Brain Health – Page 3

Healthy Entrepreneurs Value Quality Sleep…

May 4, 2016 by CarolynH Leave a Comment

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Part of being fit and healthy includes the kind of sleep we are able to get each night.

Without a doubt, sleep is critical to success. It effects our executive function – the area of the brain responsible for decision making. Studies show that sleep deprived people suffer memory impairments, vision disturbances, slower reaction times and in more severe cases lack of quality sleep can even create a similar effect that being intoxicated has. It lowers the health of the immune system, raises the risk of cardio vascular disease, increases stress levels and emotional reaction.

On the other hand, quality sleep provides more energy and focus for the day – traits entrepreneurs must own and display. Healthy entrepreneurs have learned that participating in regular fitness helps them to get the kind of quality sleep they need at night in order to perform at maximum capacity with full clarity the next day. Their sleep is deeper and sounder than if they had not exercised, Like a true entrepreneur, they capitalize on that.

Healthy Entrepreneur tips to help improve sleep quality…

Caffeine can easily keep you awake at night and make it hard to fall asleep. Be aware of any products you use throughout the day that may contain caffeine – especially going into afternoon and evening hours.

Eat Early – eating large meals too close to bedtime can make it difficult to fall asleep. Eat your bigger meals earlier and enjoy a light snack in the evening. One containing protein and fat is ideal. Try and stay away from the sugar and starch. Simple carbs (sugary snacks) provide a quick burst of energy followed by a sudden crash. This disturbs the quality of sleep.

Exercise Early – Exercise revs up your metabolism causing you to have too much energy making it hard to sleep.

Avoid alcohol before retiring – Although alcohol may initially help you to fall asleep it will actually wake you up in the middle of the night. If you enjoy a glass of wine before dinner try and schedule it so that you have at least 3 hours before you’ll be retiring for the night.

Eliminate the noise and light – the optimal sleep environment is cool, dark and quiet. Avoid charging phones and other technology devices in your bedroom so you can avoid the “glow” they give off. Gadgets force our brains to stay active so if you are trying to relax you are working against yourself. Try reading a book or conversing with your partner to unwind.

Wake up with the sun. Getting sunlight to start your day is the perfect way to rest your circadian rhythm which helps to ensure that you’ll be tired at night.

Sleep deprivation has also been linked to obesity because it makes you hungrier by boosting the stimulation of the hormone ghrelin and reducing the levels of leptin (the satiety inducing hormone). It raises the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

Bottom line is sleep has a powerful effect on your well-being and success. Proper fitness and healthy nutrition help to ensure that the sleep you do get is high quality sleep.

Your brain will be refreshed and ready to tackle whatever comes its way. You’ll remain calm under pressure and your decisions will be made with clarity and decisiveness.

“Super Productivity Secrets” was written for entrepreneurs ready and willing to operate at full capacity. It is the ultimate lifestyle, fitness and success library. Discover the missing strategy that has kept you from reaching the level of success you dream about.

Filed Under: Brain Health, Exercise is Key, Nutrient Dense Eating, productivity secrets Tagged With: healthy entrepreneurs realize the value of quality sleep, sleep is important for business success

Single Tasking is Key to Super-Productivity

May 1, 2016 by CarolynH Leave a Comment

brain health Without a doubt, our lives are busier than ever. Work demands are increasing along with compounded family and personal demands.

Stress levels are at their highest and we are more exhausted than ever.

And, the worst thing of all is – we are less happy and get less done because of our chaotic, over demanding lives.

How often during the day do you hear the words “I am too busy”…or “I don’t have time?” If they don’t come out of your mouth that particular day, you hear someone else speaking them.

Our minds are on overload with information and tasks and we try and get everything done rather than just the most essential things.

ART OF FOCUS

We need to learn how to release and let go of the many mind distractions continually confronting us and re-learn the art of “focus.”

