Why Uncluttering Your Space Will Declutter Your Mind

Environmental Exposure is one of the most powerful influence tactics.

If you want to be wealthy and successful, surround yourself with millionaires, high achievers and A-players.

If you want a better body, surround yourself with fitness buddies and health geeks.

If you want more motivation and drive, surround yourself with like-minded warriors who raise your standards.

However, if you want to be more productive, you need to de-clutter your surroundings so that you are not constantly overwhelmed by unnecessary or disempowering subliminal messages that prime you into failures.

Here's the thing, an uncluttered physical space will also un-clutter your mental well-being.

When you open your mind, your thoughts and ideas will flow more smoothly. That's why keeping your environment clutter free will lead you to be more productive.

It's not easy for most people to un-clutter their lives though.

We have been conditioned by Hollywood fantasies, TV commercials, celebrity ideologies that we need to buy this gadget and buy that stuff in order to "be happy".

We have been unethically trained for so long that we now develop psychological blocks about throwing unnecessary things away or getting rid of junks.

This possession pandemic becomes so prevalent that some people can't live without stuffing their homes with more "trashes".

Of course, theses hoarders probably need to seek some therapy to help them through it. But for most people, this is extreme and unnecessary.

Whatever it takes to keep your environment clutter-free, it will be worth it.

When was the last time you were looking for a physical document, either on your desk or in a filing cabinet?

If you weren't able to easily find it, this already means your environment is cluttered.

When you don't create a system that helps you quickly retrieve items, you are going to spend unnecessary time looking for them and this drastically kills your productivity.

It's not just physical documents that get cluttered. Your digital documents in your computer may not have any rhyme or reason as to where they are stored.

This can be as distracting as looking for physical files because nowadays we tend to deal more with digital documents. It will build more stress in your mind especially when it takes ages to retrieve your urgent and important docs.

While there is a plethora of apps or software that can help you keep your digital filing in order, Evernote is a great program for you to organize electronic documents.

When you make a conscious effort to de-clutter your environment, you will also reduce your stress levels so you get things done much faster.

Time is more valuable than money and money is just a freedom paper.

It's time to clean up your environment, get rid of the non-essentials that are robbing your energy and attention, and start living an uncluttered life filled with love, joy and true abundance.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Uncluttering-Your-Space-Will-Declutter-Your-Mind&id=9522477

Love Yourself and the World Will Love You Back (By Joseph Dabon)

                  

I love... ME!

That may sound funny or narcissistic. But I am serious. I love ME and so must you.

That is not bluster. I do love myself so I take care of my physical and mental well-being. I get enough sleep at night, exercise regularly and keep close watch of my weight.

I don't follow a strict diet, though, but I practice moderation. My diet is typically Asian, sparse on meat, plenty of vegetables and fruits.

I give my mental muscles a daily workout equivalent to an hour of pumping irons in the gym.

Despite the above, not is everything is cozy between I and me. There are days when the spirit is willing but the body is weak. I am sure you experience the same episodes, too.

It is called psychological incompatibility.

Psychological incompatibility and self-love:

What no one tells you about is that psychological incompatibility is not only among couples. It can be experienced by live-alone seniors, too.

In fact, seniors are more prone to it because of loneliness, financial insecurity and medical problems - the three most common concerns of the elderly.

Any of them can stress self-love. They can make you irritable, tense of stress out.

They can make you despondent, discouraged, disappointed, and disgusted with yourself.

Financial insecurity, for example, limits your choices to what you can afford. It limits your socialization, your choice of food, entertainment and many other things you would have wanted to enjoy but couldn't.

These age-related issues make self-love doubtful, if not impossible to achieve. They render you helpless and incapable of making the right decisions, of doing something fruitful and enjoyable; they keep you from enjoying your retirement.

Another stumbling block to self-love is loneliness. For a live-alone senior, it is my constant companion. It consumes you, makes you feel lazy and without purpose.

Loneliness, if unchecked, can cause serious medical problems like melancholia, depression, and dementia. It can even make you entertain thought of suicide.

Self-love is not optional:

Love is the overarching purpose of life - of self and others. Loving others is impossible without loving self. Too much love of self creates self-centeredness which is as bad as not loving self.

Louise Hay, an American motivational speaker and author posited the idea of self-laugh by saying,

"When people start to love themselves more each day, it's amazing how their lives get better. They feel better. They get the jobs they want. They have the money they need. Their relationships either improve, or the negative ones dissolve and new ones begin."

