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How To Uncover Inspiration

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We’re all creative. It’s just human nature. Even if our hobbies and interests have nothing to do with a more artistic field, we find ourselves going about them and other tasks with a level of creativity applied. But, why? It could be that we’re having difficulty resolving a problem and need to think outside of the box. Or maybe we’re lacking motivation altogether to finish something. 

Inspiration is a driving force. It gets us going in the right direction. As said, what we have the inspiration for in the first place can vary, but without it, we wouldn’t reach our goals at all. We all experience a lack of inspiration at some point, and all we need is some encouragement in the right direction to get things moving. 

Here are five top tips on how to find inspiration in your life and get you back into your groove. 

Tip 1: Think about your vision

We all have a goal that we wish to reach when we set about accomplishing a particular task. And here’s the thing – even if we don’t have the inspiration, we know what it is we want to do. This is where you need to take a step back and ask yourself that exact question:  

“What do I want to do?” 

It’s not about what other people want you to accomplish. It’s what you want to accomplish and how you’re going to do so. No matter how small the task is, you’ll have a clear idea as to how it’s going to be finalised. You need to think about that closely. Is there something you’d do differently than everyone else? Do you feel as though another approach would be inferior to yours? Focus on that and let it be your incentive to get inspired. 

Tip 2: Take a look at your Idol

There’s always a source for our inspiration, and more often than not, it’s another person. Whether it’s a person who’d be considered a celebrity, a friend, or even a family member, you saw something in them that made you want to be just as good – if not better – than they are. Here’s the interesting part: how did they get to where they are today? 

You need to think about their journey to the present. What techniques did they use to accomplish their goals? What hardships did they face? Depending on what your interests and hobbies are, did they have to achieve what they wanted to do in a time when the technology or resources were not yet available? How did they do it? Did they need to think outside of the box? Who was their inspiration? You could perhaps look at them too to further your own inspiration. Are there any similarities between yourself, your idol, and their idol? 

Tip 3: Start reading more

It’s something that the majority of us can do. Sometimes as early as three years of age, we begin to read and whenever we see a word, we automatically understand what it says. The ability to read is absolutely essential, and it’s a key factor in helping you find your inspiration. 

Let’s say, to provide a couple of examples, you like writing or baking. For the former, you don’t know what to write, and with the latter, you don’t know what to bake. You’re all out of ideas. You’ve done everything before and don’t know what to do next. You’re finding that you’re craving for innovation. 

The best thing to do here is to read a book. Granted, you can find a lot of information on the web, but the information in books has been reviewed and checked before publication, so now you’ll know what is more reliable. Whether the book has pictures or not, it’ll definitely boost your imagination and, in return, your inspiration. 

If you like baking, you might come across a recipe you’ve never done before, or you can take a recipe or technique and adapt it in your own way. If you like writing, you can do what the author did, but with a different style or approach. Either way, you can try to imitate what they’ve done or try to improve it in your own way. 

Tip 4: Make mistakes to win!

We’ve all heard the term “nobody’s perfect”, so there’s no need to explain what it means. Not everyone accomplishes what they set out to do on their first try. How many times it can take varies and there is no definitive number of attempts. Whatever your goal is, it could maybe even take years to reach it successfully. 

Think – what did I do wrong? What can I do instead? Without making even a single mistake, we won’t know where we went wrong. Without that, we won’t know how to improve ourselves and grow. This will inspire us to avoid a repeat incident and to teach others the same technique. 

Tip 5: Don’t rush your goals

Now, you might be stuck on something work-related and have read that title thinking “but I have a deadline!”. The truth is you should never rush things. At all. 

It doesn’t matter what it is you lack inspiration for. If you rush your attempt to achieve your goal, you’re going to end up being disappointed because you fell short of your own expectations. What you accomplished never ended up becoming what you envisioned and the quality is not what you wanted it to be. You were too concerned with the thought that you’d never complete the task at hand at all and panicked. Your stress threw everything together with no thought whatsoever. 

To provide an example of why you shouldn’t rush things, look at video games. While some games might receive poor reviews because of the storyline, a lot of the time bad reviews will pinpoint issues with the gameplay itself, such as poorly designed mechanics, as well as bugs and glitches. 

This is often caused by improper playtesting to see if there are any issues, and if the game is rushed out for release without any tests, these problems can ruin the player’s experience. CEO of Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto, has even famously proclaimed “a delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad”. 

In short: As we said earlier, take a step back before you decide on what to do next. Never cobble things together in a blind hurry. 

These were just a small handful of ways for you to find inspiration. To learn more, contact us today at Ceed. 

How Music Can Motivate You to Stick to Your Exercise Routine

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As much as you hype yourself up, it can be tough sticking to your exercise routine every week. As the day comes closer and closer, you’d much rather be doing anything else but your fitness workout. 

According to Scientific American, research into music and exercise dates back to 1911, in which American investigator Leonard Ayres discovered that when a band was playing, cyclists pedalled faster than when the band was silent. Since then, there’s been a growing body of research showing that music promotes exercise in four key ways.  

Music can help motivate you to carry on exercising
There are many benefits to listening to music while exercising!

Music Reduces the Sensation of Fatigue 

Listening to music while exercising keeps us from focusing on the physical sensations of fatigue. Even though feelings of exhaustion remain, our perception of fatigue decreases with music. This mechanism is called the parallel processing model. It only kicks into action during low-to-medium intensities of exercise because the external cue of music can compete with the internal cue of fatigue. 

When it comes to listening to music during a high-intensity workout, a 1999 study by Szabo, Small and Leigh found that the external motivating stimulus can temporarily outcompete internal signals of fatigue. 

Of course, the intensity of fatigue varies depending on each individual and their fitness levels, but there’s no denying that music can help you push yourself harder to work during low-intensity workouts. 

Music Increases Levels of Motivation 

Music is said to have a ‘psyching-up effect’ that helps people perform exercise for longer periods of time before becoming tired, but this is highly dependent on the type of music being played, especially the tempo. 

