https://ezinearticles.com/?Overthinking-Can-Be-The-Demise-of-Your-Productivity&id=10179994
Overthinking Can Be The Demise of Your Productivity
https://ezinearticles.com/?Overthinking-Can-Be-The-Demise-of-Your-Productivity&id=10179994
How Chronic Stress Impacts Productivity
https://ezinearticles.com/?How-Chronic-Stress-Impacts-Productivity&id=9718581
Boredom and Impatience Are Trying to Tell You Something
We live in a culture that beckons us to constant productivity, consumption, and stimulation. In the face of this momentum, the idea of taking time away from work, shopping, or entertainment seems like a total waste of time. This shows up very clearly if we try to do something like meditate. It's common to quickly get bored, restless, or impatient with what might seems to be "doing nothing." What's the point of this? What am I getting out of it? I could be doing something productive!
Yet what if boredom, restlessness, and impatience signal something deeper, something important to acknowledge and deal with? What if, instead of being prompted to rush off to more feats of economic prowess, accumulation, and stimulation, we use these feelings as indicators to dive deeper?
What if boredom, restlessness, and impatience arise when we are ready to make changes, especially inner changes that ask us to step beyond our current comfort zones?
Let's begin with a short story that demonstrates what might lie beneath restlessness.
Restless Legs, Restless Thoughts
This story comes from "Meditation: An In-Depth Guide" by Ian Gawler and Paul Bedson. They describe a meditation student John, who had restless legs and equally restless thoughts. (p.114, MAIG)
John was a very active guy, who loved sports and being in the gym. He had a "go get 'um" mentality and came to an 8-week meditation class ready to "master meditation." "However, he found it very difficult to even sit still; he had a nervous habit of constantly jiggling his legs up and down, a common form of restlessness. The movement of his thoughts matched his restless legs.
After two sessions John came to Paul and told him he wanted to drop out of the class, saying, 'I just can't do it-it's impossible for me to sit still!'" (p.114, MAIG)
Paul advised John to see if he could just notice the restless feelings with a gentle curiosity. Instead of seeing them as a problem, was it possible to just pay attention to them in a non-judgmental way? Could he refrain from self-criticism, from thinking he was failing at meditation, and just witness what was arising in his mind, without buying into it?
Would it be possible to be present with the thoughts "I can't do this, it's too hard" and "This is stupid and I'm not getting anywhere!" and "If only these thoughts would go away, then I could meditate!" (p.115, MAIG) without taking them seriously and without believing them?
For John, who was a proactive, take care of things, make things happen type of guy, this was a novel strategy-yet it worked! In just a few more sessions, he was able to just "sit with his feelings" and he became much more at ease with himself. As a result, he began to experience more of the inner peace he was looking for.
Sometimes that's all it takes to tame your restless mind-a little self-observation followed by a little self-acceptance-until a new state of being arises naturally. This state is hidden by the way you are looking at life and your feelings of boredom can prompt you to dig deeper to discover it. This is a good first strategy to deal with boredom and impatience in meditation and in life-recognize them, accept them, be present with them-and soon they resolve to reveal a new insight or way of being.
Yet, what about times when this strategy doesn't work? What about restlessness that cycles stronger and sucks you in deeper? This can signal a deeper defense you are ready to dismantle.
Identifying Your Deeper Defenses
When simple observation, acceptance, and presence don't free you from boredom and impatience, try to go a step farther. Your mind may be signaling you to become more conscious of a deeper defense, so you can release it to move forward to new possibilities.
Three steps can help: Label the thoughts related to your feeling of boredom and impatience, identify the beliefs behind them, and notice the consequences of this way of thinking. These three steps bring your defenses to light, dissolve their subconscious hold on your attention, and enable you to make new choices.
Step One: Label the type of thought
Thoughts can be categorized according to what they are doing. For example, you could be planning, worrying, lamenting, judging, criticizing, blaming, and so on...
In Step One, you simply name the type of thought you're having when you feel bored and impatient by giving a one-word label describing what the thought is doing.
Step Two: Identify the Belief behind the Thought
Beliefs are thoughts you invest with emotional significance. They are thoughts you strongly identify with. These are not just thoughts you think are true, they are thoughts you think are "you." At some level, consciously or subconsciously, you define "who you are" by these beliefs. Therefore, these thoughts become identified with your very existence, safety, and well-being.
Behind repetitive thoughts you can't seem to shake are deeply ingrained beliefs that originate from experiences of deep hurt. You don't want to experience those hurts again, so you learn thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that keep you from harm. These hurts and the accompanying beliefs are deeply defended in your subconscious.
For example, you might think: "If I just keep quiet and don't make waves, I'll be safe." Or, "If I don't make a big effort or commitment, I won't be disappointed." Or "If I don't express my true feelings, I won't get hurt."
Yet, these defensive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors also keep you from peace, joy, love, vitality, growth, learning, passion, and purpose you long for. They keep your body in a defensive mode that limits you from doing what you truly desire and from connecting deeply with others. That's why it's important to consciously recognize and release them.
In Step Two, you see if you can identify the defensive belief that is behind the thoughts that are cycling through your mind.
You can recognize these defensive beliefs in a couple simple ways:
-They tend to be strong judgments signaled by words such as "should, have to, ought to, can't, must."