Loving yourself requires careful evaluation of your core beliefs and values; of knowing who and what you are. It also requires the willingness to change for the better.

Doing that is easy through these simple steps...

1. Accept yourself unconditionally:

Some people profess to love themselves only after having achieved an imagined goal, i.e. health, wealth, good looks, marry the woman of his dreams or build his dream house.

It won't work because they may not happen or something comes in the way that alters the course of events of your life.

Accepting yourself outright removes its conditionality. It lifts a heavy load off your chest; makes you more optimistic about everything around you.

It gives you a clearer idea of where you are and where you want to go and a better understanding and acceptance of the difficulties up ahead.

You become self-aware and appreciate your values as a person.

2. Take the journey alone:

You are responsible for the choices you make, no one else. If you screw up don't blame others for the mess you are in.

More often than not, we blame so many things for our misfortunes, i.e., our up-bringing, our circumstances, the people around us, our looks and many other things. We even blame the stars we were born under.

Not owning up mistakes will just make you miserable, bitter and pessimistic. It will stop you from giving it another go for fear of failing again.

Nobody ever succeeded the first time around. Everybody has experienced the bitter taste of failure and defeat.

Those who love themselves just brushed off their butts each time they fell, got up and continued the race. They believe they can take anything life throws at them and win. And they do.

Those who don't are the losers and will continue to lose until they come to grips with the ugly reality that their misfortunes are their own doing.

3. Start loving yourself now:

"You may delay, but time will not, and lost time will never be found again." - Benjamin Franklin

If you want to start loving yourself, start now, not tomorrow, next day or next week.

Time waits for no man and you could never imagine your lost opportunities by not taking yourself seriously now.

Starting now, make this your mantra, "I love... Me."

As crazy as it seems you could never make anything with your life if you don't. Conversely, the world is your limit if you do.

Self-love is a choice by default. Meaning, you could never have it any other way if you want to live a happy, healthy and successful life.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Love-Yourself-and-the-World-Will-Love-You-Back&id=9732948

Finding Meaning in Everyday Life

Clients come to my office for a number of reasons. For example, when they're feeling depressed, when they're feeling anxious, and when they are experiencing conflict in their relationships, but also when they've become bored with their lives.

For these people, meaning and engagement in life seemed to have disappeared without conscious awareness, and not all of a sudden. Instead, it seemed to filter out slowly and they just woke up one day and experienced an emptiness that wasn't previously there.

The sort of passion, energy, and curiosity they once had about life had slipped away, and in the absence of it, they felt lost, unmotivated, and not at all certain about how to get it back.

Sound like you?

So when I'm faced with clients who live a 'ho hum' existence that offers them little opportunity to stretch their wings so they can discover who they are, and what they're capable of, some of the questions I usually ask is what, in years gone by, were they curious about?

What made them laugh?

What caused them to experience excitement and challenge in their life?

Was there a time when they couldn't wait to get out of bed so they could engage in whatever made them feel truly alive?

And if so, what were they doing at the time that caused them to feel that way?

In other words, what elements existed then that no longer do? What made their view of life change, such that they no longer experience it in the same way?

Part of the problem, I've come to believe, is that people who search for meaning in their lives often bypass the simpler, and more every day, experiences that usually make up the larger meaning of one's life.

In other words, rather than searching for the one and only thing that will help them understand why they were put on this earth, or a hunt down a singular way to make an everlasting and profound difference to the larger society, we sometimes forget to seek out answers to life's meaning that might be discovered down several different avenues closer to home.

For example, learning a new language, or taking up one that had been started at one time and later dropped; becoming a volunteer in an organization that holds personal meaning for whatever reason; adopting a new kitten or puppy; taking a university or college course; beginning a new fitness program that involves others with similar interests; consider changing jobs, or even professions; or reacquainting oneself with friendships that perhaps had slipped away over time.

These are only a few ideas, but it's important to remember that we can find multiple meanings in our lives. I previously mentioned, there isn't just one justification for our existence; there are an unlimited number of ways to experience engagement in one's life, and ways that might not stay the same over time.

In fact, what was meaningful to us at one point in life, may no longer seem as compelling now.

I believe that as we change, and even as we age, our definition of what's meaningful changes with us. So if we lose the 'thread' of what it used to be, we need to rediscover how we might define it today.