Not only did the study by Szabo, Small & Leigh investigate fatigue, but they also looked at stimulation and found that the switch to a faster classical music tempo during the latter stages of a high-intensity cycling workout enhanced participant’s motivation and work output at that moment.  

Depending on the type of music and the instant at which music is presented, music can increase levels of motivation which is significant for achieving a greater overall physical workout. 

Music Encourages Motor Coordination Through Synchronisation 

Music that can capture and hold the listener’s attention helps in the synchronisation of motor movement, assisting in an effective fitness regime. 

When it comes to motivational music, Karageorghis and Terry explain in their research paper that there is a stronger preference towards fast tempo (>120bpm) and strong rhythm response. In a 2012 survey, fast songs with strong beats filled most college student’s playlists because they were particularly stimulating for workouts. The most popular types of workout music were hip-hop (27.7%), rock (24%) and pop (20.3%). 

Taking into account tempo and rhythm in your song choice can promote synchronisation when exercising, which can contribute to an overall improved exercising experience. People experience a boost in confidence when their body is in sync with the music. This creates a positive association with exercise, making fitness somewhat enjoyable in the moment. 

Music Increases Relaxation 

The psychobiological impact of music on people can help them relax while exercising. Examining the effects of listening to headphone music during treadmill running, Szmedra and Bacharach noticed lower heart rate (HR) and lower blood pressure, norepinephrine and lactate levels in the participants in their 1998 study. 

From their findings, they proposed that music induces relaxation by reducing muscle tension during exercise. Being in a relaxed state may increase your perceived effort when working out. Subtle changes, like the tempo of the music you’re listening to and the type of exercise you’re partaking in, will impact your relaxation levels during exercise.   

For example, fast and upbeat music that is commonly used in Zumba, produces a stimulative effect, whereas slow and soft music that is played during yoga, creates a sedative effect. So slower tempo music may increase physiological efficiency, prolonging exercise performance, yet this is intending to limit effort exertion, which doesn’t apply for rigorous training or exercises. 

In Conclusion 

Music can help you retain motivation for longer while you exercise. By boosting your mood and confidence, music can help make exercise enjoyable and accessible. Considering fast tempo and strong rhythm response for your music will help you make the most out of your exercise routine. 

For more guidance on how to stay focused and motivated during your fitness workouts, contact us at Ceed today! 

Digital vs Physical Planning: Which is Better?

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An effective planning strategy is fundamental to good organisation and time management. You might think that planning is only useful to the uber-professional with lots of meetings and a heavy workload, but that is absolutely not the case! 

Planning can be helpful to anyone and everyone because it is so adaptable. Students can utilise planning to stay on top of exams, tutorials, and essay deadlines. You can use planning in your every day to keep on track with completing small tasks and motivating yourself. You can even use planning to keep on track with recreation, such as meals, exercise and reading. 

In the digital age, we are afforded many new and varied technologies for productivity and time management at our fingertips. So, we are provided with a new question. Which is better? Physical or digital planning? 

Any organisational purists out there will laud the benefits of physical planning. There is a great deal of support for the benefits that come from physical writing things out. They also argue the cause of the customisability of physical planning, something that some digital planning platforms lack. 

On the other hand, new age planning enthusiasts may love the accessibility digital planning affords. It gives support to the modern ‘always on’ work ethic and provides an ease and universality of use that comes with the online space. 

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Planning skills are a vital part of living a more productive lifestyle!

Whether you fall into the purist or new age camp, it is undeniable that there are benefits and drawbacks to both options. This article will delineate each type of planning with their pros and cons, and let you come to your own decision. Maybe you’ll even decide you want to utilise both styles! 

Why is Planning So Important Anyway? 

Planning has a range of benefits one may not originally consider. Planning can help you concentrate and focus better on the task at hand. It helps you get all of your thoughts and tasks for the day down and out of your head. This means that they’re less likely to be forgotten, and you can complete the things you need to do without worry. 

It also helps with targeted efficiency. If, for example, you’re someone who thrives on being organised, you can pair a timetable with a task list to keep on track. This can help you be more productive because you know exactly what you need to do at any given time. 

Planning can also be important for those who struggle with mental illness. Talkspace, an online blog that discusses mental health explains that many mental health challenges directly affect your brain’s ability to effectively manage tasks. Planning effectively and on a platform that works for you can help mitigate some of the symptoms people may struggle with. 

For example, if you have anxiety, and university essays and deadlines are exacerbating that anxiety, planning may help manage it. Writing task lists can help to identify what is making you anxious, then can help you break things down into manageable chunks. When the task you’re facing doesn’t seem like one huge monolith, it can feel easier to tackle and work through. Some planners also can work like information dumps. You can use them to deposit any tasks or thoughts you may have to tackle at a later date. Depending on the person and their preference, this action can sometimes be helpful for people with ADHD. This is because it helps to get out any thoughts or tasks that may be presently distracting. You can then potentially come back to these ideas later, to give yourself a better opportunity to focus on anything that might be more time sensitive. 

If you’re using planning to help manage your mental health, create achievable goals for yourself. Start with listing little things. This can be things like brushing your teeth or going on a 15-minute walk. It can be so beneficial to set yourself up for little successes. Then, even if those are the only things you manage to do all day, ticking it off still feels like an achievement. 

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Planning can help improve your mental health.

However, it is important to be realistic with your plans. By writing tasks that you can feasibly complete, it stops you from getting overwhelmed too quickly. It also stops you from being hard on yourself if you don’t meet those tasks – you want a planner to work for you, not against you. 

It is important to note that planning is not an end-all method to ‘fix’ a mental illness or improve your mental health. However, it can sometimes serve to help mitigate some issues in certain ways for people. It may also be helpful to speak with a licensed therapist, who can help identify strategies for succeeding. Planning or timetabling can be included in this discussion too to help retain a sense of structure or routine. 

