Speaker: BRUCE LIPTON, Author “The Biology of Belief”

TRANSCRIPT: Bruce Lipton On How Your Thoughts (STRESS) Cause Illness and Disease.

And now it turns out that stress, the problem that fear generates, stress is responsible for up to 90% of all disease. We have to learn to let go of the fear. Consciousness needs to change. It’s chronic fear chemistry itself that is the cause of the problem. Change your mind, you change the chemistry. And therefore, you become empowered. I’d like to discuss today the concept of how fear influences our biology.

What we understand from the nature of epigenetics is that the composition of the blood is actually what controls our genetic activity. That the composition of that blood, the chemistry of it is based on the perceptions that we hold in our mind. And when we start to hold a perception of fear, we release different chemistry in the blood to prepare us to protect ourselves from the fear that we believe is going to affect us.

So I go, “Well, what happens?” I say, “When we hold a picture of fear, one of the things that happens is we start to get mobilized to forget our body to respond to that fear.” And most of us know that mobilization is related to the adrenal system, the fight-or-flight system built into our body. So I say, “Well, what happens physiologically when we’re experiencing fear in our mind?” And the answer is, “The brain releases elements such as stress hormones as cortisol or norepinephrine as well as agents that affect the immune system such as histamine or cytokines.” Like, “Oh, so, what is the collective response of the chemistry of fear in the blood?” And the answer is, “It redirects the flow of energy in our body.”

Understand this, that the blood is controlling the energy because that’s where all the nutrients and the resources are. And normally, when we’re not in fear, the blood is more or less concentrated in our viscera, the organs that actually help the body grow and repair itself and maintain itself. So, the blood energy is now being used to maintain our biology. However, if we live in fear such as the old concept of being chased by a saber-toothed tiger, the question is, “Where do you want the blood?” Well, since the adrenal system helps us in fight-or-flight, the adrenal system is going to redirect the blood flow into the arms and legs because those are the organs that we use to escape the fear.

So the first thing that happens when fear is present in our mind is that the stress hormones go in the blood. They actually cause the blood vessels in the gut to shut down. Why? Because we don’t need to use the energy to grow and maintain the body when we’re chased by that tiger. When the blood vessels in the guts squeeze shut, the blood is now forced to the arms and legs which are necessary for the fight-or-flight response. And centers it because, in a state of fear, some people experience what are called butterflies in the stomach. That butterflies in the stomach is the physiological consequence of the stress hormones causing the blood vessels to squeeze shut in the gut, pushing the blood to the arms and legs. And that’s where we need the energy of the system.

So number one, when you’re living in fear, you shut down the growth and maintenance of the body as you prepare for fight-or-flight. Number two, there’s another effect as well. And that is when fear hormones are put in the body, again, we want to conserve all the energy possible to run away from that tiger. So we shut down any mechanism that is not necessary in a fight-or-flight response.

This is particularly important in regard to the immune system. The immune system is like an internal adrenal system. The immune system protects me from threats on the inside. The immune system uses a lot of energy, as you well know because if you’ve ever been sick, you realize how little energy you have. You may not even have enough energy to get out of bed. So, the significance here is important. When the stress hormones are released in the body to conserve the energy for fight-or-flight, the stress hormones shut down the immune system. And this is very vital because the usage of that energy by the immune system is so high, it would interfere with the fight-or-flight response. So, a significant aspect is this. Not only do we redirect the flow of blood away from the viscera, which maintains our body, we also inhibit the immune system, which is protecting the interior of our body.

Now, if it’s just a run away from a saber-toothed tiger, 10 minutes and you escape the tiger, then the system can return to normal. But what happens in chronic fear? The fear of life of every day that we’re not being supported. The answer is this. Then chronically, we are shutting down the maintenance of the body which opens us up to infections and inflammations and all other problems. And while we’re open to those infections, guess what? We also now shut down the immune system, which is protecting us from those infections. So when I say we shut down the growth of the maintenance of the body, we shut down the immune system for a 10-minute escape from a tiger, no problem. But in today’s world, stress is not 10 minutes. It’s 24-7 365. What is the consequence of a long duration of living in fear?

And the answer is the body starts to become sick and starts to fall apart. Now it turns out that stress, the problem that fear generates, stress is responsible for up to 90% of all disease. And so, while we were thinking genes were causing the diseases, no. It’s the consequence of stress and the chemical consequence of that shutting down growth, shutting down the immune system, opens up the body for a failure. And this is why disease is the result of chronic fear.

