Chef Drives 6 Hours to Vermont to Cook Her Favorite Meal—Soothing a Customer In Her Final Days

During the COVID-19 pandemic, takeout food has come to feel like an essential rather than a luxury. Of course, if your best-loved dining spot isn’t close to where you live, that generally puts the kibosh on a delivery… Unless there happens to be a generous chef who’s willing to go the extra miles—roughly 530 of […]

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What Is Extrinsic Motivation and How Does It Work?

“Water! I need WATER!” my friend Tommy screamed out, causing every head in the sushi restaurant to turn to see what was going on. The rest of us just sat there laughing at him as he gagged, squirming in his chair. Should we not have been laughing at the misfortunate of another who was clearly in trouble? Were we insensitive to his plight? No, not in the way you might think.

Tommy was the victim of extrinsic motivation. He brought his misfortune upon himself by bragging about his ability to eat wasabi—so much so that it led to the emergence of the ever-popular dare as was usually the case in this type of situation. The dare was that he would not be able to eat the wasabi from all of our plates at once—the equivalent of a nice round ice-scream scoop. Tommy expressed otherwise with such bravado that it begged for a dare.

The dare had been spoken loud and clear in a way that anyone who’s ever seen The Sandlot can imagine. Tommy didn’t budge. He sat there waiting for us to escalate it to the next level, knowing we would go further. We weren’t about to give up, so we did the next logical thing. We pooled our minuscule financially strapped college student resources together and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“Twenty bucks,” I said. “We’ll give you this twenty dollars if you eat that whole scoop of wasabi and don’t throw up.” “Deal.” He responded.

The extrinsic motivational stage was set. Tommy’s outcome was still unknown, but one thing was certain—succeed or fail, he was motivated to get the money.

So, what exactly was happening in Tommy’s eighteen-year-old brain? It’s all about the neurons. The answer lies in the brain circuitry known as the “reward system.”

Our Brain’s Reward System

Neurons in the different regions of the brain comprising the reward system communicate using dopamine. These neurons process rewards and subsequently motivate behavior. Neurons that release dopamine are activated when we expect to receive a reward. Dopamine also enhances reward-related memories.

It’s not the reward itself but the expectation of a reward that most powerfully influences emotional reactions and memories. Reward learning occurs when we experience something unexpected—when the actual reward differs from what we otherwise would predict. If a reward is greater than anticipated, dopamine signaling increases. If a reward is less than expected, dopamine signaling decreases.^[1]

Tommy’s dopamine was firing strong due to both the expectation and his teenage cockiness. It’s not always a cocky teen that makes a silly decision—emotionally centered decision-making changes with age. Teens may engage in more risky behaviors because their brains are still maturing, and they are susceptible to being accepted by their peers. Older adults can also make more risky decisions as prefrontal cortex function diminishes with age.

What Is Extrinsic Motivation and How Does It Work?

Now that we’ve cleared up the mechanics of Tommy’s brain, Let’s take a more in-depth look to help you understand where it comes from and how it affects your life. What is extrinsic motivation and how does it work?

The American Psychological Association defines it as follows:

Extrinsic motivation is an external incentive to engage in a specific activity, especially motivation arising from the expectation of punishment or reward.^[2] It sounds like, “I really want that promotion to make more money,” or in Tommy’s case, “I want that twenty dollars, so I’m going to eat this wasabi.”

On the other hand, intrinsic motivation is an incentive to engage in a specific activity that derives from pleasure in the activity itself rather than because of any external benefits that might be obtained.^[3] It sounds like, “I’m going to work hard to get that promotion so I can be more fulfilled at work,” or in Tommy’s case, “I’m going to eat this wasabi because I enjoy the flavor.”

The example above was a clear-cut case of extrinsic motivation. Tommy was motivated by the financial reward leading him to engage in an activity he usually would not have partaken in.

Extrinsic motivation is reward-driven behavior. It’s a type of operant conditioning or instrumental conditioning. Psychologist B.F. Skinner is attributed to defining this learning method where the consequences of a response determine the probability of it being repeated.^[4] This means that behavior rewarded and reinforced will likely be repeated, and behavior that is punished will occur less frequently. In the case of a bet like Tommy’s, the expectation of payment is the reward that reinforces the behavior.

Development of Extrinsic Motivation

So, where did Tommy’s behavior originate? From the time we are young, we learn in every situation and the environment from our parents, friends, teachers, and society. This typically occurs by mimicking behavior as all social species do. The impact constantly happens, whether we realize it or not.

At some point in Tommy’s past, he learned that he could be rewarded for his behavior. It may have been the dollar he received each time he brought home an A paper or even his monthly allowance that seeded the motivation. Whatever it was, it had a long-term impact.

Here are some examples from youth to help paint a clear picture that differs from Tommy’s.

Tangible extrinsic examples:

• Participating in sports for trophies or awards
• Cleaning your room to avoid getting yelled at by your parents
• Competing in a contest to win a scholarship or prize
• Studying because you want a good grade in a class

Psychological extrinsic rewards:

• Doing charity work for attention
• Helping a classmate for praise from the teacher
• Doing something to avoid judgment from others

Extrinsic motivators continue to play a role in our lives as we develop and grow. One of the most impactful areas this is seen is work. Many of you reading this remember the first job you had as a teenager. It didn’t matter if you worked at a fast-food restaurant or the mall. Being a part of the working world meant one thing—a paycheck. If you don’t remember the transaction of getting hired, you should remember receiving your first paycheck.

Getting paid meant money in your pocket to spend on yourself and your desires. It meant independence. Gaining independence is a crucial stage of development in these formative years. Financial independence is but one component that has an impact for years to come.

