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How to Better Your Mental Health by Getting Creative

Everyone is creative – whether it is solving problems or creating content. It isn’t just a case of different jobs being creative or not. If you work in a warehouse for example, you may just utilise creativity in a different way.  

Creativity stems from the imagination of an individual who can improvise, using their brain in any situation to think of a solution. Utilising this creativity we all have, you can engage in many different creative activities to help you mentally, and emotionally.  

There are countless ideas that can sprout if you allow yourself to be creative.

It’s a worldwide “rumour” that creativity lies in the right-side of your brain, however, it lies in both. The right when you are imagining something on the spot, and the left when you are imagining based on something already learned or established. 

Creativity is an extraordinary concept that allows us to build ideas out of thin air. Through mental construction we can form our own creation that we can be proud of. Knowing that you created it yourself can give you a tremendous boost in mood that, if you choose, can lead into a more creativity-oriented mindset. 

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Here are a few activities that can help you release your creative energy: 

Creative Writing 

Writing itself has been around for at least 5000+ years, and creative writing has been around for about the same time. One of the first known creative writers or authors in the world was “Enheduanna”, who lived in around the 2200 BCE time period. She was one of the first known poets and authors – she even wrote hymns.  

This is a fine example of how despite having less technology than we have now, ancient civilisations still found a way to distil their imagination, creating something out of nothing. 

In modern times, we have many more ways to be inspired, whether that is by films, shows, music, paintings, games or speeches. There are countless forms of these things out there in the world for someone to begin their own journey on the creative road. 

Creative writing is one way to express an experience, emotion or a fabrication into a story format. It can be the most outlandish idea, or something very realistic.  

Why Write? 

Outputting your creativity can improve your brain’s memory. What’s more, this flow of “venting” out your opinions and experiences will release any negative emotion into what you are writing, like capturing it in a bottle. Connecting emotionally when writing embeds these feelings into the writing, strengthening the bond with it and meaning behind it.  

It’s your own creation – your own opinions, memories and inspiration mixed into a bundle. This makes writing a wonderful outlet for negative emotions, and can even preserve positive emotions forever in a written piece. 

Playing Instruments & Making Music 

It’s only in the past hundred years that music began to get more varied, more experimental and deeper, and it’s now become a part of everyday life. This is because of the dopamine released from listening to music that unknowingly lifts your mood and provides motivation. 

Why Play Music? 

Playing music yourself and learning an instrument can release this creativity and dopamine rush. This in turn strengthens the positive effect that comes with listening to music. This ultimately de-stresses you and gives you many health benefits.  

You can write as complex or as simple music as you like, but no matter what it engages and stimulates your brain. By having a song you can play yourself at anytime at home to express yourself; you basically have a infinite way to stimulate your brain at your disposal. 

Drawing & Crafting 

Express yourself and let yourself have mental freedom!

Artists can come in any form – creativity is a hidden ability in people and we can’t initially tell who is creative. Anyone can ultimately become an artist if they can learn to express themselves through drawing, and art. If they can reflect emotions, and experience and capture this in a drawn format it can inspire other people, and they can understand what the artist is demonstrating by having an open-mind.  

It can be difficult to start learning to draw but as you get better you can start to develop your own style, and way to express yourself. 

Why Draw or Craft? 

Just like other forms of expression, the benefits you gain wouldn’t be something you’d want to miss out on

Listening to Music & Reading

This is easier as it doesn’t require you to create content. What it does require is for you to hold an open-mind and envision what you are taking in – whether it is imagining the characters in a book, or letting the sounds of music flow through you. 

Why Listen to Music/ Read? 

Your brain will get engaged with the content and release dopamine that lifts your mood. You can indulge in whatever content you like, whether that’s listening to a happy song or a sad one.  

Relating to the music or story you’re taking in can help you find a solution to how you are feeling. Perhaps relating to a song about depression may open your eyes in some new way. 

Read Now: How Music can Motivate you to Stick to your Exercise Routine 

Conclusion

In conclusion, creativity goes hand in hand with imagination. Anything to do with creativity stimulates your brain in a great way, whether you are drawing, writing or playing music. When you create something, you are allowing yourself to be under control of the creative process. 