So the relevance is this. We have to learn to let go of the fear. We have to recognize that most of the fear is just programming, people scaring us with beliefs about this is going to happen and that’s going to happen. And when we hold those beliefs in our mind, those beliefs are translated into the chemistry of stress, which then impacts the body in a very negative way.

So, consciousness needs to change. We have to stop the fear thoughts, we have to switch into healthier thoughts. If there’s a picture of fear, this is actually debilitating you. So in your mind, every time a fear comes up, if you change it into some other story, change it to some other vision, change it into visions of happiness, joy, anything you would rather do because the fear itself is the cause of the illness and the fear is a result of consciousness.

And it’s not actually real in most cases. It’s a belief. And if we change that belief surrounding the fear, we are then empowered to return back to a healthy vital system where the blood is flowing back into the viscera, maintaining us and the inhibitions on the immune system are stopped. In this process, we can then have a life of full health and happiness especially when you recognize that over 90% of the diseases facing this planet are all coming from fear. It’s up to us. We can change the fear. You consciously must redirect that fear and change it by replacing it with thoughts of love, happiness, joy, health and all those wonderful visions. Because in that mindset, the chemistry will actually enhance your vitality. It’s chronic fear chemistry itself that is the cause of the problem. Change your mind, you change the chemistry. And therefore you become empowered to survive and thrive.

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They all use the benefits of cold showers to take their lives to the next level.

Taking a cold shower every day has so many benefits. It’s the reason so many athletes and top performers use ice baths, cryo chambers, and cold plunges.

I hadn’t learned much about them until my mentor Benjamin Hardy (the #1 writer on Medium) suggested watching a Wim Hof video. If you don’t know, Wim “The Iceman” Hof popularized cold showers thanks to his incredible accomplishments in extremely cold situations.

Outside of being able to calm your breathing and force your mind to accept the cold, there are nearly endless benefits of taking cold showers. Here are some of the biggest reasons to start applying cold therapy to your daily routine.

7 Astonishing Benefits of Cold Showers

1. Improves Immunity

Want to take less sick days at the office? If your immunity is struggling, cold showers might be the answer.

An English study showed that regular cold showers trigger an increase in the metabolic speed rate and the number of white blood cells in the body. The two combined will help your body naturally fight diseases.

Your immune system will release virus-fighting white blood cells that will help you get sick less frequently. Cold showers can also increase your overall blood circulation throughout your body.

As Liam Neeson said about cold showers, “Standing under freezing cold showers every morning, — I did that. I got up to seven minutes most mornings and it actually works. It immunizes your body and your body starts getting used to the cold. It really works.”  

2. Promotes Fat Loss

Another huge cold shower benefit is that they actually promote fat loss.

There are two kinds of fat in your body: white fat and brown fat. White fat is the bad one and brown fat is the good one.

When you take cold showers, brown fat is activated due to extreme cold and starts to burn calories to keep you warm.  The increased activity of the “good fat” actually burns calories to keep the body warm.

Research has shown that cold temperatures can actually boost brown fat by 15 times higher than the normal amount! If you’re trying to lose a few pounds or need to jolt your system, cold showers might be more powerful than an energy drink or fat burner pill.

3. Promotes Faster Muscle Recovery & Better Circulation

Athletes have known about the benefits of cold showers and ice baths for years. It’s not uncommon to see football, soccer and basketball stars taking painstakingly cold ice baths following rigorous practice and games.

In fact, a 2009 study showed that an ice bath after intense training improves circulation and helps remove some lactic acid in the body. This can help you speed up the body’s recovery and heal faster than ever before.

It’s the same reason that ice brings down inflammation when you bruise or tear a muscle. By bringing the temperature of an area of the body down, you naturally speed up recovery.

Not to mention, along with faster recovery, cold water therapy helps improve circulation. Improved circulation means better overall cardiovascular health which helps if you’re training for endurance events.   

4. Promotes Resilience

Another scientific study showed that cold showers can help develop a nervous system that is resilient to stress. Who doesn’t want that?

The effort of taking a cold shower alone serves as a small form of oxidative stress. Remember, life gets stressful so it’s a good idea to train your body to prepare for stress in advance.

Not to mention, by getting yourself to take a cold shower or jump in a cold plunge, you’re getting out of your comfort zone. By breaking your routine and forcing yourself to do something you don’t like, even if it’s a couple of minutes, will help make things easier.

If you want to reach new levels of success in business, life or health, it’s not going to be easy. But cold showers can help train your mind and body to cope with new challenges and become resilient when things get tough.

