A Rested Mind Can Improve Your Productivity

Imagine that you’re working late at night on a project due in the morning. Your body is tired and your mind is numb, but this project must get done, so you push on. You continue to work, despite the distinct feeling that the project would be much easier if you went to bed and approached it again in the morning. You feel obligated to do it now, so you stay up until the wee hours of the morning, producing less than desirable work in much more time than it would have taken with a rested mind. This was likely not the wisest move, since not only productivity was lost, but quality as well.

Having a rested mind really can make a difference in our daily productivity, whether it's work or housework we are trying to accomplish. Our minds were not meant to work for hours on end with no downtime. They need breaks and vacations. They need the ability to recharge from the daily overload of sensory and thought perceptions. Constantly running our minds on overtime without frequent periods of restoration can be detrimental to our work, our attitude, and even our physical health.

Luckily, there are a few simple steps you can take to prevent your mind from working on overload. Follow these helpful tips and ideas for increasing your daily productivity:

Get more sleep – Adequate sleep is crucial to allowing our subconscious minds to let go of all the stress of the day. During sleep our minds recharge themselves, generating the stamina and renewed perception needed for a fresh new day. If we fail to get adequate sleep, our minds will be sluggish and slow, essentially shutting down from the overload of stimuli. This creates conditions in which we cannot effectively think, speak, or act to our fullest potential.

Without the level of awareness and alertness that a rested mind provides, our pace slows down and productivity is lost. When our minds are overworked we often fall into "space cadet" mode, and we have trouble focusing on the tasks at hand. Thoughts frequently wander, and the ability to concentrate is lost. Most people know how much sleep they require to feel refreshed, but we rarely allow ourselves such a luxury. Try viewing adequate sleep as an investment into your overall well-being, and reap the rewards the next morning.

Reduce stress – Excessive stress can be very debilitating. It makes us feel overwhelmed and distracts us from getting our work done, and even worse - it promotes the formation of negative thoughts. Stress can hinder our productivity by making us more scattered and unfocused. We are unable to concentrate on one thing at a time because the cause of the stress is always in the back our minds, demanding attention.

Reducing the stressors in our lives will go a long way in allowing us to lead more productive and happy lives. Try to remember that some things are just not worth worrying about, and there is no sense in stressing over things we have no control over. Since much of our stress is the result of worrying about things beyond our control, allowing ourselves to let go of these thoughts can greatly reduce the stress in our lives.

Quiet the mind – Meditation is a great way to quiet our minds and develop clear thought processes. Try this exercise at least once a day: Find a quiet room with no interruptions, sit in a comfortable position, and close your eyes. Allow all thoughts to leave your mind, and try to focus on the silence within you. As thoughts begin to float through your mind, simply push them gently but firmly back out. This technique takes practice to perfect, but sticking with it will help you to develop intense focus that can be harnessed in other ways as well.

Meditating on a regular basis will ultimately improve our productivity because we will develop the ability to focus clearly on each task, and ultimately get more done in less time.

These are just a few of the easy ways we can contribute to a rested mind, which will help us to release stress, improve our focus, and increase our productivity.


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Get Started! Do Something!

This is about getting started. Taking that first step. It is so easy to moan about our lives and complain that things aren’t how we want them to be. We all do it. We all have done it! So how can we break out of that moaning habit and turn it into a doing one? Making the decision to do something is the first step – but taking action is the most important one. So you get it wrong. It can happen. What do you do? Do you lay there on the ground feeling sorry for yourself while life carries on around you, or do you pick yourself up, dust yourself down and do something else? Come on! Get going! Be a doer! From now on do something new that will move you forward to achieve the life you want! And whatever you do, do it with enthusiasm, with gusto and with commitment!

Do Something to move you towards your goals. Do the things you want to achieve seem too big or too far off in the future? Each goal can be broken down into little steps which will lead you to your dream. Is what you do each day helping you to achieve your goals? Ask yourself ‘what small thing (or big thing, if you like) can I do today that will move me towards achieving my goal?’ Then do it!

Do Something today that you’ve been putting off for a while. It’s that dreaded word – procrastination! Some of the things you put off do need some preparation, but others could be started straight away, if you put your mind to it. Decide that this is the day to get going on that list of things that has been weighing you down for so long. Large tasks can be broken down into smaller ones, and those that can be completed in minutes will be completed in minutes – if you only just start them!