The financial impact continues to be felt as youth transition to a career. Many individuals choose a career that will provide the most substantial financial reward over another that they will enjoy more or even love. These individuals are being led by extrinsic motivators. Tommy was not quite there yet, so he sought out money wherever he could.

Financial rewards are one of the greatest sources of extrinsic motivation in society today, but they are not the only type of motivators. Rewards or other incentives often provide substantial motivation and come in various forms. Cheering, praise, or fame can all be used as motivation in specific circumstances. These are also imbedded from our youth as we all remember the excitement of receiving a gold-star on our homework or cheers from the crowd as we performed on the field or stage.

Whether it is financial or otherwise, extrinsic motivation can play a role in our work and lives.

The Power of Extrinsic Motivation

When you compare extrinsic motivation to intrinsic, it seems that the former would be much more effective in our reward-based society. Ever heard the term “dangle the carrot”?

This is not always the case, Bugs Bunny. In 1964, psychologist Victor Vroom developed what he called expectancy theory to explain how extrinsic motivation works.^[5] Based on his research, he concluded that for an extrinsic motivator to actually motivate, it needs to have three important elements:

• Expectancy – a belief in the ability to yield the reward. People have different expectations and levels of confidence about what they are capable of doing.
• Instrumentality – the perception expressed as a probability that there will actually be a reward.
• Valence – the depth of the want for the rewards.

It’s important to note that Victor Vroom’s research was conducted with employees in a business, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all theory. Still, the facts remain that many of us will engage in an action based on a reward as was the case with my eighteen-year-old friend.

You may be wondering how Tommy fared in the wasabi-eating-bet. Let’s just say he didn’t return from the restroom for at least fifteen minutes after running in there like his hair was on fire. We never actually heard him vomiting, but he didn’t try to collect his twenty bucks either.

More About Motivation

• Want to Know What Truly Motivates You, and How to Always Stay Motivated?
• What Is External Motivation And How to Make Good Use of It?
• 9 Types of Motivation That Make It Possible to Reach Your Dreams

Featured photo credit: Raja Sen via unsplash.com

Reference

[1]	^	BrainFacts.org: Motivation: Why You Do the Things You Do
[2]	^	American Psychological Association: extrinsic motivation
[3]	^	American Psychological Association: intrinsic motivation
[4]	^	Simply Psychology: What Is Operant Conditioning and How Does It Work?
[5]	^	Science Direct: Expectancy Theory

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Friends and enemies 'make sense' for long-lived animals

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Selenium supplementation protects against obesity and may extend lifespan

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This High Schooler Invented Color-Changing Sutures to Detect Infection

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GlyNAC improves multiple defects in aging to boost strength and cognition in older humans

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See Couple Adorably Recreate Their Wedding Album 50 Years Later, at the Same Church in the Same Dress

A couple have recreated their wedding album half a century later—at the same church, and in the very same dress. Carolyn and Kelly Gay, who are now in their seventies, got married in March 1971 with a white wedding at their local church. To celebrate their golden anniversary, the couple returned to DSM First Church […]

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Scott Kolbrenner Won $145,000 on ‘Wheel of Fortune.’ Now He’s Giving It All to Charity

Wheel of Fortune players have been buying vowels and filling in the blanks on “America’s game” since 1975. With stakes determined by the luck of the spin combined with contestants’ puzzle-solving prowess, it’s a formula that ensures pretty much anything can happen—including one winner who recently gave away his entire $145,000 prize earnings to charity. […]

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What Is A Flow State And How To Achieve It For Productivity

Do you struggle to get going and keep going? Perhaps with home chores, studying or work projects?

Don’t worry if you do, as it’s a common problem — especially with the array of distractions we all experience nowadays, such as TV, breaking news and social media.

As you’ve probably experienced, getting started is hard, but keeping going is often even harder.

Fortunately, there are some tried-and-tested techniques for moving yourself into a flow state.

What Is a Flow State?

Put simply, a flow state is a mental state in which you perform an activity while being fully immersed. You’ll know when you’re in a flow state as you’ll feel focused, energized and involved. And most importantly — you’ll enjoy what you’re doing!

Try now to think of something you really don’t like doing…

Perhaps creating reports at work or preparing your tax returns.

When you attempt to do something you don’t enjoy you’ll struggle to get started and struggle to get finished. In most cases, you’ll probably find countless reasons to procrastinate.

Now think of something you really enjoy doing…

Perhaps walking your dog or playing a musical instrument such as a guitar or a piano.

When you do something you love, you’ll find it almost effortless. You’ll also have no problem getting started and no problem continuing.

The difference is like night and day. Without a flow state, you’ll be like someone trying to walk through a muddy field — they’ll be slow and get constantly bogged down. With a flow state, you’ll be like an elite sportsperson who excels at their game but makes it look easy.

Research conducted by Harvard professor Teresa Amabile revealed that people who successfully move into a flow state report higher levels of creativity and productivity for up to three days^[1].

And the benefits of flow states don’t just stop at productivity; you can also expect to reduce your stress and boost your happiness.

How To Get into a Flow State

I hope I’ve convinced you of the advantages of operating in a flow state, but I’m guessing this has probably left you wondering exactly how you can do this.

Well, there are a number of simple ways of getting into a flow state of mind, with these 6 being among the most popular:

1. Warm Up

Create a habit of warming up both physically and mentally before you get started on a task or project. This might involve meditation, yoga or a strenuous run in the park. The trick here is to make your chosen activity a ritual. Something that you always do before tackling your tasks.

Try it for yourself, and you’ll see just how much this helps you to get into a state of flow.

2. Do Something You Love

I touched on this above, but it’s definitely worth repeating:

If you do what you love to do, you’ll find it easy and enjoyable.

