 Image credit: Nathalie Spehner from Unsplash Bedtime routines, there are so many different hints and tips as well as the advice out there on how to get the best night's sleep. But what exactly do those top sleep experts really think about nighttime smartphone usage, napping, sleeping pills and other sleep-related matters? Fitbit asked several of those experts to share their thoughts...
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 The rising rate of natural disasters over the last year has forced many to confront the unavoidable signs of climate change. Just recently, scientists released a study that revealed that “rapid and ambitious” changes to our global food system can significantly decrease greenhouse gasses. Simple changes to our diet are both necessary –– and impactful.
Making small changes to what you eat can make a big difference. Even just swapping one ingredient for another can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve water. Incremental changes are the first steps to a big impact – if you’re looking for somewhere to start, try making one of these adjustments to go green with your eating habits. You can read all about how to make your diet more environmentally-friendly over at Pyure...  Image credit: Fransiskus Filbert Mangundap from Unsplash Whether it’s mental stress reactions like anxiety and panic or withdrawal and apathy, or physical stress reactions like increased heart rate and sweat levels, managing stress requires a trained sense of mindfulness. And while some stress is good, like a motivating work deadline, most stress can be taxing. Paired with the global pandemic and general uncertainties about the future, stress is ultimately unavoidable. But regardless of stress type, as Hans Selye pointed out, in order to live long, healthy lives, we need to monitor how we perceive, react to, and manage stress. Fitbit has the findings of a recent study to help keep us all at peace...
 Image credit: Philip Veater from Unsplash In the world before we knew what the term 'lockdown' even meant, we all suffered from the usual 'burnt out' moments in life. Feeling depleted during your commute became a normal thing; heading from work to a networking thing and arranging dates with three lots of mates into a single weekend are now as much relics as phones with cords and going to HMV. But burnout in lockdown, anecdotally, at least, seems to be one issue arising from the coronavirus crisis.
Runner's World has a rundown of the signs that show you're dealing with yet another lockdown!...  Judging whether a food or beverage is remotely good for you isn’t always easy. You can spot the obvious junk fare like cookies, chips, and ice cream, but everything else seems to have some sort of healthy-ish sounding claim slapped on the package (Grain-free! Natural! Heart healthy!). Unfortunately, so many of these claims are just fluff. That’s why scanning the nutrition label is essential for making smart supermarket picks — and lucky for all of us, it just got its first makeover in 27 years.
In 2020, thanks to a requirement from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), all food and non-alcoholic drink manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual sales started using a revamped nutrition facts label on their products. (Manufacturers with lower annual sales have an additional year to comply.) You can read about the changes to the new label features over at Pyure...  By now, you know the importance of breaking up with refined carbohydrates (which include added sugars) in your diet. After all, excessive consumption of refined carbs has been linked to everything from weight gain and Type 2 diabetes to heart disease and poor mental health.
So, scaling back is smart. But simply making sure you’re stocked up on nutrient-rich whole foods isn’t always enough — after all, how many times have you come home to a fully loaded kitchen after a long day and still called for takeout? That’s because, while about half of making sure you eat well is buying the right foods, the other half is preparation — and devoting a couple of hours every weekend to meal prep is the key to making healthy dietary changes stick. You can find out more about the low-sugar and low-carb Sunday meal prep guide over at Pyure...  Image credit: Eengin Akyurt from Unsplash Plenty of people are feeling the strain of the pandemic, but you can take action to protect your mental health. Even if you haven't experienced any major signs of anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic, there's every chance something is bubbling away under the surface. That's why it's wise to take steps to looks after your mental health. The NHS's Every Mind Matters campaign is designed to help on that front, providing guidance on maintaining your general mental health, as well as specific advice if you are suffering from anxiety. You can read mover over in Coach magazine...