The Pros and Cons of Physical Planning 

The act of physically planning in a journal can have many benefits. Some of them include: 

Digital Separation. Physical planning can provide a level of separation between your real and online life. Our phones and devices feel like an extension of us, so it can be doubly hard to turn off if your organisation is on there too! Studies have shown that too much screen time damages the brain. By planning in a physical planner or journal, you are decreasing that screen time and giving yourself time to shut off. 

This also limits your ability to become distracted by all the other applications or the internet on your phone. It’s all too easy to have the best intentions and be focused, but we all know the liability of scrolling on Instagram for two hours instead. Physical planning removes this temptation and keeps you on task. 

Consider the pros and cons of physical planning and if they suit your lifestyle.

Personalisation. A big pro of physical planning is that you can make it as customisable and personalised as you want. There are different methods to do this, but a particularly popular one is the Bullet Journal method. With this method you can customise everything from the layouts of each monthly spread to the notation systems you use to keep yourself on track. 

You can best suit your own needs with a physical planner. You can customise the colour coding, fonts, highlighting, and even add fun things like pictures, stickers, and washi tape. The customisation can make it more fun to use, and therefore make it more likely for you to get into a rhythm when planning. If you like it, you’re more likely to stick to it! 

Visual. A physical planner is a very visual reminder of the things you need to do. Whether you keep it on your desk or your bedside table, it is an in-your-face reminder to be organised. You can use the visual nature to the advantage of collective planning. For example, you can use methods like whiteboards in communal spaces to organise a bigger group, like families or housemates. 

Physical Act of Writing. Writing things down is very good for your memory. It can also help improve the chances of you being able to call your tasks to mind easier. Writing is also a great stress reliever, as studies show writing shuts down the thoughts that cause you to be stressed. Ticking off completed tasks can also be great for boosting your mood! 

There are also a few drawbacks to physical planning. These include: 

Space and Accessibility. Physical planners can often be bulky and take up space. Because you have to always carry the planner with you to have access to it, it can also be an extra hassle. This can be a drawback for some, especially those on the go a lot or with limited space. 

Cost. The customisation of your planner can be one of the most fun things about it! But there is a drawback. Stationary can get expensive! Stickers, markers, highlighters, and decorative tape can all add up! Not to mention the cost of ink and paper of printing any pictures you want to add, or even the cost of the planner itself! If cost is an issue, physical planning may not be for you. 

The Pros and Cons of Digital Planning 

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Consider the pros and cons of digital planning and if they suit your lifestyle.

While physical planning is undeniably fantastic, digital planning also has a lot of positive factors. Some of these include: 

Accessibility. This is one of the biggest draws to digital planning. There is a level of constancy and ease of access of planning directly on a digital device. For example, if you consistently use an app like Google calendar, and your phone, computer, and tablet are linked up, you can create a plan on one device and it will appear across all of them. 

You can stay up to date at all times, and it becomes easier to rearrange and repeat tasks from anywhere. There is less bulk and headache because you don’t need to carry around a full journal – everything you need is already on a device you carry around every day!  

Minimalist Planning. Some people don’t need the ‘full’ experience that physical planning provides. They might only need to remember important meetings or appointments – like a future dentist appointment or meeting. Digital planning offers you that minimalism! 

If this sounds like you, an app like Google calendar would be enough of a planner. There’s no need for the minutiae of something more in depth! You get the dual benefit of receiving reminders at a set time to keep you on schedule. This ensures you won’t forget your plans no matter where you are! 

Easier to Navigate. Digital planning makes it easier to retroactively find specific notes. You don’t have to worry about losing something, as most digital planners also comes with hyperlinks so you don’t have to endlessly scroll through to get to the page you need. Digital planning can be far less time consuming than its physical counterparts through little elements like this. 

Collective Planning. The digital aspect of this form of planning means that not only can you access your plans from anywhere, but other people also have the potential to as well. Services such as Notion allow for team planning – anyone can add tasks and people can see what you’re working on, but there are also options to keep your plans private! 

There are some cons to digital planning that may turn some people away from it. These can include: 

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Consider how both digital and physical planning can help manage your lifestyle.

Less Customisable. Digital planning apps or websites can be less customisable. A few apps like Notion are becoming more customisable, but this is usually more in an aesthetic way rather than a functional way. For some apps, the organisation they offer is usually set by the developer and can’t be changed. 

Some apps may limit you to list planning; whereas some, like Google Calendar, are just for scheduling (quite rigid scheduling at that!). So, you may not be able to do all your planning in one place. You may need to use more than one app to meet your needs. 

Cost. Some planning apps can be a paid for service. Keep this in mind before you take out an account. A good idea would be to look for apps with free trial periods. Therefore, you aren’t putting yourself out of pocket on apps that might not work for you! 

Conclusion 

The battle between physical and digital planning fundamentally comes down to a matter of personal preference. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to plan! Planning is highly personal, and it can take some trial and error to find the right method for you. You may even want to use a combination of both physical and digital planning to really maximise your productivity! 

Whatever you choose, don’t hesitate to contact us here at Ceed for any help with planning your life. We have professional life coaches ready and willing to help you become your best self! 

The Importance of Planning Ahead

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Let’s say you’re finding yourself having to do a large task; or maybe, you’ve got several large things that need to be accomplished or carried out all at once. This feels overwhelming, doesn’t it? To make things easier for yourself, you decide to just go about what you need to do without any forethought. In other words, you’re “winging it”. However, this is a big mistake. 

If you don’t have a plan for what you’re doing, you’re potentially not just placing yourself in danger, but others as well. Planning ahead is absolutely vital, no matter what it is you’re planning ahead for. If anything, it’s essential and demonstrates professionalism, something you’ll need with your career no matter what field it may be. Here are five reasons why planning ahead is unquestionably important in both your professional and daily life, and how it can help relieve stress in the long-run. 

1) It reduces stress 

Knowing that you need to achieve multiple goals is undoubtedly stress inducing. With a distinct rise in stress and anxiety levels during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, stressful situations can quickly snowball into feelings of panic or unease. You’re most likely to be stressed over an event that is going to take place, a deadline that is drawing near, or maybe you feel as though you could do something wrong. 