We inherently believe that we are super-multi-taskers ready and able to tackle and complete multiple tasks at once – splitting our attention and focus in many different directions. But in reality, research proves we are terrible multi-taskers and splitting our attention only weakens it much like an electric “splitter” does. This type of multi-tasking lowers IQ. You can actually lose up to 40 percent of your productivity by trying to multi-task.

Truth is, minds that are bombarded with several streams of information at once have trouble paying attention, recalling information and switching between tasks compared to those that focus and place their concentration on one thing at a time.

Super-productive does not mean tackling multiple tasks at once…it means tackling one thing at a time and succeeding and then moving onto the next.

SINGLE-TASKING

Single-tasking is the key to super-productivity. Single-tasking is exactly what it implies – focusing on one task at a time until it is done. Immersing yourself in the task at hand is what makes you productive. Giving it your full focus allows your creative juices to flow.

The equation is simple: shifting your focus from being busy to being productive.

Focus on the essential and eliminate the rest. What this does is to put your concentration firmly in the moment where action takes place. You release your anxieties and anticipations by focusing on what’s in front of you only (the essential). This places you in the “flow.”

Our attention needs to be on the 5% of tasks that improve our lives and make us money not the 95% of stuff that only steals our attention and our energy. The problem lies with the fact that most people don’t have the discipline in place to make these conscious changes.

And, that’s where fitness comes in. Increased self-discipline and the ability to focus on a single task for a long period of time is a natural result of having a fitness program firmly cemented into your life.

MENTAL BENEFITS OF BEING FIT

Fitness offers way more than making you look and feel healthier. It can also make you a lot more focused.

You’ll gain these mental benefits from regular fitness:

Increased blood flow and growth factors to your brain: improving mental cognition and focus

Creates new brain cells: continually repairing and replacing dead brain cells

Works your “attention” muscle: improves the “brain circuits” that underlie your ability to think and learn.”

Along with the above benefits, you’ll also enjoy enhanced moods, enhanced memory, impulse control and energy levels – all important factors that influence how focused you are.

Exercise increases blood pressure and blood flow everywhere in the body including the brain. More blood means more energy and oxygen making our brains perform better.

Once your focus is on what’s truly important (the essential), your productivity instantly increases. The result is a growing a thriving business to super-star levels.

“Super Productivity Secrets” is the ultimate lifestyle, fitness and success library. It was written for entrepreneurs ready and willing to operate at full capacity. Discover the missing strategy that has kept you from reaching the level of success you dream about.

Filed Under: Brain Health, Exercise is Key, productivity secrets Tagged With: mental benefits of exercise, single-tasking is key to productivity

Diligence is Key to Achieving Success in All Areas of Your Life

May 1, 2016 by CarolynH Leave a Comment

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If you look up the word “diligence” in the dictionary it is defined as:

“Careful and persistent work or effort.”

“Constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of the body or mind.”

With these definitions in mind, it is not hard to see why diligence is so important in all aspects of your life – health, nutrition, business, finance or fitness. It is one of the primary ingredients to success.

NO SHORTCUTS IN LIFE

A diligent person is one who “finds the way around obstacles” rather than giving in to defeat. Unfortunately in today’s modern society that expects and wants instant results and “quick-fixes” diligence is becoming a rare trait. If people don’t get want they want “now” they move on to something else without so much as a “fight.” Their attitude and mentality is to “put out the minimum effort yet receive maximum pay.”

Truth is, there is no shortcuts in life…if you want something bad enough it requires work, dedication and determination. You must persevere if you want to achieve.

One who is diligent in their work ethic produces quality work. They are focused in their efforts, persistent and action oriented. They are careful, attentive and productive and without a doubt will achieve the success they are after.

One of the most important benefits you’ll receive as a diligent worker actually applies directly to you. You’ll feel a personal sense of self-satisfaction – the result of doing your best.

