BlogZynergy - Part 5

5 simple questions to find yourself again.

Have you lost yourself a little lately? Use these questions to find yourself.

Looking for yourself

We sometimes lose ourselves a bit. For example, it happened to me a few years ago when I became overwrought , but it happens to all of us from time to time:

Life is so busy that we don’t realize we are drifting away from ourselves .
We lose sight of what really makes us happy, and get carried away by things like status, money, or perfectionism .
We become overstrained or end up in a burn-out, and have (in our opinion) to completely reinvent who we are .
Someone might come into your life who won’t accept you for who you are, causing you to hide your unique qualities .
You feel insecure and feel that you are not good enough , which makes you appear different from who you are.

It’s not nice – no.

But on the other hand, once you are in this situation you will have to deal with it. It can be stressful and miserable at times – but at the same time, these kinds of periods in your life present a huge opportunity for growth and renewal .

Why? Because it forces you to reflect. It forces you to look for yourself and find yourself step by step.

And that’s exactly what we’re going to start with today.

You don’t find the same person again

This is good to realize: when you go through a rough period you change . And when you then start looking for yourself again, you can get frustrated.

Why?

You are looking for the person you were before you went through this intense period. The one you were before you got divorced, who lost a loved one, burned out or became depressed.

It is important to realize that you will not find your old self again .

When you start looking for yourself you will end up with a new version of yourself . A little wiser, with new priorities, perhaps a new motivation – a new view of the world and life.

The old you is gone. You are now looking for a new you .

Sometimes that may feel difficult, because you just want to get back to “your old self” quickly. But at the same time it is a sign of growth. Growth is often uncomfortable – but when we look back, it almost always proves worth it.

I also wanted to quickly return to the Danny that I was before I became overwrought. But I soon learned that while my perfectionism dance itself felt comfortable because I was used to it – it also made me feel stressed and frustrated .

So going back to who I was turned out not to be an option. That old version of myself is gone.

So good to remember when looking for yourself.

Get started with the questions

Below I have listed a number of simple questions for you that can help you find yourself again .

Take a sheet of paper and go through the questions. If you prefer to type, that is also possible. Answer them honestly and comprehensively .

Take your time and calmly come back to it later. Let’s start!

1. What do you want?

Sounds like a simple question – but let it sink in.

What does your ideal life look like?
What does a day in this life look like? How do you want to spend your time?
Which people do you want to be with?
Where do you want to be?
What would you like to experience more of in your life?
What experiences do you want to have?
What feelings do you want to experience?
Etc.

Start writing and just throw it out. You can always adjust it later. What do you want? What would make you happy?

2. What do you not want (anymore)?

Time to get negative. What don’t you want?

What do you want to experience less of in your life?
What things cost you a lot of energy right now?
What makes you unhappy now?
What makes you negative?

Draw a picture of the things in your life that are dragging you down.

3. What are you good at?

What are your natural talents? What are you normally good at?

What talents did you have as a child?
What can you usually do better than others?
What skills have you developed?
Also consult with a number of loved ones and/or colleagues to better answer this question.

In general, we feel happier when we do more things that come naturally to us .

4. What do you like?

What interests you? What do you like?

What makes you happy?
What activities or subjects are you naturally drawn to?
What things did you like to do as a child?

We lose ourselves when we lose sight of what brings us joy . For example, we lose ourselves in work, upbringing, money matters, etc. And we completely forget how happy we become from nature walks, an evening of dancing, jumping on trampolines or reading bad novels.

We sometimes forget that life can’t just be “useful” and productive . We should also play and do things purely because we like them .

5. What would you do if you could choose freely?

This is an exercise that will help you let go of all limitations. Instead of thinking within the framework of your current life, you let everything go.

What would you do with your life if you could choose completely free now?

If time wasn’t an issue;
If your location was free to choose;
If you could decide for yourself which people you would like to live with;
If you don’t have to think about money;
Etc.

Really put yourself in this picture. Maybe now you think all you want to do is sleep on a luxury yacht somewhere in the Caribbean. But think further – what are you going to do with your life when you’re rested after a week of recovery?

What do you want to use your life for? How would you spend your time?

This exercise helps to break free from your limiting thoughts and to dare to dream .

You Can Do it - Simple Inspire and Motivational Quote. Hand Drawn Beautiful Lettering. Stock Vector - Illustration of poster, original: 123734098

Find yourself in small steps

By answering the above questions honestly and attentively, everything starts to move. While filling in, but also in the weeks that follow.

It may sound a bit too simple, but most people never bother to think about these simple questions.

They linger in the victim role and focus their attention on the struggle, without taking steps to lift themselves out of the situation.

And it is understandable. Because it’s comfortable in the victim role. Really looking for yourself is sometimes uncomfortable – but it’s worth it.

I hope to have shown you how you can get to answers faster so that you quickly experience more direction, meaning and satisfaction in your life.

The most important thing is that you just get started . Finding yourself takes time. And the sooner you start (seriously), the sooner you will feel strong and confident again. Success in finding your new you !!

21 small positive things you want to do more often

You can get everything done in small steps. Do you want to experience more happiness and positivity? These are 21 small positive things you want to do more often. Start changing your mindset to positivity and continue reading this blog.

Be Positive: Good Things are Going to Happen | Book by IglooBooks | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster

These are 21 little positive things

Small steps often have a big impact. Discover 21 little positive things you want to do more often. Which of these steps will you take today?

