggy, disorganized, or freezing up; “I don’t know” becomes the common answer to why you did not move forward.

A mindset coach, who understands the brain, and its effects on the body and performance, is able to help you understand your reactions and then how to positively manage them. They help you to take control of them so you know can be more successful overall.

If you’re struggling in your business, a mindset coach can be the answer. You can have all the best systems and processes, funnels, and the like but, if you aren’t acting on them for whatever reason, it’s time to deal with your mindset. A coach can be your answer.

If you have been struggling, then it’s time to finally overcome. It’s time to soar to newer heights, to grow your business so it’s profitable and, ultimately, lead a happier and successful life.

Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting focuses on workplace happiness and organizational success using brain-based principles. If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started! https://cyscoaching.com or barbara@cyscoaching.com. For more great tips, visit our other blog at https://allaboutcareersites.com

 

How the Pain/Gain Exercise Can Help You Take More Action

If you’re struggling with moving your career or business forward, you need to look internally to see what is actually going on. You may not realize it, but there are thoughts going on in the subconscious that are keeping you ‘stuck’ in a vortex that spirals nowhere.  The gain-pain exercise is a great tool to help you take more action by uncovering what is the root-cause of not going after your goals.

Essentially, you identify:

  • what is your current pain – this refers to the  pain of the problem or situation you are currently dealing with, such as wasting time or getting distracted
  • what is your future gain – this refers to what you will gain stopping the identified behavior, so wasting time becomes being more productive and achieving more, and getting distracted become being more focused
  • what is your current gain – this refers to what benefit you are getting from the behavior; whether you realize it or not, there is a benefit we get which does not mean it is positive. Going back to the examples, wasting time can mean you don’t have to worry about failing or disappointing someone; being distracted means you can avoid dealing with issues – both of these aren’t beneficial but you do know how to deal with them now
  • what is your future pain – this refers to what will happen if you keep in the same mode – getting nothing done; getting written up at work or, worse, losing your job; feeling anxious or depressed over self-disappointment, etc., and what needs those costs will lead to

Identifying your blocks, or what prevents you from moving forward, is critical to stopping those behaviors. Often, our past values and beliefs stand in the way of which we don’t realize how impactful they are.  Think of statements you may have heard when you were younger: children should be seen and not heard; money is the root of all evil; be respectful of your elders.  Determine how you feel about them now.

Each of these examples can lead to behaviors, such as: not speaking up for yourself because children should be seen and not heard; holding yourself back from going after a high-paying job because if you get it, money is the root of all evil; feeling fearful around high-level executives because you need to be respectful of elders and you might say, or do something, that would look disrespectful.

The pain-gain method can help to get you out of the loop; once you uncover reasons for your thoughts and behaviors, you can now focus on future gains that would move you forward and lead to a more positive and achieved life.

Revisiting Christmas Random Acts of Kindness

Two years ago, I participated in a challenge so I’m revisiting Christmas random acts of kindness in the hopes you will do the same. This is the time of year that we need to be thinking of more than presents and parties. If I know anything, it’s that paying it forward leads to good things, for both the receiver and the giver.

I found study after study, along with many personal stories, of the impact that paying it forward has on both our brain and our body:

  • oxytocin is released which makes us feel better and more connected to to others; it leads to less anxiety and depression, and it increases self-satisfaction and confidence
  • it leads to less health problems, such as colds, as it strengthens our immune system; it also leads to less body aches, and having more energy for the tasks we need to complete
  • as less cortisol is released, the executive functions in the brain work more efficiently, leading to better thinking and decision making, to name a few; overall, performance improves
  • relationships are strengthened by bonding more with others; it also leads to having more empathy, which seems to be sorely lacking these days

The benefits of practicing random acts of kindness don’t just apply to adults – it leads to happier children, as well. Here are some ways s you can show kindness;  use them in your work, your family, and or yourself (we also need to be most kind to ourselves):

  • give compliments
  • send a card to a soldier or to someone in a nursing home
  • donate to charities, such as through money, clothes, books, food, or house goods – there are man people who are in need
  • take supplies to an animal shelter – blankets are needed, especially in the cold, but they can use food, shampoo, etc.
  • pay for the person in back of you in the drive-through; bring in bagels or other goodies to coworkers;
  • hold the door open for someone at the store or let someone out in traffic (or to merge)
  • help a coworker out
  • smile at everyone you see -it could make someone’s day

From my own experience, giving random acts of kindness works like gratitude – it takes the focus of of you and onto others, which spreads good karma.  I’m on day 850 of gratitude (from another challenge I did) and have found I’m able to deal with stress and any adversities easier and am happier, overall.  Now, I just need to work on being kind to when driving (lol).

Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting focuses on workplace happiness and organizational success. If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started! https://www.cyscoaching.com or barbara@cyscoaching.com. For more great tips, visit our other blog at https://allaboutcareersites.com

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)