And if you're bored to death with your life, don't fret. Know that the boredom you're experiencing is a vital tool for pushing you out of the places where life has become routine and stale, and toward a direction of internal and external revitalization.

On my fridge, I have a reminder of one of the necessary ingredients of my emotional and mental well-being, and it's played a huge part in my life for well over three decades.

The quote simply states that: "[t]he greatest happiness is curiosity", and I know it to be true; the lack of curiosity often leads to a dull, unchallenging, and boring life for many of us, and if it's not addressed, depression can often follow closely behind.

And when we get to that point, it becomes tremendously difficult to break out of the inertness that has slowly swallowed us, but break out of it we must or life will seem increasingly meaningless.

So take some time to discover what you may find curious now - listening to a TED Talk once a day might help - and you gain a curiosity about things you may never have considered interesting before.

The idea is to stretch yourself to look at life from different perspectives - especially if you've lost your own - and in the end, you'll likely trigger a spark of curiosity and interest that results in fostering far greater meaning for your life on a daily basis.

What can you start doing today to get out of your feeling of boredom?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Finding-Meaning-in-Everyday-Life&id=9431590

Five Simple Rituals to Start Your Day Mindfully

"Make each day your masterpiece." John Wooden

I used to begin my day by pressing the snooze button about four times, scrolling through Instagram and email for a few minutes, dragging myself to the shower, smearing some makeup on my face and running out the door without breakfast. While it might have gotten me out the door in a timely manner, it did nothing for my mental well-being!

Recently I started to begin my day in a more mindful way. I've noticed that when I take time to center myself in the morning, that calm energy reverberates throughout the rest of my day. Morning self-care practices help us stay more calm, centered and focused. In turn, this helps us to be more efficient, effective and creative. Commit to at least one of the below rituals for thirty days and see if your mornings aren't completely transformed.

Below are 5 simple self-care rituals that you can easily integrate into your morning routine:

1. Intention Setting. Before I get out of bed or check my phone in the morning, I like to set an intention. "Intention setting" is different from goal setting. An intention is an expression of our soul's desire for that day. It could be something like: "Allow me to accept what life brings to me with equanimity and grace," "Allow me to make the time to be creative today" or "Provide me the space to take life less seriously today."

2. Meditation. I've found nothing more effective to start my day off on a positive note than the practice of meditation. Meditation also has a cumulative effect: the more often you practice, the greater the results. A daily meditation practice has helped me cultivate inner-peace and has given me more access to my creativity.

3. Gratitude. A gratitude list is a great way to both start and end your day. Making the time to jot down three things that you're grateful for every morning is a quick and easy way to connect with your higher self. There is even a journal specifically formatted for writing daily gratitude lists. It's called The Five Minute Journal and I highly recommend it if you're someone who would like to start a gratitude journal but have never done so before.

4. Affirmation cards. I am a huge fan of affirmation cards. Many "self-help gurus" make them, but my favorites are Louise Hay's Power Thought Cards. Every morning, after my meditation, I like to hold these cards in my hands and ask that I be guided to pick a card that will serve me today. I then close my eyes and shuffle the cards until I feel moved to stop. I pick one out of the deck, open my eyes and read the card. One of things that I like most about these cards is that unlike Tarot Cards, all of the cards in this deck are positive and inspirational.

5. Mindful Eating. Many of us don't take the time in the morning to sit down for five to ten minutes and simply eat our breakfast. And even if we do, it's often in front of the computer or our smartphone. It's a gift to your body and mind to eat mindfully and simply focus on the action of chewing before getting caught up in the daily rat race. We place a huge value on multi-tasking in our culture, but there are enormous mental benefits to single-tasting.

While you often can't control the events in your life, you can help yourself approach your day with some self-care. If we start our day mindfully, we have a much better chance of staying centered no matter what the day brings.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Five-Simple-Rituals-to-Start-Your-Day-Mindfully&id=9462914

How To Quit Doing A Job You Hate And Move On

The alarm blares. You wake up and are groaning knowing that in a few hours you'll be spending your day in a dead-end job that you hate. You may even have a boss who makes your life impossible. Your blood pressure is through the roof. Your cholesterol is out of whack. You wrestled with sleep last night and remember your spouse nudging you awake after yet another bad dream. Essentially, your body has already started to tell you what you already know: if things don't change, you have even bigger troubles and worries ahead.

You drag yourself into the bathroom and look at yourself in the mirror as you brush your teeth. Where did your life go, you wonder? How did you get to this miserable point? And, is there anything you can do to get out of it?