5. Enhances Skin and Hair

As you can tell, there are so many benefits to cold showers but they might also make you look better as well. Cold showers are shown to have positive benefits to both your hair and skin.

If you’re struggling with acne or other skin issues, cold showers might help. While hot water dries out your skin, cold water actually tightens it. This prevents your skin from getting clogged.

Lastly, cold showers can also help your scalp and hair as well.  

6. Lowers Chances of Depression

Want to battle depression naturally? Besides intermittent fasting and constant exercise, cold showers can also be added into the equation.

Your heart rate will also increase, resulting in a rush of blood through your body that will help you get energized for the day. World class entrepreneur Ed Mylett said that he either takes a cold shower, go for a walk in the cold or splashes cold water in his face daily to help energize him each day.

7. More Health Benefits

Here are three other benefits that show the power of cold showers.

Increases Testosterone Levels

Want to increase testosterone naturally? Besides eating low-carb with high fats and using interval training, cold showers can also help!

Improves Fertility

Cold showers have also been found to boost sperm count and increase fertility in healthy males. Researchers said that it could also reverse the effects of hot baths as they have been considered to lower sperm count.

Helps You Sleep Better at Night

Tim Ferris best-seller, The Four Hour Body said, “A 10-minute ice bath could help people get incredible sleep at night.” The book states that “Taking a cold shower gives elephant tranquilizer-like effect that will put you straight to bed.”

Final Thoughts

So how should you get started with cold showers to take advantage of all these health benefits? Slow and steady!

The brain doesn’t like drastic changes in your life as it views them as a threat. Instead of trying to do 10-minute ice cold showers, take your normal shower first. Then, in the end, finish with a 1 or 2-minute cold shower.

As you get more adjusted to it, increase your time or take an entirely cold shower. It’s a great way to start the day, revitalize your body, and set yourself up for success.

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Let’s straighten up by looking at the top 10 things you should know about having good posture!

1. Stress can make your posture worse

Generally speaking, stress can tense and strain your muscles, making them tight and more likely to cause pain. If you want to have good posture, try to reduce your stress during the day. In addition, by sitting up straight, you’ll reduce stress levels. Your lower back – and posture – will thank you.

2. A strong core is essential | Strong Posture

Core muscles are extremely important for having good posture. Your abs, glutes, lower back, and legs are all involved in supporting your body weight. It’s a good idea to strengthen your core through a regular exercise program. For example, you can try kettlebell exercises or a pilates class. Whatever works to get your lower back strength and flexibility up to speed!

3. Check your workstation for triggers

It’s common to have bad posture at the office. If you want to create healthy posture habits, analyze your workspace for any triggers. For example, make sure your computer screen is at eye level and your keyboard is within easy reach of your hands. Your chair can also be a problem area. Check that the height is correct for your desk and invest in a lumbar pillow to stay comfortable. If you talk on a phone often, you should also get a headset to avoiding stiff shoulders.

4. Shed some pounds | Strong Posture

Good posture also means shedding any extra pounds. Your back has to carry any excess weight you have. This can put pressure on your joints and muscles, and make it harder for you to keep up good posture. By losing weight, you can help build your back strength and lighten the load for your muscles.

5. Nix the high heels

If you want good posture, you should avoid wearing high heels for long periods. High heels are a common culprit of bad posture and back pain. That’s because high heels change your center of gravity and put extra pressure on your back. If you must, go for a lower heel or bring an extra pair of shoes to change into.

6. Sign up for Tai Chi or Yoga | Strong Posture

Tai Chi is an excellent way to strengthen your postural muscles. Tai Chi is a series of slow, fluid movements that require a strong core and general flexibility. Studies show it’s a great low-impact option to boost your posture as well. If you’re not a fan of Tai Chi, you can also try aquatic exercise or yoga, which are known to be great for your posture.

7. Start your night on your back

It’s way better to sleep on your side or back. So, avoid starting your night on your stomach, which can strain your muscles and get your body out of alignment. Also, check your sleeping space. Your pillow and mattress should be supportive and firm, and you should be creating sleep-healthy habits by trying to go to bed at the same time every night. By changing your sleeping habits, you’ll see improvements in your posture.

8. Set a reminder for a posture check | Strong Posture

You should make sure you’re sitting, standing and lying down with good posture. One way to do this is to set a reminder for a posture check throughout the day. This alarm will help you check: are you slouching? Is your chin poking out? Have you taken a break from sitting at your desk? The best way to have good posture is to be mindful of the way you’re moving throughout the day.