Of course, when it comes to doing something you’re not so keen on — perhaps cleaning your home — then you should look to see how you can make this enjoyable. For example, make your cleaning time pleasurable by listening to music that inspires and moves you.

3. Focus on One Task

Multitasking might sound like the ideal way to get things done, but science shows otherwise.

For instance, a recent academic study found that just 2.5% of people are able to multitask effectively^[2]. For the other 97.5%, it was far more productive for them to focus on completing one task at a time. In other words, flow psychology strongly suggests you should say goodbye to multitasking and hello to focusing on one task at a time.

4. Avoid External Distractions

Although it might sound obvious, external distractions can prevent you from getting into a flow state or interrupt your flow state once you get into one.

Say for example you’re working in an open-plan office and you need to focus on creating a PowerPoint presentation. For the first 30 minutes, you have zero distractions and you find that you quickly get into a hyper-focused state where ideas come to you instantly. However, and unfortunately for you, a colleague interrupts you to ask you an unimportant question. Immediately your flow state is broken. Even though the interruption was only for a few seconds, it could take you minutes to get back into the flow.

Because of the risks of losing your flow state, if you’re working on a high-priority task or a creative one, then try to ensure that you’re not distracted by external circumstances.

5. Identify Your Peak Energy Times

Another technique to help you get into the flow is to work when your energy levels are at their peak. This can be as simple as knowing that you’re an early bird or a nighthawk.

If early is your thing, then aim to do your priority tasks in the morning when you’ll have your most energy and drive.

If you’re a late sleeper, then you’ll likely find that your energy levels are at their highest in the afternoon or evening. Choose these times to tackle your important tasks.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, check out our helpful article: The Importance of Sleep Cycles (and Tips to Improve Yours)

6. Have Clear Goals

American philanthropist Tom Steyer said it well:

“Clarity of vision is the key to achieving your objectives.”

I’m sure you’ve noticed in your life that when you know exactly what you want — you’ll tend to find a way to get it. And conversely, if you lack clear goals and dreams, I’m sure you’ve found yourself drifting aimlessly in life.

Of course, goals don’t always have to be big ones.

For example, a daily work goal might be something as simple as ensuring that you always check your inbox once every couple of hours.

From my experience of coaching people in success techniques, once you start to build a habit of using goals, you won’t want to go back. That’s because goals are an incredibly powerful way of giving you an abundance of focus and motivation. Just think of when you’ve wanted that dream house or car. You did research; you sacrificed your time and money; and you kept yourself in a flow state until you achieved your goal.

Learn how to set clear goals in this guide: A Complete Guide to Goal Setting for Personal Success

How To Master a Flow State

Let’s turn now to some easy but seldomly used techniques that will enable you to become a master at entering and staying in a flow state.

1. Eliminate Internal Distractions

First on the list is eliminating internal distractions.

What are internal distractions?

Essentially, they are our thoughts and doubts that creep into our minds and stop us focusing on our tasks. These internal distractions can ultimately prevent us from achieving our goals.

To give you an example of this, let me tell you about a time when I was struggling to focus.

It was when I first set up Lifehack, and I had so many ideas of how to progress the company that I found it hard to concentrate on the essential tasks such as writing content and promoting the website. My mind was literally so full of ideas that I found my thoughts drifting endlessly from one idea to another.

Now, while it’s certainly important to have ideas; it’s also important to be able to focus on the work in front of you.

I was able to break out of this mind trap by allocating 10 minutes each morning to thinking about my ideas and jotting them down. I then put them aside until the next day. This allowed me to be laser-focused on my writing and marketing.

By making this change, I was able to eliminate this particular internal distraction and massively boost my productivity.

2. Listen To Music While You Work

Another simple but super-effective technique for getting and staying in a flow state is to listen to music while you work.

Not just any music though.

The secret here is to find music that motivates you but does not distract you.

Typically, this would be instrumental music such as classical or ambient. The reason for this is because instrumental music is free from words, which means that your brain doesn’t have to spend anytime trying to interpret and understand them. It also means that you won’t interrupt your thoughts by trying to sing along with songs!

The other thing to consider with music for productivity, is to match the tempo to your work requirements. For example, if I need to power through some projects then I’ll choose some upbeat music that can perk me up and keep me going. However, if I want to be more creative and reflective, then I’ll pick music that is more relaxing. I may even just choose to listen to nature sounds if I want the minimum of distractions.

My recommendation is that you test out various music styles and tempos to see what works for you best. You’ll also want to play with the volume, as again, this can make a huge difference to your motivation and focus. You’ll probably find loud music more motivating than quieter music, but you need to find the right balance, as loud music can also be more distracting.

3. Stay Hydrated

My final suggestion to help you become a flow state master is to make sure you’re always hydrated.

Even mild dehydration can lead to a depressed mood, headaches and an inability to concentrate^[3]. This is on top of physical effects such as fatigue, dry mouth, dizziness, weakness and heart palpitations.

Fortunately, keeping yourself hydrated is simple to do. Just ensure you’re drinking at least 2 liters of water throughout your day. Personally, I have a glass of water upon rising and a glass of water just before I go to bed. I also take a water bottle into work and when I exercise so I can keep myself hydrated at all times.

Of course, drinking water is just one part of staying hydrated. You can also boost your hydration by eating fresh fruits and vegetables. You could make yourself a nutritious and hydrating green smoothie, for example.

Staying hydrated is such an important topic that I urge you to click through to read our article: Get Hydrated, Get Productive: How Water Helps Your Performance at Work

How Long Does Flow State Last?

While there is no hard and fast rule for how long it takes to get into a flow state, most people report a time of around 30 minutes. Some people will reach a flow state quicker than this — others will take longer. It really depends on the person and on the task at hand.

