#The Science of Motivation: How to Hack Your Brain for Success

[diversionedge]

The Science of Motivation: How to Hack Your Brain for Success

To a lot of people, motivation seems very puzzling. One day you are feeling motivated, while the next day a lack of drive hinders your ability to concentrate on the same tasks. And when you’re in a routine, days like this one that are so productive can seem like a rare occurrence. Following a time of concentration and achievement, it is common to question, “What is the source of motivation and…

[mindmatrixr]

The Unexpected Power of Doing Nothing: Work Less, Achieve More! #goals #motivation #psychology by Mind Matrix Want to be more productive without working harder? Science proves that doing nothing can actually make you MORE successful. Learn why rest, silence, and strategic pauses can unlock your best ideas and increase efficiency. Try this simple mindset shift today! #ProductivityHacks, #WorkSmarter, #SuccessMindset, #SelfImprovement, #MotivationDaily, #TimeManagement, #EntrepreneurLife, #HustleSmart, #MindsetShift, #DoLessAchieveMore, #LifeHacks, #FocusTips, #SmartWork, #Minimalism, #SelfDevelopment how to be more productive without working hard, best productivity hacks for entrepreneurs, why doing nothing increases success, how to work smarter not harder, the science of taking breaks for productivity, how to avoid burnout and stay productive, why smart people do less work, productivity secrets for high achievers, best habits for successful people, why silence improves brain function, why daydreaming helps problem solving, strategic laziness for success, why deep rest is important, how to master the 80/20 rule, why overworking kills creativity, the importance of downtime in success, why top CEOs take breaks, the unexpected power of doing nothing, productivity mindset shift, why minimalism boosts productivity, how to achieve more by doing less, how to work less and make more, how to be more efficient with time, why breaks increase efficiency, best time management strategies for success, how to rest like a billionaire, why mental clarity leads to success, how to optimize your work schedule, why focusing less can improve results, how to use downtime for success via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu5qfKhYyIg

[naturalremediesforsleepproblems]

Maximize Your Potential: Master Productivity Hacks for Success

Introduction: Unleash Your Inner Productivity Guru Get ready to transform your daily routine and achieve peak performance with our comprehensive guide to productivity hacks. Discover practical strategies that will help you conquer your to-do list, boost efficiency, and attain your goals like never before.

Chapter 1: The Science of Productivity Dive into the psychology behind productivity and learn how our brains function when it comes to staying focused, managing time, and setting priorities.

Chapter 2: Time Management Mastery Explore proven techniques to optimize your time usage. From the Pomodoro Technique to the Eisenhower Matrix, discover methods that will empower you to make the most of every minute.

Chapter 3: Organizational Wizardry Unlock the secrets to staying organized, both digitally and in your physical space. Learn about effective task management tools, decluttering strategies, and minimalist approaches to boost your efficiency.

Chapter 4: Goal Setting for Success Master the art of setting SMART goals that drive your productivity. Whether it's personal or professional aspirations, learn how to break down goals into actionable steps and stay motivated along the way.

Chapter 5: Energy Management and Peak Performance Discover how managing your energy, rather than just your time, can lead to unparalleled productivity. Dive into strategies for enhancing focus, optimizing sleep, and incorporating physical activity into your routine.

Chapter 6: Distraction Detox Explore tactics to minimize distractions in an age of constant digital interruptions. Learn how to create a focused work environment and implement digital detox strategies that foster deep concentration.

Chapter 7: Mindfulness and Productivity Uncover the powerful connection between mindfulness and productivity. Discover techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, and mindfulness exercises that enhance your ability to stay present and engaged.

Chapter 8: Productivity Apps and Tools Explore a curated list of productivity apps and digital tools that can revolutionize your workflow. From note-taking and project management to time tracking and collaboration, find the right tools for your needs.

Why Choose Productivity Hacks?

Efficiency Boost: Implement practical strategies to accomplish more in less time.

Goal Achievement: Set and achieve meaningful goals that align with your aspirations.

Focus Enhancement: Minimize distractions and achieve deep, concentrated work sessions.

Stress Reduction: Streamline your tasks and routines for a more balanced life.

Personal Growth: Cultivate habits that lead to continuous self-improvement.

Work-Life Balance: Create space for your passions, hobbies, and quality time with loved ones.

Reference: Wikipedia - Productivity

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[enneamage]

Youtube, counterculture and What The People Want. These are massive topics that really get the noggin joggin’. Tommy delivered a motivational speech (still peppered with a bit of a lack of awareness that the people he looks back on fondly were once criticized for creating low effort trend following content) about how the people are craving a change because of how hollow certain video formats are becoming.

I’ve touched a little bit on Mr.Beastification before, namely how people are using him as a scapegoat to disown their own pull towards the illusion of safety and guaranteed success. The era of algorithm hacks and mind tricks that we’re in now reminds me a bit of the media version of the pickup artist / redpill scene, where self-styled experts try to brute force human behavior and connection through over-focusing on numbers and science of dubious origin. People have always wanted to bottle and redistribute luck and charisma, and the fact that the YouTube game is half human and half machine makes it seem slightly less insane to try and ‘hack.’ 

As an aside, is there anyone checking up on the people who solely and religiously follow all these hacks and advice? Like, are they actually doing well (in a numbers and personal wellbeing sense) when that’s the primary pillar of their content? I feel like even in the case of Mr. Beast, he probably over-reduces his success down to the variables that he can control/measure rather than the unknowable pile of factors outside of them, so it’s probably not as easy to replicate as he makes it sound.

(Dr. Mittens has a good post about how despite the narratives around Dream, Dream did not come up from zero solely because of his tactical brain, although he’s often used as an example of someone who power-gamed his success.)

So two questions come up in the wake of all this, what is the public hunger that Mr. Beastification inspires, and is YouTube really the place that this pushback is actually going to happen? If YouTube the platform is partly to blame for a certain kind of content rising to the top, one of the simplest answers is to get content somewhere else, which sounds like what Tommy is trying to avoid. Youtube has a virtual monopoly on longform public video hosting so they’re not in meaningful competition with other websites doing exactly what they do, so the threat of this is a bit less.

I look in my subscription feed and even my for-you page and I kind of can’t complain—YouTube knows that I’m “The video essay type” and goes from there, and that’s the bit about the algorithm I can appreciate at the end of the day. I have, largely, been insulated from the dumber things out there. This feels like an issue that’s been taking root in areas that are less curated than my corner, and maybe that’s part of the issue—between youtube hiding most of it’s videos unless it already thinks you’re going to like them and the market flooded with nothingburger formula videos (these problems create each other), it’s more rewarding to stay in your corner than actively seek out new stuff.