It’s like magic how we can create these concepts within ourselves, and the options available to us allow us to have a lot of mental freedom. 

For your next step, read on: How to Uncover Inspiration 

If you need any more help with making lifestyle changes, feel free to contact us here at Ceed today.  

Burnout: What is it and How to Avoid it

It’s easy to feel stress in our daily lives, whether it’s from work, school, or relationships. But when that stress becomes unrelenting, you might be suffering from burnout instead. 

What is Burnout? 

Burnout is the combination of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion, often caused by prolonged stress. It’s particularly common in the workplace when employees are overworked and don’t have time to relax. Burnout can reduce productivity and decrease energy, and create a complete lack of motivation. Signs of burnout include: 

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  • Anxiety 
  • Fatigue 
  • Lack of commitment 
  • Low mood 
  • Headaches 
  • Difficulty concentrating 
  • Cynical outlook 

Read Now: How to Regain Your Lost Motivation  

Burnout or Stress? 

Whilst there are some similarities, burnout is not the same as just being stressed. Stress comes when you are still trying to cope with all your responsibilities; burnout hits when you have given up. Burnout is a more gradual process, which makes it harder to control. 

Burnout can make you feel hopeless.

Stress often feels like a state of panic, when you feel you don’t have enough time to get everything done. By the time burnout hits, you might feel like giving up on your responsibilities, as they begin to feel unachievable.  

Burnout can be caused by lots of different things, but it is usually a combination of factors, including: 

  • Taking on too many responsibilities 
  • Lack of recognition for hard work 
  • Overly demanding expectations 
  • Feeling like you have no control  
  • Not having time for socialising or relaxing  
  • Not getting enough sleep. 

Read Now: 4 Effective Ways to Clear Your Mind of Stress 

How to Avoid Burnout 

The best way to tackle burnout is to notice the signs before it becomes overwhelming. If you can work to prevent burnout before it hits, it will be much easier to manage daily stress. There are lots of different things you can do to prevent reaching burnout. 

Find the Source 

The easiest way to prevent burnout is to figure out what specifically is causing it. It’s different for everyone, so take time to evaluate your stressors, and see what often leads you to becoming burnt out.  

Finding what causes your burnout is the best way to stop it!

Once you know where the source is, it becomes a lot easier to create simple day-to-day changes. If you know where to look, you can prevent burnout and manage stress. This gives you space to set boundaries and identify areas in your life that can be improved.  

Organise Your Priorities  

If you don’t organise your priorities, you can easily end up spending too much time on less important tasks, and falling behind on the important things. Take time to assess where you should be putting your energy – you want to use it in the most efficient way possible.  

Don’t be afraid to set boundaries either. If you know your workload is too much for you, delegate tasks to someone else or ask for extensions. Becoming overwhelmed by your priorities is an easy way to end up burnt out. Prioritising the important stuff doesn’t mean you are lazy; it means you have a stronger understanding of your abilities.   

Read Now: 5 Essential Habits to Help You Stay Organised  

Ask for Help 

Tackling burnout alone can make your problems feel impossible to solve. Talking to others can help to ease the pressure you might be feeling, as it’s likely they’ve experienced something similar before. Co-workers can help you to pick up parts of your work that you don’t think you can complete, whilst friends and family can listen to and validate your concerns.  

Don’t be afraid to ask others for help.

Like the team at Ceed, life coaches can help you find the best ways of managing your workload to avoid burnout in the future. Different techniques work for different people, so it’s important to find what is best for you.  

Exercise Regularly 

Exercising on a frequent basis can help to improve your mood and boost productivity. It helps you to get better sleep, which in turn sets you up to have more energy for the working day. This can decrease emotional exhaustion, psychological distress and perceived stress.  

Exercising outside can help to boost your mood!

Even exercise like taking a short walk in your lunch break can help to relax your mind and get your blood flowing. Especially if you have a job where you are sitting in the same spot all day, it is easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged. Exercising can improve your wellbeing, and in turn, fights off burnout. 

Read Now: How Exercise Improves Productivity at Work  

To Sum Up… 

Dealing with burnout can be difficult, especially when it sneaks up on you. The best way to deal with it is to prevent it. Following these simple ideas will make it easier to avoid reaching a state of burnout, and can help improve your day-to-day stresses.  