-They tend to catastrophize, making everything seem bigger and more dangerous than it really is. They make everything feel huge and overwhelming and often come with the words "Always" or "Never."
Putting these together you get beliefs such as "You should never rock the boat," "I should always keep quiet," "You just can't show your weakness, ever!" "I'm never going to make it," "I'm never enough," and so on... Defensive beliefs aren't always phrased so strongly, but the underlying feeling about them is strong.
In Step Two, you seek the underlying belief that gives rise to the type of thinking you're mind is engaging in. You can recognize these by the strong emotional charge behind these inner statements. You can get at these beliefs by asking:
What belief am I using to protect myself, to keep myself in a safe comfort zone?
Step Three: Notice the Consequences of these Beliefs
The original purpose of defensive beliefs is to keep you safe. They keep you in a "comfort zone." Defensive beliefs have two primary consequences. They either make you "rigid," in "fight or freeze mode," or "retreat," in "flight mode." As life-long strategies, defensive beliefs are severely limiting.
Life is always asking you to learn, heal, and grow. Defensive beliefs cause you to resist growth, to guard against, to fight it-or to retreat in the face of the pressure. In other words, they put you in a state of distress. In fact, defensive beliefs make your life into a series of stressful events.
You can identify the consequences of your beliefs by asking two questions:
What is this belief accomplishing? What is it preventing?
When you consciously and clearly see the consequences of maintaining defensive beliefs, you naturally want to be free from the stress they cause. You want to be free from that suffering. You also see how they are holding you back. With those twin insights, you may naturally become more willing to investigate other possibilities.
You become more open to doing something different. When limiting beliefs have worn out their usefulness, when you are ready to grow beyond them, you feel bored and impatient.
A Two-Fold Strategy
So, when boredom and impatience arise, see if you can pay attention with curiosity and acceptance. See if you can let go of self-judgment and simply sit with these feelings. Notice if something shifts as you mindfully pay attention.
If boredom and impatience persist, investigate them more deeply using three steps:
1) Label the thoughts that accompany boredom and impatience by noticing what they are doing-planning, worrying, lamenting, criticizing, blaming...
2) Identify the beliefs underneath these thoughts.
3) Notice the consequences of thinking this way. Notice what this way of thinking is accomplishing and what it is preventing.
Are you satisfied with the way you are living?
If not, you can consciously choose to let those thoughts and beliefs go and pay attention to the deeper inspirations calling from the Core of your being. Ask yourself, "What is Life calling me to do in this moment?"
https://ezinearticles.com/?Boredom-and-Impatience-Are-Trying-to-Tell-You-Something&id=9987580
Motivation in the Workplace for Optimal Results
Nowadays, It's a constant challenge to keep others in the work environment motivated and productive. It is truly said that what drive one person can be quite different than what drives other. Some people are principally spur by the simple belief that their job is secure and the reassurance that their work won't become too hard or overwhelming. When inspiring someone like this, accept their limitations and avoid pushing them toward advancement. Assuming that their work is satisfactory however, continue to assure them of their security by maintaining consistency in their tasks, so they remain capable of sufficiently doing their jobs.
In our society compensation via salary, perks or other tangible rewards and benefits is obviously the most common form of stimulus offered; and for some employees, it's enough to motivate them maximally. Such employees or coworkers respond best to such things as raises, bonuses, time off and better benefits.
INCITEMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY
There have been multiple studies that concluded that there is a link between employee rationale and productivity. But,I'm sure that no one really needs empirical evidence to attest to the veracity of this statement. We all know that we perform better when we are highly motivated to do the task at hand!
Let us discuss how to build reason in the workplace
Below given are some points that we should follow to build motivation in the workplace.
1. Creating a great company culture.
2. Set clear and reasonable expectations
3. Provide regular and positive feedback.
4. Use the appropriated leadership style for the situation and individual you are leading at the time you are leading them.
IMPORTANCE OF INDUCEMENT IN THE WORKPLACE
As we all know, workplace fun will increases the business efficiencies, it's like having a well functioning machine. In fact, if you are having a well with your computer at work and its causing you to experience some slow down in performing your task, you would call up on IT to get that fixed and you can definitely make the argument that if the organization doesn't fix your computer they will be losing money as your rate of work would be reduced.
Well, the same is true for humans, but the lack of inspiration isn't something that is easily perceivable and thus not easily measurable! However, more and more organizations are realizing the importance of the workplace goal and are taking steps to increases the employee workplace positivity. One could wonder about the motive for doing so, but I suspect that it's more to do with increasing profits, then having an altruistic motive.
https://ezinearticles.com/?Motivation-in-the-Workplace-for-Optimal-Results&id=9979339
Creating Positive Energy Out of the Crucible of Anger
Does anger poison your productivity and fuel stress?
When you mis-hear an important message due to a simmering resentment, how long does it take you to restore healthy communication?
All too often, unprocessed anger is a sinkhole for energy and time. Even chronic irritations are mud slicks just waiting to be slipped on. But you can relate to daily setbacks without losing your footing. In fact, I invite you to convert that sludge to vibrant, positive energy.
Creating Positive Energy from Sludgy Anger