9. Start a morning posture routine

There is plenty of great posture exercises out there. Try to create a morning routine where you stretch your lower back muscles, as well as your neck, shoulders, hips, and knees. Getting your body loose and flexible in the morning will prevent you from becoming tense during the day.

Good posture isn’t easy, but by following these nine tips, you’ll be well on your way to better posture!

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If so, it’s time to quit searching and get back to the basics. You don’t need another app, another motivational video or another purchase from Amazon.

Instead, you need to keep it simple and learn from people who have already done it.

One of the greatest fitness icons ever, Jack LaLanne, is someone who can help you transform your life.

While his name isn’t as familiar as a fitness icon like Arnold Schwarzenegger his impact on fitness is nothing short of amazing.

He’s the reason that modern gyms look they way they do today.

Who is Jack Lalanne?

He opened his first gym in 1936 and is the creator of some of the most iconic exercises and gym equipment that is in every gym today. And his fitness achievements are nothing short of amazing:

• He swam from Alcatraz to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco while wearing handcuffs. The second time he did it he was 60 years old and also two a 1,000 pound boat behind him!
• He set the world record for push-ups by doing over 1,000 in just 23 minutes (at the age of 42).
• And at 45 years old he was still able to do 1,000 jumping jacks and 1,000 pull-ups in under 90 minutes!

Habits of Success

So how can these unbelievable achievements help you transform your own life? By learning the habits that brought him his massive success.

When you see things like this, it’s easy to put Jack in a category of his own. To say that he was born that way. But it’s just not true.

Jack lived a healthy life until he passed away at 96 years old in 2011. Here are the simple rituals that he used to achieve his extraordinary accomplishments.

1. Wake Up Early | 3 Simple Rituals

Jack was someone who knew the importance of waking up early. He woke up regularly at 4 am most of his life and as he got older, he let himself “sleep in” until 5 am.

What time are you waking up? If you’re waking up past 5 am and not achieving all you want in your health, business and life, it’s up to you to change it. 

Everyone has the same 24 hours in the day, if you’re waking up late you’re missing out the best hours of the day. You can spend uninterrupted times working on your biggest goals or spending time in the gym.

Winners wake up early.

2. Daily Exercise | 3 Simple Rituals

As you can imagine, Jack was obsessed with fitness. He would regularly light weights and do strength training workouts for 90 minutes. Then, he would swim or run for an additional 30 minutes.

While you don’t need to train for two hours every day, it’s no surprise he was able to achieve so much and live such a long life. Daily exercise, both strength training, and cardio are one of the easiest habits of success.

Even at 94 years old Jack was still a fitness junkie. He would still exercise for two hours.

How often are you working out with weights and cardio? If you’re waking up early, it’s one of the easiest times to build confidence and knock out this habit of success.

3. Consistent Eating Habits | 3 Simple Rituals

Jack was an early pioneer of intermittent fasting without actually calling it that. He was known to eat a late breakfast and an early dinner his entire life. And he ate at least 10 raw vegetables per day!

Intermittent fasting is a great way to curb hunger attacks, lose weight, and increase mental cognition. Try to do it a few times per week to take advantage of the incredible benefits. 

Remember, success doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, it’s about getting back to the basics.

Use these three habits to build confidence and start making change in your life.

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While simple, it applies to any area of your life. If you can measure something, you’re able to make progress.

If you want to grow a business you need to track pitches, sales, conversion, etc. And if you want to lose weight you need to measure your workouts and caloric intake.

But if you’ve ever tried to lose weight you know that it’s not always easy.  Bad habits are hard to break. But science has now proven that doing one thing will greatly impact your ability to lose weight and keep it off.

So what’s the habit?

Food Journal Study

In 2008, a Kaiser Permanente study of nearly 1,700 participants showed that keeping a food diary can literally double a persons weight loss! The study found that people who actually logged all of their meals in a food diary lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records at all.

And finding a program that works is needed because so many people in the United States and worldwide are struggling with finding a plan that works. As co-author of the study, Dr. Victor Stevens said, “More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. If we all lost just nine pounds, like the majority of people in this study, did, our nation would see vast decreases in hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.”

He also found that if people can lose as little as five pounds they can reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure by 20 percent!

What the Food Journal Study Found

According to the author of the study, Jack Hollis, Ph.D. said, “Those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records. It seems that the simple act of writing down what you eat encourages people to consume fewer calories.”

