Life

8 Practical Ways to Stay Mentally Sharp

Published

6 years ago

Aug 15, 2016

In a modern age where intelligence is much more valued than physical strength, it is very important one stays mentally sharp and active. To stay dull and ignorant in a rapidly developing world like ours can be likened to going into a war zone without any weapons.

Here are 8 tips on how to keep your mind healthy:

1. Focus On Your Priorities And Goals

To stay mentally sharp, you must focus on your goals and aspirations. This is essential because it keeps you from being distracted and let’s you channel your mind to what really matters. You must utilise your time properly to prepare, plan and take action towards your goals.

When there is focus, mental alertness is improved and one’s productivity naturally improves. Resolve to always take some time periodically to define your priorities and the things you want to achieve, then focus on the step by step actions needed to make them come to pass.

2. Worry Less, Do More

Worrying does us more harm than good. It keeps us brooding over the past or future while stealing our alertness. Stop spending time worrying about things, instead you should always be asking yourself the question “What is the next step?” “What can I do to improve my situation?”

This attitude gets you thinking and coming up with new ideas on how to better yourself. Always remember that useful time is wasted when you worry, all you need to do is focus on making plans and taking action.

“A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work.” – John Lubbock

3. Exercise Your Mind And Body

Exercise is very important for our well being. Most of us are used to bodily exercise but few exercise their minds. Bodily exercise is important, but so is mental exercise. Make schedules to include exercise into your routine, this may include hitting the gym, joining a team for an outdoor sport, dancing, gymnastics etc

Don’t forget to exercise your mind as well. Games like Chess, Monopoly, Scrabble, Billiards, crossword and puzzles keep your mind thinking fast and sharp. There are lots of bodily and mental exercises, find out what suits you best.

4. Stay Around Smarter People

The power of association cannot be over emphasised. Little wonder why the popular maxim “Show me your friend and I’ll tell you who you are”, gained so much acceptance. If you associate with dumb people all the time, there is a tendency that you’ll start thinking and behaving like them even without your knowledge.

To stay mentally sharp and alert, ensure you stay around become who think fast and come up with brilliant ideas. They’d quickly stimulate you to also think the way they do.

5. Find Time To Entertain Yourself

Entertainment is also a wonderful part of life. We all need to find time to unwind after doing our daily work. Only doing your work all day can be boring and cause you mental stress. The brain doesn’t like it because it’s just like eating the same food all day.

Find time to relax, visit your friends, hang out with friends, see a new movie, play good music, go for a party or a date. Life is beautiful and we are meant to enjoy it. The only downside is just that some people over entertain themselves and I’m coming to that.

6. Eat A Healthy Diet

Your body and your mind are usually in sync. You can’t neglect one and expect the other to function well. Eating good food is important to your body and consequently your mind. That good feeling you get when you eat a balanced and satisfying meal actually improves your mental health. Have you ever thought clearly when you’re terrible hungry or when you’ve eaten junk all day? Probably not.

7. Keep Your Mind Open

Openness of mind is a quality you must possess if you value your state of mental health and activity. An open mind keeps you observant and aware of all possibilities that may emanate from an existing situation. When your mind is closed, you tend to think less and do the same things in the same way. A closed mind is not open to fresh knowledge, new discoveries and innovative ways of solving problems.

“Have an open mind – allow different ideas into your way of thinking.” – Peter Diamandis

8. Avoid Bad Habits

It is important you shun your bad habits if you want to stay sharp and smart. Bad habits range from over entertaining yourself with the media, smoking, drunkenness, watching TV all day, laziness to work etc. You know exactly what you’re doing wrong that is not adding any value to your life. You better make a firm decision to stop it now rather than let it control your life. Don’t let bad habits steal your time and your alertness.

Which do you believe is most important to staying mentally sharp? Share your thoughts below!

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Nigel Ikechukwu

Nigel Ikechukwu is a writer, an engineering student and a chess enthusiast. He is also a blogger and founder of the personal development blog at www.boldwinner.com.

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Life

The Imbalanced Problem with Work/Life Balance

Balancing is for your checkbook, gymnastics, and nutrition; not for your people’s work/life ratio.

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Change is scary, but it’s a normal part of life.

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Failure is an integral part of life as life is incomplete without failures.

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Life

5 Indicators of Unresolved Attachment Trauma

Published

2 weeks ago

Jan 25, 2023

Joel Brown (Founder of Addicted2Success.com)

Trauma caused during specific stages of a child’s development, known as attachment trauma, can have lasting effects on a person’s sense of safety, security, predictability, and trust. This type of trauma is often the result of abuse, neglect, or inconsistent care from a primary caregiver.

Individuals who have not fully processed attachment trauma may display similar patterns of behavior and physical or psychological symptoms that negatively impact their adult lives, including the choices they make in relationships and business.

Unfortunately, many people may not even be aware that they are struggling with trauma. Research estimates that 6% of the population will experience PTSD in their lifetime, with a majority of males and females having experienced significant trauma.