 Image credit: Michele Blackwell from Unsplash What Does Vitamin D Actually Do?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble that is naturally present in certain foods and is also produced when ultraviolet rays from sunlight land on the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis. The body producing vitamin D in response to sun exposure is why vitamin D is nicknamed the “sunshine vitamin”. Vitamin D has many important functions in the body, including maintaining healthy bones and teeth through calcium absorption, promoting bone growth, protecting against diseases and conditions, and reducing inflammation. Vitamin D and Depression Research has connected a link between people with depression and vitamin D deficiency. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and spikes in colder months, known as seasonal affective disorder. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is not considered a separate condition, but a type of depression with a seasonal pattern. Weather affects people’s moods. Dull, cold, rainy days make us feel gloomy and unmotivated, while sunlight breaking through the clouds can lift our spirits and give us a little feeling of hope. In fact, the vitamin D receptors in our brain are in the same locations in the brain associated with depression (i.e. the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, cingulate gyrus, thalamus, hypothalamus, and substantia nigra) Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency Limited Sunlight Sunlight can be an individual’s primary source of vitamin D. During colder, darker months there is less access to the sun’s ultraviolet rays to trigger the vitamin d synthesis in the body. Diet There are actually very few foods that have high amounts of vitamin D. Without adding any of these foods into your diet there is a high chance that you are not getting proper amounts of vitamin D in your meals.
Older adults have an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency because the skin’s ability to synthesize vitamin D declines with age. Greater Amounts of Melanin Greater amounts of the pigment melanin in the skin reduces the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D from sun exposure. Obesity Obesity does not actually affect the body’s ability to produce vitamin D, but the higher levels of body mass and fat sequestered requires higher levels of vitamin D for the vitamin to work properly. Diseases/Conditions Since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, conditions that affect fat absorption also affect the production of vitamin D. For example, conditions such as liver disease, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, and Crohn’s disease all have a negative effect on vitamin D. Signs of Deficiency:
Signs of Depression:
Reach out to a doctor if you are having signs of depression. If you or anyone you know are having thoughts of suicide here are some support resources:
Solving Vitamin D DeficiencyTo treat your vitamin D deficiency the obvious answer is to increase your intake of vitamin D, but how? Ways to increase your intake are:
Helpful Tips for Combating Winter Blues If the lack of sunlight and lack of vitamin D is affecting your mental health and causing symptoms of depression, the first (and best) thing to do is always talk to a doctor and seek professional help. Outside of that, here are some self-care tips during the colder months especially that can help combat the winter blues:
All in All:Vitamin D and depression have been linked through various studies, making vitamin D essential for not only your physical health but mental health as well. Getting the proper amounts of vitamin D can be hard, especially in the colder, darker months, but making efforts to include vitamin D in your diet or through supplements will help prevent a vitamin D deficiency. The winter blues can get the best of us, but if we take care of our bodies and our minds we can make it through the gloomy days and get back to the sunshine! Remember to please seek professional advice or help if you are experiencing any symptoms of depression. This article was originally published at iveeapp.com.  When the days get shorter and temperatures get colder, many of us start to feel the effects of seasonal affective disorder. Many of us start to feel more tired and run down during the winter months, and about 5% of Americans are affected by diagnosable seasonal depression. winter blues. Dark mornings and early sunsets mean we’re getting less vitamin D and fresh air, leaving many feeling tired, low energy, hungry, or unable to sleep.
You can learn more what sugar could be doing to you over with Pyure...  How you start your morning sets the tone for the day. With that in mind, you can see how your morning routines can help you or hurt you when it comes to your health goals – whether that’s feeling energized and focused, managing blood sugar levels, keeping fit, preventing heart disease or controlling your weight. Pyure have the morning guide for you to help kickstart your day!
 Image credit: Dmitry Schemelev from Unsplash Going for a couple of strolls around the block can help you reach your step goals, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting a good workout. For walking to lead to health benefits like decreased risk of heart disease, stronger bones, weight loss, improved sleep and a mood boost, you have to do more than put one foot in front of the other. My Fitness Pal has the the guide for you...
 Image credit: Roberto Nickson from Unsplash Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body. It is vital to optimizing brain and body health and is involved in hundreds of biochemical reactions. Every cell in the body needs magnesium to function properly. It is responsible for energy creation, protein formation, gene maintenance, muscle movements, and nervous system regulation.