Touch what makes you happy . Stop for a moment and become aware of the world around you. What are you grateful for right now? For example, when I’m on the train, I look around and just feel grateful for this simple moment.
Telling your loved ones that you love them . You assume they know . But it is valuable and important to keep saying it – especially to your partner and your children. I tell Billy and Jake that I love them several times a week, and I think it makes us all happier.
Catching a Negative Thought . Notice that you are driving yourself crazy with negative thoughts. Noticing it stops the spiral and allows you to shift your attention.
Take a deep breath . Relax, inhale slowly and let the tension dissipate as you exhale. Pretty nice.
To serve another . Not because the other person asks you to, but because you want it yourself. Get a cup of coffee, clean up, arrange something, make life a little easier for someone else.
Do something nice anonymously . Such as straightening a fallen bicycle, cleaning up litter, making a donation or sending a present to someone who can use it.
Make new memories with loved ones . You don’t need a special reason to get your loved ones together and do something fun. Organize a dinner at home, a trip or throw a party. Making beautiful new memories together is a great way to make a lot of lives better.
Sit down and describe your dream life . What would you like your life to look like? Often when we describe our dream life we come to the conclusion that many parts are easier to reach than we think. Such as being healthier (eating better and exercising more), being calmer ( meditating more often ) or doing more fun things (better planning).
Take a small step towards a big dream . You can achieve everything in small steps, even your biggest dreams. And taking that first step is incredibly fun and exciting.
Ask yourself: How can I contribute? If you wanted to use your life to make the lives of others better – what could you do with your talents and interests? By asking yourself this question, you make room for new, inspiring answers.
Give yourself something to look forward to . Book a trip for a few months from now, reserve a ticket for a great show, plan a dinner with a friend. By sprinkling fun things through your year, you lighten up the challenges of everyday life.
Make yourself a healthy meal . Taking good care of yourself is a matter of making healthy choices every time. Don’t worry about the big picture, just opt for a healthy meal now.
Give away something you don’t use . With less unnecessary stuff you make your life lighter and easier. What stuff can you miss?
Read a chapter in a book that will help you move forward . A book that helps you with inspiration, skills or personal growth.
Schedule a moment for complete relaxation . If you don’t plan it, it won’t happen or you’ll feel guilty. Plan a moment for relaxation and lounging – because in a busy life, such moments rarely arise automatically.
Take a step towards a more sustainable lifestyle . What area of your life could you tackle? Maybe switch to ecological cleaning products, replace your meat with tempeh, separate an extra waste stream or request a quote for solar panels. The transition to sustainability consists of a lot of steps that we take together, and you can come one step closer today.
Go out without a smartphone . Even if it’s only an hour. Can’t make it happen? Then put it on silent so you don’t get distracted.
Start a chat with someone nearby . Not only is it nice to know your neighbors, it also gives a sense of trust and security for both you and your neighbors. By investing in your neighborhood you feel more deeply rooted, more at ease and less lonely in your living environment. And that’s more important than most people think.
Take the trouble to make it a little more fun . Light a candle, get special tea at home, crank up your record player. With a little extra effort, you can make a simple moment warmer.
Be happy first . In India people frequently use the following statement; Just be happy . In the West we often think the other way around: first everything has to be perfect and then I’m happy . But you can choose to feel happy. For example, by focusing on gratitude and relaxation. From that basis you can then take steps to solve your problems.
Take the time to meditate . Life is a pancake – that’s what you start to see when you meditate regularly. You discover that you are causing the drama yourself by taking your thoughts so seriously. Meditating is a small, positive step that will help you activate a powerful upward spiral in your life.

10 Positive Things You Should Say To Your Children

I really hope the above stated point will help you now to become happy and that you are motivated to transform your mind step by step. Remember small steps often have BIG IMPACT.

Fifteen Choices You Will Regret In 10+5 Years

Regret is not nice. But luckily you have enough time to avoid that feeling. Here are 15 choices you’ll regret in 15 years. My choices may not be equal with your choices. Anyway let us move further. Read further. Thanks in advanced for reading this blog as well.

Effective time management requires making wise choices. - Taylor in Time

1. Pretending to be different from who you are

Living with a mask is exhausting. And I would say that living with a mask means that you are not really alive .

You can only fully enjoy your life if you can really be yourself. Learn to accept yourself as you are. Self-acceptance is one of the most valuable things you can do for yourself.

2. Taking your health for granted

Many people take their health for granted until they get sick . But that’s a risky strategy, as poor health can drastically lower your quality of life.

Your health belongs in your top 3 priorities in life . Because, after all, it is your body that makes this life possible in the first place.

3. Spend all your money

Most people go through an endless cycle that creates a full house and an empty feeling inside . They always pin their hopes on the next purchase. But if it turns out that that new smartphone does not provide lasting happiness, they look for the next.

In 15 years you won’t be thinking about all that stuff. However , your life would be better off with a financial buffer . Such a buffer provides peace of mind, resilience and freedom.

With every euro you save, you are doing your future self a favor . Of course you also want to enjoy now. But don’t forget that working towards a better future also brings you a lot of satisfaction.

4. Thinking too much about yourself

The better you can relate to others, the smoother your relationships will be. And your relationships are a huge factor in your happiness in life.

Work on your empathy. Be kind and considerate to others . Not only do you become a light for your environment. It also brings a lot of satisfaction in the end. Plus, your environment is likely to get better for you too. Nice bonus.

The Importance of Creative Thinking Skills in Our Life

5. Let others determine your dreams for you

If I hadn’t fought for my own choices, I’d probably be working at an advertising agency right now with an empty feeling inside.

The beaten paths are the easiest paths to walk . But not necessarily the prettiest. When I drive to France I avoid the highways to enjoy all the beautiful villages. You can do that in your life too.

Avoid the boring highways and choose your own path. This is your life and you only get it once. Whatever others think, you decide for yourself how you organize this life.

6. Trying to control everything

As a control freak, you feel like you can get a handle on almost anything, and that’s a good thing . In reality you are wasting a lot of energy on an impossible battle.

Not only would life be boring if you could control everything. It is also simply impossible.