What if you reframe your anger today as a useful signal that something needs to change? And then what if you promise yourself that you will grow to meet this important challenge? Keep that promise and you stand in your power.
When you embrace "the anger challenge" to solve underlying problems, you:
Re-access energy formerly mired in resentment.
Lower stress.
Raise contentment.
To enjoy these benefits, let's explore 3 essential tools for dismantling a common anger-based time trap - Blaming others for your lack of time.
Growing Beyond the Blame Game
Maybe nobody even knows you blame others for being short on time. Even if you're doing it silently, inside, it still paralyzes your productivity. And you feel like a victim all the time. Why not try out the following options instead?
1. Proactivity:
When you think, "This person takes too much of my time!" reframe that thought to:
"I give this person too much of my time."
What does it give you to forfeit this time? How would you like to change this equation? Start small to build muscle. Owning your role in your time shortage = owning your power. For maximum power, explore your ability to "change the dance" by changing just your steps. When you don't need anyone to cooperate with you, no one stands in your way.
2. Creativity:
To reframe your mental picture of your time, adopt the following mantra:
"I alone decide how I use my time."
Granted, you can't levitate out of traffic jams or force your way past the receptionist. But with creativity, you truly do determine the quality of your time. So how do you create the quality of your time? Count on creativity as your first resort when proactive negotiations won't alter a stagnant situation. Envision your upcoming day and anticipate logjams. Start brainstorming now so you meet setbacks with ingenuity and self-possession.
3. Relativity:
Many daily annoyances that sap energy and productivity are quite workable when viewed more broadly. Try these questions, to gain additional perspective:
How important will this seem in 5 days? 5 weeks? 5 years?
How might others' perspectives inform your options?
What mindsets create instant time abundance?
If you were your guardian angel, what advice would you give?
Remember, if your day were a treasure map, you'd discover valuable time hidden under your resentments. Dig deep, strike gold and celebrate your newfound time and energy!
https://ezinearticles.com/?Creating-Positive-Energy-Out-of-the-Crucible-of-Anger&id=10092561
Why Don't You Take Your Holidays?
https://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Dont-You-Take-Your-Holidays?&id=10166581
Addressing Pain Without Feeding Addiction
The opioid addiction epidemic in the United States is claiming more lives than guns or cars. Today, fatal overdoses exceed deaths by shooting rampages and road fatalities across the country. According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM), millions suffer from chronic pain each year, leading to a skyrocketing rise in healthcare and rehabilitation costs and a steep decline in productivity. The need of the hour is to understand the nationwide chronic pain problem, and the detrimental impact of medications used to treat the condition.
Analgesics, such as codeine and morphine, and prescription drugs, like Vicodin and OxyContin, work wonders in numbing the intense pain signals by inhibiting the neuron cell receptors in the brain. But the neuron cell or opioid receptors that respond to pain signals also regulate emotional impulses, such as feelings of euphoria, urges to get high and the desire for reward. Such a correlation increases the risk of addiction.
Knowing factors that fuel opioid addiction epidemic
A habitual drug use may produce noticeable behavioral or personality changes, including irritability, restlessness and anxiety. Several factors are responsible for the rampant use of opioids among Americans, some of which are:
Easy availability of drugs: Medical practitioners and doctors prescribe a variety of addictive drugs, such as pain relievers, relaxants, antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications to patients. While they prove to be beneficial to some, there are others who do not need such drugs. They generally tend to leave unused portions in their medicine cabinet, which can be easily obtained and abused by anyone.
False notion of security: Normally, first-time drug abusers assume that anything prescribed by a registered physician is safe to use. This could lead to potential abuse, as they might not be aware of the side effects of prescription drugs.
Legitimate pain leading to addiction: Even after experiencing healing, there are many who find it tough to quit prescription painkillers as they are addicted to these drugs. There are others who need larger doses as they tend to develop tolerance to the medicine.
Tips to minimize addiction to opioids
The body of a person with drug addiction problem builds a tolerance to the increased levels of dopamine, causing long-term changes in the brain's reward system. Drug dependence can have far-reaching impacts, affecting almost every organ in the human body. But, certain self-help strategies can help combat the urge.
Identifying vulnerability levels: Before prescribing any medications to manage pain, doctors must weigh the factors that could lead to addiction, such as family history of addiction to various substances or a history of mood and personality disorders.
Considering alternative options: Those susceptible to addiction should be recommended other alternatives to manage pain, such as physical therapy, psychotherapy, acupuncture, tai chi and other non-opiate medications.
Using medications as directed: Care should be taken not to misuse medications as a coping tool for unrelated problems.
Seeking help: Addiction to medications is highly unpredictable. Advice from a specialized doctor can help eliminate any kind of addiction.
Storing medications safely: Keeping opiates away from the reach of others, including children, teenagers or adults, can help avoid their misuse.
The way forward
An addiction may interfere with an individual's ability to make decisions and can lead to frequent cravings. This is when a person needs professional help to get rid of this devastating habit and lead a normal life.
https://ezinearticles.com/?Addressing-Pain-Without-Feeding-Addiction&id=9566932
Business Smarts: Mental Exercises to Strengthen Your Brain
https://ezinearticles.com/?Business-Smarts:-Mental-Exercises-to-Strengthen-Your-Brain&id=9613416
Small Gains Help When It Comes to Sleep Deprivation