Something that I think I want from YouTube (but I don’t think I’ll get because if it were to be part of the system itself it would immediately get abused) is a human referral system. Like the actual ability to curate a page/feed of videos, maybe with a comment to give them context / a reason why you like them. This is because I don’t think I’ll ever trust the creator’s desperation (built-in) and the robot overlords (just want more minutes) over another complete rando who is genuinely like “I enjoyed this :D.” Human attention follows the attention of other humans, and while the algorithm follows that logic in a crude way, putting some texture back into that process might be able to do a lot.

On the topic of franchises, most of the fictional content I consume is from a fandom background so I know that repetition and familiar formats/premises have their place. (Call me parasoical but I like knowing who people are.) I understand why people want to talk about creativity and originality in a world obsessed with formula and guarantees, but I would say to not throw the baby out with the bathwater either, because some people can become so obsessed with innovation that they become backhandedly disdainful of people who have more grounded and reliable tastes.   

[douchebagbrainwaves]

IN THE UNITED STATES, THE CEO OF A LARGE PUBLIC COMPANY MAKES ABOUT 100 TIMES AS MUCH

But notice the weather. Instead he can ask What would make the painting more interesting to people? Sorry about that. The thought of giving a talk paralyzes her. Then you're saying that it's unjust that certain kinds of apples and others like other kinds, but how can you say that one is right and the other wrong? For example, when I was talking about how investors are reluctant to put money into startups in bad markets, even though that's the time they should rationally be most willing to buy? What and how should not be kept too separate. Someone who has decided to write a short comment that's distinguished for the amount of information it conveys, people try to distinguish them instead by being funny. Hackers are not stupid, and unanimity is very rare in this world. But Apple created wealth, in the first semester of freshman year, in a way that allows specifications to change on the fly. What makes anything good?

If you'd proposed at the time what this imbalance implied, because I once had to leave a board meeting to have some cavities filled. I fortify myself by recalling McIlroy and Bentley's famous quote The key to this mystery is to revisit that question, are they really worth 100 of us? Show any hacker a lock and his first thought is how to learn to hack. There are specific implications. Instead of quietly switching to another field, he made a fuss, from inside. Technology certainly can enhance discussion. In the past this has not been a 100% indicator of success if only anything were but much better than random. This was the only kind of work. I write great software, because they come closest of any group I know to embodying it. The single biggest thing the government could do to increase the variation in productivity at faster than linear rates. You don't have to tell anyone you're doing philosophy.

So we've probably only discovered a fraction of what we eventually will. The single biggest thing the government could do to increase the variation in productivity at faster than linear rates. It was obvious then too that the wealth of the world, people don't start things till they're sure what they want to. So the biggest cause of bad ideas is the still life effect: you come up with a cartoon idea of a very successful businessman in the cartoon it was always a man: a rapacious, cigar-smoking, table-thumping guy in his fifties who wins by exercising power, and isn't too fussy about how. Increasingly startups are located in Mountain View to a lot of things I grew up with a cartoon idea of a very successful businessman in the cartoon it was always a man: a rapacious, cigar-smoking, table-thumping guy in his fifties who wins by exercising power, and isn't too fussy about how. It should be a pencil, not a pen. When he rides the Eunicycle, people smile at him.

Maybe not. But here too we see the same pattern. Compiler? Whereas I suspect over at General Motors the marketing people are telling the designers, Most people who buy SUVs do it to seem manly, not to stop and fight. It's hard enough to overcome one's own misconceptions without having to think about how to cure it. But for some reason we treat this skill differently. Steve Jobs saved a company that was in a terminal decline. People who think the labor movement was the creation of heroic union organizers have a problem to explain: why are unions shrinking now? Computers are precise and methodical. The reason it pays to put off even those errands is that real work needs two things errands don't: big chunks of time, and the result is that scientists tend to make their work look as mathematical as possible.

It's hard to imagine the authorities having a sense of humor about such things over in Germany at that time. Remember, the original motivation for HN was to test a new programming language, and moreover one that's focused on experimenting with language design, not performance. Merely being aware of them usually prevents them from working. Depends what you mean by exist. My friend Trevor Blackwell built his own Segway, which we disliked at first. They are a perennial topic of heated discussion on Slashdot. Which means your brain could conceivably be split into two halves and each transplanted into different bodies. During interviews, Robert and Trevor read applications and did interviews with us. It's populated by people who talk about art simply being good or bad. How tech-saturated Silicon Valley is in America, and not just how to make, and not just how to make, and not just how to make this work. They didn't become art dealers after a difficult choice between that and a career in the hard sciences.

In fact, it would be stupid to try the experiment and find out. Talking to reporters makes her nervous. At first glance it doesn't seem there's anything to see. When we say that one kind of work available at the time. How important it is for founders to have people to ask themselves about this explicitly. In conflicts, those on the winning side would receive the estates confiscated from the losers. The next generation of business computer. Still more dangerously, when you destroy startups, they make very little noise.

That was what lured me in as a high school student. The danger of the second paragraph is not merely that they don't dress up. And at least 90% of the work for them. So starting from utility won't entirely solve the problem I described above—it won't flush out the metaphysical singularity. You plonk down a bunch of domain knowledge. Palo Alto. They're too busy trying to spend all that money to get software written.

Thanks to Qasar Younis, Paul Buchheit, Robert Morris, Trevor Blackwell, Albert Wenger, and Jessica Livingston for smelling so good.

[freedatingapps]

10 Facts About Tinder Dating App

“Tinder – man, what’s that all about? Tinder, where you’re just, like, shopping for a human being. Reading the stats like ‘Mortal Kombat.’ You’re like, ‘Oh, he’s got six arms, and he’s only got the two, so I’ll probably go with the six arms.’ I don’t want to do that with human beings”—Joe Gilgun. Started in 2012, the app Tinder has forever changed the dating world, whether you like it or not. Now the most popular dating app on the globe, it has been downloaded over 100 million times and is worth more than $1.6 billion. This just proves that the addicting game-style dating app has everything going for it. So, go ahead and swipe right on this article.

Read More: 10 Best Free Dating Apps

1. Dating School

To Tinder users, education is the key. Though it has the reputation of being all about appearances, 96% of users actually report that education is one of the key factors when they consider who to potentially choose as a partner. So much for that shining bod in your gym selfie, as it is the brain that is the king of sexy.