If you want further help on how to tackle burnout, contact the team at Ceed today! We can provide lifestyle coaching experts to help you grow.  

How to Make Your Dreams a Reality

When we dream of something, we think of some bold idea to accomplish. It could be anything. We want to go out and reach that goal, and it can feel incredibly satisfying to eventually get there.

You’ve envisioned your dreams, now what?

However, the thought of making our dreams a reality is easier said than done, and sometimes we feel like we’re in limbo when it comes to seeing it finalised. 

That’s where this guide comes in. With these five tips, you’ll be making those dreams of yours a reality in no time! 

Read Now: How To Uncover Inspiration 

  1. Write Things Down 

First and foremost, to help you figure out not just what your dreams are, but how you’re possibly going to reach them, you should start by writing down your thoughts and ideas. Now, while this may sound basic, you’ll actually find that writing down your thoughts is a rather effective method. 

As you write, whether that’s with pen on paper or typing on a computer or laptop, you’ll find that your ideas begin to take shape. You’ll be able to determine what works and what doesn’t, which will then start paving the way for a plan. It’s also good to do this in case you later forget of some of the things that popped into your head. 

When it comes to writing, don’t just use it for early plans and preparation. After initial preparation, keep note (in a diary, journal etc.) of all the things you’ve been doing to ensure you achieve your long-term goal. This can be recorded on a daily or weekly basis and provides you with knowledge of what you found worked and what didn’t. 

  1. Take Small Steps 

When you’ve figured out what your dreams are and how you’re going to accomplish them, it’s very easy to assume that you can just go headlong into a plan and reach them straight away. 

Sadly, life doesn’t work like that. If anything, taking huge strides and rushing into things won’t do you any favours. While you may reach your goal, you won’t be reaching it the way you intended and may ultimately feel unsatisfied by the outcome. 

Taking small steps and writing down progress can be hugely helpful!

We all know about The Tortoise and the Hare and its moral of “slow and steady wins the race”. By taking your time and making small steps, you’ll be reaching your goal at the required pace while learning of any advantages and disadvantages that could prevent you from getting there in the first place. It’s not about the destination – it’s the journey and what you learn along the way. 

Read Now: 8 Quick and Small Changes to a Better Life  

  1. Don’t Give Up 

Life is hard. There’s no sugar-coating it. There’s always going to be a challenge or a problem we’ll come across, especially if things seemed to initially be going easy, and it’s very tempting to call it quits there. 

Here’s the thing: don’t. 

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going”. No doubt you’ve heard this expression before. Basically, it means that a determined person is willing to work hard to reach their goal, which is something you should absolutely be doing. When you persevere, you’ll find yourself overcoming that troublesome obstacle that had initially got in your way. 

No matter how hard the challenge will be, there’s no denying that a level of catharsis shall follow knowing you conquered that challenge and proved it could be prevailed over. 

Read Now: How to Step into Your Growth Zone 

  1. Embrace Failure 

Sometimes, no matter how hard we work and no matter what decisions we’ve made, the only outcome can be failure. Now, you’re reading this thinking “well, that’s a very negative outlook”, aren’t you? 

Wrong! 

Just because we might’ve failed at something doesn’t mean we should then give up, just as we covered previously. Failure is by no means a terrible thing. Granted, you may feel defeated by it, but the truth is it’s an opportunity to learn. Think about where you went wrong; what could then be improved? The next time around, once you’ve fixed that aspect of your methods, you’ll know the right way to go, and if that fails too, try something else until you have the right solution. 

Don’t be afraid to play your cards wrong…

Life is a gamble. Everything can be a risk. The important thing is to take those risks. If they work, they’re a success. If they don’t, it’s just another chance to acquire more knowledge. 

Read Now: How to Overcome Fear of Failure 

  1. Find Others Who Share the Same Dreams 

There are times when the only things we need are a little bit of encouragement and excitement. A little of these can go a long way, especially when you’re striving to make your dreams come true. 

Try talking to others who also share the same dreams as you do. Along the way, you may even learn tips and tricks that can help you even more. Are there things that others are doing that you feel is a method worth trying? Why not try it yourself? 