You know, the surprise is not that sleep matters, it's how much it matters and how little bits of difference can matter as well. Data shows that "A" students average 15 more minutes of sleep than "B" students, who average 15 more minutes sleep than "C "students, and so on. Every 15 minutes can count.
That is a very telling statistic illustrating the extremely significant impact of your rest on your performance.
Myth: The older you get, the fewer hours of rest you need.
Fact: Sleep experts recommend a range of seven to nine hours of sleep for the average adult. While sleep patterns change as we age, the amount we need generally does not. Older people may wake more frequently through the night and may actually get less nighttime sleep, but their need is no less than younger adults. Because they may sleep less during the night, older people tend to sleep more during the day. Naps planned as part of a regular daily routine can be useful in promoting wakefulness after the person awakens.
https://ezinearticles.com/?Small-Gains-Help-When-It-Comes-to-Sleep-Deprivation&id=9835015
Sleep Deprivation and Stress

https://ezinearticles.com/?Sleep-Deprivation-and-Stress&id=9924598
Behavior-Based Goals 101
https://ezinearticles.com/?Behavior-Based-Goals-101&id=10065083
4 Ways To "Calmify" Your Creative Space
https://ezinearticles.com/?4-Ways-To-Calmify-Your-Creative-Space&id=9488669
Space: Perception And Effect

https://ezinearticles.com/?Space:-Perception-And-Effect&id=9371103
Attitude and Peak Performance - Part 1

http://ezinearticles.com/?Attitude-and-Peak-Performance---Part-1&id=9762300
How To Achieve Productivity Without The Burnout

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zeEQTv30aVugZLmkkxE6PQTF_Mze4I7Z_155C-HXbkQ/edit
4 Useful Ways to Stay Focused
Feeling So Uptight

https://ezinearticles.com/?Feeling-So-Uptight&id=9841186
Grow Your Business With a Positive Attitude

http://ezinearticles.com/?Grow-Your-Business-With-a-Positive-Attitude&id=9413679
When You Get Good At Programming Yourself And Solving The Tough Problems (By Joshua Clayton)

https://ezinearticles.com/?When-You-Get-Good-At-Programming-Yourself-And-Solving-The-Tough-Problems&id=10168069