2. Smile, You’re on Tinder

Forget the smiles and clothing, what really matters to Tinder users is the music. Music can turn a smile on and even take the clothes off. It is clear that sharing musical tastes is important to most, as those who use Spotify to display what they’re listening to have 84% more matches than those who do not.

3. Heart-Shaped Tinder Day

This past Valentine’s Day was a successful one for Tinder users, but it was no fluke. Valentine’s Day brings people out of the closet in either an act of love or desperation, as there is a matching increase of 60% on Cupid’s favorite day of the year.

4. Peppering Tinder

Tinder has inspired more than just one night stands and bouts of love. A startup app out of Berlin created a Tinder inspired app for the sex industry call Peppr, which allows prostitutes to advertise themselves. The creators of the app have made sure to vet each sex worker who signs up, though, in order to make sure they are not complicit in the more exploitive side of the sex trade.

5. A Case of the Monday Swipes

If you want to naturally hack your Tinder game, you should try swiping in the evening. The peak swipe time is at 9 pm, as people are winding down from their days. Optimal matching time is also considered to be earlier in the week, on Mondays and Tuesdays, as opposed to the weekend.

6. Lady in the Street

Put that bikini away, ladies. Statistics show that men actually prefer to swipe on women who are dressed in formal attire as compared to those wearing less clothing, at a rate of 19.7% more. You’ve got to leave a little for the imagination and leave the bathing suit for the beach.

7. Shallow Ladies

While it is better for women to leave men to their imagination, the same isn’t the case for women. 53.3% of women swipe right on men who have their shining bodies in the pictures compared to a rate of only 32.9% for those in formal attire. Just in case you needed any more motivation to hit the gym, what more could you ask for than some Tinder science?

8. Pancake Dates

Now known as the “IHOP effect,” increased late night revenue for the famous pancake diner chain is believed to be derived directly from Tinder. The logic behind this phenomenon is: the more people use Tinder, the more awkward late night dates there are. And what better way to go on a potentially awkward late night date than to ensure that you’ll at least get some pancakes out of it? Where else are you gonna go—Denny’s?

9. Everyone Is On It

There have been numerous celebrities to be spotted on Tinder, including the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, and Ed Sheeran. Sheeran was even approached by Tinder to become to first verified account on the app but, understandably, turned it down. That is just downright creepy.

10. Rating System

In-house at Tinder, the engineers have developed a rating system which rates each user on their desirability. It took them over two months to figure out their system, which essentially rates a user based on the way in which others interact with their profile. Yes, they know whether or not people hovered over that bikni photo or not, and for exactly how long. Somewhat disturbingly, this rating also influences potential future matches, as it is basically a “vast voting system,” which aggregates swipes, according to research done by a writer at Fast Company.

[art-of-manliness]

Podcast #581: The Tiny Habits That Change Everything

We’re a month into the new year now. How are you doing on your resolutions? Have you already fallen off the wagon? Maybe the goal you set for yourself was just too big to successfully tackle. You need to think smaller. Tiny, even. That’s the argument my guest makes. His name is Dr. BJ Fogg, and he’s the founder and director of Stanford’s Behavior Design Lab, as well as the author of the new book Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Today on the show, BJ walks us through the three components that drive our behavior, including the simple yet overlooked relationship between motivation and ability. He then explains how to build habits that feel easier and require lower levels of motivation by picking behaviors that are good matches for you and breaking them down into smaller parts. We also talk about the need to tie your habits to turnkey prompts, the importance of celebrating your successes, no matter how small, and the way tiny habits can lead to bigger changes. We end our conversation with why you should think about the process of getting rid of your bad habits as untangling them rather than breaking them.   Show Highlights * What is the Fogg Behavior Model? * The relationship between motivation and ability in our behaviors  * Why relying on motivation isn’t the best bet for behavior change * The 3 characteristics of Golden Behaviors * How to make behavior change easier for yourself  * Making behavior prompts more effective * BJ’s pee/push-up prompt, and why it works * Creating tiny habit “recipes”  * Celebrating when you’re successful with your recipes  * Using these tips with kids  * Why we should “untangle” habits rather than “break” them  Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast * What Makes Your Phone So Addictive and How to Take Back Your Life * A Proven System for Building and Breaking Habits * How to Create Habits That Stick * How to Hack the Habit Loop (and my podcast with Charles Duhigg about habits) * The Motivation Myth * How to Stress Proof Your Body and Brain * Counterintuitive Advice on Making Exercise a Sustainable Habit * Stick With It — The Science of Behavior Change * 7 Tips on Making and Breaking Habits Connect With BJ BJ’s website TinyHabits.com BJ on Twitter Listen to the Podcast! (And don’t forget to leave us a review!) Listen to the episode on a separate page. Download this episode. Subscribe to the podcast in the media player of your choice. Listen ad-free on Stitcher Premium; get a free month when you use code “manliness” at checkout. Podcast Sponsors The Strenuous Life. A platform designed to take your intentions and turn them into reality. There are 50 merit badges to earn, weekly challenges, and daily check-ins that provide accountability in your becoming a man of action. The next enrollment is coming up in the April. Sign up at strenuouslife.co. Harry’s. New customers get $5 off a Trial Set at HARRYS.COM/manliness. You’ll get a 5-blade razor, weighted handle, foaming shave gel with aloe, and a travel cover. Policygenius. Compare life insurance quotes in minutes, and let us handle the red tape. If insurance has frustrated you in the past, visit policygenius.com. Click here to see a full list of our podcast sponsors. Read the Transcript Coming soon! The post Podcast #581: The Tiny Habits That Change Everything appeared first on The Art of Manliness. http://dlvr.it/RPJspQ

[emilycarablog]

Shoto and sd2labs recently co-hosted a webinar with RocketSpace where I outlined some of my favorite strategies and user acquisition hacks for apps. I refer to these strategies as the “magic” — or the glue — that increases adoption and promotes long term engagement.

The 3 keys to creating “magic”

Within 50 seconds of downloading an app, users decide to get started or jump ship. The first thing the user sees — whether it’s copy, colors, a splash screen or permissions — is critical to the first impression your app makes and, potentially, its long-term success.

So how do you make “magic” happen? Appeal to the (1) motivation, (2) ability and (3) triggers in the process of adoption (a.k.a. the first 50 seconds).

Let’s break it down:

Motivation = satisfy a need or emotion — the one thing that will blow users’ minds.

We created the following push notification on Shoto to create this motivation: “Your friend X has 50 photos to share with you.” It creates excitement and triggers the user’s brain to release dopamine. WIRED offers a great explanation of the science behind it.

Ability = ease of use — the action users need to take in order to understand why your app is fun and/or useful.