How a Food Journal Helps You Lose Weight

Keeping a food diary doesn’t have to be a formal journal that you carry around with you all day. Although that can work if you need to use one. But just the act of scribbling down what you eat on a sticky note, sending yourself emails tallying each meal, or shooting yourself a text message will work as well.

The results come from reflecting on what you eat on a regular basis. It’s about becoming aware of your eating habits so you become aware of what you’re eating on a consistent basis. 

Logging your food in a journal makes it easy to avoid temptation throughout the day. Food journaling in conjunction with these four habits will help you lose weight and keep it off for good. 

4 Ways to Accelerate Rapid Weight Loss

1. Find an Accountability Partner

Find someone with similar weight loss goals so you can find a partner to exercise with and send updates on your food diary.

2. Daily Exercise

While tracking your calories is key, daily exercise is also vital to losing weight. Whether it’s jogging, working out, yoga, pilates, or other activities. All of them will help accelerate fat loss and increase your metabolism.

3. Intermittent Fasting

There have been countless studies in the past decade showing the power of intermittent fasting (IF) to help people lose weight and keep it off.  

4. Meditation

How can meditation help lose weight? By helping you stay relaxed throughout the day. High-stress levels make it easy to binge on salty and fatty foods.

Plus, meditation can help keep you calm and keep cortisol levels low.

Food Journal Your Way to Success

Start using a food journal, email or text message reminder to hold yourself accountable. The simple act of becoming aware of your daily food intake will help you double your weight loss.

Add in some of the other four methods to become healthier and happier. Remember, you can’t live an extraordinary life you’re constantly worried about your health!

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Achieving work-life balance isn’t easy if you’re an ambitious person who wants to accomplish big goals in life.

At some level, there is give and take managing everything in your life. But if you’re hyper self-aware and control your time, you can achieve work-life balance.

How to Achieve Work-Life Balance: 4 Steps to Success

1. Prioritize Your Health

What you put in your body has a massive impact on your energy and motivation throughout the day. If you’re a highly motivated individual I’m sure you have a 1,000 things to do each day.

It’s easy to neglect your diet and exercise when you’re busy 13+ hours per day. But the better you feel, the more efficient you will become.

If you want to strive to achieve a work-life balance you need all the energy you can get. Focus on getting enough quality sleep, eating high-quality foods, and staying disciplined with exercise. 

2. Change Your Physiology

Go to a Tony Robbins seminar and you’ll instantly learn the importance of changing your physiology, which is the way your body moves. Most people sit at a desk for 8+ hours, commute, and sit way too much. This isn’t what humans were designed to do.

You need to constantly focus on your physiology to increase your energy. Remember, without energy, it’s easy to let one area of your life slack and end up on the couch watching Netflix.

If you’re at an office job, get for a walk, stretch or sit a medicine ball at your desk. Get moving early and often to have the energy to do it all. 

3. Prioritize Self-Care

If you’re going to have a busy schedule it’s easy to think your motivation will carry you to the finish line each day. Sadly, motivation fades.

Oftentimes, if you’re striving for a work-life balance you’re focusing on everyone else’s needs. Your family, client, or business which makes it’s easy to forget about you!

You need to have 30-60 minutes of self-care each day. Otherwise, it’s so easy to burn out, get sick, lose motivation or quit something entirely.

I can’t recommend a morning routine enough. Find some rituals like meditation, reading, exercising or powerful morning motivational speeches.

You’ll have less stress, prioritize your own well being and feel better each day.

4. Take More Breaks

I’m sure you think the last thing you’d read is that you should take breaks when looking for a work-life balance. But it’s true, sometimes you need a break to get energized.

Depending on the type of work you do, some of it requires a ton of mental energy. If this is the case, I recommend doing the hard stuff first thing in the morning when your brain is fresh from sleep.

Afterward, try to take breaks every 60-90 minutes. You can meditate for a few minutes, listen to music or go on a quick walk.

I like to set a timer, work for 50 minutes and then take a 10-minute break. You can do this every 60,90 or 120 minutes. Much longer and I’m sure you’ll find yourself:

• Unable to concentrate
• Procrastinating
• Getting sloppy with work

Add in more little breaks to get more energy.

Achieving Work-Life Balance Doesn’t Have to Mean Sacrifices

Hopefully, these tips can help you find a better work-life balance. Remember that each day will have its own unique challenges so treat it as such. And don’t forget, you are the biggest priority in the equation.

Don’t neglect self-care on your journey to achieving greatness!

