Stay in flow

Staying is flow is not easy all the time, especially when there is too much information in your head, focusing on the external sources, or self conscious. Each by itself is insufficient.

You must have heard some people constantly complaining about constantly unable or incapable to experience flow.

But, what they fail to understand is less they require external stimuli to represent to their consciousness, could be events or anything, would make them more autonomous from the environment.

It on the contrary creates independence as compared to those who heavily rely on too many external stimulus. It allows you to have flexible attention.

Doesn’t it make you wonder how does one achieve it?

Learning can help you compensate and fall in place. And the only pre-requisite to it to become less self conscious as it acts as a motivation to not get disturbed by external events.

Here are some ways to stay in flow

Body
You must be aware that each one of us have hidden potential within. That is how one excel in their bodily art and some become great athletes or dancers. It is a delight, and anyone can develop sufficient skills to find it.

Mind
A place that allows us to have the most exhilarating experiences, is generated inside the mind. The most natural state of mind is chaos. Without training it adequately, no one can focus longer than just a few minutes. And, as often as we leave it to do nothing, it forms patterns, such as grudges, frustrations or things which aren’t so relevant. The reason why meditation acts as a way to gain control over mental processes.

Memory
The oldest skill. It gives us the luxury to relive the experiences we once lived, or to brings things in order in our conscious. The better you are able to use it skillfully, more easy it gets to find meaning in the content of mind.

Communication
One of the way to enhance your life is through improving the quality of experience. It gives your mind a disciplined means of expression. Writing could be one of the ways and self communication brings things in order.

Job
Your job provides you an opportunity to stay in flow. Looking at it as a way to have challenges, learning and growth. Of course there are certain days when the marketplace makes it sound like a burden from external source. But one can have momentary experience of joy.

“If you are interested in something, you will focus on it, and if you focus attention on anything, it is likely that you will become interested in it. Many of the things we find interesting are not so by nature, but because we took the trouble of paying attention to them.” 
― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

awareness believe believe in yourself boost capacity building conscious consistency create deal with disappointment discoverempower engage entreprenuer fitness gratitude growth mindset happiness heal health investlifestyle changes light love manifest Mental Healthmotivation new beginning positive power preventionproblemsolving psychology punctuality quotes rise save selfcareselfgrowth selflove stay strong subconscious mind trustunwind wellness work in progress

Talking about grief

When was the last time you grieved?

Taking time to remember, because it was longer than you expected. I empathise with you on this knowing the fact that it is not easy.

You tend to hold on strong so much and for so long that you forget that it still lives within your core.

The fear of death percolates beneath the surface and often haunts you. And denial is how you cope with it.

Death is a visitor in the course of lives. Some of it is visible in physicality, such as death of a dear one, pregnancy loss or a animal. While, the other stays invisible but hurts equally, such as loss of a relationship or friendship.

Let me make you look at the other side, the good reasons you should confront death.

It is helpful for you to explore into the course and meaning of one’s own life, given the fact that the life and death are interdependent. Then why to possibly ignore it?

It helps you to learn to live well and learn to die well equally.

Gives you a scope to know your own emotions and thoughts about death.

Makes you look at everyday from a different lens. This reminds me of Steve Jobs quote – “If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you’ll be right. Every morning I looked in the mirror and asked myself: If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I do today? ”

And lastly, gives you a chance to rivet your attention upon ‘being’ itself. It is a powerful experience.

Once you delve into those realms of existence; you have a good chance to come back to the stream of life and live it.

Here is one of my favourite read – Tolstoy’s story “The Death of Ivan Ilyich.”

awareness believe believe in yourself boost capacity building conscious consistency create deal with disappointment discoverempower engage entreprenuer fitness gratitudegrowth mindset happiness heal health investlifestyle changes light love manifest Mental Healthmotivation new beginning positive power preventionproblemsolving psychology punctuality quotes rise save selfcareselfgrowth selflove stay strong subconscious mind trustunwind wellness work in progress

Stuck with the negatives?

You must be knowing that the more you repeat, the better it gets in your system and remember it for a long duration. Similarly, when you focus on the negative aspect or a thought for too long, you are rehearsing it into your system.

Studies have shown, that when you focus on the negatives for long, even when you are shown the positive aspects. You tend to feel low because you have focused on the negatives for too long.

For instance – when you get a job, you are likely to feel happy and return back to your normal state. But, if you get rejected, you are likely to feel low for a prolonged period of time and even if you happen to get a job after that rejection, the level of happiness is likely to be a little less.