Unresolved attachment trauma can significantly impair the overall quality of a person’s life, including their ability to form healthy relationships and make positive choices for themselves. One well-known effect of unhealed attachment trauma is the compulsion to repeat past wounds by unconsciously selecting romantic partners who trigger their developmental trauma.

However, there are other less recognized but equally detrimental signs of unprocessed developmental trauma.

Five possible indications of unresolved attachment trauma are:

1. Unconscious Sabotage

Self-sabotage is a common pattern among individuals with unprocessed attachment trauma. This cycle often begins with hurting others, which is then followed by hurting oneself. It is also common for those with attachment trauma to have heightened emotional sensitivity, which can trigger this cycle.

This pattern can manifest in lashing out, shutting down, or impulsive behavior that leads to feelings of guilt, shame, and self-loathing.

Many people with attachment trauma are not aware of their wounds and operate on survival mode, unconsciously testing or challenging the emotional investment of those around them, and pushing them away out of self-preservation and fear of abandonment.

This can lead to a pattern of making poor choices for themselves based on impulsivity.

2. Persistent Pain

Chronic pain is a common symptom that can stem from early trauma. Studies have shown a connection between physical conditions such as fibromyalgia, headaches, gastrointestinal issues, insomnia, muscle aches, back pain, chest pain, and chronic fatigue with the aftermath of chronic developmental trauma, particularly physical abuse.

Research has found that individuals with insecure attachment styles, such as anxious, avoidant, or disorganized, have a higher incidence of somatic symptoms and a history of physical and emotional abuse in childhood compared to those with a secure attachment style.

3. Behaviors That Block Out Trauma

Trauma blocking practises are used to avoid the pain and memories connected with traumatic events.

Emotional numbing, avoidance, and escape via briefly pleasurable activities that distract from terrible memories or suffering are common examples. Unfortunately, this escape habit stops people from successfully processing and recovering from their trauma.

Furthermore, when the pain resurfaces, more and more diversions are necessary to continue ignoring it. This can be seen in compulsive behaviours such as drug or alcohol addiction, emotional eating, numbing oneself through relationships, workaholism, excessive or dangerous exercise routines, compulsive internet or technology use, or any other compulsive behaviour used to distract yoursef from intrusive thoughts and emotions.

These actions have the potential to prolong a cycle of avoidance and repression, preventing persons from healing and progressing.

4. A strong need for control

It’s understandable that some people may struggle with control issues in their adult lives, especially if they felt helpless or vulnerable during their childhood.

This can happen if someone had an overbearing caregiver who didn’t let them make their own choices, expected too much from them, or didn’t take care of them properly. As adults, they might try to control everything in their life to feel more in control and less anxious or scared. This might be because they didn’t feel like they had control over their life when they were a child.

It’s important to remember that everyone’s experiences are different and it’s okay to seek help if you’re struggling with control issues.

5. Psychological Symptoms That Are Not Explained

Individuals with a history of developmental trauma may experience a range of psychological symptoms, including obsessive-compulsive behavior, intense mood swings, irritability, anger, depression, emotional numbing, or severe anxiety.

These symptoms can vary in intensity and may occur intermittently throughout the day. People with this type of trauma may attempt to “distract” themselves from these symptoms by denying or rationalizing them, or may resort to substance abuse or behavioral addictions as coping mechanisms. This can be a maladaptive way of trying to numb their symptoms.

What to do next if you’re suffering from emotional attachment trauma?

Everyone’s experience of healing from trauma is unique. It’s important to be aware of whether you have experienced childhood developmental trauma and how it may be affecting your relationships as an adult. Sometimes, the effects of trauma can be overwhelming and we may try to push them away or avoid them.

If you notice that you’re engaging in these behaviors, it’s important to seek help from a trauma therapist who can support you on your healing journey. Remember, you’re not alone and it’s never too late to start healing.

There are several ways that people can work to overcome emotional attachment trauma:

Therapy: One of the most effective ways to overcome emotional attachment trauma is through therapy. A therapist can help you process your experiences, understand the impact of your trauma on your life, and develop coping strategies to manage symptoms.
Support groups: Joining a support group of people who have had similar experiences can be a great way to find validation, empathy, and a sense of community.
Mindfulness practices: Mindfulness practices such as meditation, pilates, prayer time with God or journaling can help you become more aware of your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, and develop a sense of spiritual connection and self-regulation.
Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT): This is a type of therapy that is specifically designed to help individuals process and recover from traumatic events.
Building a safety net: Building a support system of people you trust, who are there for you when you need them, can help you feel more secure and safe in your life.

It’s important to remember that healing from emotional attachment trauma is a process and it may take time. It’s also important to find a therapist who is experienced in treating trauma, who you feel comfortable talking with, and who can help you develop a personalized treatment plan.

If you desire to work with me on healing your wounds and unlocking the aspects of you that were never realized so you can achieve more success in your life then head over to awebliss.com and join my weekly LIVE online mentorship calls.