For example, in Venmo, you can send money in two clicks. Straight away, users can use Venmo’s app to send money quickly and easily, establishing its convenience and use case.

Trigger = reach out at the right time/place — choose an action users will be able to take easily.

An easy example is putting running sneakers next to your bed to trigger a run in the morning.

Essentially, your app or technology needs to make sense to your users at the appropriate time and place.

Read More @ https://www.rocketspace.com/tech-startups/author/sachin-dev-duggal

[tesla-code-secrets-review]

Alex West “Tesla Code Secrets” Review [PDF Download]

Subconscious mind is powerful because it has powers to transform our life. It controls our almost 90% life. Subconscious will open up ways for us and if we will put efforts to walk (take actions) then we can achieve our goals. It all depends how effectively we can communicate with our subconscious mind. With Tesla Code Secrets book, you will find many remarkable ideas including head physiology, quantum science as well as increase slit try things out. Gain the capacity to expand your mind to understand concepts which are both complex and abstract in nature. The author states that the key to success is Focus because our conscious intentions make our reality agree with it.

The Tesla Code Secrets is an exclusive program created to help elevate the lifestyle of people who are looking for greater success in life. The author has listed and explained life hacks and principles that were put in place by Nikola Tesla, a genius scientist who is widely known for coming up with theories of alternating current and other famous science theories. Tesla is famous for the quote, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.” Based on what Alex West portrays in his book, this is largely where it stemmed from. By harnessing the secret of the universe, you can then propel forward utilizing the natural power around you. To ensure success, the program is divided into 18 simple lessons. Little by little, these lessons will help you to tap into the energy present in the universe. You can start practicing at least 5 minutes a day and then you can gradually increase the number of time you can devote in going through the materials from the Tesla Code Secrets. Some people who used the program reported that it is only a matter of weeks that they started feeling the changes in their life and how they are able to become more successful in controlling their chances and opportunities of getting successful in attaining their goals. In the end, this program will supply you with sufficient emotional and final power in your life.

In this book, it largely touches on quantum physics and other incredibly interesting scientific aspects of our existence. It shows us how these elements going on around us affect us on a subconscious level without us realizing. Once we do take heed, we can create lasting changes to embrace our potential. Through the program, you’ll develop mental skills to improve your thought patterns. In a matter of days, you’ll notice how life changes. It helps to alter both your unconscious and conscious state of mind to change your perception about success. By the time you are done reading this program, you will believe in your abilities and you know that nothing can stop you from achieving your dreams. It will help reduce you stress levels as well as help you make informed decisions that will propel you to success. It will help to improve your concentration levels enabling you to perform your tasks better as well as make better judgment on things that you should prioritize in life.

When you take the lessons of The Tesla Code and apply them to your life you’ll be able to solve just about any problem that comes your way. You have seen the smokers, drunker, people indulge in bad habits often try to relieve from these bad habits but not easily they get rid of the bad habits. Why? Because somehow they have trained / thought their subconscious mind that these activities give pleasure to them. This program is backed by several scientific studies and it has the ability to divert positive energy in your brain to ensure that you progress in every sphere of life. As such, Tesla Code Secrets is the program that motivates you to achieve greater heights of success. With it, you will learn all the basics you need to master to improve your relationships, business, finances, and health without even having to put in too much effort in what you do.

Click Here to Download the Tesla Code Secrets Book Now!

[kiliblast]

Tomato timer effect

DOWNLOAD NOW Tomato timer effect

Tomato timer effect how to#

However, the pleasant ticking of my trusty tomato served as a gentle reminder of the task-at-hand and it took me just 2 and a half Pomodoros to welcome inbox zero. This is something that has the potential to distract me for hours, as emails I’ve ignored for a week suddenly become transformed into unmissable updates and I fall down the rabbit-hole of clickbait links. Raring to go I set the timer for 25 minutes and embarked on my usual Monday morning routine of sorting through my inbox. It reminded me of summers in Italy, marinara sauce, pizza, my great-grandma’s kitchen… all wonderful things – and one should never underestimate the power of positivity on a Monday morning! Not only was I super excited to get started with the experiment, but every time I even looked at the retro little gadget on my desk I got a little jolt of joy. For this reason, I decided to start with the OG red tomato kitchen timer.Īrmed with my brand new shiny tomato timer I was buzzing with enthusiasm. I was attracted to the method not only for the many successful Pomodoro proponents (and connotations of delicious Italian cuisine!) but I also liked the idea of using the physical timer as a tangible reminder of the task at hand. Turns out this is actually a common technique also known as reward motivation! But is it the most sophisticated or efficient? In a world where there’s an endless array of science-based hacks to pick and choose from, I thought it was about time to start personalizing my productivity. I’ll often block in “boring” work first thing to get it out of the way. How do I solve that one? Well, I run up the stairs so the pain of climbing them is over sooner. I live in an attic apartment with no elevator. I’ll frequently start my runs on the incline, saving the downhill treat until the end. I actually grew up to be vegan, so I no longer need an incentive to eat my greens, but it’s paid dividends in helping me complete unpleasant tasks. My other fail-safe? Something I developed in childhood called the “Eat Your Vegetables First” Method, which involves getting the most dreaded tasks done first so you can enjoy the delicious enjoyable work later on. I’m a big fan of calendar blocking and use it to schedule everything from work to social events, and even household chores. And if the inspiration didn’t hit? Well the waiting was just part of the process, right?Īs the years passed I developed a couple of techniques to help me stay organized and get the work done. As an art student, I would routinely work on projects all night, barely noticing the hours as they passed. Until recently, I’d just wait for that hyperfocus to come to me when I was working on the right project – it just seemed like a kind of magic that would arrive out of nowhere. I get excited about certain tasks and have to force myself to complete more mundane ones. But app testing is not quite as fun as dining out, so here are 5 different Pomodoro recipes, tried, tested, and ready for your consumption…Īs a creative, I sometimes struggle with prioritization and knowing where to spend my time. So, as with pizza and pasta, the only way to find the very best is by sampling many.

Tomato timer effect how to#

But for a seemingly simple time-management system, there are an overwhelming number of tomatoey tools and a huge amount of conflicting information on how to Pomo successfully. We already know that many of our users swear by the productivity power couple of Freedom sessions combined with the Pomodoro technique, and we happen to think you’re a pretty productive bunch. According to the official website, this gives your brain time to assimilate new information and rest before the next round of Pomodoros. Every 4 Pomodoro sessions, you should take a longer break of 20–30 minutes. When the time is up, take a short break of around 5 minutes, and repeat the process until you’ve finished. Like almost all good ideas, it’s super simple – choose a task you’d like to get done, set a timer for 25 minutes, and dedicate those 25 minutes solely to working on that task only. For the uninitiated, Pomodoro is a time management method developed 30 years ago by Francesco Cirillo (catchphrase – work smarter, not harder) when he was a university student. If you’ve been anywhere near an office, a successful person, or Freedom’s twitter feed, chances are you’ve heard of the Pomodoro Technique.