However, one essential of getting into a flow state is to make a start!

If you’re prone to procrastination you’ll be prone to being slow to get into a flow state.

The good news is — without distractions or interruptions — most people can stay in a flow state for several hours. Of course, you shouldn’t try to work constantly during this time. Instead, aim for a 10-minute break every 90 minutes. This will give your eyes and brain a much-needed rest without destroying your flow state^[4].

Bottom Line

When you get into the habit of engaging and concentrating on your tasks, you’ll also get into the habit of working in a flow state.

This will supercharge your productivity as well as making your work and life easier and more enjoyable. In fact, you can expect to have more time on your hands for hobbies and spending time with family and friends.

As a flow state master, you’ll no longer be concerned about meeting deadlines, as you’ll be able to get your work done in time — and in most cases — ahead of time.

All that’s left is for me to remind you that reading about flow states is not enough. You must take action in your own life to implement the techniques I’ve outlined above.

It may take a little adjustment to the way you normally work, but it’ll definitely be worth it. Get started right now!

If you need any further help in getting motivated, then please reserve your FREE seat for our Lifehack Fast-Track Class: Focus Like A Top Achiever.

Featured photo credit: ConvertKit via unsplash.com

Reference

[1]	^	Harvard University: Affect and Creativity at Work
[2]	^	Psychonomic Bulletin & Review: Supertaskers: Profiles in extraordinary multitasking ability
[3]	^	WebMD: Even Mild Dehydration May Cause Emotional, Physical Problems
[4]	^	Psychology Today: How Do Work Breaks Help Your Brain? 5 Surprising Answers

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Software Exec Becomes ‘Garbage Guy’ Walking 12 Miles Every Day in D.C. to Pick Up Trash During Pandemic

Billy Adams has found a lockdown ritual that not only benefits his health, but the mental health and beauty surrounding others in his beloved Washington, DC. Since June the software executive has been selecting a different 12-mile route every day, picking up just about any piece of garbage on it—in rain, snow, or sleet. He […]

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Oklahoma Goodwill Employee Finds $42,000 Hidden in Donated Clothing –And Her Integrity Pays Off

When a new worker at a charity shop found stacks of $100 bills stuffed inside two old sweaters she thought they must be fake. The store associate at Goodwill Industries then realized they were absolutely real—and the cash totaled $42,000. Andrea Lessing was in the back sorting clothes and looking for rips or stains when […]

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This Week’s Inspiring Horoscopes From Rob Brezsny’s ‘Free Will Astrology’

Our partner Rob Brezsny provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free […]

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Signals from muscle protect from dementia

Scientists are studying how signals sent from skeletal muscle affect the brain.

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Good News in History, March 27

45 years ago today, the first stops on the Washington, DC Metro subway system opened. The design of the Metro’s vaulted-ceilings was so inspiring that it was voted No.106 on “America’s Favorite Architecture” on a list compiled by the American Institute of Architects. The Metro network now includes six lines, 91 stations, and 117 miles (188 […]

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Cholesterol may be key to new therapies for Alzheimer's disease, diabetes

A researcher examined the role of cholesterol in both Alzheimer's disease and Type 2 diabetes to identify a small molecule that may help regulate cholesterol levels in the brain, making it a potential new therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease.

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Retirees Share Top 40 Pearls of Wisdom With Our Younger Generations

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Villagers Went Without Streetlights for 45 Days to Help a Bird and Its Hatchlings

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Women accumulate Alzheimer's-related protein faster

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Common Alzheimer's treatment linked to slower cognitive decline

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They’ve Collected 20 Million Pounds of Food From People Who are Moving—For Delivery to Food Banks

A New Jersey moving company has sparked an initiative capitalizing on the amount of food left behind in clients’ fridges in order to help increase supply to local food banks. Over 1,050 moving companies and 22 million pounds of food later, and Adam Lowy—founder of Move for Hunger—has turned leftovers into enterprise-level charity. “When people […]

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Millionaire Quadriplegic Jon Ayers is Giving it All to Save Wildcats, Finding New Purpose

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Flood Waters Couldn’t Stop This Australian Miracle Wedding From Happening

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15 Simple And Professional Tips To Be Organized At Home

We have never spent as much time in our homes as we have done in recent times. Our homes now have a multitude of functions that they may not have had previously. These can include: a place to school children, a place to workout or a place of work. This is in addition to the usual functions of being a safe place to retreat to and the hub of everybody’s lives. Our homes have certainly had to step up in recent times.

One thing is for sure, being organized at home is important in being able to cope with the strains that the current environment has put on us all, so let us take a look at some of the benefits that being organized can provide.

Being organized at home can simply make daily life a whole lot easier. When everything has its place, you know where items are and you are more efficient as you do not have to spend time looking for them. The saying ‘A tidy home, a tidy mind’ is very true. An organized and tidy home provides a calm and relaxed environment which in turn can make space for motivation and focus in other areas of life without being preoccupied.

If you know that your home is taken care of, you can concentrate on other areas of your life that need attention. Furthermore, an organized home can reduce conflict in the home between the family, this is due to there being less things to become stressed about because everybody knows where they stand and what is expected of them. It can provide the time to enjoy quality time together or to practice self-care and a positive environment to practice these in.

With so many benefits that being organized at home can provide, let us take a look at 15 simple and professional tips to be organized at home that you can start doing from today.

1. Plan

It is all in the planning, if your goal is to initially declutter and organize all aspects of your home, break down the work into small manageable tasks.

Firstly, divide each area of your home that you want to concentrate on into smaller chunks, write them down and set a schedule.

For example. if you want to tackle the kitchen, set out a plan to firstly sort out your fridge and then maybe next on your list sort out your cupboards and finally if you want to incorporate cleaning into your organizing then clean your oven.