Planning ahead will reduce stress, as you’ll know how to approach the issues you might be facing instead of going headlong into it without knowing what to expect or how to adapt. Careful planning will allow you to analyse the situation and determine the right path for success. It does not matter whether you’re planning in advance for something days or even months away, you’ll feel satisfied knowing that everything will be under control and you won’t be worrying about that day when it comes, allowing you to live in the moment once all the planning is done. 

2) It enables better risk versus reward situational analysis 

As mentioned in the previous reason, planning allows us to analyse the situation so we can then decide what to do next. If we rush into the problem without any precognition, then things may go awry and escalate even further than before. The principal thing here is to take a step back and look at what is present. 

You’ll need to consider what risks are going to be created. Are they very likely to happen? Are the chances very low? If consequences do occur, will they be large or small? Just because there are going to be risks, especially if they’re sizable ones, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still go ahead with the plan if it’s the only course of action you can think of. It’s a gamble but taking risks is a part of life as it helps us grow by learning where things went wrong. Failure is never a terrible thing. 

3) You’ll learn to be proactive 

Whenever we find ourselves confronted with an event that may be daunting or stressful, it can trigger a physiological response in us. This is referred to as the fight-or-flight response which, despite its name, actually has three different possible manners of reacting to an occurrence. These three reactions are fight (you’ll immediately respond to the situation without thinking of a course of action), fright (you’ll freeze up and not be able to do anything because you don’t know how to handle the situation), and flight (you avoid the situation entirely and, in some cases, get as far away from it as you can). 

Such behaviour is an example of being reactive, but what you need to learn is how to be proactive. Tying in to the two previous reasons, this means you’ll carefully figure out what to do before you execute your idea. Once you learn how to do this, you’ll eventually pick it up as a habit and use it as a replacement for your old reactive one, making it second nature. 

4) You’ll leave room for changes and updates 

While it’s certainly good to have a meticulous and detailed plan of action, not everything can always be maintained. Nine times out of ten, you’ll be finding that your course of action is going to change, whether that’s in the leadup to the execution of the plan or as it commences. By formulating a plan during the beginning stage of a task, you can think of alternate paths to take if your primary idea has started to go askew. It doesn’t matter if these changes are only little ones; as long as you know how to bounce back, then everything will be fine. Remember – expect the unexpected! 

However, you might find that you’re changing the plan even though nothing has gone wrong. This is also perfectly acceptable, especially since you know what your alternate route (or routes) will be. 

5) You’ll know exactly how to reach your goals 

Of course, you know what your goal is. It’s only a case of how you’re going to get to it, and this isn’t something you can easily do by rushing into things. By incorporating and understanding the previous four reasons, you’ll know precisely how to achieve what you set out to do. 

Summary 

Nobody should act without a proper plan. The thought of having to carry out a large task, if not several of them at once, can be a great cause of stress, which can be heavily reduced if you know exactly what you’re doing. With a plan implemented, it gives you a chance to analyse the various paths you could eventually take and consider the possibilities of where things could go wrong. Even if the likelihood is high that things do go wrong, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go ahead with what you had mapped out as things might turn out better than you expect them to.  

Planning also gives the benefit of learning how to be proactive instead of reactive and running into the tasks without any forethought. You’ll additionally contemplate any possible changes or updates to what you have decided whether or not it has disrupted your original plans, allowing you to calculate how you’ll reach the goal set out for yourself. 

This article covered just five reasons why planning ahead is an important practice that must be used. If you would like to know how Ceed can help you live a more proactive and productive lifestyle, contact us today! 

A Guide to Handling Criticism

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“A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful” – Proverbs 28:13 

“Everyone’s a critic.” There’s no doubt that we have heard these words being uttered at some point. When the word ‘critic’ springs to mind, we immediately assume people have a problem with someone or something and just want to complain. Believe it or not, this isn’t (always) the case. 

The overall concept of criticism is to provide feedback. It doesn’t matter where you are – a place of education, work, or even at home – you’re going to hear criticism of some sort from another person. You may feel taken back by the criticism you’ve received, especially if it’s sudden or you’ve been concentrating on a particular task or activity for so long that you are fully dedicated to. The important thing is how you respond to it, and some people don’t take it well. 

If you have difficulty handling any criticism that you’ve been given, then this article is for you. This guide, consisting of five tips, will provide you with advice to help you improve your habits and your mindset when faced with adversity. 

Control Your Reaction 

Your reaction to the criticism you may receive is absolutely vital. Even when you are not in a professional or work environment, you need to display maturity and professionalism. The worst thing you could do is respond poorly to what you’ve just been told, as this will unquestionably make you look bad and affect your reputation. 

After you’re informed of the criticism, take a deep breath and pause. Nine times out of ten, the criticism that’s carried out is constructive, not destructive. The person who issued it wants you to improve and they certainly do not view you as a terrible individual. They know that you can achieve greater things and had no intention of upsetting you. If the criticism genuinely was unanticipated, you may need some time to think about it (see the next point for more on this). 

It must also be noted that, even if you don’t verbally respond to what you’ve been told, your body language and facial expressions may unconsciously exhibit your reaction. By taking that deep breath and pausing, it can prevent those from happening, but there is a conscious response you can do to show that you are in control: smile. Even if it’s a false one, it shows that you’re motivated and can diffuse any tension that may have arisen between yourself and the critic. 

Deconstruct 

You may take some time to process what you’ve been told, so the best thing to do is to utilise deconstruction. This is a method of analysis that’s going to be very useful for you, especially when you have been provided with feedback. As the word implies, instead of constructing (I.e., creating) something, you are taking it apart to look at the finer details more closely. To help deconstruct what you’ve been told, you should be open-minded and ask specific questions relating to the criticism to improve yourself by understanding where you went wrong. 