Do Something for yourself. Enjoy your life now. Don’t wait for some far-off time when conditions may be right to start making the most of the life you have. Your time is precious. Make every second of it count. What do you enjoy doing? Do you make time to do it? Who do you like being with? Do you spend time with them? Do you speak to them and tell them how much they matter to you?

Do Something active every day. It doesn’t have to be formal exercise, just something that gets your body moving. Take the stairs instead of the lift, go out for a walk in your lunch break, and dance to the radio as you make your tea in the morning. Adding that extra bit of activity will make a great difference to you mentally and physically.

Do Something because you want to, not because you have to. Doing something that you don’t want to do, but feel you ought to, will make you feel more stressed, disgruntled and resentful. Be clear, to yourself, and the people you interact with, about what you are, and are not, prepared to do. Don’t get into a fight about it, but be assertive and clearly state your position. Most people will respect you for it.

Do Something new every day. Listen to a different radio station, join a new club, sign up for a new course or start a new book. Routine can make our lives simpler, but too much routine can numb our brain. Adding something new everyday keeps you stimulated. It doesn’t have to be anything major. Trying a new type of coffee would count!

Do Something Creative every week. Doodling, gardening, painting, crafts, working with fabrics, even cooking something you’ve never attempted before. Write a poem, a short story or even a letter to someone you’ve been thinking about. This will keep your creative juices flowing and keep your brain limbered up, whilst giving you satisfaction at having produced something for yourself.

Do Something for nothing. This is really doing something for someone else and not expecting any reward or return, just doing it because you can and it makes a difference. Enough said.

Do enjoy this quote.

‘It is essential to our well-being, and to our lives, that we play and enjoy life. Every single day do something that makes your heart sing.’ -- Wieder Marcia

Just remember, if you're feeling flat, even if it’s only a little thing, do something!

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How to Find Your Passion

Following your passion brings personal power and awakens yourself to the beauty of the world. It leads you to the heart of spiritual journey as it changes your thoughts, perceptions, and feelings. Finding your passion does not promise an easy life rather a rich life open to hopes and possibility.

1. Speak your truths clearly - To find your passion you must speak your truths and ready yourself to new adventures. Know what really matter to you? What truly makes you happy? Know the things you do best and makes you feel complete.

2. Be open for support - You must also keep in mind that you are not an isolated being – you need the support of family, friends and positive-minded social circle that will help you reach your goals.

3. Open up your senses - When you open up your senses, you tend experience God’s blessings and you feel more peaceful and serene. This allows you to be more patient and be reminded the cycle of nature. When you experience this you become more positive and calm.

4. Give yourself a time for pleasure - Waking up in the morning away from busy schedules and having the freedom to do the things that brings you pleasure? To find your passion you must allow yourself a time for pleasure. For many people, allowing pleasures induces guilt as it is not productive and hinders you from getting important things accomplished. But this view of pleasure is actually a matter of opinion. Gentle pleasures are good to your health and are productive. By allowing yourself time for pleasure you become more focused and passionate in your job.

5. Liberate yourself - A person who finds her passion is a truly wise person. Doing a work that reflects your personality and values promises you a lifelong happiness and contentment. It is easier and liberating when we accept who we are and we allow other people to accept us too. The human psyche is a holistic system, to numb one part of our being is to numb the rest and create constant struggle.

6. Feed yourself with affirmations - Affirmations are important in finding your passion in life as it makes you feel secure and optimistic about reaching your goals. A lot of people don’t get to their destinations out of fear of failure. You should allow yourself to get upset by some downturns but remind yourself to pull yourself together past and get on track again. Some people might influence you into thinking negative. It’s not so easy to shut them out of your life. But it’s easier to practice blocking the negative energies that they bring into your life. It keeps your sanity.

Finding your passion is an endless song. When you do the things that you are passionate about you allow you let your life to flourish. You let yourself connect to everything you are – in mind, in heart, and in spirit. You are a stronger that can face challenges better because you are reinforced by being able to do the things you love. You feel more alive, positive, self-respecting, and determined. You live your life with confidence and high morale. And you feel you are contributing goodness and positivism to the people in your life.

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