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Whether it be through digestion (sugary/unhealthy food), stress, drug use (prescription, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco) or pollution our bodies have a lot to deal with..

This has a huge effect on our general health and energy levels.

Mike Rashid is a man with a wealth of knowledge in health, bodybuilding & nutrition he is also an avid experimenter and will utilize any strategy that improves his overall physical prowess. The world we live in is more competitive than ever. Mike’s goal is to stay at the top of the food chain.

Below Mike shares some insight into his latest style of eating. This dieting technique is also embraced by other high performance athletes like Rhonda Rousey & Herschel Walker.

By eating one meal a day the aim is to reduce the workload we put our bodies under, thus increasing overall health and performance.

One scientific study  has revealed this fasting style may benefit the cardiac system and improve memory. It is also a proven way to lose excess fat and increase mental clarity.

When beasts talk, we listen. Mike Rashid a man with a lifetime of experience in cutting edge athletic performance. Listen as he explains his take on the increasingly popular 23/1 intermittent fasting program.

Eating One Meal a Day Will Lead To Better Health, More Muscle and Less Fat, According To This Bodybuilder

Expanding on the Intermittent Fasting, and Ketogenic Diet Hacks, Mike Rashid made a second video:

What was your take on Mike’s new style of eating? Do you have your own strategies that keep you ahead of the pack? Share your opinion with us in the comment section below.

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But what’s the point of working hard and becoming successful only to sacrifice your health?

Sometimes you need cold hard scientific facts to motivate you to exercise even when you’d rather skip it entirely. Think about some of these reasons the next time you feel like skipping a workout.

8 Reasons Why Exercise is Important To Your Brain & Body

1. Longer Lifespan

According to the CDC staying fit is the key to living a longer life. If you exercise more than seven hours per week you are 40% less likely to die young compared to only exercising 30 minutes or less each week.  

2. Increase Good Cholesterol and Lower Bad Cholesterol

High cholesterol can increase plaque that builds up in your arteries. Over time this plaque can lead to developing heart disease.

Exercise helps both your cholesterol levels by increasing the good kind and reducing the bad kind.

3. Decrease Stress Levels – Exercise is Important To Your Brain & Body

How many times have you went to the gym angry or frustrated only to feel better after a good class or long workout? Exercise has shown that it can drastically reduce your stress and anxiety levels.

If your stress has turned to depression it can also help you get out of your slump as exercise has also shown to help lower depression as well.

4. Increases Happiness

Yes, exercise will make you happy. Sometimes its hard to think about it during a long run or tough workout but afterward don’t you feel better? Maybe even happier?

Exercise increases your happiness because of the endorphins right when you finish. Post-exercise is when you are in peak state and a great time to work on setting your goals.

5. Stop Getting Sick – Exercise is Important To Your Brain & Body

Are you always getting sick or having to take time away from work, family or friends? If so, start exercising more!

According to Medline Plus, “Physical activity may help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. This may reduce your chance of getting a cold, flu, or other illness.”

Exercise causes changes in your antibodies and white blood cells (WBC) which are the body’s immune system cells that fight disease. WBCs circulate more rapidly, so they could detect illnesses earlier than they might have before.

6. Increase Self-Confidence

As Tim Grover said, “The mind controls the body, the body doesn’t control the mind.” While reading is the equivalent of exercising for your body, regular exercise also helps your brain too.

As the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services said, “It also can affect how well you do your tasks, and even how pleasant you are to be around. That’s partly because physical activity gets your brain to make “feel-good” chemicals called endorphins.”

7. Lower Your Risk of Cancer

If you’re not feeling like working out read this stat over and over again. One-third of all cancers in the United States are linked to lack of exercise and poor diet according to the American Cancer Society.

8. Helps You Sleep Better

Lastly, exercise can also help your sleep patterns. If you feel tired but can’t sleep or stay up tossing and turning try exercising to help.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep.” Make sure not to exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to sleep.

The next time you think about skipping a workout to sleep in or binge Netflix use these reasons why exercise is important for your brain and body! 

Remember, exercise isn’t just for your body it’s as much for your mind. Plus, you will feel better, perform better throughout the day and even sleep better.

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Physical fitness is essential for a healthy lifestyle. Exercise helps muscle growth, the heart, and will keep fat levels within a healthy parameter. But, not a lot of people know that physical fitness has great positive impacts on one’s mental health. Exercising can do amazing things to improve various aspects of one’s cognitive, behavioral, and emotional health. Here are five ways fitness positively impacts mental health.