The next time you attempt to achieve a certain goal or complete a task, give it your all. Invest all your energy and focus and adopt diligence as your “keyword.” Apply your complete energy and focus to what you have undertaken to achieve and don’t stop until you’ve finished your task fully and completely.

HARD WORK and EFFORT

For example: if one of your fitness goals is to build more muscle, know before you begin that you have hours of hard work ahead of you. One or two trips to the gym is not going to suffice. It is not a short-term goal. You’ll need to hit the gym “diligently” for months before you begin to notice the size increase on the body part you have targeted. After you have achieved your goal, you will need to continue your practice of diligence in order to maintain your goals.

The key is to be consciously aware of how much hard work it’s going to take from the moment you begin your quest. Knowing this sub-consciously does not get the job done. It must be a conscious effort…and you must accept that your goals are going to take work and lots of effort. Many people simply underestimate the amount of work that is needed before beginning or they over estimate how much work they are actually putting in.

Become diligent in your work ethic at the gym…and watch how this “attitude” spills over into other areas of your life such as business and financial success.

Diligence in any area of your life doesn’t come easily and takes time to build and develop but once it is built, this healthy attitude will serve you well in all areas of your life for years to come.

Filed Under: Brain Health, productivity secrets Tagged With: diligence in business, diligent worker, hard work and effort, the importance of diligence

Successful Entrepreneurs are Healthy Entrepreneurs…

May 1, 2016 by CarolynH 1 Comment

Entrepreneurship greatness and health go hand in hand. Each teaches a valuable lesson about the other and it’s a real shame that there are still many entrepreneurs under the impression that health is a necessary sacrifice now in order to live well later. Nothing is further from the truth.

True, entrepreneurship can make it challenging at best to stay healthy because it’s not easy to stop and set aside time from what you love doing in order to get your exercise in or take time to prepare yourself a healthy meal. But, the real truth is, “you get better at your business if you first take care of your health.”

“A fit person can function without a business, but a business cannot function without a fit owner! Not for the long haul anyway.”

Studies reveal that successful entrepreneurs are actually healthier than most people, taking responsibility and practicing self-care strategies like proper exercise, eating real foods and cultivating a healthy mindset to grow and lead their business to success.

They are fully aware that they must carve out time daily to exercise and stay strong and fit knowing that the sweat they release through determination and diligence in the gym returns with the reward of increased brain power, confidence and productivity. They know that regular exercise is the key that supercharges their efforts to execute a great business idea.

HORMONE BOOST

Exercising also releases hormones that boosts your mood, relaxes you and makes you feel confident and positive. You’ll enjoy all these business benefits (and more) when creating a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise:

Your brain is sharper, you have more clarity because your mind is cleared of junk.

You are more creative and able to follow through and stick to your plans when your brain works better.

You’ll enjoy accelerated learning and you’ll become better at problem solving and decision making.

You’ll be more dynamic and youthful and ready to conquer the world.

You’ll manage stress better and dissipate feelings of anxiety and worry before they build up and become damaging to your health.

Of course the best and single most important benefit of conducting a healthy life is that when you feel better…YOU will be happier.

Happiness on the inside helps you see the world differently – from a more healthy perspective. No longer will you see the “glass as half-empty but you’ll see it as half-full.”

In summary, muscles, bones, weight, and a disease proof body all benefit from regular physical fitness. It improves your mood, makes you sleep better, boosts your energy and improves your sex life. But the benefits don’t stop there – you’ll also enjoy key personal development benefits such as honing the mind, treating the body with respect and setting and achieving goals. All excellent attributes to cultivate.

Exercise is a habit that jump-starts positive traits and actions in other parts of your life. In the end, you would be hard pressed to find a more powerful way to boost productivity, feel better, be more energetic and live longer.

Filed Under: Brain Health, productivity secrets Tagged With: benefits of exercise, boost your hormones the natural way, healthy entrepreneur, healthy entrepreneurs, improve your mood, sleep better