As you do this, listen closely to your peer’s intentions – they may appear confrontational, but it could be them dealing with their own personal issues. Thus, this means they obviously don’t have anything against you personally. The key here is to evaluate it in a positive manner. You should also determine whether the criticism is constructive or destructive; if their tone implies the latter, you should tell them how their words are making you feel. If the person is of a higher authority, they may be trying to demean you. However, you mustn’t make any excuses or be defensive regardless of the way they’ve communicated with you. Keep it calm and be civilised. 

Don’t Take It Personally 

It can be very easy to take things personally. This stems from how some people see the work they do, professionally or not, as a part of who they are. The criticism is being directed at the work you’re doing, not yourself, so it’s important to separate yourself from your work. The errors that you might’ve created don’t reflect who you are as a human being. The critic sees you as their equal and only wants to help you improve, and you should use this opportunity to do so. 

Apologise and Be Gracious 

This may sound like an oddity, but depending on how badly things have occurred, an apology is important if a situation has gone awry. Apologising may be a difficult thing to do but it is key to showing empathy and that you can accept responsibility for your actions and are not avoiding doing so. 

Another thing you should also do when receiving criticism is showing that you appreciate your peer’s words. By being grateful to hear what they have to say, it will help you calm yourself in contrast to your prior reactions to previous criticisms so you can adapt to this new behaviour. Remember, it’s not just you who might be the uncomfortable one in this situation, as your peer might feel the same way having to issue it. You should be thankful for their honesty if they’re wishing to be constructive, while also making it clear that you’re going to use this opportunity to improve yourself not just in this instance, but for the future. 

Share It 

Talking is a very good way to relieve yourself of any worries or stresses you might have. You might be wondering if the criticism you’ve received is fully deserved or not, and if you’re normally rather sensitive, the best thing to do is to relay the words to another person for a second opinion. They could be another colleague, an advisor, or some form of mentor you have. Whether they agree with the criticism or not, it will provide you with closure and a sound mind, allowing you to determine where to go next. 

In Short 

It’s essential that you are careful with your reaction when you receive criticism, as a less than calm and civilised response shows a lack of professionalism that could affect your credibility. You need to listen closely to what you’ve been told and observe where you went wrong. You mustn’t take it on a personal level, as the work you do does not reflect who you are as a person. 

When responding to any critical feedback, you should apologise if it’s caused harm and be thankful that the person speaking to you was honest. Make it clear you’re going to use it to help you improve yourself for the future. If need be, share any criticism with someone you know to see if they agree with it, then decide where to go from there. 

Criticism exists. There’s no way to escape it. The only thing you can do is accept that it’ll always be there as a way to teach you on how to be better than before. We all want to improve. 

This article was thoroughly researched with the intent of helping those who wish to handle criticism better. These were only five tips, so if you wish to have more advice relating to this topic, contact us at Ceed today. 

How to Practice Active Listening

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How to Stay Engaged and Attentive During Conversation with Active Listening Techniques  

Active listening is an important skill to have when building relationships!

What is Active Listening? 

Being good at listening is vital to everyday life. People spend 70-80% of their day engaged in some form of communication, and 55% of that time is devoted to listening. Active listening is the practice of making a conscious effort to remain present in a conversation, to not only hear the words the other person is saying, but to process them fully, and understand them. Active listening involves applying certain techniques in order to stay focused and demonstrate your attention to the other person. 

Active listening not only benefits the speaker, who feels valued and respected by your genuine interest and attention, but it also benefits you, the listener, who will be more equipped to build relationships and answer their queries. Furthermore, active listening is a vital skill in the workplace, where it will help to decrease errors, problem solve, resolve conflicts and boost the likelihood of good workplace relationships.  

Used in every conversation, active listening will help you strengthen your relationships in all facets of your life and help you become a more considerate, approachable person. 

Benefits of Active Listening 

Work 

Actively listening to your superiors and colleagues at work will likely result in you becoming a better employee. When they set tasks and allocate work, utilising this method of listening will allow you to more accurately fulfil their brief and complete your work to a better standard.  

For instance, actively listening to feedback given about your work will enable you to quickly and responsively adapt your working practices to correct mistakes or improve productivity. Actively listening to colleagues will help build better working relationships, making everything in the office run that bit more smoothly. 

Furthermore, active listening will benefit you in job interviews, too. It will best prepare you to answer any questions posed in an intelligent, thoughtful way. Active listening is a skill your interviewer will be looking for, as it shows that you are an engaged, receptive employee. 

What are the day-to-day benefits of active listening?

Friendships and Romantic Relationships 

When meeting new people, active listening can be a valuable technique to employ. Showing the other person that you are engaged with their speaking can prompt them to speak more, or open up further, and foster a deeper connection. Due to this outcome, active listening can be a huge help in strengthening your relationships. It validates the speaker; your genuine engagement with them proves that they, and their words, have worth, and that you personally value them. This approach will go a long way to help in times of difficulty in a relationship. Problems will be easier to solve if you better understand the other person’s thoughts and feelings, and better understanding comes with better listening.  

Not only can active listening help generate better solutions to relationship problems, but it can itself be a solution; sometimes what the other person needs is to talk through their issues with a person they feel is genuinely listening and cares for them. 

Key Active Listening Techniques 

  • Look at the speaker directly. Not only will this demonstrate to the speaker that you are listening, but it will aid in focusing your attention on the speaker. This decreases the threat of visual distractions elsewhere. 
  • Don’t interrupt. This may seem obvious, but is often tempting if you feel like you have a valuable or necessary response. Particularly in the case of a disagreement, you may feel the need to interrupt to defend yourself, but waiting to respond until after the other person has finished a thought can go a long way in de-escalating conflict, and encourages them to be more receptive to your responses. 
  • Paraphrase and ask questions. Re-stating what the other person has just said demonstrates to them that you were listening, and hearing their own thoughts back can prompt them to clarify or correct anything they miscommunicated, avoiding future miscommunication issues. Asking open ended questions also verifies to them that you are genuinely interested in what they have to say, and in answering them they can help clarify points for you. 
  • Use non-verbal behaviour. Observing the speaker’s non-verbal behaviour (e.g. tone of voice, body language, facial expressions) can give further insight into their true feelings, and prompt you on how to respond appropriately. Practicing good non-verbal behaviour like nodding to show agreement or not crossing your arms to show openness also go a long way in demonstrating active listening. Something as simple as smiling at something funny is proof and validation to the speaker that you are actively listening. 
Understanding the ways to communicate active listening to others is vital.