Why Magnesium infusions? Unfortunately, studies from the National Library of Medicine suggest that roughly 50% of people in the United States and European countries get less than the recommended daily amount of magnesium, even if they have a healthy diet. Doctors propose incorporating magnesium supplements into your diet, but studies suggest that its oral bioavailability is far less effective than infusions. To read more about the comparisons between oral bioavailability vs. injection bioavailability, click here. Common Uses of Magnesium infusions Magnesium injections have many far-reaching uses, both common and uncommon. Mainly, magnesium injections are used to treat hypomagnesemia: low levels of magnesium in your blood. Deficiency symptoms include numbness, tingling, chronic fatigue, muscle spasticity, high blood pressure, and abnormal heart rhythms. Magnesium deficiency can become serious if left untreated. Magnesium can also help treat acute asthma by improving peak expiratory flow rate: a person’s ability to exhale efficiently. Uncommon Uses of Magnesium & Magnesium Infusions Magnesium infusions can also help resolve less severe conditions. Therapeutic uses of magnesium help treat chronic migraines, anxiety, and stress. The National Library of Medicine ran a study monitoring the effects of magnesium on mild to moderate anxiety. Their findings concluded: “The effects of Mg on clinical affective disorders and experimental studies of anxiety in animal models provide a clear rationale to propose that Mg supplementation will have a beneficial effect on mild/moderate anxiety.” How Can I Incorporate Magnesium into My Routine? Look into some Magnesium-rich foods and drinks. There are a plethora of ways to incorporate more magnesium into your diet. The easiest way is by eating foods rich in the mineral. Some foods high in magnesium include:
Additionally, there are some drinks out there that are rich in magnesium. Most of these are powdered additives but are blended into drinks to make the perfect supplement. Some drink powders include: Utilize Magnesium Supplements Supplementing magnesium is also a super easy and effective way to increase your magnesium levels. The ideal dosage of magnesium varies by age. Females 14-18 years old should consume 360 mg/day, women 19-30 years of age should consume 310 mg/day, and females over 31 should consume 320 mg/day of magnesium. For males aged 14-18, the daily dosage is 410 mg/day, the dosage for men aged 19-30 is 400 mg/day, and for men 31 years and older, the dosage is set to 420 mg/day. Consider Magnesium IV Therapy Though it is the most expensive method of increasing magnesium in the body, magnesium IV therapy is a long term way to help increase levels. Intravenous magnesium treatment is more useful for those deficient in the mineral. It effectively helps treat eclampsia and preeclampsia, arrhythmia, severe asthma, and migraine. Conclusion Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body. It is responsible for over 400 metabolic reactions, including energy creation, protein formation, gene maintenance, muscle movements, and nervous system regulation. Almost half of the people in the United States and European countries are magnesium deficient. As a result, magnesium infusions are becoming more and more common. Magnesium infusions are mainly used to treat magnesium deficiency and the symptoms that accompany it. It also helps resolve chronic conditions such as acute asthma. Some less severe conditions that can be treated with magnesium include migraines, stress, and anxiety. Oral supplementation is a great and easy way to obtain more magnesium, but IV therapy is a much more effective treatment method. You can also get magnesium from foods and drink powders as well. Make sure to always consult your doctor before considering magnesium injections or magnesium infusions. This article was originally published at iveeapp.com.  Image credit: Photoholgic from Unsplash If you've started running due to keeping yourself fit during lockdown or maybe it was your New Year's resolution for 2021, you might have questions about what might be your best approach. Runner's World asks an expert to help keep you safe and away from the injuries...
 Image credit: Fitsum Admasu from Unsplash As simple as running may be, it certainly isn’t easy. Especially when you’re a beginner. ‘You have to start where you are, not where you think you should be.' Runner's World has a guide for you to help get started...
 Image credit: Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash Now is the perfect time to detox at home. All the excuses you’ve had in the past are gone: there are no business dinners, happy hours, networking events, weddings. Whatever got in the way of committing to a cleanse has been #cancelled. Why not take this time to take your vibration higher with a cleanse?
