Showing posts with label stress reduction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stress reduction. Show all posts
Monday, 8 January 2018
Saturday, 23 December 2017
Smart Work Precedes Hard Work
Smart Work Precedes Hard Work: Top 5 Tips for Increasing Efficiency
A famous proverb says, "Industry is the key to
success." However, working very hard, but without effective smartness, can
move success even further. Sister Mary Lauretta says, "To be successful,
the first thing to do is fall in love with your work." By falling in love,
you started feeling passionate and aroused towards your work, and thus you
start making effective plans for better results. Therefore, the ability of
planning, organizing and executing tasks smartly is a prerequisite for success.
Following are top 5 tips for increasing efficiency in your work and getting
closer to success:
1. Never multitask:
Though people usually refer to multitasking a lot, no such
thing exists in reality. According to Devora Zack, multitasking is an illusion,
as the human brain cannot be at two different places at the same time. So, what
people refer to as "multitasking" is actually switching between
tasks, while not completing any of them perfectly. Yes, sometimes we grow
muscle memories, and those allow us to do two tasks at the same time, e.g.,
eating and watching TV. However, these are not really "multitasking,"
as we cannot divide our concentration equally among two tasks. We either need
to focus on eating, while almost forgetting what we're watching; or we need to
focus on watching TV, while accidentally eating a chili instead of a bean.
Therefore, you should instead focus on one single task at once and do not move
to another work until the job is finished. To get help with this, follow tip #
2.
2. Let Zeigarnik Effect Help you:
Zeigarnik effect refers to the theory which claims that
people remember tasks that are left incomplete, instead of completed tasks.
Therefore, if you start a job, your mind will continuously remind you of
completing the work. So, instead of sitting and planning for a lot of time,
just start a task and then make plans in between; as your brain will help you
complete the task once you start it.
Let this tendency help you to work around psychological
situations like writer's block. When you can't work, just start working, the
brain will help you overcome the rest of the issues.
3. Sleep in Cycles:
It is mandatory to be in perfect awareness of your mind
during your work; and without sleeping perfectly, it is impossible to do so.
Researchers claim that our body sleeps in 90 minutes' cycles on an average. Try
to wake up after a complete 90 minutes' cycle. This will make sure a refreshing
condition of your mind and body every morning. So, instead of sleeping for 7
hours, sleep for 6 hours or 7 and a half; whichever is more suitable for you.
However, the cycle varies a bit from person to person. So, find your sleeping
cycle and try not to wake up in the middle of a cycle. There are several apps
for helping you to find out your own sleep cycle.
4. Use Every Morning Most Efficiently:
Surveys and researches debate that human body is generally
at the peak of its performance during the first few hours at work, as our body
remains most energetic and enthusiastic in the morning. So, try to complete
most crucial day tasks in the first couple of hours of your day. If there are
different types of tasks that you have to do regularly, schedule the hardest or
the most critical tasks for the morning. Though many companies schedule
meetings in the mornings, try to avoid the practice. Morning is for being most
productive, not for lengthy discussions. Never spend early morning hours in
checking emails (unless that's the most important task for your job), checking
out Facebook or Twitter pages, replying to messengers, etc.
unproductive/less-productive tasks.
5. Never Miss Your Breakfast:
Though we popularly tend to miss our breakfast mostly and
eat a lot during our lunch, it is a very harmful practice, according to
experts. Even if you're getting late for office or an important meeting, do not
miss your breakfast. Breakfasts make sure that you can work perfectly in the
first few hours, and get the best out of yourself for your most productive
works.
Therefore, though it is emphasized that you should
"work hard in silence and let your success be the noise" for you, you
should be following smart work techniques for becoming successful.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9823527
Thursday, 14 December 2017
Wednesday, 6 December 2017
Reading is to the Mind What Exercise is to the Body
10 Benefits of Reading: Why You Should Read Every Day
When was the last time you read a book, or a substantial
magazine article? Do your daily reading habits center around tweets, Facebook
updates, or the directions on your instant oatmeal packet? If you're one of
countless people who don't make a habit of reading regularly, you might be
missing out: reading has a significant number of benefits, and just a few
benefits of reading are listed below.
1. Mental Stimulation
Studies have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow
the progress of (or possibly even prevent) Alzheimer's and Dementia, since
keeping your brain active and engaged prevents it from losing power. Just like
any other muscle in the body, the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and
healthy, so the phrase "use it or lose it" is particularly apt when
it comes to your mind. Doing puzzles and playing games such as chess have also
been found to be helpful with cognitive stimulation.
