Meditate Awake

Shawn Anchor’s work teaches us instead of working hard in order to be happy, we should cultivate happiness in our lives so that we can work more effectively. We already mentioned that happiness releases dopamine in the body, which increases happy feelings and increases the learning function of your brain. But what could this mean for your career? Well; have you stayed in the same job for years even though it makes you miserable? Do you stay because you believe that working hard and enduring everything that’s bad about it will, eventually, lead to success and happiness? If so, Anchor’s research could be the key to a new door that you’ve been waiting for. When you’re struggling through each day you are not experience those floods of dopamine which would allow you to come up with new ideas and think in innovative ways. Create success by experiencing happiness — even if that means making a bold move.

Be silly. Be playful. It will make your life better — it sounds so simple, but it’s true. Silliness is a huge factor in living well! Take Albert Einstein. One of the greatest physicists of all time; a nobel prize winner who developed the general theory of relativity. He’s known as a genius; a beacon of enlightened intelligence. But did you know that one of the most-published press photographs of Einstein (and some argue, the most famous press photo of any important public figure in the 20th century) shows him wide-eyed and sticking his tongue out. The shot was snapped by photographer Arthur Sasse after Einstein’s 72nd birthday party. And people love it — we all love it — because it’s an image of a serious, respected person not taking life too seriously.

Have you heard of somniphobia? It’s the fear of going to sleep. And it’s a genuine phobia that lots of people have — although it’s rarely discussed. Somniphobia is most common among children who develop the fear after experiencing bad dreams. They’re afraid of falling asleep because they might have another nightmare. The same is true for some adults; and this phobia is also found among people who have sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, which cause them to wake up from sleep feeling very distressed. But some people have somniphobia with no obvious cause at all. If you feel scared of going to sleep, you’re not alone. Learn more about this phobia and seek help if you need to. Researchers have found that somniphobia can be overcome with support — so you can sleep peacefully again.

DAILY INSIGHT Using simple, grounding hand positions (known as mudras) can help to calm your body and mind at any time. One mudra in particular, typical of Buddhist meditation practice, is an easy yet powerful way to relax the body and encourage peaceful contemplation. It helps the arms and shoulders to relax, which in turn tells your nervous system that all is well, and reduces the release of stress hormones. You can use it during a meditation practice, but you can also use it at your desk; on the train; or while you’re taking a moment of stillness during a busy day. DAILY ACTION With both palms facing up, place your right hand on top of the left. Rest the backs of the hands on your legs, wherever they comfortably fall, and allow the tips of the thumbs to touch one another. Focus your awareness on the hands for a few breaths and feel the flow of calm energy that passes through them.

‘Low effort syndrome’ is a term that describes an important aspect of a fixed mindset. In brief, it is the refusal to work hard and put in effort when there is the potential for a perceived failure. Making an effort to succeed makes you vulnerable; because if you don’t succeed, your flaws or limitations are there for the world to see. So people living from a fixed mindset experience low effort syndrome. They mask their low effort as a desire to have a relaxed, easy life — they say they just don’t want to have to work hard. They want to coast. But what lies beneath that is a fear of failure. In contrast, people with a growth mindset know that failing does not make them a failure, or a loser. They work, and put in effort, with an understanding that no matter the outcome of their efforts, they will learn and grow.

Working out doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. While hitting it at the gym works for some, it doesn’t suit others. But studies on the physical benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu remind us that there are always other ways to get fit. Jiu-Jitsu involves intermittent high, moderate and low intensity activity which requires serious conditioning. This grappling combat sport has been proven to build muscle strength and flexibility, lower blood pressure, improve sleep and help to manage moods and emotions. It can be particularly beneficial for men who feel an intense need to express the aggressive aspects of their physicality — and who might struggle with a variety of mental health issues without an opportunity to do so.

Have you seen the list of questions that will make you fall in love? Psychologist Arthur Aron created a list of 36 questions specifically designed to create intimacy between strangers. The questions are divided into 3 sets — with each set more personal and probing than the last. Aron and colleagues argue that by creating a sense of vulnerability for both people, these questions can stimulate feelings of love. The growing intensity of the questions reflects the way that intimate relationships develop — but by asking these questions in sequence, the experience of intimacy is speeded up. These questions may or may not help you and your potential partner — or current partner — fall deeply in love. But they make for a fun evening together either way!