A detox can help you feel refreshed, boost your energy, and reset your body for the fall. And, luckily, detoxing at home can take many different forms. Here are some easy ways you can remove toxins from your body at home. USE OUR INFRARED SAUNA BLANKET Our HigherDOSE Infrared Sauna Blanket is the perfect way to get your blood flowing and get glowing. Our Blankets increase the body’s thermal energy and promote a temporary increase in blood flow. You’ll sweat like you’re doing some hard cardio – without all the heavy breathing. Relax in the soothing, yet stimulating heat and let the infrared take over. You’ll feel rejuvenated and calmer as a result of this heat-based cleanse. Infrared light detoxes you seven times more than traditional sweating and pulls deeply-stored toxins from your fat cells. It's the most effective detoxify tool out there, as it pulls heavy metals, environmental pollutants, and chemicals that are otherwise trapped and hard to get out from your standard detoxes. Bonus: our blankets leave you with a healthy glow and soothe sore muscles and joints. You’ll feel like a whole new person. It’s basically like having an in-home spa. SWITCH UP YOUR DIET Detox diets have been used in Native American, Indian, and even ancient Roman culture. But, today, we’re exposed to sooo many more toxins than our ancestors. There are toxins in food, air pollution, water, household cleansers, and cosmetic products. A detox diet is a great way to reset your body and support your health. There are many detox diets out there. Try one of these three types of food-based cleanses:
TRY A DIGITAL DETOX A digital detox is one where you step away from those addictive digital devices: smartphones, televisions, computers, tablets, and social media sites. It’s a good way to focus on real-life, social interactions and cutting down on distractions. Research shows that the average American adult spends around 11 hours each day listening to, watching, reading, or interacting with media. How crazy is that?! There are many health benefits to doing a digital detox: better sleep, better productivity, and healthier eating habits, just to name a few. If the thought of stepping away from social media and texting fills you with anxiety, try doing it for just an hour a day. You can build up to two hours or go a full weekend only using your phone for emergencies. DO A SPECIFIC CLEANSE A cleanse is a great way to kick up your motivation and tap into your drive. “Maybe the best thing that can be said about cleanses is they’re a good psychological tool for helping to cut back or eliminate unhealthy components of your diet, like sugar or alcohol,” said Everyday Health. With summer winding down, now is a great time to prove to yourself how strong you are in body and willpower. These cleanses are a great way to reset for the fall:
DRY-BRUSH YOUR SKIN Celebrities like Miranda Kerr and Gwenyth Paltrow love dry-brushing. It’s a great way to get glowing skin while shedding toxins! To try dry-brushing, take a brush with coarse bristles and use it against the surface of your skin to promote blood flow and get rid of dry skin. Dry brushing can leave your skin healthier and help you reduce the appearance of cellulite.“It may even stimulate lymphatic drainage, according to board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara,” reports Allure. TRY A MENTAL DETOX Last but not least, try a mental detox. Meditation and breathwork are shown to have detoxifying effects. Apps like Headspace and Calm are beloved by users who say just adding 10 minutes of meditation a day helps them feel less anxious, stressed, and depressed. GOOP also recommends trying a “feelings cleanse.” The occasional emotional decluttering can have an effect on your mind and body. “Think of your mind as you would your kitchen drawers. There’s your junk drawer. It’s irritatingly hectic in there. It’s hard to even shut with so many miscellaneous items accumulating. How much easier is it to cook and clean and get around when all the measuring spoons and spatulas are in their rightful place?” explains GOOP Wellness Check out our #HackAtHome series for more ideas to feel hot and high, even while you're at home. “This article is originally posted on HigherDOSE.com”  The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year – except if you’re trying to avoid sugar. ‘Tis the season for cookie exchanges, warm sugary drinks, and sweets everywhere you turn.
A few sweet treats in the spirit of the season never hurt anyone. But, it’s easy to overdo it on the sugar if you’re not careful. Sugar is often an ingredient in not only desserts but also in many favorite holiday recipes. Anyone looking to avoid sugar by abstaining from cookies and cakes may still struggle with the rich, seasonal recipes that are popular at family gatherings and office get-togethers. Here are some tips to help you avoid added processed sugar during this festive season. You can get the full details over with Pyure...  Image credit: Francesco Cavallini on Unsplash Being in a mental rut can harm our health, productivity, and mood. Constantly bombarding ourselves with tasks, either through procrastination or just straight-up overworking ourselves, can give way to heightened levels of stress and anxiety. So, let’s look at five ways to help boost our productivity and mood.