Be a little looser, and just dare to let life unfold . Of course you want to prepare. But you don’t want to manipulate and force. Things don’t always go your way, and that’s fine.

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7. Not daring to grow

You will find the most satisfaction in growing from within. By letting go of your fears, throwing unnecessary beliefs overboard, challenging yourself and getting out of your comfort zone.

But that is also scary from time to time .

However, don’t let that stop you from growing. A life that revolves around comfort and safety is fine, but not great. You have to keep growing if you want to wake up every day with a feeling of happiness, gratitude and joy.

8. Postpone Your Happiness

Get happy first, then go and achieve all those goals. Not the other way around.

If you keep postponing your happiness , you will never experience it. Think of happiness more as health. An aspect of your life that deserves attention every day. And as soon as you have too little of it, your quality of life decreases.

A happy foundation ensures that you can achieve your goals . And that ultimately ensures that you experience satisfaction . So be happy first, then the rest will follow.

9. Wasting your time on things that make you feel empty

There are more and more ways to have fun without experiencing satisfaction. Series on Netflix, great video games, TV, movies, outings.

Sometimes it seems that entertainment is one of the most important things in our lives. While in reality it is no more than a means to entertain you.

Optimize your life for satisfaction – not pleasure . Fun is important. But if it leaves you with an empty feeling, it won’t do you any good.

10. Not Spending Enough Time With Your Loved Ones

In 15 years, all the people you love will be 15 years older. Realize that you can not push working on relationships to the future .

Your relationships belong in your top 3 priorities. By giving all your attention to your work and neglecting your relationships, you end up selling yourself short. Especially when it comes to children. Because in 15 years they will no longer be children. If you want to enjoy their childhood, do it now.

11. Always live in the future or the past

If you are constantly lost in thought, your life will fly by. Why? Because then you never live in the moment. And the now is where life takes place.

The future and the past only exist in your head. They are memories and projections that do not exist . The only thing that is true is what is there now.

Mindfulness helps you experience your life on a deeper level. To really enjoy the moment. Because the more you live in your head, the faster you run through your life. And if we learn one thing from old people, it’s that life moves so fast .

Mindfulness helps you bring your life back to a more comfortable pace. While enjoying more at the same time.

12. Taking your life so seriously it makes you stressed

A lot of things are important. But few things are important enough to feel stressed about. Dare to put things in perspective a bit .

Focus your attention on contributing to the world in a way that makes you happy. But also learn to put everything in perspective. Grow old with smile lines, not worry lines.

13. Running after the money

Money is a great tool. But it is a very weak means of generating satisfaction.

So see and use money for what it is. A means to optimize your life for freedom, happiness and meaning. But don’t see money as an end in itself . Because that mainly means that you invest a lot of time and energy in a dead end street.

If you find that your relationships, your sense of meaning and your health are giving way to your quest for more money and status – then it is definitely time to make adjustments.

14. Missing the beauty in ugliness

Everything has beauty, if you are willing to see it. Normally we filter the world on very narrow criteria. What we consider ‘beautiful’ must meet very specific requirements. But these criteria can be stretched.

Why would you do that? Easy. The more beauty you see around you, the more beautiful the world becomes . You can learn to enjoy the full spectrum of being human on this planet.

Joy, love and fun are beautiful. But sadness, hatred and fear can also be beautiful. A blooming flower can be as disarming as the flower giving itself back to Earth.

Failure can contain as much beauty as success. And a funeral can be just as beautiful as a birth.

15. Constantly judging people and events

Judgment cramps everything and everyone. The more strongly you judge people, the less the people around you dare to be themselves in your presence .

And the more you judge yourself, the smaller you make yourself.

Try Acceptance . Accept yourself, accept people around you, accept the events in your life. Notice how much peace, freedom and love this can bring. It makes your life easier, less cramped and more fluid.

And you know – you will certainly not regret more freedom, peace and love in 15 years. †

Here are my 11 ways to reduce stress right now…

You naturally want to avoid and prevent stress as much as possible. Doesn’t work? Then here are 11 ways to reduce stress right now. Read it !! Breathe In, Breathe Out…… Remember we are living in a world where you can not avoid getting stressed. Everyone is struggling even me, but don’t give up the stress fight.

The Unstress Course is Now Open for Enrollment (but Closes on Monday)

This is how you reduce stress

Stress makes no one happier. Among other things, stress causes you to become irritated quickly, sleep badly and enjoy yourself less. Due to increasing fatigue, the frustrations continue to rise and your stress level continues to rise .

The solution is of course obvious: tackling the cause or causes of the stress you are experiencing. Sometimes, however, that does not work one-two-three. For example, financial problems are not easily solved, it takes time to process a breakup and caring for a sick family member can cause a lot of worries.

However, there are also ways to directly reduce stress in those situations. This way you can relax better, you are less likely to become overstimulated and you make yourself more resilient.

1. Write down what you are grateful for

Especially when you experience a lot of negative stress, it is sometimes difficult to think positively. You soon end up in a negative spiral, which only causes you more stress.

Looking for positivity can help you get out of that negative spiral. After all, there is always something to be thankful for. Think about it and write it down – make a gratitude list.

To reduce stress, I write down three things in a book every night that I am grateful for that day. The sun that unexpectedly broke through, for example; A nice offer in the supermarket that saved you some money can also do something.

It’s the little things that do it. And by writing them down, you become aware that there is quite a lot to be thankful for. That makes you happier and that in turn has a positive effect on your stress level.

2. Move more

When you are stressed, you tend to worry a lot. At least I do. Grind, grind and grind again. What helps? Clearing my head by moving.

Exercise has of course many benefits, including reducing stress. Movement inhibits the production of cortisol (the stress hormone) and promotes the production of endorphins (the happiness hormone). No wonder I feel reborn after a run.