Things to Avoid 

Some bad listening practices, and things to avoid when trying to actively listen, are: 

  • Rushing the speaker to the conclusion of a thought. Rushing the speaker will not only invalidate them, and cause them to believe you aren’t interested in their side of the conversation, but may also cause them to become frustrated, and close down or become distant as a result. 
  • ’Story topping’, in which you try to one-up or outdo the speaker by insinuating your related experiences are more important or more extreme, or flipping the conversational focus to yourself when this is inappropriate. For example, saying things like ‘that reminds me of the time when I…’ before acknowledging the speaker’s experiences or ‘that’s not as bad as when I…’, which disregards or diminishes the speaker’s own problems. 
  • Asking the questions about unimportant, minor details, rather than focusing on the big picture of what the speaker is trying to convey. It devalues what the speaker is saying and detracts from the point/s they are making. 
  • Fidgeting. Fidgeting in any capacity may cause the speaker to believe you aren’t giving them your full attention, and it may even actively distract you from listening as well as you could. 

Encouraging Active Listening 

What about when you’re the one speaking? Everyone wants to feel like they’re being heard, so how can you promote the active listening in your conversational partner? 
 

Being an active listener yourself, and leading by example, is the best method of encouragement. Showing the other person your genuine interest, and making them feel they are being genuinely heard will encourage them to do the same for you. Active listening fosters a better relationship between conversational partners, and believing yourself to be in a good relationship will foster a genuine interest in the other person and their thoughts.  

In cases when the other person isn’t actively listening to you, despite your own efforts, it can help to introduce topics of shared interest. The other person will more likely actively listen to you if they are engaged in the topic of conversation.  

Actively listening to others encourages them to do the same for you!

Summary 

Active listening is vital to healthy, useful and interesting conversations. Employing active listening in your everyday conversations; be it at home, at work, or out and about, can encourage a deepening of your relationships, and a better understanding of those you come into contact with.  

As highlighted in this article, some active listening techniques include good eye contact, open body language, patience, paraphrasing, and the asking of questions. Bad active listening practices include fidgeting, ‘story topping’ and rushing the speaker to a conclusion. Practicing active listening encourages your conversational partners to do the same, further enriching your relationships and interactions. Actively listening during disagreements can help in finding solutions, and in itself can be part of a solution, as it demonstrates empathy and understanding. It better equips you to answer questions and complete set tasks. 


For further advice from our professional lifestyle coaches, contact us at Ceed! 

5 Essential Habits to Help You Stay Organised

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Almost everyone wants to improve their lifestyle and become more organised, but are unsure where to start.

Do you feel stressed and disorganised but unsure how to improve yourself? Most people tend to be reactive as opposed to reactive when they identify things that require reorganisation in their lives. To break this cycle and become an organised person, you must first develop healthier habits. 

So even if you believe that you are a very messy person, you can learn to be organised. From noting things down, to discarding unnecessary clutter and organising things based on their importance, as long as you’re willing to learn and practice, you will become an organised person. In this guide, we will share with you six habits on how to organise your life to increase productivity and success so that you can live peacefully without stress and chaos. 

1. Create Schedules and Deadlines 

Keeping things organised is closely related to remaining productive. It’s best for you to establish and maintain a daily and weekly schedule. Set deadlines and goals and most importantly, stick to them!  

If you live a chaotic lifestyle, you will not have the time or space to meet your deadlines and thus achieve your goals. As an exercise, you could look at your wish list or create one and write what you want to achieve this year or later in your life. Then write down what you need to do to achieve them. There are unpredictable twists and turns in life. By scheduling everything on a calendar and adding all your tasks to a list, you can work within the boundaries of your week and focus on everything that is important to you. 

Scheduling your day can help you achieve your goals!

2. Declutter on a Regular Basis 

If you want to be a highly organised person, you need to make some time every week or more to organise your affairs. Things will not organise themselves; they must be reorganised continuously and consistently.  

The best way to stay organised is to allocate specific times of the day for tidying and cleaning. You don’t have to spend a lot of time doing this either, 15 to 30 minutes a day is enough. Doing this every week will help in reducing stress and keep you more productive.

3. Get Enough Sleep 

Getting enough sleep is crucial. While this can seem counterintuitive or that it has nothing to do with living an organised life, lack of sleep can affect your mood and eventually lead to problems with keeping your life running smoothly.  

For example, if you want to organise your finances by saving or investing, you will probably procrastinate on that decision due to lack of sleep. When you feel tired and exhausted, it affects your ability to make better decisions. You will end up making unnecessary purchases, rather than saving or investing your money. Additionally, lack of sleep affects all other aspects of your life. You cannot get organised, be productive, or achieve exceptional success, if you cannot think clearly due to constant fatigue. 

Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep.

4. Delegate Tasks 

Delegating and outsourcing tasks that can cause you problems to others is another important tip to help you organise your life. For example, if you find it challenging to look after your garden, and you constantly procrastinate doing it, then just ask someone else to do it for you. If you have a budget, you can always outsource your work to others to maintain your productivity.  

Many of us want to do too many things every day. And we can’t just stuff everything into our day and try to do it ourselves. If you look at successful entrepreneurs, they certainly don’t do everything by themselves. They formed a team and hired professionals to help them complete their journey. Likewise, you have to think in the same way as you spend a lot of time working every day, and then catering to daily needs and routines. Therefore, the best way is to outsource and delegate your tasks. Start by identifying tasks which can be a nuisance, and delegate them to people specialised in these fields; as it can not only save you time but also get the job done well. 