How do you talk about money? Do you speak about it openly? What kind of language do you use when you talk about money — is it mostly negative, mostly positive, or balanced? As we grow up, we absorb impressions from everyone around us. And many of us integrate an understanding of money that holds us back in later life. For example, you might subconsciously learn that money is bad, or that it’s greedy to want money, or that people like you don’t earn much money. The way the adults around you talked about money when you were a kid probably still influences how you think about money today. Subtle things like secrecy between parents regarding their spending; justification of purchases; and negative phrases about money all get into our minds and stick with us. You can change the way you feel about money to welcome it into your life more easily. Start with this question: how much do you truly want to earn?

How are you feeling right now? What one word describes your emotions about the day ahead. We hope you’re feeling ready; calm; maybe even excited. But if your feelings are low or you’re anticipating challenges or anxiety today, take a moment right now to let that go. Take a deep breath in and breathe in that feeling. Breathe it deep into your body. And then hold the breath for a few seconds; holding that feeling inside. Then exhale and let that feeling go. Breathe it out. Expel all of the air from your body — and as the air leaves, so does the feeling. You can do today. You’ve got this - and we’re rooting for you.

The largest global sleep study ever undertaken included 10,000 participants aged from 18 to 100. Analyzing data from people of such different ages allowed researchers to bust a common sleep myth: that sleep is less important for your brain function as you get older. Ever heard someone say that they need less sleep than they used to because they’re over 50, or over 60? It’s not true. The study found no difference whatsoever in the effect that sleep disruption, too much sleep, or lack of sleep, had on cognitive performance across ages. Sleeping too little or sleeping too much affects the way your brain works no matter how old you are. A regular sleep routine isn’t only important for teenagers and people in their early 20s. It’s ALWAYS important.

Where are you? Notice. Notice the ground beneath your feet. The walls or the space around you. Allow your eyes to blur a little and become aware of colors and shapes within your field of vision. And then focus your eyes and notice distinct objects; notice details. Become aware of a leaf on the ground or a mark on the wall and concentrate on it for a moment. Become aware of the textures you can feel against your skin. The sounds you can hear close to you, and further away. Notice how the space around you smells — subtle scents or stronger ones. Notice your breath. The gentle movement of your spine with each inhale and exhale. You are here. You are present. Notice.

DAILY INSIGHT Earlier this week we talked about using stories, and the power of your imagination, to help you fall asleep happily. You can also use your storytelling skills to improve your state of mind at any other time. We all have stories on repeat; those negative stories that keep us small (like that story about that person who said you weren’t good at coloring in when you were 5, which irrationally reaffirms the limiting belief that you’re bad at art…etc.); and those positive stories that make us feel good. DAILY ACTION Create a new positive story for yourself today. You don’t have to wait for other people to create them for you. Start at the end: how do you want to feel? And work backwards. What would make you feel like that? What has made you feel like that in the past? How did you do that thing? What does the fact that you DID that thing prove about what you’re capable of? Write a story — either based on real life events, or completely within your imagination — that makes you feel the feelings you m

Different intensity of exercise has a different effect on the brain. Extensive research over the course of decades has shown that physical exercise causes functional and structural changes in the human brain — which massively benefit cognitive function and overall wellbeing. But a relatively new discovery by Chang and Etnier illuminates an interesting difference. High intensity exercise increases the speed of information processing — so you can absorb and interpret external input faster, in the short term. And moderate intensity exercise improves the performance of memory and cognitive flexibility; allowing you to store and recall memories more easily.

Neuroscientist and social psychologist Matthew Lieberman writes that close relationships are essential in order for a person to thrive in life. But those close relationships and intimate connections are more and more absent for many of us. 