3. Go outside

However, the latter is also due to the fresh air outside. Not only because fresh air gives you a boost, but also because nature has a relaxing effect. The sound of leaves rustling in the wind, the warmth of the sun on your face, and even the feeling of raindrops falling in your hair can help ease your stress.

4. Wash off the stress

Walking in the rain is probably nobody’s biggest hobby, but washing your worries away can be healing.

A nice shower or a relaxing bath can therefore also help to reduce stress. Especially when you close your eyes and visualize that all your worries disappear down the shower drain.

5. Reducing Stress By Meditating

There are many more visualizations and meditations that produce the same effect. My favorite is a body scan, in which I consciously tense and relax every part of my body with my eyes closed. On the Internet you will find a number of nice meditations that will immediately help you to reduce stress.

Just close your eyes for a few minutes and follow your breathing – this is often enough to feel more relaxed. Slow down and do nothing but be.

6. Do something creative

Is meditation not for you? Perhaps you can lose yourself in a creative activity. For example, crocheting, crafting or assembling something can be very relaxing.

An adult coloring book helps me personally: for a while all I have to worry about is coloring within the lines. It can be that simple.

7. Cleaning up your house

Cleaning up works a bit the same for me: it’s simple, it yields something and I hardly have to think about it.

An additional advantage is that a tidy house helps to reduce stress. After all, your head is already full and chaotic enough when you’re stressed, so a cluttered environment is counterproductive. When you tidy up, you create peace in your environment and therefore also in your head.

8. Do something you’ve been dreading for a long time

There are even more ways to immediately create more space in your head. Those tasks that you keep putting off because you don’t like them so much take up space in your head. Check one off and you have one less thing to worry about.

9. Write off you

You can write off all those other things. Get the worrying thoughts out of your head and put them on paper. This way you don’t have to store them all mentally and you create space in your head again.

Just writing off everything you want to lose can sometimes be a huge relief. However, it also ensures that you have a clear overview of what is going on. By writing down everything you worry about, you may get helpful insights that you can use to move on.

10. Reducing Stress By Sleeping Well

If not, at least you’ve vented your heart and cleared your head. This often helps, especially when you can’t sleep because you keep worrying. Still, a good night’s sleep is very important to reduce stress. Without sleep you cannot recover and the tensions only increase.

So also use something like writing down all your worrying thoughts or a meditation to calm yourself before going to sleep. And go to bed on time.

No matter how busy you are, always make time for enough sleep. Without a good night’s sleep, you are much more susceptible to stress and you soon end up in a vicious circle of stress, lack of sleep and even more stress.

11. Make physical contact

Whether you sleep alone or with a partner: physical contact also helps to reduce stress. For example, if you give your partner or a friend a hug, your body produces the hormone oxytocin. This so-called cuddle hormone gives you a sense of trust and connection and reduces your stress level. Are you both stressed out? A firm hug does wonders.

Reduce stress step by step

Stress sucks the happiness out of your day. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to quickly experience less stress.

Always busy – how do you find peace in the chaos?

Do you feel like you always have to keep busy? That you always have to do something useful? And do you crave silence and some inner peace? Good plan, let’s see.

We live in a rainbow of chaos." -Cezanne | Rainbow, Rainbow card, Succulent tattoo

Always wanting to do something useful

I know how it feels, believe me. Living with the idea that you’d better do something useful. That you’d better finish one more task, take on one more project, and make one more change. Because when that task is done you can finally rest .

The problem with this, of course, is that this is rarely true. Yes – when you have completed all those tasks you should be able to rest. But you don’t. Because you are used to just moving on to the next task.

I hear this very often from people who like to work effectively: they have a hard time relaxing. They always want to do something useful. It feels impossible to just relax on the couch for an hour. Because you might as well pick up the vacuum cleaner, scrub the toilet or drive to the hardware store to finally get that one skirting board.

But you can’t go on forever

At least – it is possible. And there are many people who do it. But as far as I’m concerned, these are not always the examples you would like to aspire to. Because in a society in which so many people feel constantly stressed and overwhelmed, get stressed or even end up in a burnout, it is wise to question what we consider ‘normal’.

And of course it depends on your character. Because there are people who keep busy without any problems, and wouldn’t want it any other way. And if you feel happy and happy – why change it?

But if you feel like you should be doing useful things when you really don’t feel like it , it’s interesting to see if you can adjust something.

Rest is useful

Of course you already knew this, but we seem to forget it so often. Almost all of us believe that happiness, tranquility and contentment lie hidden in the future . And that we can experience it by doing and changing things .

When I finish this project I can finally rest.
If I earn this amount I will be happy.
As soon as I don’t have to do this anymore, I’m happy.

And if you really believe this, it makes sense that you will always be busy. Because we all want to feel happy and calm, so we do whatever it takes to make that happen.

But in this quest for future happiness, we lose sight of the fact that this seductive story is not true. And it doesn’t make sense for a few reasons:

The future only exists in our minds, happiness cannot happen in the future.
There is always only now, so you can only experience happiness in the moment.
By pushing your happiness forward, you feel constantly dissatisfied in the moment, and you are endlessly working on solving that dissatisfaction so that you can be happy in the future. And that brings you back to point 1.

This is the rat race . Constantly working harder and harder to be happy in the future . While in the meantime you always feel a bit dissatisfied, tense and overwhelmed.

Rest, lounging, expecting nothing from yourself – these things are a cure for the endless cycle. Doing nothing is more useful than it seems.

7 Surprising Reasons You Keep Creating Chaos - | Live a Life You Love

Ways to weave doing nothing into your life

All nice. But if you are one of those people who prefers to be always busy with useful things, how do you weave this kind of tranquility into your life? How can you make more room for rest, without the unrest that you experience because you do nothing useful for a while?