Replicate this and make a plan for each area of the home that you want to tackle. Completed tasks will feel rewarding as you tick each one off your list and furthermore it makes sure that you do not get overwhelmed by the job at hand.

2. The Pareto Principle

Some professional declutterers incorporate the Pareto Principle into their work with their clients. The notion of this principle is the 80/20 rule, 80% of results will come from 20% of action. This can be applied to clutter and organization.

Most people only use 20% of items in their home, 80% of the time. Let us take shoes for an example, you may own 20 pairs of shoes but only wear 4 pairs most of the time.

When you are organizing a space, sort items into 2 piles marked: 80% – items used occasionally or not at all and 20% – items used most of the time. You can then sort through your 80% pile and decide on items that you will keep, throw away, recycle or donate.

The aim is to have more items in the dispose of pile than the keep pile. By deciding on which pile to put items in, you are being encouraged to be mindful, really think about that item and how much you use it or how much it really means to you.

3. Take Photographs

When decluttering your home, you may come across items that you are torn between keeping or disposing of. It is a fact of life that you may not be able to keep hold of everything as you just may not have the space, unfortunately this may include sentimental items.

One solution is to take photographs of items such as your child’s pictures that they have drawn or a particular piece of schoolwork that they are proud of. You can then keep these on your computer and make space in your home.

4. Allocate a Junk Drawer

Although one aim of organizing your home is to reduce items that are not needed or used, in practice, some junk is inevitable.

Allocate one drawer in the house for junk, once it is full – it is full and it is a sign that you need to sort through it. Having a junk drawer means that hopefully junk will not end up dotted around the house and you will be encouraged to sort through it periodically. This in turn means that you should not become overwhelmed and sorting of junk will not become a time consuming task.

5. Set Up a Family Meeting

Being organized in the home should involve the whole family. Set a meeting to discuss what is expected of the family as a whole and the benefits of working together as a team.

Discuss the tasks that each member will take on. Discuss with children the expectation of them helping with chores and being mindful of being organized in general.

If the whole family is on board, being organized at home should become a lot easier.

6. Set Up a To-do List

A to-do list breaks down tasks, it also helps to make visible how much progress you have made, this in turn gives you the motivation to keep going. It can help to put the list in a place that is visible to the whole family so that everybody knows what needs to be achieved. There are to-do list apps that can help you to keep on track too.

7. Prepare the Night Before

Preparation is key to being organized. In the evening, prepare lunches and set clothes out ready for the next day. This may only take 15 minutes but it makes sure that your morning can run smoothly and unexpected events can be dealt with the night before.

For example, if you have ran out of something that you need to make lunch, you can sort this in the evening rather than finding out in the morning. This prevents becoming stressed and rushing or being late for work. You can ensure that your morning is as stress free as possible.

8. Wake Up 10 Minutes Earlier

Waking up 10 minutes earlier will not have a negative impact on your sleep but it will have a positive impact on your morning. These 10 minutes extra can allow you to do a quick tidy as you go along in the morning and ensure that you come back to a tidy and organized home when you return from work. Wash your breakfast dishes, put your cosmetics away as you go along and most importantly, make your bed.

9. Do The Washing Up Straight Away

After each meal, do the washing up and dry the dishes straight away, if you put it off then the task will become overwhelming. Why not use this time as a family to work together?

You could ask your child to take the dishes to the kitchen and you and your partner can share the task of washing and drying. You can use this time to catch up as a family, the kitchen will be tidy and you can relax knowing that you have not got to get up and do three meals worth of dishes in the evening.

10. Do a Quick Evening Spruce Up Before Bed

Spend 10 minutes before bed to wash any cups or dishes used in the evening, fluff up the sofa cushions and put any bits and bobs in their place. Doing this will prevent a build up of clutter and you will have a tidy and organized home to wake up to in the morning.

Clutter and disorganization can create a stressed and cluttered mindset. By spending a short amount of time preparing your home for the morning, you can go to sleep knowing that there is one less thing on your mind that needs doing and you can wake up in the morning with a relaxed, calm and clutter-free mindset.

11. Make a Meal Plan For the Week

Organizing your meals can have a positive impact on your health, save you money and create more time for you. There is nothing worse than spending time looking through the cupboards for something to eat or walking aimlessly through the supermarket wondering what to pick.

Having a meal plan for the week can assist you in providing healthy meals for your family and you will not purchase items for the sake of it which will save money. Meal planning can also help everybody to know what meal they are having each day and you never know, they may even surprise you and take it upon themselves to make one of the meals. You can find tips on how to create a delicious and healthy meal plan here.

12. Set a Designated House Tidy Day

Set a day that suits your life and your family to work together to go through your home from top to bottom and do a full tidy and declutter. If you have kept up with some of the suggestions in this article and kept to a routine as you go along day to day, this task will not be as daunting and time consuming as you think.

Start from upstairs and work your way downstairs: clean the bathroom, make the beds, empty bins, dust where you haven’t throughout the week, change the towels, mop and open the windows to refresh the house.

Doing this at the end of the working week or on a Saturday morning can ensure that your weekend is relaxed and free of thinking what you have to do around the house. This leaves you time to spend with your family, practice self care or to just have a well deserved break.

13. Organize Your Paperwork

Set a designated place for your household paperwork to keep your environment clutter free and routinely discard any paperwork that is no longer needed.

Set up an archive folder and a to-do folder so that important paperwork is not missed. These tips should help you to be more productive and also save you time and stress when it comes to needing to get your hands on paperwork quickly.

14. Make Money From Your Unwanted Items

As motivation to organize your home and dispose of items that are no longer useful, sell your items online.^[1] This may encourage your children to sort out their toys and games and you will be surprised at the value that others see in your unwanted items. You can look at ways to sell your unwanted items here.