Without finding the motivation to get you going, you’ll never even leave the place you started at. 

These were just five ways to help you make your dreams become a reality. If you’d like more advice on making lifestyle changes, don’t hesitate to contact us today at Ceed. 

A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation: Less Stress & More Peace

With the advancement of technology and the impact of covid, it’s easier than ever to become disconnected from ourselves. So, it’s important to find time to centre our emotions, and look inwards to create positive changes in our mindset. 

Meditation is a tried and tested method of looking inward and understanding ourselves. Used for centuries in religious and spiritual practices, it provides space to increase self-awareness, and redirect negative thoughts.   

Meditation uses wellness and mindfulness techniques to enhance our outlook on life. It’s often used to reduce stress, help sleep patterns and increase pain tolerance.  

You can include meditation as part of a daily routine, use it as a quick stress reliever, or a way to centre emotions. You don’t need loads of time to meditate, as it can be adapted to suit you and your needs. 

Meditation has many physical, emotional and mental benefits.

How Do You Meditate? 

There are many different forms meditation can take, and each has its own benefits. The form that is most suited to you depends on what you hope to gain from meditating. 

  • Guided meditation includes a teacher to help you through the steps of meditation, explaining how the mind works and how each step is beneficial to you.  
  • Mantra meditation works by focusing on a specific mantra, such as a word or sound, to let the subtle vibrations create positive change and help you reach a deep state of meditation.  
  • Mindfulness encourages awareness of your surroundings by engaging and focusing on all of your senses without judgment. 
  • Qi gong is a Chinese practice that opens energy pathways in the body called meridians, helping the energy flow through and heal the body.  
  • Yoga is a physical practice of movements that strengthen your nervous system, helping you to relax your body and relieve tension. It promotes physical balance, which helps with mental balance.  

Read Now: Practising Yoga: Combining Mindfulness and Fitness for Healthier Living  

What are the Benefits?  

Meditation has been heavily studied, and has been proven to have a wide array of benefits. Whether you want to become stronger physically, mentally, or emotionally, meditation can assist in improving your lifestyle and mindset. So, what exactly can it do? 

Reduce Stress 

When you experience stress, it increases the hormone cortisol, which can impact your sleep, cause depression and increase fatigue. Meditation can help to reduce this response, and instead create a relaxed response that calms your body. 

This means it can help stress-related conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder. By reducing the stress hormones in your body, it reduces pressure and can calm anxiety.  

It also helps you redirect your negative thinking patterns, which are often a large contributor to stress. 

Read Now: 4 Effective Ways to Clear Your Mind of Stress  

Improve Sleep 

Meditation can help those who have sleep disorders like insomnia manage their symptoms, and as a result get better sleep. Mindfulness meditation has been found to help those who suffer from chronic insomnia. It can also improve the sleep of those without existing sleep problems. 

Meditation can help relax your thoughts before bed and calm your mind, which creates a more restful environment to sleep in. As a result, it can also reduce daytime fatigue, giving you more energy throughout the day, and deeper sleep at night.  

Meditation before bed can improve your sleep quality.

Enhance Self-awareness 

When you meditate, you create space to understand yourself, which helps you learn how to grow and improve as a person. By focusing on self-awareness, it becomes easier to recognise any harmful thoughts you may have, and learn how to challenge them.  

This process of redirecting negative thoughts shows you what your emotional triggers may be, and how to best combat them.  

It can also increase self-awareness by helping you realise and focus on the positive parts of yourself. Through meditation, you can approach your emotions without judgement, and as a result you can learn to accept both the positive and negative aspects of who you are.   

Read Now: Better Your Brain Through Neuroplasticity and Positive Thinking  

Promote Emotional Health 

Meditation can lead to an improved self-image and create a more positive outlook on life. By focusing on the things around you and your own thought processes, you can reduce negative thoughts and appreciate the positive aspects of your experience.  

It can also decrease levels of the inflammatory proteins cytokines, which can contribute to depression. Meditation is sometimes used as part of a mental health treatment plan as the benefits can help reduce depression and anxiety. 

Meditation can improve your emotional health!

Control Pain 

Many types of physical pain are linked to stress, and our perception of pain can be increased significantly when we are in stressful situations. By learning to manage our perception of stress, it becomes easier to control our pain responses. This in turn decreases the level of pain we feel. 