1. Sleep good, work better. Sleeping is a fantastic, and probably the easiest, home remedy to boost energy. Our mind and body are interconnected, so keeping one healthy ensures the other will do the same. A good start is maximizing sleep quality. Sticking to a structured sleep routine that provides our body with at least 8 hours of sleep will ensure consistent energy levels during the day. But for this to work, you must stick to a specific bedtime and wake-up time. Inconsistent sleep patterns are almost as harmful to the body as little to no sleep. 2. A healthy body is an optimized brain As mentioned above, our body and brain are interconnected. We have talked about resting our bodies, but what about fueling them? Well, certain foods that are high in vitamin B12—one of the main vitamins known for energy enhancement—can help boost energy levels, giving you the fuel needed to get through the day. Fish, meat, poultry, and other dairy products are high in B12. Incorporating this vitamin into your diet can help power both your mind and body, helping you take on whatever life throws at you. 3. Stop workin’, start walkin’? We know this may seem counterintuitive, but taking a step back from a task or assignment can actually help you get it done quicker! Exercise is not only crucial for the body; it also promotes mental well-being. And exercise doesn’t necessarily mean maxing your deadlift between paragraphs. It can be something as simple as going for a walk around the block. Just getting your body moving helps relieve stress, which can significantly inhibit productivity. Before you even start your work, early morning workouts have been said to get your mind and body prepared for the day. 4. Put down the phone Social media, texting, and phone calls ranked as the 4th biggest workplace distractions only behind bathroom breaks and talking with coworkers. We’ve all been there: a text message alert or a Twitter notification goes off, and you are instantly entranced into the endless rabbit hole that is your cell phone. There are a bunch of simple ways to prevent this from happening. For starters, keep your phone and work separate. This can go as far as keeping it in a different room, whatever prevents you from distracting yourself. Other methods, such as putting your phone on “Do Not Disturb” and “Airplane Mode,” can immensely cut down distractions without feeling disconnected. 5. Organize your workspace For many, a cluttered workspace = a cluttered mind. Having a clean workspace can work as a productivity “placebo.” You can trick yourself into working harder when your surroundings are organized. Everyone has their own gauge on what is considered to be “clean,” so do whatever you think is necessary. If it means just clearing off your desk, then go for it. And if “clean” means sanitizing all of your work materials, then do that. Just make sure not to overdo it. There is a fine line between organizing your workspace and plainly pushing off work. Find that balance. Find that productivity. Conclusion Feeling run down can have a lasting impact on our short term productivity, leaving us feeling defeated and mentally exhausted. But simple changes to the way we carry on through the day can help boost productivity and increase energy levels. Simple changes to our sleeping patterns and diet are two vital ways we can achieve this added boost in energy. Other changes such as exercise and work habits can help maximize productivity without stretching ourselves too far. These tips do not have to be followed verbatim, but should act as a guide in helping you navigate what best fits your lifestyle. This article was originally published at iveeapp.com  Image credit: Thom Masat on Unsplash Although the UK is slowly starting to move into Tier 4 lockdown, it still is party season even if at home and for most people, a large part of December is spent with a hangover. Avoid those groggy mornings and sore heads by knowing the best hangover cures. The Sun has some advice to help you avoid a groggy head!
 Image credit: congerdesign on Pixabay We’ve all faced times where no matter how hard you try, you just can’t stick to a healthy routine. Just thinking about exercise or cooking a healthy meal can be daunting, and with fast food being, well, fast, it’s not difficult to see why so many struggle to stay motivated with a healthy lifestyle. It happens to everyone, there probably isn’t one person who can say they have never had a period of time where they have had some time away from eating right and exercising as often as they should.