I'm going to tell you something even if you don't necessarily believe it: YOU matter! If there's something inside of you that can connect with those words, then let me give you some tips for what you have to do to take the first step in a journey of a thousand miles.

• Draw a line in the sand: What makes today different than yesterday? Today is the day you tell yourself that you've had enough. It's the day where you finally draw a line in the sand and make a decision that enough is enough. You're done with the job that is slowly killing you instead of making you shine.
• But I can't quit my job today: I get it. You need to pay your bills and you need that paycheck. No one's saying to quit your job today. What I am saying is that you make the mental shift in your mind that will tell you that beginning today you will take a step each and every day toward your exit strategy from that job.
• Determine the goal: Is your goal simply to get out of your current job to another one? Or, is it that you want to develop a new business? Do you want to do what you've always loved? It doesn't matter what your circumstance is. You have to have a tough conversation with yourself and determine your goal. It may be something that will take several days or weeks to determine, but make it a point each day to research, talk to people and be clear with yourself as to what you want. You already know what you don't want - you don't want your current situation.
• Get to work: Once you've made the decision that you want to develop a new business, change careers or simply change jobs, it's time to get to work on getting it done. You don't get from A to Z without going through all of the letters in between. In other words, you have to put in the time and effort. The absolute best thing you can do is to plan at the beginning of each week what you're going to do toward your effort. Perhaps you plan to spend two hours per night working on your goal. Or, maybe you will develop a list of 10 people you will call and reach out to each of them to schedule coffees and exploratory meetings. Whatever you decide, you need to chip away at the problem.
• Making decisions will boost your mental well-being: The fact that you made the decision to move on and that you're choosing to prioritize yourself and your well-being is important. It's a big step. The more decisions and choices you make, the more in control you will feel about the situation. That is key. When you feel that you are in the drivers' seat, it will go a long way to helping you.
• Be like a duck: Finally, make another mental shift with regard to your attitude at work. If your boss is making your life miserable, remember this - your boss does not define your life. You don't live and breathe for your boss. You exist because you are alive and what matters is not your boss but your family, your friends and whatever drives you in life. Be like a duck and let whatever happens roll over you at work. Don't allow anything to affect your life ever again to the point that you feel trapped. You might not be able to control the outside forces of your life, but you certainly control how you react and think about it all.

https://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Quit-Doing-A-Job-You-Hate-And-Move-On&id=9306621

The #1 Change That Could Reduce Anxiety (That Almost No One Tries)

"I had so much anxiety this weekend," a client will share with me during a Monday session. "I had been feeling so good for the past couple of weeks, but this weekend I seemed to have taken five giant steps backward."

"Tell me about your weekend," I say.

"Well, my boyfriend and I went out with some friends on Friday night and I had a couple of drinks. Then we went to a wedding on Saturday and drank a bit too much. I woke up Sunday morning feeling pretty crappy. And I spent the rest of Sunday with the familiar pit of anxiety in my stomach. All of my familiar mental obsessions and ruminations came barreling into my brain: What if I don't love my boyfriend enough? What if I'm gay? You know how it goes."

"Yes, I do. Any idea what triggered it?" I'll ask, although I already know the answer.

"Probably the alcohol."

"Yes, probably."

It's astonishing to me how many times I've had this conversation with countless clients. And the solution seems simple: if alcohol is scientifically known to stir up anxiety, then eliminating or significantly reducing its consumption would reduce anxiety. Yet when I offer this suggestion, I'm often met with resistance.

It's not like when I suggest reducing or eliminating sugar, gluten, or grains, all of which are also known to contribute to anxiety and depression for some people. Those aren't easy to eliminate, but they don't occupy the same social status in our culture that alcohol does.

We live in an alcohol-addicted culture. Alcohol is used as a social lubricant, and has become such a crutch for most people to feel comfortable socially that they would feel lost without it. The paradox is that while alcohol serves as a social lubricant and works in the moment to stave off anxiety, the aftermath of alcohol consumption, especially for highly sensitive people, is an anxiety hangover the next day, and often for several days.

Is it worth it? Is it worth it to sacrifice your mental well-being for a couple of drinks? Many of my clients share that they feel better when they eliminate alcohol completely from their lives. "I really shouldn't have one single sip," they say. Others feel fine with modified use of alcohol, meaning a half a glass of wine every few weeks. But in order to make these changes they first have to get past their resistance.