2. Stress Reduction
No matter how much stress you have at work, in your personal
relationships, or countless other issues faced in daily life, it all just slips
away when you lose yourself in a great story. A well-written novel can
transport you to other realms, while an engaging article will distract you and
keep you in the present moment, letting tensions drain away and allowing you to
relax.
3. Knowledge
Everything you read fills your head with new bits of
information, and you never know when it might come in handy. The more knowledge
you have, the better-equipped you are to tackle any challenge you'll ever face.
Additionally, here's a bit of food for thought: should you
ever find yourself in dire circumstances, remember that although you might lose
everything else—your job, your possessions, your money, even your
health—knowledge can never be taken from you.
4. Vocabulary Expansion
This goes with the above topic: the more you read, the more
words you gain exposure to, and they'll inevitably make their way into your
everyday vocabulary. Being articulate and well-spoken is of great help in
any profession, and knowing that you can speak to higher-ups with
self-confidence can be an enormous boost to your self-esteem. It could even aid
in your career, as those who are well-read, well-spoken, and knowledgeable on a
variety of topics tend to get promotions more quickly (and more often) than
those with smaller vocabularies and lack of awareness of literature, scientific
breakthroughs, and global events.
Reading books is also vital for learning new languages, as
non-native speakers gain exposure to words used in context, which will
ameliorate their own speaking and writing fluency.
5. Memory Improvement
When you read a book, you have to remember an assortment of
characters, their backgrounds, ambitions, history, and nuances, as well as the
various arcs and sub-plots that weave their way through every story. That's a
fair bit to remember, but brains are marvellous things and can remember these
things with relative ease. Amazingly enough, every new memory you create forges
new synapses (brain pathways)and strengthens existing ones, which assists in
short-term memory recall as well as stabilizing moods. How cool is that?
6. Stronger Analytical Thinking Skills
Have you ever read an amazing mystery novel, and solved the
mystery yourself before finishing the book? If so, you were able to put
critical and analytical thinking to work by taking note of all the details
provided and sorting them out to determine "whodunnit".
That same ability to analyze details also comes in handy
when it comes to critiquing the plot; determining whether it was a well-written
piece, if the characters were properly developed, if the storyline ran
smoothly, etc. Should you ever have an opportunity to discuss the book with
others, you'll be able to state your opinions clearly, as you've taken the time
to really consider all the aspects involved.
7. Improved Focus and Concentration
In our internet-crazed world, attention is drawn in a
million different directions at once as we multi-task through every day. In a
single 5-minute span, the average person will divide their time between working
on a task, checking email, chatting with a couple of people (via gchat, skype,
etc.), keeping an eye on twitter, monitoring their smartphone, and interacting
with co-workers. This type of ADD-like behaviour causes stress levels to rise,
and lowers our productivity.
When you read a book, all of your attention is focused on
the story—the rest of the world just falls away, and you can immerse yourself
in every fine detail you're absorbing. Try reading for 15-20 minutes before
work (i.e. on your morning commute, if you take public transit), and you'll be
surprised at how much more focused you are once you get to the office.
8. Better Writing Skills
This goes hand-in-hand with the expansion of your
vocabulary: exposure to published, well-written work has a noted effect on
one's own writing, as observing the cadence, fluidity, and writing styles of
other authors will invariably influence your own work. In the same way that
musicians influence one another, and painters use techniques established by
previous masters, so do writers learn how to craft prose by reading the works
of others.
9. Tranquility
In addition to the relaxation that accompanies reading a
good book, it's possible that the subject you read about can bring about
immense inner peace and tranquility. Reading spiritual texts can lower blood
pressure and bring about an immense sense of calm, while reading self-help
books has been shown to help people suffering from certain mood disorders and
mild mental illnesses.
10. Free Entertainment
Though many of us like to buy books so we can annotate them
and dog-ear pages for future reference, they can be quite pricey. For
low-budget entertainment, you can visit your local library and bask in the
glory of the countless tomes available there for free. Libraries have books on
every subject imaginable, and since they rotate their stock and constantly get
new books, you'll never run out of reading materials.
If you happen to live in an area that doesn't have a local
library, or if you're mobility-impaired and can't get to one easily, most libraries
have their books available in PDF or ePub format so you can read them on your
e-reader, iPad, or your computer screen. There are also many sources online
where you can download free e-books, so go hunting for something new to read!
There's a reading genre for every literate person on the
planet, and whether your tastes lie in classical literature, poetry, fashion
magazines, biographies, religious texts, young adult books, self-help guides,
street lit, or romance novels, there's something out there to capture your
curiosity and imagination. Step away from your computer for a little while,
crack open a book, and replenish your soul for a little while.
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