Simple: you plant the uselessness in .

it is not that hard. You grab your agenda and choose a moment when you do ‘nothing’ for at least an hour. For example, a moment when you take a nap without feeling guilty. Or on which you take a walk while your smartphone is allowed to take a nap at home.

You organize small moments of peace and freedom in your week, and you challenge yourself to really lounge around and expect nothing of yourself .

And the crazy thing is, it can feel particularly useful. After all, you stick to your schedule and you help to keep yourself mentally healthy. Pretty nice.

you are not a robot

Exactly – this is the gist of the story. You are not a robot. You are human. Many people are trying to become more and more like robots – more and more productive, more and more efficient. But this is getting less interesting by the day.

Why? The more real artificial intelligence is incorporated in our lives, the more clearly we see that it is not so interesting to live as if you were a machine.

Always keep the machines running. That’s what they are made for. You thrive when you occasionally take the time to do nothing at all. If you give yourself the space to not be busy for a while .

Go for a walk for a few hours.
Visit family without expecting anything.
Walk around aimlessly and pet a dog or watch the ducks.
Sit down in a coffee shop with a nice book.
Give yourself an afternoon off.

Inhale deeply and exhale slowly . Happiness can only be experienced in this moment. Not later, not tomorrow – now. Don’t keep running endlessly. Make room for appreciation for your life as it is now. Even if your life isn’t perfect right now.

Because that is ultimately all that needs to be done. If you can be content with this moment, then you are happy. Then you’re done. Then you can finally relax. Give it a try – it’s quite nice.

Find more time for yourself

Finding time for yourself is challenging sometimes. Maybe because you have a busy life, maybe because you feel guilty or feel you don’t deserve it.

Getting Overstimulated in a Busy World – Here’s What You Can Do

Do you often feel overstimulated? You are not alone. Fortunately, there are a lot of things you can do when you get overstimulated. Let’s see.

Tips to finding calmness in a busy world | Elmastudio

That’s how you get overstimulated

In a world where we have to be reachable at all times, overstimulation is lurking. Of course, being connected online has its advantages, but it can also be very tiring.

After all, you are expected to always have your phone on. Who knows, you might even wear a smartwatch , so you can feel social media notifications coming in when your phone is a few meters away.

And forgetting a birthday is no longer allowed, because your digital agenda reminds you of everything, right? And if you don’t post anything on Instagram for a few days, the concerned messages pour in: “Is everything okay?”

We live in a busy world

We live in a busy city or in a lively residential area. It is teeming with cars, cyclists and children playing. But also the screaming advertising. Everywhere something can be seen or heard. Because are you already following that one YouTube account? And do you listen to that inspiring podcast? “You can do that while walking or folding the laundry, you know!”

It is therefore not surprising if it sometimes becomes too much for you. That you would like to put the world on pause and hide in a quiet corner. Your brain has to process so many stimuli at the same time that it becomes exhausted. And so are you.

Do you find yourself getting overstimulated? Then switch back in time. Slow down, avoid unnecessary stimuli and give your brain a rest.

How? Below are things you can do when overstimulation is lurking.

1. Stop Multitasking

Multitasking obviously seems to be the solution for our busy lifestyle, but the question is whether it really benefits you. You lack focus, you inhibit your productivity and you receive twice as many stimuli at the same time.

If you become overstimulated , stopping multitasking is one of the first things you can do to relax. So don’t fold the laundry and listen to a podcast at the same time. Don’t answer apps while you’re cooking.

Do one thing at a time. That will take some getting used to. Suddenly you are much more focused on a task and you notice things that you have never noticed before. You can feel the different textures of the laundry you fold. You smell the scents of the food you make.

Single-tasking provides peace of mind – quite nice.

2. Relax in nature

Go into nature to switch off completely. Preferably without podcast or music in your ears. There is always a piece of nature to be found somewhere nearby. Drive, bike or walk there, turn off the notifications on your phone and walk, run or sit.

It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you are aware of the nature around you. From the smell of the trees, the sound of chirping birds and the feeling of the fresh wind or the warm sunbeams on your skin.

A natural environment has a calming effect – especially if you don’t lose your attention in your smartphone and all the notifications.

5 One Minute Zen Practices for Life in a Busy World

3. Turn off notifications on your phone

Speaking of turning off notifications: you can also turn them off at other times. Just, during the day. Those reports that are pouring in in the meantime? You can watch it when it suits you. Your phone does not determine your schedule, you determine it.

The Ultimate Guide to Turning Off Notifications When Screen Mirroring — iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Chrome OS

If people really need you, they just call. By saving up viewing your notifications , you can be more in the here and now with your attention at other times.

4. Limit your screen time

There are things you can do to limit your screen time. For example, you can set a limit for the daily use of certain apps or you can indicate that your phone no longer displays notifications between certain times.

My phone jumps to do not disturb at 9pm in the evening. No more apps or other notifications coming in. If I really need to do something on my phone, I can, but scrolling through Instagram for a while (read: always way too long) is a lot less attractive.

The result: I go to bed earlier or grab a book. A lot less stimulation, and that’s exactly what I need before going to sleep.

5. Schedule free space in your calendar

One swears by an overcrowded agenda and the other gets anxious at the sight of multiple appointments in the weekend. Do you – like me – belong to the latter group? Then make conscious choices.

How much screen time should students have? - Hapara

Don’t overcrowd your days. Slide appointments to suit you better. After all, you know that you don’t get any more fun when you get overstimulated. You sleep worse, become crankier and concentrate less well. It’s no use to anyone.

Make sure you have enough free space in your agenda. Space to do what you like and what calms you down.

The best way for me to avoid being overstimulated is to go for a run. If I do that on time, then you can do it with music. But without notifications. Just feel the music, nature and my footsteps that I put on the ground.

