Tag: mindsetcoaching

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The Benefits of Being Self-Disciplined

Being self-disciplined has many beneficial results. These include a sense of accomplishment, more self-respect, and a better understanding of what you can do. Plus, with a routine you will know what to do each day, leaving you with more clarity and less stress.

What does it mean to be self-disciplined? According to Collins Dictionary, a disciplines person acts or behaves in a controlled way, with rules and standards. When you understand the beauty of this, you are the one in control who sets the standards to follow. You aren’t at the mercy of someone else.

While being disciplined is not always easy, it is well worth it. When you set goals and work on them every day until you accomplish them, you will feel proud of yourself. Not only because you accomplished the goal, but because you did not quit.  You stayed the course and made them happen. If you think back to a prior achievement, you had a goal and worked on it every day until you reached it – how did you feel?

When you discipline yourself to accomplish a goal, you also increase your self-respect. Think of the people you have the most respect for and why; chances are that one of those reasons is that they have self-discipline. They set out to do something, not stopping until they accomplish it.

By doing the same, you can have more self-respect and confidence. However, when you aren’t self-disciplined you will feel less respect for yourself, which will lower your self-esteem, and are more likely to fall into negativity and states of depression and anxiety.

But, when you become disciplined in your habits and routines, you learn more of what you can do. You will have the ability to set higher goals and challenge yourself to meet them. You will find that you can overcome obstacles that you might have thought were too difficult, while learning more about who you are and what you can accomplish when you set your mind to it.

A lot of times people put limitations on themselves that are not really accurate. Think about something you think is not possible: is it really impossible or are you setting a limitation that is based out of a fear of some kind?

One way to find out is to set a goal and make it happen. As an example, you may want to run a marathon but, if you are a couch potato, you cannot immediately do so; but, over time as you build up your body with increasingly more intense exercise, you can. This is how discipline works.

Mindset is a huge part of a disciplined life – believe you can and you will. Put affirmational words on your bathroom mirror, write them down, say them loud so they ‘stick’ and you believe, i.e. “I can and I will.”

 

Now it is your turn. Choose a goal that you want to achieve, and set up milestones, i.e. daily or weekly actions, along the way. Then each day do something to make those milestones happen. It does not have to be anything major, just one more small step on the way to your final goal. Having discipline will put you in the mindset of achievement, while having accountability, to stay the course until the goal is reached.

When you reach that final goal, take stock of how you feel about yourself and what you are capable of doing. Self-recognition is vital to future achievements so be sure to write them down.

“Discipline is doing what you really don’t want to do so you can do what you really want to do”     (Jeff Fisher)

 

If you’re struggling with starting and achieving your goals, reach out for help and to get started. We’re here for you!

 

 

 

 

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Why We Need Inspiration in Our Lives

Right now, I think we can all use some inspiration in our lives, considering how crazy our world has gotten, post pandemic.  Everyday there is something happening that seems more absurd but, sadly, is reality.  Just when we think things are calming down, some news item relates to turmoil somewhere.

Whether it’s the war in Ukraine. The Hollywood writer’s strike, the heatwave across the U.S., politics, finances – I could go on. It seems, some days, that there is no end in sight.

It’s easy to feel scared and discouraged while also carrying with your life. Having inspiration in your life can be the key to carrying on calmly.

The definition of inspiration is “the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative” (Oxford Languages, n.d.) Inspiration cannot be measured or quantified: inspiration is an inside job, starting with your mindset.

In today’s world, most people often consider that which can be measured being more important or more valuable. But without inspiration, there’s nothing to measure because we produce nothing. Inspiration is what creates, and all that is measured, springs from this nebulous concept.

 

There are three parts to inspiration, according to psychologists Todd Thrash and Andrew Elliot (2003):

  1. Evocation. Inspiration is created spontaneously and without intent. The word inspiration means “divine breath.” Inspiration is not a part of our baser, more primal brains; it serves no purpose for basic survival.
  2.  Transcendence. This part comes in moments of clarity and with the awareness of new possibilities. Inspiration is indeed the mark of higher consciousness in us. Inspiration comes from a place of beauty and clarity.
  3. Approach It’s a fancy way of saying that the person with the inspiration seeks to communicate that vision. Either by talking about it, creating the vision in real life or letting others share in the vision.

People who are inspired have some common traits. For one thing, they are more open to new experiences. That almost always comes before the inspiration hits, indicating a certain willingness to be open to inspiration as a precedent to experiencing it.