5. Take Time Off and Rejuvenate 

One of the biggest mistakes most people make when trying to live an organised life is that they only focus on decluttering and organising and forget that they need to rest and recharge. Not only do you want your space to be organised, but you’d also want your mental space to be equally organised. The best way to manage your mental space is by spending some time relaxing and rejuvenating.  

When you are in a relaxed state, your thinking becomes sharp, allowing you to make better decisions. Similarly, when you’re fully charged, you can continue to follow through on your plan. Whether you are planning to clean up and organise your life, or work on a project that you have worked on for many years. The key is to maintain balance to avoid exhaustion. 

Self care is important when it comes to living a more organised lifestyle.

To Wrap Up 

Now that you’ve discovered these five tips on how to organise your life, one thing to remember is that living an organised life isn’t simply about delegating tasks or decluttering your home. Being organised is a principle, a way of life.  

If you’re looking to improve your productivity and organisational skills, Ceed is here to help you unleash your full potential! Speak to one of our life coaches to find out more. 

How To Become a Good Problem Solver

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Problem-solving is a fundamental part of society. Without it, nothing would get done. As easy as it may be to just throw in the towel and do something else when a difficult situation arises, that is not something employers wish to see in employees or possible ones. Being a good problem solver is a major advantage, and not just in the line of work. Have you ever encountered a problem at home, or even at a relative or friend’s house? Knowing how to navigate those complex interactions is a skill that we all must master. 

If you find yourself struggling to solve problems and want to better yourself, here are 5 tips to help you improve yourself: 

1. Identify the problem. 

This may sound simple, but it can be a complex issue to identify what it is that is causing a problem. By knowing what the problem is, you’ll know what it is you’re trying to solve. For example, let’s say you have a door that’s broken; that itself is the problem. What you’re trying to solve is how this could have potentially been avoided. 

The key thing you’ll need to do is review the situation and closely inspect all the variables involved. Once you have done this, you’ll then need to ask why the situation happened. However, don’t do this just once; ask it five times. Going back to the example of the door, you’d probably be asking: 

  • Why didn’t I oil it? 
  • Why didn’t I fix the lock? 
  • Why didn’t I replace the handle/door knob when I knew it felt loose? 
  • Why didn’t I replace the window on it? 
  • Why didn’t I buy a door that was of a better condition? 

By finding the cause of the problem, it will make it easier to determine what went wrong and how a repeated incident can be avoided. 

2. Find obstacles. 

Now, you’re probably thinking “but I already am experiencing an obstacle”. As true as that may be, the answer to the problem you are trying to fix could have consequences in return. This can go 2 possible ways: the solution is the only one and will lead to another problem that requires solving afterwards, or there are multiple solutions, which will either have little to no repercussions or repercussions that will be considerable in size. 

3. Solutions. 

That’s what you’re after, after all. Referring back to the two consequences in the previous point, the latter is the one where you need to think clearly, analysing your options, and make a decision if there are going to be ramifications. 

It’s important that you do indeed have more than one solution so, if one doesn’t work, you’ll have another to try. Always have an alternative. Another important thing that you must do is to take notes regarding the successes of your solutions; how successful were they? Were they not successful at all? Why was this? What could you do next time if you wish to try that method again? 

Remember – focus on the solution, not the problem. Research has shown that you’ll have difficulty coming up with a solution if you focus too much on the problem itself. The problem will be a distraction. 

4. Be creative.

Think outside of the box. Don’t limit yourself to what you already have at your disposal. Go that little bit extra. Don’t have that particular tool or item that can help resolve the problem in your possession? Buy it or, even better, find an alternate cheaper (or free) solution. Be resourceful with what you already have; repurpose that particular item for something else or give it a dual role. Creativity, let alone thinking outside of the box, will give you a new approach to solving problems entirely that will come in handy now and in the future. 

5. Keep it simple. 

It can be very easy to come up with complex answers to a problem, clearly because you’re looking very closely into the situation itself. You may be deconstructing it to the smallest detail or even reverse engineering the problem itself to see how it came about. While there is nothing wrong with using reverse engineering to fix your problems, it’s important to focus on keeping the solution simple. 

By keeping things simple, it means your solution will be easier to follow through and to understand. You must take on board that the definition of ‘simple’ varies from person to person, so what might be straightforward for you might not be for another person. Instead of saying “you’ll need to do this and this, but then follow it up with this, that, and the other”, you should rather have an approach that’s more like “all you have to do is this.” Notice how subtle the difference is? If anything, an overly complex solution might mean it’ll take longer to apply it to the problem in the first place! 

In Conclusion 

Problem solving is certainly something we can’t live without. These five tips are just some of the ways you can improve your own problem-solving skills and abilities. If these weren’t enough, or you just want to know more, contact Ceed today. 

Hungry, Or Just Bored? Keep Track Of Your Eating Habits

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“The doctor of the future will give no medication but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease”

Thomas Edison

We’ve all been there. We suddenly feel the need to snack, regardless of whether or not a meal has just been eaten. It could be late in the evening, when you’re trying to sleep, or even when you’re on the go and at work. 

This raises a simple question: Why are we hungry? Why might we have cravings for a particular food or drink? Are we generally hungry? Did we eat a meal that wasn’t filling enough beforehand, or is this just boredom getting the best of us? 

A major consequence of the lockdowns imposed by the Coronavirus pandemic is the rise in stress eating and, in some cases, the lack of motivation to eat at all. This has led to unhealthy lifestyles being developed, ultimately affecting both physical and mental health as a result. 

Worried that this might sound like something you’ve been affected by? The best thing you can do is keep track of what you eat and drink in a diary or journal. Below are 5 tips on how to record your eating habits. 

1. Time and date. Now, this is a no-brainer. Obviously, mentioning the date will be a key factor with recording what you eat and drink, but so is the time. Why? Well, what if you find yourself eating more frequently? Has it been less than an hour before you last ate? Eating late at night could affect your sleeping habits. In fact, it is best not to eat two hours before sleeping, as your body can’t decide if it wants to sleep or digest what you’ve eaten. 