DOWNLOAD NOW Tomato timer effect

[ulead]

5 Hacks to Overcome Your Anxiety at Internship

Imagine you are laying in bed and just about to sail to sleep, then suddenly you remember you forgot to make an SEO report on how the website is ranking and there’s a meeting the next morning with your boss regarding the same. In addition, you are on an internship and need to impress your boss to prove yourself. Therefore you sit up, start panicking, and quickly hold your laptop to finish the work at… midnight. 

According to the report, 30% of millennials have reported anxiety which is higher than in previous generations. Sometimes you might have many questions in your mind like did you opt for the right job or did you take the right internship opportunity to have a better career? Or are you doubting yourself because you received another job rejection? These thoughts lead directly to stress and stem you from moving forward. Therefore, how do you manage your career anxiety and stop it from hurting your career even more? Well, good thing you asked.

Let us discuss the top 5 hacks to overcome your anxiety.

1. Power Pose & Powerful Thinking

A couple of years back, a viral Ted Talk regarding the science behind the power pose attracted the spotlight. What is a power pose? It’s where you stand with your feet apart, hands on your hips, and chest up, and you do this for two minutes. It gives you the confidence required to allow you to visualise success and minimise worrying thoughts or ideas.

Though the pose is no quick fix to success, it does play a role in your mind when you’re tense. It persuades you that this pose will help you be more confident in your capacity and because of that, you feel it. Therefore, the brain is strong, so this psychological trick assists you to feel more confident and less anxious about your work. With power pose comes powerful thinking. 

In your offline or online internship, you should learn to be mentally stronger and donate to become more confident and less afraid of challenges that may come your way. Furthermore, it can also help decrease your work anxiety, depression, and fear of failure.

2. Make exercise your friend.

I know it doesn’t sound like fun, but it is one of the best practices to address your work anxiety. For interns, it can be difficult to complete the task before the deadline and for them these can be good ideas like running, dancing, or practising yoga moves to channel their energy into that thereby “turning off your brain”. Apart from stress exercise not only keeps your body healthy, but also controls your breathing, relieves stress, and prevents you from getting sick as often. Exercising doesn’t demand excessive time. 

Your internship is an experiment to know all the actual work-life of a corporate world. Therefore it is better to get into practice before encountering any stressful job. 

3.Learn that you can’t control everything.

In an ideal world, being able to manage everything would be smooth. Unfortunately, that is not possible in reality. Trying to control every facet of your work can damage your performance and contribute to your work anxiety. Therefore, start learning to acknowledge that you can’t control everything and let go of your fear of failure. Practice managing your emotions rather than trying to control everything around you. Work on accepting that not everything will happen as planned and accept it. Once you become a pro, you’ll find your work anxiety will decrease. An internship shows you the reality of what your future be like, therefore it is the time to prepare yourself before encountering any consequences. 

4. Limit the coffee

Hey, most of the people are coffee people. It can allow us to feel like we are starting our days off right. However, having excess coffee can contribute to our anxiety and make it worse. Since caffeine is a motivation, meaning anxiety-like symptoms such as trouble sleeping, nervousness, restlessness, indigestion, and a fast heart rate. So, try to chill out and limit the double espresso drinks and switch to decaf or herbal teas.

I would suggest that an internship is all about the invaluable experience. Therefore, the interns are allowed to make mistakes during their internship because they are in their learning stage. 

5.Face Your Anxiety Head-on

If you know your anxiety is foiling you in your job or internship, or during interviews, then start finding some activities to ease your stress. Take some time out to attend free public speaking classes, read books on overpowering your anxiety, or watch TED talks concerning public speaking.   

The best solution is to undertake an internship. You can enroll yourself in an unpaid or paid internship whichever suits you. Then aim your goals to extract and upskill yourself you want from the internship.

Final Thoughts

 As new graduates on the brink of their careers are common to feel anxiety about your internship. However, it is important to govern your anxiety as it may prevent you from taking future opportunities. So, take some time for yourself and perform on becoming mentally stronger to become resilient and manage your work without anxiety.

Planning to enroll in an internship?

Well, ULead is a flagship internship program for students to upskill themselves while reinventing learning and transforming lives with us. Leadership is the most sought-after skill by all companies, and Ulead is the place to be if you see yourself as a corporate leader in the future. 

[nextlevelguypodcast]

EPISODE #125 Chris Powell on transforming your body through self-love

Today’s guest is Chris Powell!  

Chris Powell is widely known as the transformation specialist and host of ABC’s documentary-style series, “Extreme Weight Loss.” With an unyielding dedication to helping others, Chris traveled the country using his innovative techniques, education and expertise to guide extremely overweight individuals as they shed hundreds of pounds over the course of a year. Beyond the show, Chris has become a leading authority on achieving optimal health and lifelong transformation.

Chris and Heidi Powell launched the digital platform, TRANSFORM with Chris and Heidi, with the goal of transforming one million which provides users with the motivation, exercises, nutrition, and built-in community for a successful transformation. The platform has grown to include macro-tracking capabilities, hydration tracking, and the ability to record nutrition and workout completion rates over time, cardio dance program, step tracker, and the “First Steps” program for exercise beginners and the app is continually expanding. In addition to the app, the TRANSFORM brand has introduced its own supplement line, a line of EVERYDAY meal replacement shakes, energy formulas, and vitamins, and the PERFORM line of workout and performance products. TRANSFORM also launched a one-on-one coaching program where app users are paired with a certified personal coach who has a history of successful transformations and works side by side with Chris and Heidi.

Chris has been awarded the prestigious Jack LaLanne Award, written several books that have soared to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list, including Extreme Transformation: Lifelong Weight Loss in 21 Days, which provides a comprehensive blueprint for changing your body—and life—in just 21 days, Choose to Lose, which provides motivation, nutrition, exercise, tips, and tricks to help anyone lose those last twenty pounds and Choose More, Lose More For Life, which offers readers four different carb cycles, and twenty workouts called Nine-Minute Missions that pack maximum results into minimum time. Chris holds a degree in Exercise Science with concentrations in biomechanics and physiology, and the training accreditation: The Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), appears regularly on nationally syndicated television shows and has been featured on the cover of and written for many top-name publications.