In the words of Aristotle, “Man is by nature a social animal…anyone who either cannot lead the common life or is so self-sufficient as not to need to, and therefore does not partake of society, is either a beast or a god.” According to Lieberman, the primary purpose of the human brain is social thinking. Animals with complex social lives have the largest brains. Elephants have big brains, and we humans have the largest brain relative to body of any animal. Scientists like Lieberman argue that this is no coincidence; our brains are big because we need to connect deeply with other beings.

In the early stages of a new career, many people get stuck in a cycle of needing to gain experience, but not yet having enough experience to get the jobs or projects that will give them that experience. You can’t get the job because you don’t have the experience. But you can’t gain the experience if you don’t get the job. To counter this, talent expert Jason Shen encourages you to highlight your ability, not your experience. He argues that hiring systems that only value experience miss out on a wealth of fresh, untapped talent. He suggests expanding your search beyond the conventional channels; look for work in unlikely places. Increasingly, young and progressive companies are hiring based on portfolios rather than resumes. Because they know that experience does not always guarantee talent — but passion and solid work samples do.

What winds you up? What thought or what kind of experiences make you feel tense, stressed, frustrated or even angry? Understanding the root of intense emotions is key to managing them skillfully. You don’t have to suppress or hide your emotions. Instead, recognize their roots and allow yourself to be good at dealing with them. So today we give you this mantra: I am becoming highly skilled at managing my emotions. 

You are developing your skill every day so that you can remain steady no matter what is going on around you or within you. This skill will cultivate resilience — because you know you are capable of recovering from anything.

How’s your sleep? The hormone melatonin is naturally produced in the body as a response to darkness, and is crucial for regulating sleep. If you’re exposed to high levels of light for many hours each day — for example, if you work long hours in front of a screen or spend your evenings in a brightly lit environment — then you could become deficient in melatonin. This causes trouble getting to sleep, or disrupted sleep; and sometimes leads to chronic insomnia. The first solution is always in altering elements of your lifestyle. But if you have adjusted your light exposure and put effort into creating a healthy sleep routine but you’re still struggling to sleep, you could try taking a melatonin supplement. The hormone signals to the body that it’s time to prepare for sleep, so boosting your levels of melatonin might help you to fall asleep more easily or to stay asleep for longer.

This is a practice to share with a friend. So once you’ve tried it yourself, tag someone who you think deserves to acknowledge how brilliant they are today! Close your eyes and place your right hand on your chest. Take a few moments to notice your breath. Become aware of the way your hand rises and falls as your chest rises and falls. And then call to mind something you’ve felt proud of in the last week. It could be a small achievement or something big; something as simple as making someone smile, or something completely life changing. It doesn’t matter what the thing is. What matters is that you felt proud of yourself for doing it. Hold that feeling beneath the hand on your chest. Holding that sense of pride within your heart. Breathe with it for 30 seconds. Breathe with the knowledge that you are doing well and everything is unfolding as it should.

In an inspirational Ted Talk, psychologist Shawn Anchor suggests that we might be looking at the relationship between work and happiness the wrong way round. Most of us work with a mindset that tells us happiness will come as a result of working hard. If we put in effort we’ll find success — and then we’ll experience happiness. But Anchor argues it’s actually happiness itself that inspires productivity. Reverse the formula and seek to put the focus on the effort and not the outcome and let happiness be the by product. No expectations. Why? Because you will experience increased positive emotions because you’ve set your expectations low and allowed the result to be a curious reveal to you. Your body will more likely be flooded with a hormone called dopamine. This in turn makes you even happier — but it also turns on all the “learning centers” in your brain, which allows you to learn, adapt, and find new ways of working. So, relax and learn to love the process and let happiness find you and not the other way

As well as improving your physical health, lots of plant-based foods can also improve your mood. Bananas are rich with vitamins A, B6 and C; iron and phosphorous; and also contain the amino acid tryptophan. That combination of nutrients means that the body can easily convert tryptophan from bananas into serotonin; a hormone proven to help you feel happy. Your body struggles to produce serotonin if you’re deficient in B vitamins. So spinach and broccoli, vegetables which are both those vitamins, will help your body to process nutrients from other foods and maintain healthy levels of uplifting hormones. A single cup of cooked spinach contains almost 30% of your daily recommended B vitamins.