It’s important to note that inspired people were neither more nor less conscientious than any others. Meaning that inspiration wasn’t something that they could command or “will” to happen.

The other thing inspired people have in common is a strong desire to master what they do. However, they are also not competitive. Remember that inspiration is transcendent, and competition is a survival instinct. That indicates that trying to beat out or one-up someone is not conducive to inspiration.

There are other critical factors in people who are often inspired.

  1. A confidence in their abilities. Even though they may not be experts in everything, they are comfortable with their specialtie
  2. Self-esteem. Inspired people have the confidence not to doubt themselves, indicating that they are able not to sabotage themselves.
  3. Optimism. It’s difficult to be inspired if you’re stuck in a negative state. People with optimism are more open and more prone to inspiration. Inspiration is not just a flash of vision; it’s a motivation that births creativity and motivation. People who get inspired are usually the ones more eager to jump into a project or expand their business. They have the ability to see inspiration in many avenues, such as art, music, and people.

Inspiration can be found all around – you just have to look for it; pay attention to your surroundings to get inspired; it may be like the ‘lightbulb’ to go off, or the ‘aha moment’ – capture those and use them to move forward in all areas of your life.

 

Inspiration and motivation may come from others, but true inspiration comes from within. (Catherine Pulsifer)

If you’re wanting to do and be more in your life, we can inspire you to get where you want to go. Reach out to learn more.

 

 

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7 Ways to Turn Worry into Excitement about Getting Things Done

Everybody worries sometimes. Right now, you’ve probably even got a few worries on your mind: you might be thinking about a relationship or a situation at work that you’re struggling with; maybe you’re worried about your health or whether or not you’re going to have enough money to pay the bills at the end of the month; or you might be worried about the future for you and your family or the state of the world today.

Whatever the case, worry happens whether we intend for it to or not. This becomes a problem, though, when worry starts to take over your life, as it can creep up on your without realizing.

So, what is the goal? Is stopping worrying enough to put you on an even keel, or are you hoping for something…more? What if, instead of worrying, you could become excited, then use this excitement to get more done?

Let’s look at seven ways to achieve this:

Be Here Now

Worry has a way of trapping you anywhere but here. Either you’re worried about something which happened long ago, or you’re caught up in fretting about something still to come.  Neither is going to get you anywhere. To stop worrying, you need to focus on the present. What interests you right now? What do you have control of today, versus tomorrow?

Realize This Gets You Nowhere Fast

Worrying stops you cold. In fact, most procrastination is caused by worrying. With this in mind, why are you wasting your time and energy on worrying? Sometimes just recognizing what a waste worry is, will be enough to derail it altogether. Especially when you have better places to be.

Throw Yourself into Something Interesting

Worry needs your attention to survive. Get busy doing something engaging to your mind, and you’ll find you forget all about worrying. Focus on a project, reading a book or a hobby, or being with friends.

Rewrite the Script

If you’re seeing everything blow up around you, maybe you should try focusing on the perceived disaster. Ask yourself how you could do things to handle the situation were it to happen. Once you have it, practice the scenario in your mind and picture yourself handling matters – always be solution-focused.

Practice

Worried about something you need to do later? Having a dress rehearsal in your head will make things go smoother and keep worry at bay entirely. Often, imploding a bad situation will stop the fears that surround it.

Ask

Challenge your worry. Dig in and get to the roots until you understand your worry intimately. Ask yourself where the negativity came from. Peel back the layers until you get down into the heart of the matter. Try the ‘what if’s’ of the situation so you can look at solutions and challenge thoughts around it. Worry really starts in our head.

Try a New Path

In the end, worry can become very attached to the familiar. It can feel ‘comfortable’ so, when you want to move out of this space, your fight-or-flight will go off, leading to more worry. Challenge yourself; find a different way to do things explore where this new path takes you.

Coaching Tip:

The main point in all of these is to enjoy the journey. This is where you find the excitement and enthusiasm, which leads to getting things done. The rest is all momentum and a whole lot of brand-new accomplishments just waiting to happen. Change takes time so be easy on yourself but be consistent in your efforts so you can deal with any worries you will face.

 

“Worry is like a rocking chair: It gives you something to do but it never gets you anywhere.”  (Erma Bombeck)

 

 

 

If you’re feeling worries, anxious, or overwhelmed by life circumstances, you don’t have to suffer or go it alone. Reach out for help to get started living a freer and calmer life.