In this interview, we discuss,

Destroying limiting beliefs to create true personal transformation

Learning to love and believe in ourselves through fitness and healthy eating

How to establish Core values and habit forming

Training, nutrition diet and supplements hacks

And so much more

Here are some key points that I would advise you to concentrate on

The root of where most people struggle to transform is that they lack belief in themselves and what they want to achieve in their life. 

Each time you fail, your self-esteem takes a knock but a lot of the time, it is not an actionable change to transform themselves, they take on too much at one time. You need to shrink down the changes to something that is actually manageable. 

Chris has struggled with his demons in his past. I have too. We all have demons. You need to want to change, to start to believe you can change, not for others, but for yourself. It is doable, it's a hard journey, but so worth it! 

We need to change the story we tell about ourselves, to change what we believe about ourselves to start our change. We can use our beliefs to hold ourselves back and need to change these beliefs to change ourselves. 

The first question you need to ask yourself, is who do you want to be? You just need to live into that belief. 

If you want to change your life, you need to remember and focus on your integrity! What you tell yourself becomes a promise to yourself. You need to find small lifestyle changes that you can make and actually follow and achieve. You need to have integrity with yourself.   

Your brain takes what you think you want to do as a contract with your soul, when you don't follow the contract, you lose esteem and the broken promises start to destroy you. 

When you start to keep the promises to yourself, you will truly start to change. 

You need to start building small changes, to build up your integrity and commitment to change. Slowly build up what you change in your life each time, don't run before you can walk - honor the contract and follow the promises you make to yourself. 

Going into a gym or sports club may seem scary and intimidating at first, but the benefits from it can be life-changing! 

You don't need to run and rush to change, take baby steps and build health and fitness into your life as a life habit rather than fifty new things. 

People can use food to feed the emotional pain that they are holding onto from their past. You cannot fill an emotional pain with physical food. You need to 'clear the past' in your life. 

Yo need to go back to your past and unbox the pain that you are holding on to and clear it out, to allow you to start to change your life. Chris gives an amazing technique to use on how to separate the emotion from the story and let it truly go in your life. 

Men are told we need to 'be a man,' to lead, to control everything but this is BS. We can ask for help, ask for support, and it's an actual show of strength, to be vulnerable is a great show of strength. 

Mental health is just as important as physical health. Mental clarity and transformation is just as important as physical changes. 

You need to 'step into' the person you want to be. Map out who they are, what they do, how they act and what they believe ... and then step into that life through your small lifestyle changes to build that integrity and belief in yourself, to make that true deep change. 

You need to have a look at your entire life, not just your eating and drinking etc. You need to make sure your friends and family aren't holding you back from changing to who you want to be. 

The internet has made the world a smaller place, a more social place. You can connect with like-minded people to help motivate, inspire and help one another on your change in life. 

You need to anchor lifestyle changes in your life with power promises to yourself. 

You will make mistakes, not everything will go right. Instead of fearing mistakes, use them as learning experiences to see what went wrong and how you can fix them - confess, reassess and recommit!

Find a superfriend you can hold yourself accountable with.  

Be the change that you want to see in the world.

  #ChrisPowell #Weightloss #Bodytransformation #Change #Health #Fitness #Improveyourlife #Changeyourself #Becomehoyouwanttobe #Extremeweightloss

Check out this episode!

[mindmatrixr]

🔥 The Psychology of Success: 7 Mindset Shifts That Change Everything #success #goals #motivation by Mind Matrix Success isn’t about luck—it’s about how you think. If you want to break free from limitations and create a powerful life, these 7 mindset shifts will completely transform your reality. ✔ Growth Over Comfort – Success comes when you choose progress over ease. ✔ Discipline Over Motivation – Winners take action whether they feel like it or not. ✔ Ownership Over Blame – Your life is YOUR responsibility. ✔ Long-Term Over Short-Term – Master the power of patience. ✔ Solutions Over Problems – Train your mind to see opportunity everywhere. ✔ Fail Forward – Every mistake is a lesson, not a loss. ✔ Surround Yourself With Winners – Your environment shapes your success. 🚀 Which mindset shift will you adopt today? Drop a comment! #SuccessMindset, #MentalStrength, #GrowthMindset, #PersonalDevelopment, #SelfImprovement, #GoalSetting, #DisciplineEqualsFreedom, #SelfMastery, #WinningMindset, #SuccessHabits, #MotivationHacks, #LevelUp, #PsychologyOfSuccess, #MindsetMatters, #EliteMindset how to develop a success mindset, mindset shifts for success, growth mindset strategies, self-improvement for high achievers, how to stay motivated, mental toughness techniques, habits of successful people, rewiring your brain for success, discipline vs motivation, overcoming failure mindset, how to create a winning mindset, personal development psychology, the science of success, how to think like a millionaire, brain hacks for motivation via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gbDEvjQCg4

[mindthump]

7 Proven Ways Meditating Prepares You for Success https://ift.tt/2mFiqb7

What do mega-successful business leaders and entrepreneurs like Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, and Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post, all have in common?

They carve out time in their busy schedules to meditate.

Meditation was once seen as an unconventional pursuit of hippies or the avant-garde, but more Americans are turning to the practice to bring balance and peace of mind to their stressed-out lives. According to one national survey, nearly 18 million adults practice meditation regularly, thanks to a growing body of research showing that mind and body practices like mediation can help people manage pain and reduce feelings of stress.

The beauty of meditation is that its benefits can be far reaching, helping to enhance learning, quell anxiety and tame negative emotions. Not completely convinced? Here are seven proven ways meditation can prepare you for success.

Related: I Tried This Oprah Meditation Hack Every Day for Two Weeks. Here Are My 5 Takeaways.

1. Enhanced learning and memory.

Successful business leaders can quickly process and learn new information, and recall that knowledge when needed -- an important skill for anyone with goals beyond an office cubicle. It turns out meditation is a good way to give yourself a boost in this area. Researchers have found that meditation stimulates areas of the brain associated with memory, concentration and learning.

One study of college students who took a mindfulness class four times a week for two weeks showed that their working-memory capacity improved during that time. Other studies showed that mindfulness meditation helps increase gray matter volume, including bolstering areas of the brain that assist with learning, memory, cognition or emotional regulation.

Researchers note that meditation may change the brain’s structure and increase mental activity and agility. This means that meditation may literally make your brain more robust. People who practiced mindfulness meditation for eight weeks showed an increase in gray matter in areas associated with learning and memory processes.