Stress

Stress can come from many variables. Work, financial insecurities, interpersonal relationship issues, or other aspects of one’s life can make a person feel very stressed. Stress can cause many physical reactions. Muscles can become quite tense leading to pain in various areas like in the neck or shoulder or even the face. Bad stress can also cause headaches and lead to digestive system issues.

What can exercise do? When one exercises, the brain releases numerous chemicals called endorphins. The endorphins will actually relax those tense muscles and ease aspects of the digestive system. Once a person’s muscular and digestive systems feel more relaxed, a person may feel physically better. That physical improvement can feedback loop and improve the emotional health of the individual.

Anxiety

Anxiety is another complex mental state. With anxiety, the intense feeling of unease can stop a person from enjoying day-to-day activities. Relaxing can be a good way to get one’s anxiety issues to calm, but exercising has an incredible way of relieving those symptoms of anxiety. Exercising has a way of helping a person meditate by focusing their tasks on exercising itself. Along with the release of endorphins and proper oxygen and blood blow across the body, exercise helps to bring the body toward a more mindful state. This mindful state decreases anxiety and can help put the person at ease.

Control Addiction

Addiction is a powerful disease. Whether it is drugs or alcohol, one’s mental health is greatly impacted by these addictions. When one exercises, the chemical dopamine is released. Dopamine is a “reward” chemical. This chemical makes a person feel good. This is the same chemical released from various substances that can also cause addictions. After a good workout, the body releases dopamine to make the person feel good. In a way, exercise becomes a therapeutic escape for addicts as the dopamine comes from exercise and not addictive substances.

Increase Productivity

Productivity is a necessity in today’s busy environment. However, many people lack productivity for numerous reasons. However, if a person exercises regularly, the results may be an increase in productivity. This is thanks to the general increase of energy in the long term thanks to exercising. The person may also sleeps better thanks to exercising regularly, which will help them in the day ahead work harder. All of this keeps the mind sharp and ready to tackle the tasks of the day.

Cognition

Cognition is essentially the ability for a person to attain and keep information. When a person is young, cognitive abilities are strong. But, as a person gets older, brain cells begin to deteriorate, causing the level of cognition to decrease. This is especially true in the hippocampus region of the brain. What can exercise do? Exercising releases a ton of chemicals that help brain cells remain strong. In fact, new brain cells are often produced from exercise thanks to the production of the brain protein BDNF. Although exercising can never stop the deterioration already occurring in the brain, such as during Alzheimer’s, exercising can help minimize the deterioration of brain cells over a life time and even boost mental stamina.

Check out this infographic by Fitness19 for more on the relationship between fitness and mental health. 

The post 5 Ways Fitness Positively Impacts Your Mental Health appeared first on Fearless Motivation - Motivational Videos & Music.

People believe that if they put in longer hours, they’ll be more productive and achieve better results. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs speak about working as much as 16 per day. This is similar to saying that the longer you hit a wall, the more likely it would break.

But once you read this article, you may begin to understand that working longer hours doesn’t necessarily help you succeed, in fact it might make you lose.Working longer hours may increase stress and harm you emotionally, mentally, and physically. It may lead to reduced levels of concentration and a lesser quality of work.

It is not about quantity of the time you put into your work, it’s about the quality.

To understand how to manage your energy to be more productive, first we need to know the four sources of energy that determine our success.

Sources of Energy

1. Body: Gives You Physical Energy

Our physical body is the primary storehouse of energy we have. We can increase physical energy in our body with:

• Nutrition
• Exercise
• Sleep

If you don’t take care of these three essentials, you’ll easily get exhausted and find hard to manage your emotions, focus your attention and be more productive.

So stop skipping breakfast, which nutritionist often call the most important meal of the day. Start prioritising your sleep by shutting down all electronics two hours before bedtime. And finally, exercise at least three to four times a week to keep high energy levels.

It’s also important to audit how you eat if you want to be more productive. Eating smaller meals and taking light snacks every three hours is better that eating gluttonous meals twice a day.

Another great strategy is to take a 20-minute long walk in the afternoon. It not only gives you energy but also makes room for creative ideas to come. This is because while walking the problem-solving part of our brain, the left hemisphere, takes a backseat and the creative right side takes over. As a result, we can see the bigger picture and take imaginative leaps.

2. Emotions: Determine The Quality of Energy

It’s essential to feel good to do good. If you’re feeling negative, it’s hard to be effective. But if we work long hours and have to deliver on relentless demands from our job or business, we tend to slip into negative emotions multiple times a day. We slip into fight-or-flight mode when we face stress and get irritated and anxious.