Finding the motivation to look after yourself doesn’t mean that you need to spend hours in the gym or spend one day a week prepping healthy meals, you can do it so much easier. Let’s have a look at some of the ways you can stay motivated below: Give Yourself A Real Reward No, this doesn’t mean eating an entire cheesecake after a run, it’s about giving yourself something that is going to help you get closer to your goals. Why not indulge in an episode or two of your favourite tv show or reading about the Association of Naturopathic Practitioners after your workout, to enable your muscles to recover? Or treat yourself to a massage after two or three weeks on track with your exercise routine. After you have eaten a healthy meal, reward yourself with some self-care such as taking a hot bath or home spa-treatment. You are trying to live a healthier lifestyle, so the best thing you can do is to stop rewarding yourself with junk food, one of the main causes of a bad diet. Exercise will slowly become a habit, and your motivation will grow as you reward yourself in a positive way. Set Yourself A Commitment Contract We can make a promise after promise to ourselves, however, research shows us that we are more likely to eat well and exercise when we make the commitment to some one else such as our family or friends. Why not set a contract with your family to state you will workout three times a week for 30 minutes and that you will cook at least one healthy meal each day so you can be healthier for them? Turn Your Workouts Social In the world of today, it is very common to see people using social media as a way to stay accountable for their progress or commitment to living a healthy lifestyle. Whether it’s sharing their weekly weigh in, showing progress pictures, showing methods of exercise, or sharing pictures of your food, sharing them on social media may be a good way to keep you on track. Always Remember The Why There is going to be a reason why you want to live a healthier lifestyle, so, remember what it is when you feel yourself slipping. Whether you’re doing because you’ve gained a little weight over Christmas or through pregnancy, or you’re trying to minimise the risks from an underlying health condition, always think back to the reasons why you are making changes. Remember changes aren’t going to happen over night, therefore, you shouldn’t expect them to. Don’t give up at the first hurdle, in fact, don’t give up at the tenth. No one said that making changes towards a healthy lifestyle was easy. Do you have any tips on how to you can stay motivated? Please share them in the comments below.  Image credit: Brook Lark on Unsplash The health benefits of a plant-based diet are, unsurprisingly, varied depending on what plants each person chooses to eat. For instance, one study compared the effects of a plant-based diet that incorporated whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes as compared to a plant-based diet that included potatoes (fries and potato chips), sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juices, and refined grains. The first group had the lowest risk for heart disease, were more active, and weighed less than the second group. You can get more information about plant-based sugar substitutes over at Pyure Brands.
 Image credit: The Workout Digest As the situation in 2020 looks to be extending into 2021, it’s high time we start considering how we’re keeping healthy in the long-term.
Just like how overexertion will deteriorate your health, so too will a lack of exercise and fitness activities. In fact, you may have heard it said that sitting is a slow but sure way of reducing your lifespan potential, and nowadays a lot of us are doing a whole lot of sitting. The Workout Digest has only guide you will need to push you into 2021!  Image credit: Ilana Lahav on Unsplash Reaching for food to calm down is an all-too-common coping mechanism, whether you’re dealing with world events, a demanding job, juggling home responsibilities or other stressors. Thirty-eight percent of adults say they’ve overeaten or reached for unhealthy foods in the past month because of stress, and of those, half do so at least once a week, according to an American Psychological Association survey. You can read more over at myfitnesspal.com
 Image credit: Kike Vega on Unsplash Wellness and stress-busting pretty much go hand in hand, so it’s fair to say we could all benefit from a bit less stress. Thankfully, there’s more than one way to make that a reality. In fact, myfitnesspal.com have counted 31 ways to reduce stress and put them together in this list...
 Image credit: Gregory Pappas on Unsplash The desire to burn fat is one of the most commonly cited health and fitness goals. There are many ways to accomplish that objective through diet and exercise. Eat the right food and stay active, and you can burn calories and fat while building lean muscle. That’s great for roughly 2/3 of the day when you’re awake, but what about that other 1/3 when you’re asleep? myfitnesspal.com has the details on this one!
 Image credit: quinntheislander on Pixabay It is often easy to conclude that you’re just a ‘scatterbrain’ type of person and even begin to feel comfortable with it. Unfortunately, this attitude does not solve the problem of why you are so often distracted. There are so many factors that may cause your constant distraction, and it would be useful to know what they are to reduce the chances of making avoidable mistakes. For example, an Allianz Germany study discovered that 60% of drivers involved in accidents admitted to some form of distraction. Are you frequently distracted from the task at hand? Here some reasons why, and possible solutions you can try.