Let me and my team know if you like this blog. See you soon again.

Getting Out of Your Head – 3 Ridiculously Simple Techniques

Do you live in your head a lot? Don’t worry – you’re not alone. These 3 techniques will help you get out of your head quickly.

The Safety Box - How are you progressing? | Facebook

Get out of your head and live in the moment

The better you manage to live in the moment, the calmer your life becomes. Getting out of your head sometimes feels challenging, especially if you’re used to being lost in thought all day.

But don’t worry, there are all kinds of really simple things you can do to get out of your head quickly.

We don’t need to make it harder (or more spiritual) than it needs to be. These are three effective and ridiculously simple techniques for getting out of your head quickly with little effort.

1. Doing nothing for a few minutes

This is the most difficult exercise and at the same time the most interesting.

Turn off distractions (phone on do not disturb , laptop closed, TV off) and sit somewhere. Then set a timer of, for example, five minutes (you can build it up slowly).

What you’re going to do now is nothing .

Do not meditate . Don’t repeat the mantra. Don’t think or plan. Don’t even adjust your breathing. Just being in space and observing what happens.

What you will notice is that everything happens after a few seconds. Mainly in your head. The more restless you are in your upstairs room right now, the more aggressive the thoughts will become.

You will probably see these kinds of thoughts fluttering around:

This is boring.
I do not want this.
This is painful.
This is uncomfortable.
I want to do something fun.
I want distraction.

Next, you will find that your attention is sucked back into your head:

“I’m hungry. What are we going to eat tonight? I still have some broccoli. What can I do with that? I’m not in the mood for curry. But I don’t feel like shopping either. I also have to think about the groceries for the party next week. How many people will come? I wonder how Maaike is. Maybe I should text her. Yes, I’m going to app. Oh no, I was doing that exercise. Oh shit, I’m in my head again. Okay.”

And you’re back in the moment. Welcome!

Doing nothing is extremely challenging . And by experiencing that regularly, you become much more aware of the noise in your head. This quickly makes it easier to observe your thoughts and live in your head less often.

2. Focus your attention on something very physical

Sometimes we are struck by a thought attack . You get stuck in a complicated vortex of thoughts, and it feels impossible to get out of your head.

Moments like these often arise when you’re trying to sleep, when your brain prefers to deal with all the worries and fears about the future.

What can you do to get out of your head at times like this? I often use this trick when I’m in bed: I shift my attention to the feel of the sheets on my skin .

Shifting your attention to a physical sensation can help you get out of your head quickly and effectively. Perfect for those times when you seem stuck in a spiral of negativity.

How it works? Simple: I admit that I am stuck in a spiral of thoughts. I decide to turn my attention to the sensation of the sheets on my skin. For example, I move my arm or legs, and observe very closely how this feels. Then, when I get sucked into my head again (and I notice this), I return my attention to the sheets.

After a few times my brain starts to calm down and I manage to get out of my head and fall asleep.

You can also do this in other ways:

The feeling of your feet on the ground.
The sensation of your buttocks pressing against the seat, or your back against the backrest.
The feeling of ‘heaviness’, experiencing how the earth pulls your body towards itself.
Rub your hands over your book.
The feeling of running water over your back or hands.

The sharper you focus, the better it will be to get out of your head. The more often you do it, the easier it becomes to stay out of your mind.

3. Use your body

This technique works perfectly if, for example, you’ve been working on your head all day. You can’t seem to leave work at work, or you find yourself just lingering on recurring thoughts.

In such a case, use your body to get out of your head . Not by focusing on one sensation as above, but above all by letting the movement dominate .

For example, many people see running as a form of meditation because it helps them get out of their heads. Exercise, hiking, biking, and yoga are great ways to get out of your head. But also active play – such as frolicking, playing tag, playing football or throwing – helps you to get out of your head.

In addition, other physical activities are very effective. Have you been in your head all afternoon? Go sweep the garden, clean up the room, grab the vacuum cleaner, take away the empty bottles or scrub the kitchen. Simple, physical activities help you get out of your head quickly and easily.

Step out of your head and move on !!!

Being in your head… being out of your head… choose one

These 4 techniques will help you overcome your procrastination

Do you want to overcome your procrastination? You can quickly reduce your procrastination with these techniques.

What Is PROCRASTINATION and How Can You Overcome It?

Overcome procrastination in small steps

Procrastination is no stranger to me. I’ve had periods when I struggled a lot with it and literally could n’t get anything of value out of my hands for weeks.

And then there are the periods when I mess up a bit. I do the things that need to be done, but procrastinate on projects that are important to me but not urgent .

When I struggle with procrastination, perfectionism is invariably the culprit. I make the projects way too big in my head , so I get overwhelmed, restless and don’t know where to start.

Fortunately, I now understand exactly how this works, and I have all kinds of handles that help me overcome my procrastination in such a moment. It’s a mental game that you can win by taking the right steps.

Below are 4 techniques that can help you overcome your procrastination.

1. Know what your next step will be

We can get everything done in small steps. The challenge is often not in performing the tasks. Because the tasks are simply actions we perform:

typing an email
paint wall
make a phone call
Look up information
Paragraph typing
Etc.

The challenge lies in determining what is most important now . “What should I do now? What is my next task?”

Clarity will help you overcome your procrastination . Because when you know what you have to do, you not only experience less unrest and stress, you also struggle less with procrastination.

Your brain then no longer thinks: “Pfff, what a lot of work, I don’t know where to start!” – it thinks: “Oh, make a call, I can do that!”

Ten minutes of planning is often enough to get ahead . Take a step back and ask yourself, “What’s most important right now?” Once you know what to do, you define a manageable task. Then you can get started without procrastinating.