Related: How Meditation Can Transform Your Business

2. Put a halt to pessimistic thought loops.

We all fall into negative thought patterns or pessimistic ruminations from time to time. But obsessively dwelling on negative thoughts such as past failures, frustrations and regrets can eat away at your confidence and cloud your mind when you need to think clearly. Left unchecked, these feelings contribute to chronic anxiety, which can weigh down your mind, keep you from taking action and thwart your motivation. Meditation is a powerful aid in breaking these negative thought loops.

One way to eliminate negative thoughts is to repeat a mantra to yourself, such as “Let it go.” Saying a simple, positive phrase to yourself is one of the oldest and most straightforward ways of meditating, and it has been shown to have profound effects if done consistently.

Start by repeating the phrase to yourself, and when you feel your mind wandering, return your attention to the mantra. With time and practice, negative thought loops dissipate and leave your mind free to focus on other things.

Related: Start Every Day With This Mantra to Become a Happier Person

3. Build mental capacity and improve accuracy.

As we age, our mental capacity peaks before slowly deteriorating. However, meditation is like a workout for your brain. Over time it can improve your overall brain health and build your mental capacity. This makes sense because when you meditate you’re essentially practicing concentration and laser-like focus. So it should come as no surprise that studies show that meditation can help people sustain their focus, even during boring tasks.

For decades, researchers have found that Buddhist monks who regularly meditate perform far better on concentration tests than the average person. Those who meditate regularly not only increase their ability to concentrate, but also boost their attention to detail and level of accuracy.

Related: 5 Things I Learned About Business From an Asian Monastery

4. Tame negative emotions.

Who hasn’t let their emotions get the best of them? It happens. But negative emotions can have a myriad of detrimental impacts on our personal and professional lives, especially if we aim an impulsive outburst at friends, colleagues, employees or customers.

The aftermath can lead to hurt feelings, low morale and perhaps a visit to human resources. Not to mention the many other more subtle ways in which negative emotions can make it harder to succeed.

Meditation allows us to recognize and control negative emotions by helping us process and accept what we are feeling and then assisting us in releasing those feelings. Mindfulness meditation in particular focuses on “maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and surrounding environment,” with the goal of accepting the feelings that arise in each moment. This allows you to shed your emotions quickly so you maintain a kind of mental equilibrium.

Related: Why You Need to Let Go of Attachment

5. Create better relationships.

Those who practice mindfulness meditation report higher levels of satisfaction in their relationships with others, and they better able to handle conflict when it comes up. Meditation helps you build emotional resilience, which means you are able to bounce back from bad moods more quickly and are less likely to become upset.

Through regular meditation, we can observe and accept our own emotions, and are better able to recognize how those around us are feeling. Meditation helps you become a more attuned communicator.

This is because mindfulness meditation helps you create emotional space to have a more mindful, conscious response to those around you, rather than the knee-jerk reaction so many of us are prone to. Instead of allowing a situation or comment to set us off, we recognize what we are feeling and have more emotional flexibility in how we respond.

Related: Meditation Isn't Just for Hippies: Here Is how it Can Help Entrepreneurs

6. Reduce stress and anxiety.

When we find ourselves in a stressful situation, which our body interprets to be threatening, it causes a fight-or-flight response, including a flood of hormones that quicken our heartbeat, elevate our blood pressure and speed up our breathing. When you’re dealing with chronic stress, tension or anxiety, this response can have lasting impacts on your health. Meditation can help clear away the daily information overload that contributes to chronic feelings of stress.

Meditation relaxes you by allowing you to focus on one thing, such as your breathing, thus helping eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts causing stress. If practiced on a regular basis, meditation can give you a sense of peace, calm and balance, and help you gain new perspectives when facing a stressful situations. This can also help you feel more tranquil and ready for sleep when bedtime rolls around -- an added benefit!

Related: 7 Hobbies Science Says Will Make You Smarter

7. Tap into your creative side.

Innovation is the key to success in nearly every field. How awesome would it be if you could clear away the cobwebs from your mind and fire up your creative juices at will? Meditation can help you nurture that idea-making part of your brain.

One study found that open-monitoring meditation, a type of mindfulness meditation that involves observing and noting how one is feeling in the present, can help increase “divergent thinking.” This kind of thinking is when your mind is allowed to jump from one thought to another, without judgment or exerting top-down control from within.

Open-monitoring meditation focuses on keeping attention flexible and unrestricted -- you simply accept what you are feeling. Research has found that this kind of meditation improves working memory, increases cognitive flexibility and reduces cognitive rigidity.

Related: 7 Proven Ways Meditating Prepares You for Success Focus More Easily With These Unconventional Hacks Who Needs Smartwatches? These 7 AI Wearables Can Boost Focus, Fitness and Health.

[chelseijoneltv]

How to Get a 4.0 GPA in College

#DearFreshman | How to Get A’s in College | College Hacks

Watch my Video Using This Link or keep reading.

Description: How to get A’s in College. Here are my tips on how to start your semester off right and set yourself up for a 4.0 GPA.

Go to Class: In college, no one is waking you up and forcing you to go class so set your alarms and make sure you have enough time to get ready and be on time. Go to class everyday. Professors can cover multiple chapters in one class period so missing a class can put you really far behind. If you have to miss class, contact your professor so that they know why and ask them what you missed. Going to class can also leave a good impression on your professors. Some professors dock your grades for absences and tardies and some schools fail you automatically for having too many absences based on their attendance policies. On the flipside, I’ve been in a class where so many people were missing that the teacher gave those present extra credit so being in class even when you know others won’t be, for example the day before spring break, can benefit you.

Read your Syllabus: A syllabus is to students what a bible is to Christians. It’s that serious. It has the expectations for the entire class and lays out when assignments are due and when quizzes, tests, and days off are. One thing I like to look for is the grading scale because a 90 is one class can be an A, but be an A minus or B in another class. There may also be hidden extra credit in the syllabus because professors like to test if you actually read the syllabus.

Get a Planner and Use It: Write down all important dates from class to personal life so you can better manage your time. Plan out study time and time for HW and create lists with the office hours of all your professors. Bring your planner with you everywhere. If you don’t like planners use a Calender App in conjunction with a to do list app like Any.Do to manage everything you need to do. There’s nothing worse than forgetting about an assignment or planning to work on homework the same time your club meets.