2. Specifics. A key factor when it comes to keeping a diary of your meals and possible snacks is to note down what it is you’ve been eating and drinking. At first glance, this might not seem too big of a deal, but this is actually a key part of the diary/journal process, as you may also be recording your calory intake. 

For example; if you’ve made yourself a sandwich, you need to think about what is between those two pieces of bread. What type of butter/margarine did you use? How many fillings did you apply? Did you use any condiments like salt, pepper, or even sauces of some kind? As a whole, what measurement of those ingredients did you apply – cups, millilitres, teaspoons or tablespoons? Also, what type of bread is it? 

By summarising what you’ve been eating, you will be able to analyse your habits and then find an appropriate solution to them. 

3. Environment. Another important factor when keeping track of your dietary practices is recording the place you are eating in, as this could be an influence on your eating issues and overall behaviour. A general rule of thumb is to avoid eating out and instead aim to eat at home as much as possible. Granted, just because you’re eating out doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going with nothing but unhealthy choices, but eating-in guarantees planning your meals in advance and ultimately looking forward to them. This will also mean good portion control and knowing of what all the ingredients are.  

However, while eating in the comfort of your home, take note of where you are eating and any other activities, such as watching the TV or a video on the internet. Are you at the kitchen table? The sofa? Your bedroom? These habits, especially if they are frequent and/or for a certain length of time, may explain why you could’ve been gaining weight. 

4. Feelings. This is all something we’ve had to do at some point in our lives. We’ve had to comprehend our feelings, in some situation that has occurred. If anything, with the rise of how clear it is that mental health is just as important as physical health, we need to understand our emotions and how we feel. This is yet another clue when recording what you eat and drink in a day, as it provides insight as to why you might have made your choices. Stemming from this are two factors that need to be taken on board: 

5. Breakfast. You’re probably thinking “I should just skip breakfast altogether”, aren’t you? Well, here’s some advice: don’t. By skipping breakfast, let alone any meal, you could negatively impact your body and also affect your eating habits. Another crucial detail with breakfast is to have protein as a part of it so that your body not only repairs and maintains its tissues, but also fends off cravings. Foods that are rich in protein include poultry, lean meats, fish (including seafood), dairy, eggs, nuts, and even beans. 

These five tips will be essential to helping you monitor what you eat and drink. Be sure to follow them closely, as you may find your life has dramatically changed for the better in a short span of time! 

If this advice hasn’t proven successful or you want more advice, contact Ceed today for more help. 

How To Regain Your Lost Motivation

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“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up” 

Babe Ruth

We’ve all been there. We’ve all experienced a time where the things that keep us going just don’t seem to be enough anymore. While we would normally be raring and ready to go, that motivational drive has vanished and left an empty hole, making us feel empty and without a goal or purpose. 

There was a distinct rise in a lack of motivation when the Coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020, with 44% of under 35-year-olds claiming that it impacted their work performance. Motivation, let alone mental health, was truly impacted in March of that year, with the effects still lingering over a year later. 

Below is a list of six tips that can help you regain your motivation as if it had never gone in the first place! 

1. Find Inspiration. Think clearly – what is it you have set out to do? What exactly is it you want to accomplish? Was there something that inspired you to achieve your goal in the first place? For example, did you read a really good book and wished that you could write something just as good? Well, the solution to this is obvious. Read more books just like the one that influenced you in the first place. Websites like Amazon are often recommending to their users and visitors products that are similar to each other or were bought together, so that will be the best way to find them. As soon as you find ways to inspire yourself, you’ll be one step closer to achieving your goal. 

2. Make A List of Pros and Cons. Now, you’re probably wondering “but shouldn’t I not think of the negatives and think only of the positives?” As true as it is that optimism can go far, by placing the pros and the cons in a list, you can make a balanced and more defined decision. Are there more positive aspects? Then, it looks like a good idea and you should definitely do it! But what if there are more negative ones? Try doing something else you might have considered. 

3. Do Some Exercise. Do you spend too much time sitting, or even laying, around? If you find yourself not moving as much, then this can perhaps be the biggest cause of your absent motivation. Exercise has more than just physical benefits as it helps release endorphins, which will provide a mental boost if you’ve been feeling down.  

Whether this exercise is in your home, or even your place of work, you will feel more encouraged to set about your task at hand. In fact, you’ll probably find the biggest boost by visiting nature itself. Do you live near a woodland area, let alone a park? If it is welcome for everyone to visit, then you shouldn’t be an exception! 

4. Change Your Routine. Wake up. Set about doing that thing you wanted to do. Have lunch. Do something else. Have dinner and maybe dessert. Do another thing. Go to sleep. Seems dull, doesn’t it? It may appear to be even duller if that’s the same thing you do day-in, day-out. If you’re tired of having normality, then the best thing to do is shake things up. After all, variety is the spice of life. Changing your routine will help you anticipate on the new things your day will bring you and provide that little bit of joy to help things move along. 

5. Stop Overthinking. Have you ever watched a film or TV series and spotted something inaccurate? Maybe you’ve looked at something that happened in passing and tried to pick it to pieces to figure out implications, repercussions, or maybe even causes of it? Have you then found yourself thinking about this non-stop? It can be easy to overthink things in our lives, but the important thing is not everything has to be so complex or difficult. Simplicity exists for a reason. Try doing something with little or no forethought. You never know where you could end up. 

6. Get Excited. Now, this might seem like an odd tip, but if you have taken step 4 into account, it will make a lot more sense. If you have changed your routine, let alone had something planned for a specific date that is ages away, then the excitement created by the anticipation will give you something to look forward to.  

You’ll find yourself thinking about it more and more as time goes on and the date draws near. This might not seem like much, but once the event is quite literally around the corner, you will most certainly find yourself anticipating on the event that will provide you with joy, even if it’s brief. 

These six tips should be enough to get you going once again. However, you never know – maybe only one or two are just enough. 

If you are still having difficulty regaining your motivation, contact Ceed today for more advice. 

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