Whilst it won’t completely rid you of any pain you are in, it helps to manage pain and decrease levels of stress that often enhance it. 

Meditation can also reduce strain on the heart by decreasing blood pressure. Stress can often cause high blood pressure, which can potentially lead to a heart attack or a stroke. Reducing stress can alleviate the pressure on the heart and relax nerve signals.  

To Sum Up… 

Meditation is a varied and adaptable way to improve your day-to-day life. It has benefits for everyone, whether you meditate for five minutes or five hours! A little can go a long way, and daily meditation has the power to really impact your life for the better.  

If you want to learn more about how to make small changes to improve your lifestyle, contact us at Ceed today! 

The Great Health Benefits of Practicing Gratitude

Practicing gratitude is a great habit to start. By giving thanks regularly you’ll reap benefits to both your mental health and your overall wellbeing.  

You can practice gratitude in a variety of different ways depending on your personal preference. Below we’ve laid out all the different ways you can start practicing gratitude today and the benefits you’ll begin to see.   

Gratitude helps people enjoy good experiences!

What Does it Mean to Practice Gratitude? 

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful or appreciative. Practicing gratitude involves recognising the positive things in your life and how they affect you.  You can be grateful for anything, big or small, and bringing awareness to both will be beneficial to you.  

Some examples of things to be grateful for are:  

  • A great cup of coffee in the morning 
  • Loving friends and family 
  • A drive to work with no traffic 
  • A sunny day 
  • Any pets that you have 
  • Getting to spend time in nature 
  • Finding a great new song.

Read Now: Why is Journaling Good for Your Mental Wellbeing? 

Getting Started Practicing Gratitude 

There are many different ways to start practicing gratitude, try a few from the list below and see which method best works for you. 

  1. Gratitude journaling 

Gratitude journaling is the most common technique which involves writing down and keeping note of all the things that you’re grateful for.  

This can be a simple as writing a note in your phone or buying a specific diary especially for this. A great way to start is to sit down each evening and write 3 things you noticed about your day that you appreciated.  

  1. Gratitude mapping 

Gratitude mapping is a fantastic method if you’re a visual learner. It’s a mind map or mood board of everything you’re grateful for, which you can place somewhere you’ll see every day to remind you.  

  1. Gratitude jars 

Gratitude jars are a fun way of practicing gratitude, whenever something good happens write it down and put it in a jar. When you’re feeling sad pick from the jar at random and remind yourself of something good in your life that you might’ve forgotten.  

  1. Morning meditation 

If you’re already into meditation, you can introduce gratitude to your practice. Reflect on what you’re grateful for and the accomplishments you’ve made in life. A morning meditation can set you up with optimism for the day, or an evening meditation can help you to relax before bed.   

  1. Prayer 

Prayer is a popular method of practicing gratitude, accessible to anyone. You can pray to faith, a higher power or even the universe. Expressing gratitude for your life and the world you live in and simply being thankful for being alive.  

  1. Volunteering 

Sometimes practicing gratitude can be hard, so if you’re not ready to sit and self-reflect volunteering is a practical form of gratitude. Helping those less fortunate than you can highlight areas of your own life to be grateful for, whilst bringing you a sense of purpose. 

Read Now: How to Live With Anxiety 

Benefits of Practicing Gratitude 

There are many benefits of practicing gratitude, for both your mental and physical health. When practiced regularly gratitude can have some of the following positive impacts on your wellbeing.  

Notice good things, look for them, appreciate them.
  1. Boosts the immune system 

Practicing gratitude can help to alleviate stress, and the less stressed you are, the better your immune system will be.  

Stress lowers the immune response in your body so increased mental well-being can help your body fight off illness. 

  1. Improves mental health 

Practicing gratitude is one of the many methods that can improve your mental health. A daily gratitude practice can ease symptoms of anxiety and depression and benefit your overall mood.  

  1. Improved relationships 

Practicing gratitude can help partners feel more satisfied with each other. By specifically acknowledging what you appreciate in your partner you can increase your overall relationship satisfaction.  