Know your Resources: Your school wants to do good so 9 times out of 10 they already have resources in place to provide you with extra help. Learn where they are, when they’re open, and how to use them. At my school, Winthrop, we have several places that can help you with your work. The main place is the Academic Success Center that offers free peer tutoring in every class that’s known to be difficult. Then both the Foreign Language, Math, and Chemistry Department all have their own tutoring labs. There’s also a Writing Center at my school that helps review documents for grammatical errors. That means they’re no excuse not to get an essay proofread before turning it in. All these places help with improving your grades. Every school is different, but don’t be afraid to ask for help because it could make the difference between a B and an A.

Ask Questions: Whether it’s in during class or during office hours, ask questions. If something in class is confusing you, ask about it. You don’t want to misunderstand something and then take that wrong information with you to an exam. You’re probably not the only person confused so you’ll be doing everyone a favor. Plus, asking questions is a good way to get your professor to know and remember you, which  helps when it comes to grading.

Read the Chapter before Class: This gives you a basis of information to expand on in class and makes class way smoother. This is really important in your more difficult classes because it gives you less to learn new material in class. Plus, you’ll actually have meaningful questions to ask in class and the professor will know you’re actually prepared, especially when you start a question with “I was reading in Chapter 6 and I didn’t understand what xy and z meant.” Your professor will be very impressed.

Ask Professor to review your work: You can do your assignments a week in advance and ask your professor to review it for you. That way you can make sure it’s done correctly and you’re not missing anything. This especially helps with essays because every professor’s expectations are different. Getting this extra help also shows that you care about your grade.

Avoid Procrastination: Don’t avoid doing your assignments because you know they will involve a lot of work. Instead, break your assignments into smaller pieces and set dates to finish each piece so it’s less intimidating. This prevents you from having to turn in a rushed, low quality or unfinished project and helps you maximize the best score possible.

Take HW Seriously: In most of my classes that gave me daily homework, which was mostly science and math classes, the homework problems mirrored the problems on my exams. This means if you’re not understanding the homework, you’re going to run into problems so make sure to fix these issues before your tests. Also, in a lot of my classes, the professor didn’t grade homework at all or only checked for completion. In those cases, go to the professor’s office hours and ask them to grade yours. That way, you know if you’re actually doing everything correctly.

Study the way that works for you: It is very hard to tell people how to study because we all have different preferences, but when you’re studying pay attention to what helps you and what distracts you. If friends distract you, study alone. If you need extra motivation to actually study, find a study partner or start a study group to help hold you accountable. If you’re tempted to fall asleep while studying, move somewhere outside of your room like the library, a bench or swing outside, Starbucks, the Bookstore, or any study room on Campus. Always bring snacks, a sweater, headphones, gum, or anything else that makes you more comfortable. Turn your phone on silent and put it face down so you can’t see when you get notifications. Other than those tips, just experiment with the different ways you can study. Utilize Quizlet, flashcards, practice tests, your old exams, quizzes, and homework as guides. If you feel your brain needs a break, get up and take a walk or move to a new location. Me and my friend Bri would often get up and take a few laps around the library when we felt we needed a break.

Final Tip: Get some Sleep! I fully believe in getting a good night’s rest. My freshman year I made sure I got 8 hours of sleep every night. I went to bed at 12 and woke up at 8 everyday Monday-Friday to get ready for my 9:30 classes. I think I may have done one all-nighter the whole year. I think sleep actually helps your mind retain information better, plus your brain works better when it gets rest. So instead of studying until 2 in the morning, I’d study as much as I could before midnight and then wake up slightly earlier to study some more. I could be wrong, but I really thinking getting enough sleep helped me perform better in class.

[theanxietyclinic]

Perfect Brain

The Perfect Brain Hack for Success and Memory

Now and again we stumble on something so powerful and so effective, it is hard to believe we’ve gotten so far without it! You are about to learn one of the simplest and amazingly effective brain hacks ever! Our brains are very complex organs, and they consume more energy than any other organ in our body. And not unlike a computer, if you get too many processes running at once, the whole thing can slow down, and even freeze up. We all have had those moments when we cannot remember a special date, the name of a movie or actor that we KNOW we know! Or you run into someone whose name you know, but it just won’t seem to come to the top of your mind. When our computers freeze up or slow down, we first try to shut down several processes by closing screens and applications. When that fails the go-to is to force the machine to shut down entirely and re-boot.

Ways to re-boot your brain:

Since we cannot entirely shut down our brains (that is called being dead!) we have a few natural re-set processes that help clear out the fog but shutting down unnecessary processes and enabling us to re-focus. A night’s sleep, or even a nap, is one such process. There is solid science behind the phrase, “Sleep on it.” During sleep a healthy brain resets while doing some problem solving, thus often providing clarity in the morning and that refreshed feeling. Sleep is not always easy to achieve, nor is it always healthy or good sleep.

And when we are not well-slept or tired, we yawn. Almost every animal on the planet does two things when it awakes, stretches and yawns. Stretching gets the body moving and the blood flowing, yawning triggers a response that sheds that sleepy feeling and increases awareness.

The Magic Bullet to Reboot Your Brain!

Stretching and yawning are two important rituals every human should intentionally perform as a ritual every morning. It is an evolutionary process that shifts you from one state, sleep, into the next, being awake. But most importantly, they just work.

In many cultures, we incorrectly interpret a yawn as just being tired, or someone being bored. When I was a child if I yawned when my parents or teacher was talking to me, covering my mouth or not — I would be sharply corrected for displaying bad manners! Unfortunately, this misconception robbed us of one surprising tool for kicking our brains into high gear. The yawn!

How Does A Yawn Make Such a Positive Impact?

A yawn triggers a whole series of biological and neurobiological events. In addition to giving you brain and body a deliberately forced rush of oxygen, it also triggers a whole series of chemicals to be released into your brain that stimulates alertness, motivation, memory recall and voluntary decision making! A yawn also seems to trigger a primal form of empathy — and likely why yawns are so contagious! By now, just reading this has likely prompted you into a few deep yawns! A yawn is a quick reboot for your brain.

How to Make It Work

Yawn! That is right, fake it until you make it. A few pretend yawns and your body will quickly respond with a real yawn, and when it does, dig in and yawn deep.

The next time you have that moment you can’t remember the name of the person or movie or walk into a room to grab something, and suddenly think you have forgotten what it is, take a minute or so and yawn. Once the deep yawn is passed that little gem of information is likely to pop right back into your head!

It’s time we started to teach our kids and friends to embrace the yawn — it’s the perfect quick, on-the-run brain re-boot! And for those of us of a ‘certain age,’ it’s pretty relieving to have a great brain hack so you have to ask, yet again, what that heck you came back upstairs for!

By Todd Kaufman