 

 

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Learning the Emotional Impacts Of Stress

A new pandemic is unleashing, and with a vengeance – increased stress and emotional problems in the workplace. Or, should I say, from the workplace.

 

Everyday, there are new stories arising that relate to the negative impact that stress is having on workers, which is not industry-specific (although some industries seem to be suffering more, such as healthcare).  According to the American Institute of Stress, 80% of workers are experiencing on-the-job stress, some more severely than others.

 

Stress impacts every aspect of our lives, from physical health to emotional health. More than anything, stress negatively impacts our emotional health. It can cause you to be depressed, emotionally spent and exhausted, and a whole slew of other negative things.

 

In this article, we’re going to help you identify the emotional impact of your stress and what you can do about it.

 

Personality changes that may be caused by stress

The first way for you to identify if your stress is impacting your emotional health is by observing a few personality changes. It’s important to note that by personality changes, we mean long-term. Everyone experiences mood shifts, good days and bad days, etc. We’re talking about noticing these personality changes taking effect for days and weeks at a time, or longer.

 

The following are noticeable personality changes that could be caused by stress:

 

  • Irritability
  • Anger
  • Frustration
  • Hostility
  • Decreased interest in appearance
  • Aggressive feelings or behavior
  • Depression
  • Decreased concern in punctuality
  • Lack of motivation
  • The Reduced work efficiency or productivity
  • Obsessive/compulsive behaviors
  • Excessive auspiciousness or defensiveness
  • Lying or making excuses to cover up poor work or behavior
  • Communication difficulties
  • Isolation
  • Social withdraw
  • Impulsivity

 

If you notice any of the following changes taking hold on your life and emotional health, try to limit your stress and maybe seek additional help.

 

Anxiety disorders

Stress can cause certain anxiety disorders to creep up, come back, or flare up. Stress and anxiety are bed mates and rarely exist without each other. If you’re overworked and over-stressed and do nothing about it, anxiety can start to take hold.

 

If you notice that most everything causes you to feel anxious or even to panic, this could be a problem for you. If you’re unfamiliar with the feelings of anxiety, here are some common signs of panic:

 

  • Heart racing
  • Tightness in the chest making it difficult to breath
  • Stomach pain or feelings of butterflies in the stomach
  • Acid reflux
  • Shaking
  • Flushed
  • Hot flashes or chills
  • Numbness in your hands or other parts of the body
  • Feeling dizzy or light-headed

 

It’s important to note that anxiety and panic affect everyone differently. Each person has a different tell for their anxiety attacks; the best advice we can give you is to pay attention and note your signs.

 

Depression

Stress can also impact your emotional health by causing or worsening depression. It’s very important to address depression if it’s starting to take hold in your life, as it can worsen very quickly with little to no warning. If you’ve noticed any of the following symptoms creep up and not seem to go away, consider talking to a friend, loved one, or mental health professional for assistance:

 

  • Decreased interest in favorite things or activities
  • Social withdraw or isolation
  • Decreased interest in appearance
  • Interest in doing little other than laying around
  • Decreased interest in hygiene
  • Fatigue
  • Sense of hopelessness

 

What to do about it

If you’ve noticed that stress is impacting your emotional health, there are a few things you can do to help it:

 

Eliminate unnecessary stressors

Are you taking on more responsibilities than you need to? Do you stress about little things that you should probably just let go? Sit down and take a hard look at your life and what’s causing you stress. See what you can eliminate or work on not taking so hard or letting go of.

 

Keep to a schedule

Sometimes, what’s stressing us out the most is a lack of control. Scheduling your time and sticking to it can help to eliminate some of that excess stress that’s impacting your emotional health. Making lists each day will help you to keep focused on your tasks – you won’t have to think or worry about what to do – and helps with managing your time.

 

Take time for you

We’re all busy, but it’s important for us to work in some time for ourselves. Self-care is an important part of our emotional and mental health. If you’re having trouble with too much stress in your life, carving some time out for yourself may be just what you need to revive yourself and feel rejuvenated.

 

The most important step is to be aware of when you first start experiencing any of the symptoms listed, and not wait, as this will only lead to problems down the road. It is much easier to cope with them at the start, not waiting until they spiral out of control. Keep a journal or mood chart to capture these, including the time of day, what you were doing, etc. This will help you to be more aware and take control of your emotional health at all times.

 

 

 

If you, ore your team, wants to learn more about how to manage emotional wellness in the workplace, reach out for info on our programs and trainings. Awareness is key. We do work with individuals, both in-person and remote.

 

 

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