  1. Increased optimism 

Practicing gratitude can help you become an optimist, which can lead to you feeling positive about your life and your future. Being an optimistic person will not only help you enjoy your life more, but could also lead to a longer lifespan.   

Read Now: Practicing Mindfulness: How to Stay Stress Free 

Summary 

Practicing gratitude is a beneficial daily habit to implement for both your physical and mental wellbeing.  

To get started with a gratitude practice, there are many techniques you can try or you can simply start with being mindful of the little things in your life that you appreciate.  

For further advice on changes you can make to better your mental health, contact our experts at Ceed today.   

How to Improve Your Productivity with Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to adapt, rewire and change shape with new experiences.  

At any age, the way the brain works can totally transform. We can become more optimistic, joyful, productive and better at learning without ever returning to our ‘old ways’.  

Find more productive habits with neuroplasticity!

With the myth that we use 10% of our brains debunked, we now know that our entire brains are neural real estate, forming and strengthening different neural pathways throughout the day. 

Understanding neuroplasticity can unlock a clear pathway to more productive habits. By tapping into neuroplasticity, we can achieve:  

  • Better time-keeping 
  • Improved short-term memory 
  • An efficient work life 
  • An overall more dynamic brain.  

What is Neuroplasticity? 

Neuroplasticity is the “plastic” nature of the brain – its ability to shift and change layout.  

All our habits, thought processes and beliefs – the way we think – are physically represented by neurons and neural pathways. Different neural pathways get stronger with use or waste away, much like a muscle.  

It’s easy to imagine that if we had the technology, we could understand everything about someone just by looking at the physical map of their brain, looking up close at the neural pathways and seeing which are stronger and used more than others.  

We already understand a lot, like how to use brain examinations to detect dementia and determine the cause of a stroke. 

Using certain parts of our brains more strengthens those neural pathways. This is what behavioural therapy taps into – mental muscle memory. 

Read Now: Neuroplasticity: Better Your Brain with Positive Thinking

How Can We Use it? 

The future is bright. The more we dig into the science of neuroplasticity, the more we can see the limitless ways to harness and use our brains for the better. 

Below are just a few things we can achieve by strengthening new pathways and weakening old, unhelpful ones: 

1. Changing Our Habits 

Struggling to be productive is a difficulty most of us can understand. Getting started on new projects, staying motivated and working in a consistent, efficient way are all things that don’t always come easy, but can be developed with practice.  

An understanding of neuroplasticity is a great place to start when thinking about changing your habits. This way, you can make the change as easy as possible for your brain to take on.  

Try switching up your habits for better productivity!

For example, if you want to totally overhaul your work ethic and methods, start with a small change. Instead of putting pressure on yourself to fix the problem in one fell swoop, try breaking other habits in your life first by trying new things, or even doing something you know how to do already, differently. 

Even breaking and changing habits unrelated to the big one you have your eye on will help you to eventually make the change. This is because taking on new habits and experiences strengthens neural pathways responsible for learning, making your brain more dynamic and flexible.  

Changing a habit could be as simple as taking a different route to work or shopping for food somewhere different. And when it comes to making a bigger change, try doing something a different way before replacing it altogether. Your brain can learn to adapt

Read Now: 3 Reasons to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and Into Your Growth Zone 

2. Communicating Better 

Communicating well is key to being part of a productive, efficient team. With good communication, skills can be shared, tasks can be completed quickly and everyone feels inclined to work well to get goals achieved.  

Using neuroplasticity to communicate better once again comes down to identifying and changing a habit. What gets in the way of feeling like we are on the same page with someone? More often than not, it is defensiveness of our own view and not understanding the view of the person we are talking with. The angrier we feel, the less inclined to connect we feel. 

This makes active listening – the act of truly trying to understand what someone is saying – impossible. In breaking this habit, the first thing to practice is checking in on whether you are actually listening to the other person.  

The second thing to do is to return to focusing on connecting and listening. While this is easier said than done, it is possible to make this a habit through practice

Read Now: How to Practice Active Listening 

4. A More Dynamic Brain 

The happiest brains are flexible and open-minded, open to learning and taking on new information. The more our brains experience changing and developing new skills, the more flexible and agile they become – and the more able to cope with any challenge. 