Some of the resistance has its roots in the fact that they've always struggled socially and have self-diagnosed as having "social anxiety." When I hear this self-diagnosis I'll ask the following questions: Do you struggle when you're hanging out in a small group of people or just in large gatherings? Just in large gatherings.

Do you struggle socially when you're with a group where there is a common interest and partying isn't the focus? No. What's your favorite way to socialize: with a small group, or one-on-one? One-on-one.

Then I'll offer my new "diagnosis:" You don't have social anxiety; you're a highly sensitive person!

When you know yourself and know where you thrive, you can stop trying to squeeze yourself into the culturally prescribed model for "cool" and "fun." Clients will often share with me that when they stop drinking and partying on the weekends, their friends or roommates will poke fun at them for being boring. "So what?" they respond. "I'm not bored with my life. I'm happy and I'm living without anxiety."

It requires courage to step outside the box. There can be no doubt that we live in an extroverted, drinking culture, and when you step out of that model you're stepping out of the mainstream. But in making the choice to party less or not at all, which greatly supports your decision to reduce alcohol consumption, you're making a very loving choice for yourself, one that not only honors your wiring as a highly sensitive person — and likely an introvert — but one that places your desire for an anxiety-free life above your desire to fit in.

Is it choice worth making? If you're seeking more wellness, I would think the answer is an unequivocal yes.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-15748/the-1-change-that-could-reduce-anxiety-that-almost-no-one-tries.html

8 Ways Emotionally Intelligent People Deal With Toxic People

Toxic people poison those around them, and gain satisfaction from creating disorganization and a stressful atmosphere.

Life is stressful enough for most of us. Allowing a toxic individual to ravage your immediate environment can cause havoc in your mental well-being, which can lead to physical challenges.

A bad state of mind not only affects your physical well-being but makes it difficult for you to respond calmly under pressure. Ninety percent of top performers are skilled at managing their emotions, so your ability to perform effectively can be affected if you do not adopt strategies that will allow you to deal with toxic people.

1. Successful People Establish Boundaries

There is a fine line between being friendly and allowing somebody to lead you down a path that jeopardizes your ability to remain effective. Successful people understand this and do not allow the toxic among them to take charge, but rather choose to set effective boundaries.

2. No One Limits Their Joy

How much do the words of those around you affect your state of mind? Successful people have mastered the ability to ensure that the negative remarks of others do not affect their strong sense of accomplishment. Toxic people like to break you down with rude, hurtful comments, and gain satisfaction from watching you fall apart.

Learn to react less to the opinions of others, especially those you know do not have your well-being at heart.

3. They Have Mastered the Art of Rising Above

I learned this from John Rampton from Due when he was on stage at TC Disrupt. “By mastering the act of rising above, successful people are able to remain rational and calm in the presence of the irrational and chaotic. They master rising above the rest, no matter what the circumstance,” Rampton said.

4. They Are Solution Focused

Do you spend more time focused on the negative person and how they affect your life than on achieving your goals? If so, then you have a problem. Instead of focusing on the negative, focus on your goals.

5. They Understand the Importance of Support

Reach out to your mentors, chances are, they have experienced what you are going through. There is a good chance that co-workers, team members, even family and friends have useful tips to help you get by. The emotionally intelligent understand how to tap into their resources to get through the challenges of working with toxic people.

6. They Are Aware

Self-awareness is important, because it involves knowing what it takes to push your buttons in order to prevent it from happening. Lack of emotional control is a great way to empower the toxic people in your life.

7. Forget-Me-Not 

Being forgiving comes with being emotionally intelligent. It allows you to remain unburdened by the mistakes of others and to have peace of mind. But being forgiving does not mean forgetting whom you can and cannot trust. It just means you stop wasting mental energy on those you cannot trust.

8. They Store Their Energy for Better Opportunities

As I have mentioned several times, the toxic thrive on chaos, and will do anything to have the ability to take you down to their level. Learning to understand your limits will help you to stay away from dangerous situations. Choose your battles wisely, and conserve your energy for bigger and better things.

Final Thoughts

Those we look up to as being the "bigger person" or as being able to conduct themselves in the most challenging of situations do not have a magic solution in their back pockets, but they have worked hard to become emotionally intelligent people. What are some of the challenges you have experienced with toxic people?

http://www.inc.com/drew-hendricks/8-ways-emotionally-intelligent-people-deal-with-toxic-people.html