15. Habit Forming

Make the routines suggested in this article a habit and your home will become more organized automatically. Rather than thinking that you have to do the particular routine and that it is laborious chore, change your mindset and make it a habit that promotes positivity.

For example: remember that the household chores are a benefit to you and all of your family, turn on some music when you are doing your cleaning and count it towards your daily activity or look on your time doing the washing up with your partner as a chance to catch up with each other.

Bottom Line

There are many benefits to keeping your home organized and this organization can have a positive effect on your mindset, your family and other areas of your life.

In the unprecedented times that we are living in at the moment, it is all the more important to keep homes organized due to the simple fact that all of us are spending more time in our homes than ever before.

There are many ways in which you can have an organized home and keep on top of the clutter, this article has hopefully shown you that it is also simpler than you may have originally thought.

The key to keeping your home organized is to make routines a habit. You will see the positive effect on your life immediately, so why not start organizing your home today?

Featured photo credit: Patrick Perkins via unsplash.com

Reference

[1]

^

Money Saving Expert: Flog your rubbish for cash

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Researchers enhance Alzheimer's disease classification through artificial intelligence

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Could leak in blood-brain barrier be cause of poor memory?

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How to Control the Uncontrollable In Life

A lot can change in a year, can’t it?

Could we have guessed how out of control life could feel?

Looking back, do you wish you’d appreciated your life more or wish you’d taken a different path?

The pandemic has attacked every part of what it means to be human. A WHO study showed that the pandemic has disrupted or stopped critical mental health services in 93% of countries worldwide while the demand for support increases.^[1]

With a long road ahead, we need to fill our heads with good stuff to support us (not the endless bad news and devastation that stand to monopolise our lives).

On top of the global deaths, financial stress and isolation, the coronavirus has caused a surge of divorces in the United States, China, Britain and Sweden.^[2]

Even before the pandemic, mental health issues were a massive drain on the world economy costing $1 trillion each year in lost productivity.^[3]

So, when you face something that’s out of your control, what can you do?

1. Understand that you could be suffering from a lack of control and not knowing what it’s doing to you.

If you experience any of the following, a lack of control could be impacting your personal and professional life, your happiness and even your success.

• A need to gossip and find out what everyone else is thinking.
• Reduced productivity at work or at home (or both.)
• Unable to drop a subject or walk away from a discussion/argument.
• Overworking and burnout.
• Micromanagement.
• Illness – physical and mental.
• Exhaustion.
• A feeling of Them and Us mentality – “People don’t get it!”
• Defeatism.
• Lack of creativity.
• A lack of interest in hobbies and chores.
• Feeling angry and resentful.
• Stress.

These are just some of the things that a lack of control can do to you.

2. Ask yourself: Is it really true?

Start with you and what you think. It’s not an easy thesis to appreciate or accept, however, the way you see the world, shapes your world. So if you feel like you’ve no control, then that is the way the world will be.

Look around you, everything you can see started as a thought in a human’s head. That screen you look at, the shape, color, design were conscious decisions people made.

It’s hard to see the connection between what we think and what we get. If you’ve read my books, you will have read about negative spirals (and positive ones).

Take a moment to think about something that upsets you, that feels totally uncontrollable. Use the pandemic as your example – or something personal to you)

Now create a spiral like this one:

For each bubble, write a feeling, an emotion, an action, or result. There is no set pattern to this. Write what feels natural to you.

Notice how there is an arrow after the last bubble?

That’s because unchecked a negative spiral can spiral out of control, keeping you trapped, feeling bad and getting poor results.

We can’t magically make the issue disappear, but we can control how we feel about it.

You don’t need to know how you will do this, but acknowledging how you see the world and what it does to you physically, emotionally and mentally, you can then decide “I’d like something better than this!”

3. Create a mental health tool kit.

I recommend people create a mental health tool kit.^[4]

For me, I like learning, so to boost my own, I’ve learned a new practice: Dialectical behavior therapy.^[5] In DBT, you learn the first thing to do when things are too much for you is to R.E.S.T – relax, evaluate, set an intention and take action.
Work out something that makes you stop in your tracks. Maybe it’s a song, playing hide and seek with the dog, mediation or something else. What might it be? Something where you stop thinking.

It’s difficult to alter what you do if you are entrenched in what life looks like, so take a moment for you. You don’t need to sit on a mountain cross legged saying “Om” to find a minute of inner peace.

4. Challenge what you know to be true.

Working from home has featured in many coaching sessions often with clients stating there’s “Nothing I can do about this” or (my pet hate) “It is the way it is.” When I hear this statement, I know that this is often the root cause of why people are experiencing issues and suffering.

You need to challenge what you believe to be true. Statements like:

• I must work that many hours to get it all done.
• Everyone is stressed out, there’s nothing that we can do about it.
• It will be better when the pandemic is over – we’ve just got to put up with it.

These are signs that you need to challenge what you believe.

You don’t try to stop the sun from rising, why? Because you know it to be out of your control.

Do you try to get out of the way of a stampeding bull? Yes, but why? Because you believe you have control.

These are obvious examples but it’s not always obvious. In life, the statements that take away your control are likely to be more subtle and are the statements that no one pays attention to. So, learn to!

5. Remind yourself there’s another way.

To change what you get, you must change what you think. So before you get to the next strategy, what do you need to be true What do you need to believe?

This is called reframing. The ability to find potential in the harshest of situations. It takes practice but if you persevere, you can find something good in anything and it will help you have more control of your thoughts. More control of your thoughts leads to better thoughts and better actions and results.