Falling into such emotional states drains our energy and not only hampers our progress at work but also affects our relationships.

Three powerful rituals to defuse negative emotions.

• Deep Breathing
• Express appreciation
• Change the story running in your mind

Deep Breathing – Breathing deeply is a great way to “buy time” and be more productive. Inhale deeply down to your diaphragm and exhale slowly. Box breathing, in which you inhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, and exhale for a count of 4, is a great deep breathing practice and is even used by the Navy SEALs. Deep breathing can instantly turn off the fight-or-flight response.

Express appreciation – When we engage in gossip or criticize, we build tension and anxiety. When we appreciate things or people, we build positive energy. There are many ways to express appreciation – thank you note, email, on the phone, or just do it in person.

Change the Story – An event is never negative in itself, it is our perception that makes it so. Usually, when anything bad happens, people tend to think they’re the victims. It’s important that you tell the most hopeful and empowering story to yourself after such event occurs.

For example, if your boss finds your work is not upto the work, you can look at it as an opportunity to grow and ask him for constructive feedback. Don’t blame your boss for being unappreciative for your work unless he expressed it explicitly.

An easy way to change your story is to view it from a different lens than the victim lens.

There are three lenses to look from and here are the questions to help you get access to each lens:

• Reverse Lens: What does the other person think about the issue and in what ways it might be true?
• Long Lens: How will I look at this situation in six months?
• Wide Lens: If I forget about the outcome of the event for a moment, how can it help me learn and grow?

3. The Mind: Focus of Energy

The mind is the source of everything you do. Positive thinking leads to positive outcomes like healthy relationships, successful career, good physical health, and negative thinking leads to negative results. So it’s important that you leverage the power of the mind to be more productive.

1) Say NO to Distractions: The first thing to do is to cut out all distractions while you work. Do just one thing at a time. Don’t check your email when you’re making an important presentation. Multitasking is the enemy of quality work.

As a matter of fact, it takes a person 30 minutes to return to the flow state once they are interrupted while working. So do your best to block all distractions from other people and also don’t switch tasks while working.

To be more productive, become less available for people. If you need to check email, use dedicated time blocks. Use dedicated time blocks for all distractions that you need to attend to.

2) Choose High-Return Activities: Pick the tasks that will give you the highest returns in the long-term. This may include learning a particular skill or building your network. People have a tendency to think for the short-term and you can use it to your advantage.

4. The Human Spirit: Energy of Meaning and Purpose

It’s important to work hard but without selling your soul. Don’t settle for a career that doesn’t fulfill you. Of course, not hundred percent of your work can be fulfilling since in any job or business, you have to do your chores. But a significant part of it can indeed be fulfilling and help you be more productive.

To draw energy from the human spirit, we need to know our priorities and integrate relevant activities in three categories:

• Doing the work you love and do best
• Giving time to important areas of life: work, family, health, serving others
• Living your values in daily life  

a) Doing What You Love and Do Best

In your work, find the experiences when you felt the happiest, the most fulfilled, inspired, and effortlessly absorbed. Remember at least two such experiences and then find out what made the experiences stand out and what talents you used.

If creativity was the game-changer for you, then build a ritual where you do creative work every day. If leadership made you feel unstoppable, focus more on such activities on a daily basis.

b) Giving Time to Important Life Areas

Work is important, but it is equally important to give time to family, exercise every day to be fit, and give back to society once in a while to be of service.

c) Living Your Values in Daily Life

Tony Schwartz, the CEO of The Energy Project, says that

“People tap into the energy of the human spirit when their everyday work and activities are consistent with what they value most and with what gives them a sense of meaning and purpose. If the work they’re doing really matters to them, they typically feel more positive energy, focus better, and demonstrate greater perseverance.”

Know Your Values

To know your values, identify the times in your life when you were the happiest. Then identify the times when you were most proud. Identify when you were most fulfilled. Then deconstruct these experiences to find which factors made them remarkable. These factors will point to your core values.

But there’s a shortcut too. Ask yourself, “What are the qualities that I find most off-putting in others? What you hate in others is what you love in yourself. So it is a great way to find what you value.

Once you know your values, integrate them in your daily activities to be more productive. If achievement in work is your core value, do one task per day that helps you grow your career in the long run. If nurturing your family is your core value, schedule quality time with family every morning and evening.

The post How to Be More Productive: Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time appeared first on Fearless Motivation - Motivational Videos & Music.