Now what happens here…

Look at the two frames – the gain frame and the loss frame, using the example of a glass half full and half empty. The half full glass i.e. the gain frame is likely to make us feel happy and satisfied. While on the contrary, half empty glass i.e. loss frame is likely to make you feel gloomy and low.

Now what to do about it, rehearse on the good parts which would boost you and prevent you from drowning in the pool of miseries. What about a switch from thinking about it one way to thinking about it the other way?

It is pretty easy to tilt towards the negatives because it is so rehearsed in your system. For instance – if you get criticized by a co-worker, you will focus on it all your day and make your day clouded by those thoughts – Am I not god enough? He/she are the worst people… or the world sucks.

Try beginning that shift of you day to – what are the other things happened today? What are the things that made you feel grateful for? How can you make your evening better?

The matter is about shifting your rehearsal pattern. Focusing on the things beyond a negative pattern.

“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” –Aldous Huxley

awareness believe believe in yourself boost capacity building conscious consistency create deal with disappointment discoverempower engage entreprenuer fitness gratitudegrowth mindset happiness heal health investlifestyle changes light love manifest Mental Healthmotivation new beginning positive power preventionproblemsolving psychology punctuality quotes rise save selfcareselfgrowth selflove stay strong subconscious mind trustunwind wellness work in progress

Begin with Attention Management

You must have heard the term “pay attention” since childhood on different instances. Ever wondered – why are you so distracted? So much so that you find it hard to get yourself to focus on the work.

Often, you must have read on topics such as productivity, getting goals accomplished but often missed the essence which lies in attention management.

Attention management is a simple practice of having control over your distractions in the present, and maximising your flow to focus on your potential.

Attention is integral part of personal growth as it has a lot to determine your experiences both inside and outside your home. It helps in a great way to get you closer to accomplishing what you want for yourself. As simple as, preparing your favourite dish, requires your attention.

Attention is like muscles in your body, using them in the right way is important. It puts you in track of your time.

Practising attention consistently is a good way to work around it. As it gets you in a practised routine and get you consistent results.

While looking at the consistency, progressing in it also creates an impact. Notice the time span you are investing in maintaining your attention. No hard and fast rule. You can increase it gradually over a period of time or maintain a fixed one; whatever works for you.

When you lose your attention, noticing that very moment where you lost it, when you lost it, how you lost it, in itself helps you. Noticing and correcting your focus, can be a simple mindfulness technique which can be applied in this case.

Taking control of your attention is the beginning step which can help you to manage your attention in a long run. Take control of your life.

If you wish to read more on it, you can read Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, psychologist Daniel Goleman. He delves into the science of attention.

awareness believe believe in yourself boost capacity building conscious consistency create deal with disappointment discoverempower engage entreprenuer fitness gratitudegrowth mindset happiness heal health investlifestyle changes light love manifest Mental Healthmotivation new beginning positive power preventionproblemsolving psychology punctuality quotes rise save selfcareselfgrowth selflove stay strong subconscious mind trustunwind wellness work in progress

Cultivating Punctuality

Before beginning to work on punctuality, it is essential that you understand what is making you late. Watch yourself and your routine carefully to identify what really is making you late. DeLonzor author of Never Be Late Again says – many late people — including herself — are likely to have an aversion to leaving the house. To combat this she uses a mantra of sorts: “When I catch myself doing this, I’ll snap or clap and say ‘This can wait.”

This article is not here to make you feel bad about your lateness or to say lateness makes you the worst of all. It is just to help you to work it out, if this is one.

Firstly, If you want to begin with identifying, have a look at DeLonzor who identifies four types of persistently late people

  1. The Crisis Maker
  2. The Defier
  3. The Dreamer
  4. The Perfectionist

I am refraining to crowd this article with too much information so you can go ahead find your type.

Secondly, your motivation is with you. Find. Find Find. because it helps when you have a reason to be on time, it can be anything. I can give you an example here – Reach to work early and head home early to spend time with yourself, your family, or your pet.

Thirdly, begin with declutter. The thing is we unnecessarily clutter our lives with all things, thoughts and what not. Take an example of your cupboard, how easy it gets when you keep things in place, you find them early.

And, lastly, take responsibility. Know what makes you late, it can even be spending too much time in front of the cupboard every morning just to finalise what you’d want to wear today. Take notice of where you are investing too much time where it is not even required. Decide it the night before or wake up early.

End note – You are too amazing to put a blame on yourself for being late. Cultivate an attitude of punctuality, even if it is 10 minutes in prior.