For instance:

• I miss going out – becomes – I’ve saved so much money.
• I miss working in the office – becomes – I don’t miss that commute and I adore having hugs from the children/partner/dog/cat in between meetings.
• I feel isolated – becomes – I am learning to appreciate my own company and the person I am.

At this stage, you don’t need to believe it is true, you just need to be able to reword your thoughts.

6. Let’s go on holiday!

This is a strategy that is a powerful way to honor the person you are and not try and make changes in life by copying others. That approach doesn’t always work because you are unique.

Imagine I was taking you on holiday in 5 hours time. All paid, anywhere in the world you like, no pandemic, just fun, relaxation, excitement, adventure; whatever defines your perfect holiday we leave in 5 hours time. What do you do now?

For some, they tell me they’d panic “I can’t be ready in 5 hours time!” others would say “I’ve got my credit card and passport let’s go!”

What is your natural response?

Honor that.

Whether you’re a list writer – go for it and worry about it later, or get everyone involved and plan kind of person. Think what process you would use.

Use this information to help you understand what you need to do to be able to make a difference to how you feel.

When you get stuck as often happens when an issue is too close to us, consider something you excel at, and how you migrate those skills. This is a strategy I teach, because the more you can understand about your natural way of handling life, the better the results you can achieve.^[6]

7. Turn your brain around.

Remember that as you create solutions to the way you think and what actions you will take, your brain is going to prove you right regardless. If you say 1 + 1, your brain proudly jumps in with 2!

The disadvantage of this is that it stops you from finding new better ways of working since your brain wants to keep you safe – believing you’ve done all you can and there’s nothing more that can be done.

Imagine you had a magic wand that can fix the uncontrollable in any way with no restriction on cost, time and skill, what would you do?

Ask yourself questions like:

• “And what would that give you?”
• “And why would you benefit from that?”
• “And what would that lead to?”

A great example of this in action was someone struggling with working from home. Working longer hours, they were exhausted and felt like quitting. Eating poorly and helping the children with their homework was the final straw.

They felt like they had no life and couldn’t see it changing. They held on firmly to the belief that they had to wait for the pandemic to go to have “their life back”. This took all their control away and ensured they would be stuck for an exceedingly long time.

Using this process, they joked they’d have a housekeeper, a nanny, a therapist on hand for massages and a chef. Their bank balance wasn’t suddenly the size of the rich and famous so this wasn’t an option. However, it enabled them to see that in their life they were making all the sacrifices and no one else’s life had altered!

What madness to assume you have to do it all? They started asking for help and getting the family involved. And now they work a lot less hours and even manage to stay awake in the evenings to watch a film or read a book, which leads us onto the next point.

8. Share your goals.

If you’ve had enough of a situation, trying to fix it on your own will always be harder. We’ve all heard the saying a problem shared is a problem halved. The process of talking about something helps bring it to the front of our mind and work out what we want instead.

So tell people what you need and ask for help.

By now, you can see that control is not always about control but your perception of it. When you bring everyone together to a common goal that they feel invested in, they are more likely to persevere and keep going for each other. So don’t be shy to say:

• On Thursdays, I need 2 hours to myself to work on yoga/gardening/me time.
• I need everyone to choose a night when they will cook.
• I need you to help me with this once a week so that I don’t end up doing too much and exhausted, unable to find the time to recharge before the working week.

These aren’t always comfortable conversations, but they help restore a sense of control if boundaries are respected and enforced. Enforced sounds like a harsh word, however, to restore a sense of control in any environment, everyone needs to create the rules and lives by them.

A team of researchers from the University of Illinois studied occupational stress and well-being, those who have greater “boundary control” over their work and personal lives were better at creating a stress buffer that helped protect them from falling into a negative-rumination trap.^[7]

After a few weeks of questioning if the boundaries are working, don’t be frightened to go through the process again and see what’s working and what needs to alter.

Bottom Line

Lastly, remember nothing stays the same.

This golden nugget is essential knowledge we all need when we lack control. Good or bad, everything changes.

More Tips on Taking Charge of Life

• How to Control Your Thoughts and Be the Master of Your Mind
• How to Get Unstuck and Get Back On Track to Achieving Your Goals
• How To Take Back Your Life When Things Get Out of Control

Featured photo credit: Riccardo Mion via unsplash.com

Reference

[1]	^	World Health Organization: COVID-19 disrupting mental health services in most countries, WHO survey
[2]	^	New York Times: Manage Your Divorce Expectations
[3]	^	World Health Organization: Mental Health And Substance Use
[4]	^	Mandie Holgate: How To Create a Mental Health Tool Kit
[5]	^	VeryWellMind: Overview of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
[6]	^	Mandie Holgate: Struggling to produce solutions for you and your team?
[7]	^	MD Advices: Control over work-life boundaries creates crucial buffer to manage after-hours work stress

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The bald truth: Altered cell divisions cause hair thinning

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Look for These Celestial Wonders in the Night Sky Through the Rest of March

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How Social Media Can Hurt Your Job Search And Your Future Career

It may seem that social media is your private network of friends and followers where you’d be able to post and share what’s really on your mind in a given moment. However, this assumption is misleading since these “private” activities of yours are there for everyone to see, including your potential employers.

Studies show that 90% of employers consider the candidate’s social media activity when hiring and 79% of HRs have rejected a candidate because of what they found on their social media.^[1] Therefore, it only makes sense to pay attention to our present and past social media activity and not let our social networks harm our professional prospects.

If you are searching for a new job or considering a career change in the future, be aware of these 6 ways how social media can hurt your job search.

1. Having Offensive Posts or Tweets

It’s never a good idea to post disrespectful things, but it’s even more frivolous to do so on your social media accounts. A wise employer will go through your post history scouting for red flags like aggressive tweets, illegal stuff, very unpopular opinions, or badmouthing someone publicly.

