5 Simple Daily Habits to Change Your Life

You have to have a vision and plan to achieve your goals. It is important to be persistent in pursuing our goals and sometimes sacrifice some sleep to achieve them. Our “hustle at all costs” culture has taught us that success is not always possible.

Health, happiness, and fulfillment are all important. This either/or mentality is not only inaccurate, but it also threatens our bottom line and secretly hinders success.

Mood swings can be caused by stress, exhaustion, and decision fatigue from “hustling”. Our logical processes are literally shut down, which opens up to frustration, anger, sadness, and irritability.

This means that the primitive part (controlled by emotion) of our brains takes control and dictates our behavior, while our higher-level thinking is put to pause.

Do you see the contradiction in the success we want?

Despite the fact that some people still believe break-takers lack motivation or are lazy, this stigma is false. Neuroscience research has shown that achievement is not what we thought it was.

It is now well-known that intentional rest can boost our moods.

• Productive energy
• Creativity
• Innovative thinking
• Executive function
• Positive mindset
• Intuition
• Memory

One method that is particularly effective is Napping. Napping. Napping. However, napping has been shown to enhance alertness and attention even better than caffeine.

Brief periods of rest also counteract the sluggish effects of not getting enough quality sleep at night. Napping even makes us Better problem solvers which directly leads to innovation, decisive action — two hallmarks of success.

This all sounds wonderful, but are you wondering who has time and flexibility to take a nap during the workday? But guess what? To enjoy the rejuvenating benefits of midday sleep, you don’t have to fall asleep.

These three fake nap ideas will help you increase creativity and productivity. These faux nap ideas are easy to fit in even the busiest schedules. Simply pick one, set a five-minute timer and have fun.

1. Close your eyes

More than 50 percent of the surface of the brain is devoted to processing visual information. The energy associated with this 50 percent can be freed up by closing our eyes, which allows our brains to recover.

You can access the unconscious processes that allow us to solve problems and connect with innovative ideas more effectively by decreasing our visual input.

Step one: Make a relaxing environment for sleeping without expecting to fall asleep. Relaxing and removing the pressure from ourselves can help you relax and increase your productivity.

You can drown out distracting sounds by listening to soothing music. Let your eyes close gently and observe any thoughts.

2. Daydream

Did you ever get scoffed as a child for staring out of the window with your dreamy eyes? Our parents and teachers presumed that a wandering mind was a hindrance, but neuroscience researchers find that daydreamers actually score higher on creativity scales.

It is possible to untangle the messiness of our minds by taking time for free-flowing thoughts. Relaxation is like a muscle that allows us to stretch our muscles.

New insights will emerge when we are relaxed. To get the best out of your daydreaming sessions, you should approach it with intention. You need to be able recognize when you’re in this state and then pull yourself out. This takes practice.

Step 1: Select a photo or piece of art that you find relaxing. It could be a tranquil scene at the ocean or flowers against a bright sky. Note: Orange stimulates creativity while blue is soothing. For five minutes, set a timer. Relax and stare at the image.

You can allow your mind to wander, but keep the focus on what you feel from the image. Keep a notepad and pen nearby for any inspirations.

3. Breathe

The adult brain, a mere two percent of body weight, is responsible for around 20 percent of oxygen consumption. Our brains heavily depend on oxygen for decision-making, planning and higher-order thinking.

Focused breathing can give us mental energy. It helps us relax into our subconscious mental processes, which supports creativity and productivity.

Step one: Practice diaphragmatic breathing. This means that you draw the air into your belly and not your upper chest.

While inhaling, place one hand above your heart and the second over your abdomen. If your lower hand raises while you inhale and your upper hand doesn’t, it means you are bringing air into your diaphragm fully.

Next, breathe only through your nose. Hold for four counts, then exhale, hold for four, and finally exhale again. This process can be repeated for up to ten minutes.

4. Access intuitive solutions via the subconscious mind

These techniques allow our brains to reassemble information in a way our conscious mind cannot.

5. How about a common practice?

What if we were to embrace the power of our natural mind/body connections?

Instead of celebrating our busyness, what if we took the time to listen to our deeper levels of consciousness instead?

We would then see that our dreams don’t need to be sacrificed for restorative sleep. When we allow ourselves to relax, our minds can align with our dreams. This is how we can achieve a level in our lives that hustle culture can’t match.