There are always some tasks we would like to tick off of our to-do list as soon as possible and that if accomplished would help us feel better, but are just so unmotivating to do. We usually wait until the end of the day to tackle them, often realising we do not have any more time to do them today and pushing them on the to-do list for the day after. This builds pressure and stress.
Come on, feel the Noisli
Love is an intense feeling of deep affection and strong emotional attachment. Loving something or somebody is such a strong feeling that it makes it almost impossible to describe but which fuels our hearts immensely. We find love especially in the people who are very close to us. To fuel your life with love, focus on and nurture those relationships.
Excitement is the feeling of great enthusiasm and eagerness, especially for what you are doing or for what is ahead. Pay attention to which activity or situation sparks this feeling, and make sure you always have exciting things to look forward to in your day or calendar.
Back in 1959, the great american writer Isaac Asimov was asked to join a research project for the government together with a few other contractors, in order to come up with new ideas and to think outside the box. In this context, he wrote an essay on creativity and shared a few valuable key principles about creativity and how to create an environment that nurtures creative and new ideas.
There is a time where it is best to be alone and think, and there is a time when it makes sense to come together and share opinions. But rather than being this an occasion to come up with new ideas together, Asimov vouches for a different purpose.
When you feel a strong sense of responsibility this can hinder the creative process as it creates tension: tension between your self worth and the creative ideas you generate. Nothing is more counterproductive than having the feeling of being a fraud for being paid to come up with great ideas and not producing any.
Exposure to sunlight during the day represses the production of melatonin, which makes you feel awake and alert. Due to the lack of light, our body releases a bigger amount of melatonin during winter than during the summer months.
Moving your muscles will release the feel good chemicals serotonin and endorphins. Especially aerobic exercise like walking, running, swimming or biking are the most effective at increasing serotonin levels in the brain.
Since winter blues can also make you feel angry, irritable, stressed, or anxious it is important to take special care of your well being. You can opt for relaxation techniques or meditation in order to destress and relax.
Between the app and the website, Noisli has you covered for just about any environment. My personal favorite is the train-on-the-tracks audio. I always sleep well on trains, so triggering the sound puts me in a happy place. I've been listening to it the whole time I've been writing this article. I have to say, I feel pretty mellow right now.
The same goes for your workplace: If you get along with your coworkers, if you feel that people around you care about you and that your work is appreciated by both co workers and your boss, then you will simply like what you are doing and like being there.
Although the principle of Noisli is similar to myNoise, Noisli offers a different feel. Its user interface is extremely simple and gives instant access to many different sounds at once, allowing to create a wide variety of soundscapes from a single page. Noisli is also known for its charming visual touch and ever-changing background color.
A paper published by the Journal of Consumer Research shows that the right amount of noise, between 50-70 dB is the right level of distraction which keeps the brain active and enhances creative thinking. In reality, it is not easy to control the quality and level of noise we are exposed to and it might be very difficult to change our actual workplace once it gets too noisy or the silence takes upper hand and you feel nothing moves forward.
Change is important. It helps us feel alive, fuels our motivation and heck yes, it gives us a sense on why Tuesday was different from Wednesday. Try to think about how to sprinkle small changes here and there and how you can bring variety into your day, be it before, during and after work.
The name white noise comes from the analogy to white light, which contains the whole spectrum of colors of light. White noise is similar to the sound of the rain, a rumbling waterfall, rustling leaves, a fan or a static TV. White noise can also be produced digitally or it can come in form of so called white noise machines, which are physical devices that produce white noise.
The latter recently came up in a conversation with workaholic designers. It sparked the question, the argument, and then the idea for this article: how come these web apps are able to influence our productivity and provide efficient help? What can we learn about helpful design from the interface of helpful apps?
Another cause for tired eyes is a decrease in our blink rate as we stare at the computer screen or while reading. We actually blink 66% less while working on the computer. This will cause your eyes to feel dry and to burn.
Of course, also the color of your monitor plays an important role for your eyes. The screen of your computer is normally very bright with a bluish hue, very similar to the one of daylight. While this may be ideal for working during the day, once night, the brightness of the screen becomes very stressing for your eyes. Moreover, blue light is short-wavelength visible light that is associated with more eye strain than longer-wavelength hues, such as orange and red.
Doing things you love, feeling fulfilled and getting a self-esteem boost are all things that can make you happy. In fact, researchers found that experiencing flow can positively contribute to your happiness and overall well-being.
In order to be in the flow your skills need to match the challenge posed by the task. And as you become more skilled, you seek new challenges that match your newly improved skill set. This creates a positive and nurturing cycle in which you continuously develop and improve your skill set.
Being in the flow requires you to focus and to tune out distractions around you, and this is a skill that you can use to tune out negative emotions or worries as well. Achieving a Flow state also shows to yourself that you can overcome challenges and reach your goals, and this can positively contribute to your coping skills.
Your goal should be clear and require a concrete outcome. Choose a goal that you know is challenging but which is perfectly doable with your skill set. Be careful to not make it too easy as otherwise you risk getting bored and this will prevent you from achieving flow.
When your amygdala detects a threat, your body produces adrenaline and cortisol so to respond to a fight-or-flight situation. Physical exercise lowers those hormones in the body and helps you return to a pre flight-or-flight situation, reducing your stress level and helping you return to a relaxed state. Furthermore, exercise releases the feel good chemicals serotonin and endorphins which are proven to help you relax, lift your mood and increase your happiness and overall wellbeing.
We have a long and deep connection with nature and we naturally perceive nature sounds as very soothing and calming. Most importantly, nature sounds relax our fight-or-flight response. When we envision ourselves in a relaxed environment we often picture ourselves in nature, listening to the sound of ocean waves, the rustling leaves in the wind or the sound of a babbling brook in the woods. The same is true also for bird chirping, which naturally provokes in us a feeling of relaxation and safety, probably due to the fact that humans learnt, over thousands of years of experience, that when birds sing the environment around is safe.
Nature is one of the best and most powerful resources we have to reduce stress, boost our morale and improve our overall well-being. Simply going for a walk outside in nature is an easy way to unplug and help clear our minds from what is causing us stress. But not just that. Being outside increases your vitamin D levels which helps to reduce your blood pressure, thus helping you to relax. By being in nature or performing activities in contact with nature such as gardening, the stress hormone cortisol gets reduced. It has also been found that the bacteria in the soil helps to increase serotonin levels, which again help you feel calm and lift your mood. Furthermore, fresh air helps to reduce blood pressure and the negative ion-rich oxygen found in nature has a relaxing effect on your body. To give you a comparison: per cubic centimeter, a heavy-traffic freeway has an ion count below 100, average air 2000-4000 while the air around a large waterfall 100000. The more the better!
Sleep Cycle tracks and analyzes your sleep patterns. Choose your wake up time, and the app will gently stir you from your slumber during your lightest phase of sleep to ensure that you wake up feeling rested, refreshed, and ready for the day ahead.
Relax & Sleep Well is the creation of the clinical hypnotherapist and bestselling self-help author Glenn Harrold. This app is the go-to place to destress and overcome anxiety while instilling healthy sleep habits.
Rise and shine with Good Morning Alarm Clock. This app helps you to feel more rested and alert upon awakening with its built-in smart alarm. Good Morning Alarm Clock wakes you up during your natural waking phase to leave you feeling energized and alert. 2ff7e9595c