1. Mental health issues Mental health issues can weaken your focus. Contrary to what you may have thought, depression and anxiety do more than change thought patterns. Their overarching effects extend to impact every other aspect of a person’s life. When the brain frequently perceives a threat, it becomes impossible to focus on a task. To solve this, you may require professional help to identify the actual source of your mental instability. Clinical psychologists and psychiatrists are specialized in dealing with issues of such nature. As a self-help exercise, begin a task that requires you to focus intently on it. Avoid checking your phone or doing any other thing that may require you to multitask. Over time, your brain retrains itself to stick only to what you set out to do. 2. When you work with relaxed deadlines It is erroneous to think that more hours worked means you have accomplished more. When you find yourself trying to reach a deadline, you tend to avoid entertaining distractions at all cost. On the other hand, because the human brain tends to conserve energy when possible, relaxed deadlines are significant culprits for distractions. You may find yourself attending to non-pressing tasks when you have more time on your hands. It could be a video game to pass the time or a phone call to your best friend. It would help if you developed a laser focus on everything you set out to do to avoid these distractions. Begin by setting tight deadlines for yourself and discipline yourself to stick to them. Consider using DaaS cloud-computing solutions to create a timetable, with regular reminders or a to-do checklist. Create a shorter time frame to complete your tasks as this makes them more achievable and easier to accomplish. Sometimes, it may be useful to have an accountability partner to hold you to your word. For example, if you are working with a team to complete a project, inform the team leads that your report will come days earlier before the final sign-off. With this promise, the team lead will hold you accountable for the set delivery time. 3. Lack of good sleep If you ever downplayed the benefits of good sleep, now is the time to discover its many mysteries. Lack of sleep elevates Cortisol levels in the body, which overrides your brain’s ability to function optimally. In medical studies, persons who suffer from sleep apnea have difficulty with brain focus. You may have realized the emphasis on ‘good’ sleep, and you’re about to find out why: An extended period of sleep cannot qualify as being ‘good’ when you gulped down a few glasses of wine before retiring to bed. Alcohol is a significant culprit in sleep disruptions as it prevents you from getting enough Rapid Eye Movement (REM) cycles to feel revitalized the next day. During the REM cycle, the eyes move rapidly but without sending visual signals to the brain. It is a deeper stage of sleep compared to the non-REM process. To resolve this, avoid alcohol and caffeine a few hours before your bedtime. Eight hours of sleep is ideal for an adult, regardless of gender or age. 4. You may have adult ADHD ADHD is the abbreviation of the condition- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Unfortunately, people tend to believe this is something only “hyperactive” children suffer from. However, this condition also affects adults, and due to the variations in symptoms, adult ADHD may be difficult to diagnose without clinical help. For example, whereas a child may exhibit hyperactivity, an adult would not do so because they may have a higher level of self-control. On the other hand, an adult may show signs of low concentration and inattentiveness. This is where distraction tendencies are higher than usual. That is not to say anybody who exhibits these traits regularly is a sufferer of adult ADHD. If you suspect this is your situation, seek a proper diagnosis from a specialized physician. Some of these conditions receive coverage from national health services. Fortunately, there are brain exercises to help you overcome your diagnosis. 5. Involvement in unhealthy relationships Sometimes after a breakup, the brain spirals into a cycle of addictive coping mechanisms. It may come in the form of entertaining obsessive thoughts, regret patterns, and flashes of excitement. Sadly, this leaves very little room for focused thinking. It may manifest at work while driving or involved in any other house chore. In some instances, people have experienced terrible breakups, which affected career progress. It may be challenging to identify the source of such unhealthy distractions, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. When you finally realize our distracting lifestyle, it may help to join a social network that discusses healthy coping mechanisms. This teaches you to interact with other people experiencing similar patterns. A shared supportive platform begins to help you discover positivity around you while breaking the cycle of constant distractions in your daily life. Repressed experiences and emotions are other factors that may be responsible for your distracted tendencies. It is worth knowing that constant distractions are unproductive and tend to build an air of negativity around a person. Although they are impossible to avoid regularly, it is better to be aware and devise healthy means to handle such situations. In some instances, distraction is a sign of uncontrolled elevated stress. Keep your mind calm and your body in a deliberately relaxed state to reduce harmful stress responses. |
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March 2021
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