Alternatively, you might have posted something that you believed in the past, which you don’t anymore. Or, you may have tweeted something you don’t mean in the heat of an argument.

The Tweet Deleter app analyzed and summarized over 200M deleted tweets in 2020 in an infographic and found that most deleted tweets contained either profanities or keywords related to race.^[2] Giving a better impression to potential employers was one of the top reasons that Tweet Deleter’s surveyed users mentioned for cleaning up their feeds.

To improve your chances of landing the job you want, make sure your past mistakes aren’t still visible on your Facebook or Twitter wall.

2. Posting Controversial Jokes

Sharing jokes and TikTok videos is a favorite pastime for many people these days. If you too love to share funny videos, make sure their content is not dubious or potentially offensive. The most sensitive topics are usually religion and politics. The smartest thing you can do is keep your most contentious opinions (including jokes) to yourself and your closest personal friends.

Remember—even if you didn’t mean for something to be disrespectful, the person reading your profile might not understand your sense of humor or satire. What you share or say online is seen by many people who don’t really know you, so they may not always get it if something is meant to be a joke.

3. Complaining About Your Previous Employers Online

If you’ve had a rough day at work, don’t rush to social media to let off your steam. If a recruiter or your future boss sees that you’ve criticized your employer online (or shared some confidential information about your workplace), they’ll have every reason to think you’d do the same to them if they do hire you.

Even if you are, in fact, fully justified in your opinions and a client or employer really deserved to be publicly called out, lack of context is the problem here. It’s very difficult to convey the context of the situation on social media like Twitter where you are limited to 280 characters. Without context, you risk simply looking like a bitter employee.

So, next time you need to cry out about your boss, call your best friend or go for a coffee with a supportive colleague instead of bashing it out on social media.

4. Presenting a Negative or Provocative Image of Yourself

Another way social media can hurt your job search is when you create a negative image of yourself online. Social media is the place where you can polish your “personal brand.” Your potential employer (or even your present boss!) might browse your social media profiles to discover who you are outside of your work resume and professional job interview.

Look at your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram feed with a neutral eye. Have you posted photos from parties with alcohol or other provocative or inappropriate photographs? Ambiguous tweets, instances of oversharing, or even simply being negative about everything could reflect badly on you. 51% of hiring managers admit that they’re checking social networks to see if the candidate will be a good fit with the company culture.^[3] If you come off as negative to recruiters, they might decide they don’t want to work with you.

Try to keep your social media image and the content of your posts constructive and positive by sharing your hobbies and interests, being respectful, and presenting yourself as a social and well-balanced personality. Ideally, polish your social accounts (especially LinkedIn) to demonstrate your knowledge in your field of work.

5. Lying About Your Qualifications

A study by OfficeTeam showed that 38% of senior managers have removed an applicant from consideration for a position after discovering their lies.^[4] If you’ve ever thought about spicing up your resume, for example, by giving yourself a higher role in a given company or showing a longer work experience than you actually had, be careful.

It may not seem like upfront lying if you “stretch the truth a little” on your resume or cover letter in an attempt to land a job. However, if you are caught, more than the job at hand is threatened. You may be hired initially and later fired with embarrassment once your lies are revealed, or worse, you could damage your reputation in your professional circles.

Some ways your social media can reveal your lies:

• Dates don’t add up – If the recruiter has even the slightest doubt, they may call your previous employer, and—oops—you’re busted.
• Posts don’t match your words – Does your CV say you got laid off a month ago? And there you are two months earlier posting images of sunbathing on a tropical beach somewhere far far away.
• Your profiles are too vague – Experienced recruiters will see if you’re trying to disguise lack of experience by ambiguous phrases like ‘”I’m familiar with . . .” or “I’ve been involved in . . .” Even if this is not outright lying, expect the interviewer to ask some direct questions about your responsibilities to make sure you actually have the qualifications.

6. Not Having Any Social Media Profiles

You may have chosen to avoid social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for privacy reasons or to reduce your phone usage. If so, consider having a profile at least on LinkedIn as having no social presence at all can harm your prospects.

In this digital world, you are invisible online if you aren’t on any social media. Some employers might not see this as an issue while others might find it suspicious or might consider you to be out-of-date.

Furthermore, by not having any social presence, you are missing out on a chance to leave a positive impression on your potential employer. Some examples of social media moves that could create a very good impression about you:

• You’ve connected to your industry professionals, leading experts, or media outlets on Twitter.
• You’ve updated your LinkedIn profile with your detailed work history and relevant information.
• You share industry news and discussions and have a solid professional network online.
• You have a professional-looking or at least neutral profile photo.

Turn Social Media Into Your Strength, Instead of a Liability

Social media can hurt your job search or become an obstacle on the way to your desired career, but it doesn’t have to. In fact, a good social media profile can increase your chances of getting hired!

Besides, even your present employer may be checking your social profiles time after time and dislike something they see. For these reasons, always be mindful of what you post online, what and where you comment, and even who you follow.

More Advice For Job Seekers

• What Is Personal Branding and Why Is It Important for Your Career?
• Common Fears of Every Job Seeker (and How to Deal with Them)
• Don’t Just Work on Your CV. Look at Your Social Media Profiles

Featured photo credit: inlytics | LinkedIn Analytics Tool via unsplash.com

Reference

[1]	^	Small Business Trends: 90% of Employers Consider an Applicant’s Social Media Activity During Hiring Process
[2]	^	Tweet Deleter: 1.5M clients, 1B deleted tweets – Tweet Deleter reveals statistics
[3]	^	Workopolis: The top three things that employers want to see in your social media profiles
[4]	^	Robert Half: Resume Lies On The Rise

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