2. Lighten up your day

In the same vein: the more you have to do, the more likely you are to procrastinate . Why? Because your brain gets overwhelmed. It often doesn’t feel motivating to take part in a match that you have already lost .

And this again hooks into planning: you have to make those decisions . We often don’t feel like planning because it sometimes feels difficult . We have to make choices, often based on too little information.

But if we don’t make those choices, everything seems equally important and way too many tasks end up on our to-do list.

Ask yourself, “What 2-3 tasks do I need to complete today to feel successful and satisfied at the end of the day?”

Write down those few important tasks and make sure you can complete them. Give yourself a competition you can win – it will help you overcome your procrastination.

3. Work task by task to overcome procrastination

Once you’ve determined what’s important (and what isn’t), you can get started.

Select your task
Turn off distractions
Start your task
Continue until your task is completed

And most importantly, keep your focus on that one task you’ve selected .

By taking the time to plan, you can rest assured that you’re doing exactly what you need to do . So you can put your thoughts on other tasks and projects aside for now .

That gives you peace of mind, reduces stress and helps you overcome your procrastination with less effort.

4. Avoid Your Known Pitfalls to Overcome Procrastination

I know: if I turn on YouTube during lunch, I will procrastinate. Then I watch a few movies, and I keep watching – even after I’ve finished eating.

So? So I won’t start.

The same goes for other distracting activities, such as social media apps, checking the news or playing video games. Once I start, it’s not easy to get out .

You probably have an idea of your common pitfalls. If you want to overcome your procrastination, you can choose not to start in advance . That choice is often easier than fighting yourself out once you’re in it.

Put your smartphone in a different room, change your environment or switch off the internet if you have to. Avoid falling into familiar pitfalls – it can often save you a mountain of procrastination.

Please Read:

What is procrastination

Trust yourself when you don’t know anymore

It’s nice if you have a purpose and a plan in your life. But what if you lose your direction and get lost along the way? Do not panic! Trust yourself. Your inner compass shows you the way.

Saranya - Trust yourself 💞 Do you? Trusting yourself is... | Facebook

Missing a turn is not a disaster

If you’ve ever got lost – in a strange city, dense forest or driving on remote mountain roads – you probably recognize the slight panic. A feeling that slowly turns into fear and doubt.

At first you think: “I missed a turn somewhere – I’ll find my way back in no time” . Then you find yourself moving in circles and you start to doubt yourself. Finally, ask a random passerby for directions to get back on the familiar path as quickly as possible.

If this sounds familiar to you, then you also know that eventually you will always find your way back. How? By looking around you and trusting in yourself. That’s how you get there. Even if you have to take a detour first. That detour often takes you to unexpectedly beautiful places.

You can also get lost in your own life

This does not only apply to walks, bike rides – or car trips where your navigation suddenly no longer has range. You can also get lost in your own life. Because you doubt your own talents, for example. Or because you don’t know what you want to do with the rest of your life.

In short, you no longer see the forest for the trees. This makes it feel like you have lost your sense of direction and are walking in circles. About 5 years ago a reorganization at work made me overwhelmed and I also felt lost. Suddenly the path I had mapped out for myself was no longer correct.

The result? Discomfort and doubt. Not a nice feeling. I wanted to get rid of that as soon as possible. But how? In any case, don’t just keep going. If you’re lost, the best thing you can do is stop and look around.

Look for signposts

When you feel lost, you often start to worry. Or you tend to escape from that chaos by endlessly scrolling on your phone. Makes sense, but it doesn’t help. Try to stay in the here and now. Get out of your head . Take a few deep breaths and trust your inner compass.

Look for the signposts in your life. How do you recognize it? Simple, it’s the things that make you happy and that give you energy. Think of:

Little moments of happiness such as the sun shining, your dog snoring contentedly or freshly baked apple pie.
The things you like to do in your spare time. Sports, reading, watching movies, taking a walk on the beach, cooking, being creative, making or listening to music, doing puzzles, gaming, photography or maybe something completely different.
The people you love: your partner, children, family, close friends, dear neighbors. Think about what they mean to you and let them know that too.
Your own dreams, big or small. In your dreams you are the hero and anything is possible. Are you the conductor of a large orchestra? Do you sail around the world on your own ship? Can you help stray animals on a sunny island? Or do you have your own bookshop?
The things you care about. For example: freedom, love, health, success, family, friendship, personal development, justice, social connection, comfort, adventure or sustainability.
All these things show you the way. They give pleasure and remind you who you are and what is important to you.

Getting lost can be fun!

Also think about the fine sides of getting lost and wandering aimlessly . The curiosity about a new environment, the promise of the unknown and the surprise of an unexpectedly beautiful view. Getting lost takes you to places you would never have gone otherwise.

Now see if you can replace the feeling of fear and despair with hope and curiosity . The situation is still the same, but your feeling about the situation changes. That makes a world of difference. With a positive mindset you see more opportunities and possibilities.

That scary alley in that unknown city? That suddenly turns out to be a very photogenic view. And that dark forest? A perfect place to discover special bird species, deer and other animals.

Take your first steps on an unknown path

Of course, this does not immediately answer all your questions and solve all your problems – but it does create more space in your head. Space you can use to continue your way. Trust the signposts in your life. You don’t have to map out a whole plan right away, one direction is enough.

Are you a true outdoorsman and dream of a meaningful life in a warm country? Then just start with a few small actions. Take the first steps without seeing the rest of the path.

Do more outdoor activities and discover what suits you. Starting a vegetable garden, walking dogs, guiding historical city walks, setting up scavenger hunts, organizing camping trips. The possibilities are endless.
Find out in which countries you would like to live and try living there for a while.
Take a language course.
Find like-minded people. Join an online forum. Listen to experience stories and ask for tips.

This is of course just an example, but anyone can take steps. Trust your own strength and wisdom to make the right decisions. Moreover, you now know much better what you need and you can therefore also ask for help. This can be a coach or course, but also financial advice, practical help at home or, for example, a sports buddy.

And maybe you’ll discover that the destination you always had in mind doesn’t suit you at all. Then you can safely change it, because if it rains in Barbados then you can continue to Sint Maarten, right?

Find direction in your life

Go look for it and discover more about yourself !!!

Read this blog as well:

These 4 techniques will help you overcome your procrastination

Starting with affiliate marketing? How to choose your niche

More and more people are choosing to earn extra money with affiliate marketing. And that’s not for nothing. Affiliate marketing is an interesting marketing channel for both companies and publishers. But how do you determine your affiliate niche?

Finding the right affiliate marketing type for you | Hareer Deals Affiliates

Why choose affiliate marketing?

Why is affiliate marketing an ideal way to start an online side business ?

Little technical knowledge required . Most affiliate websites run on a simple WordPress theme.
No start – up capital required . The costs for starting affiliate marketing are very limited. All you need is a domain and hosting. These costs are only a few bucks.
It’s semi-passive . As soon as your content remains relevant, you will have almost no work to do with it after posting.

So much for the main benefits of affiliate marketing. If you want to get started with it, you first have to choose a good niche. A niche is a specific, defined part of the market. An example of a niche within the furniture industry is office chairs. But which niche is best to enter? Where are the most opportunities? In this article I will help you determine your affiliate niche!

1. Start from your own interests and expertise

Do you have no experience with your own website or writing texts yet? Then it is a good idea to choose a niche or subject that you have an affinity with. Because no matter how beautiful the affiliate business model can be, don’t expect results in one day. To ensure that you continue to enjoy it and get energy from it, it is wise to choose a niche that you like and that you know enough about.

Not only does this make it easier to come up with and create content ideas, it also instills trust and authority. Certainly for specialist subjects, the reader will immediately see through it if he or she sees that you do not have the right expertise. Consequence? The user will quickly leave your website.

Tip: make a list of a number of potential niches that you find interesting. Some niches will be able to fall off at a later stage.

Top 5 Steps to Better Affiliate Marketing Programs - Blockchain for connecting people

2. What about income?

If you have written down a number of interesting topics, it is important to check whether you can generate income with this. There are several factors to take into account for this.

Affiliate Partners

Are there (multiple) affiliate partners in your niche? For many (e-commerce) niches, there are affiliate partners available where you can send your traffic. Think of famous brands and many other webshops. But if you have a very specific product (think of decorative fireplaces), this is a lot more difficult.

Product value

As you may know, the commissions within affiliate marketing are not always very large. With physical products you should think of 3% – 10%. With products of several tens, this can quickly add up, especially with high volumes of traffic. But it doesn’t help with cheap products of a few euros.

Competition

Lots of competition doesn’t have to be a reason not to try it. But for your first affiliate project, it is not wise to choose a highly competitive niche.

How do you know if there is a lot of competition?

One way to determine this is by doing keyword research and looking at the ‘keyword difficulty’ of the most important search terms.

With tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs you can easily see how high the competition is on certain keywords. The lower the number, the easier it is to score.

With tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs you can easily see how high the competition is on certain keywords. Niches where competition is generally very high are: loans, cryptos, VPNs and gambling.

This does not have to be a problem, many people manage an (affiliate) website initially as a hobby. But if you want to make a lot of money, product value is a good metric to take into account.

Type of search traffic

You have different types of search terms. I always categorize these myself in one of the following 3 categories:

Transactional : the user wants to buy/purchase something.
Informative : the user is looking for information, but has no immediate intention to buy something.
Orientation : The user probably wants to buy something, but still needs help making a decision.

If you want to create a website with a lot of blogs and editorial content, it is not wise to choose a niche where almost all search terms consist of transactional search terms. Google is smart enough to understand what a searcher wants to see and will mainly show webshops (or pages with webshop functionalities) for transactional terms. Then you may have written such good content, in most cases you will not rank.

Examples of transactional terms are:

buy jeans
men sneakers
laptop offer
etc.

In order to have your affiliate website convert well, orienting search terms are best.

Examples of exploratory search terms are:

{product/brand} review
which brand of headphones is best?
what is the best laptop for students?
Etc..

3. Is it scalable?

The third point to keep in mind is a little less black or white. But if you want to grow your website in the long term, there must be plenty of opportunities to scale. There must be enough to write about and ideally you want to be able to work with a template that can be used for different products/services.

That way you can continue to grow and create new content. Below I give examples of niches that are easily scalable and why.

Smartphones

Smartphones are a perfect example of a niche that you can easily scale into. There are many different phone brands and providers that you can write about. In addition, every brand comes up with new models a few times a year that you can compare and review. You can also go in different directions when it comes to accessories and phone cases.

Buying guides

There is a good chance that you yourself have regularly come across a buying guide during your search for the ideal product. A buying guide is an extensive piece of content in which you help the visitor choose a product by, among other things, telling them which factors he/she should pay attention to. Buying guides are scalable because there are literally hundreds of products to describe.

To do odd jobs

Do you have two left hands? Then, like me, you often have to look up how to approach certain things. This could be painting a wall, hanging a painting or re-tiling the bathroom. There are a lot of jobs where people are looking for information about how to do it and what equipment you need for this. Perfect opportunity to put your affiliate products here.

Affiliate marketing starts with fun

In this article I have covered how to choose the ideal affiliate niche for your affiliate website. Besides determining a topic, researching profitability and scalability, I want to tell you that it starts with fun.

Affiliate marketing is a very interesting way to earn extra money. But it also takes time, especially if you write your own content. Because you will not immediately expect a lot of income in the first few months, it is nice if you enjoy the build-up process.

How to earn money through online without any investment