A brain that has recently been learning a new language and improving at sudoku will be developing strong neural connections in the parts of the brain responsible for learning. This makes it now more equipped to learn other new skills more easily. In other words, the more we change the brain through neuroplasticity, the more able to change the brain is.  

When it comes to productivity, the ideal brain can:  

  • Learn new skills 
  • Remember important details 
  • Switch between tasks easily.  

Try learning a new skill – no matter what it is, you will see benefits in how your brain processes information and takes on new challenges. 

Trying new things can create a more adaptable brain!

Read Now: How to Tap Into Neuroplasticity in Your Daily Life 

To Sum Up… 

These are just a few ways harnessing neuroplasticity can help to improve your productivity. With an understanding of how the brain makes and stores connections, we can develop any skill or ability we like more easily and effectively.  

With intention and an awareness of neuroplasticity, you can build an open-minded and flexible brain able to take on any challenge and navigate the unexpected. 

For help with making lifestyle changes, contact one of our coaches at Ceed today! 

How To Get Out of a Creative Block

Sometimes we just don’t feel creative. That’s fine if what we’re putting off is a personal project, but if we need to be creative to meet deadlines at work, things can start to feel stressful. 

We might start to feel anxious about our futures, or even question whether we’re in the right line of work. 

The good news is that writer’s block is more common than you’d think, and doesn’t indicate a lack of talent. Herman Melville, Ernest Hemingway and even Adele have all documented their struggles with it. 

Unlike Melville, you don’t have to give up on being creative altogether. Here are a variety of easy steps you can take to get those creative juices flowing again. 

Read Now: How to Get Out of a Funk 

Stop Working on Ideas That Don’t Motivate You 

No, really. 

If you’re trying to work and nothing’s coming to you, take some time off from trying to solve the problem as a first step. 

This might seem counterproductive, but studies show that solutions to creative problems are often solved subconsciously during periods of rest. If we try to do something else with our time, such as go for a walk, we open ourselves up to inspiration that we wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. 

Sometimes this can lead to a sudden eureka moment, clarifying in a split-second what you need to do to fix your project. Often, though, this inspiration plants a seed that takes the time to grow into an idea or solution. 

If you find yourself in need of a break on a tight deadline, ask for the deadline to be moved. If you’re able, know that it’s okay to postpone your own deadline, and to not be creating things all the time. 

If you can, drop an idea that isn’t working.  

Drastic changes to the direction of a work-in-progress can keep your productivity up!

It can be tempting to feel as though we have to finish an idea, thanks to the sunk-cost fallacy reminding us of how much work we’ve already put into it. But it’s important to note that if, for example, you’re struggling with writing something, then ploughing ahead will probably mean that your readers will struggle with reading it. 

Switch focus to an idea that you find more interesting, or that you’re finding easier to make creative connections for in your head. This keeps you enthusiastic about your work, which in turn allows you to maintain a period of being creative and reduce your anxiety. 

But if you’re at a loss for ideas, there are different techniques you can use to generate lots of them in a short space of time. 

Read Now: How to Live With Anxiety 

Look for Ideas in Unconventional Places 

Typical places we look to for ideas are the authors, artists, and type of content we want to produce. However, ideas really can come from anywhere. If you find yourself at a loss for ideas for a new or current project, don’t be afraid to look outside your comfort zone when searching for inspiration. 

Whether it’s a book, podcast, piece of music, or artwork that you wouldn’t normally think about, looking in unusual places for inspiration is a great way to make connections between words, images, ideas, that you might miss normally. 

The subject matter doesn’t have to be similar to the work you’re doing. Think about the content as separate to its context. Just taking the time to consume something new can encourage your mind to make those unconscious decisions which can lead to fresh ideas. 

Idea-Dump and Free-Associate 

Rather than pressuring yourself to come up a perfectly formed idea, consider setting a period of time, such as ten minutes, or up to an hour, to document every idea that comes to your mind, regardless of quality. 

Having ideas to discard is better than having no ideas. 

You can also take off the pressure to produce ideas even more by only writing random words and phrases that come to you in this time, or that you’ve found in media you’re consuming. 

From there, you can try combining some of the things you’ve written down into one or more coherent ideas. You might find that two or more separate ideas lacking in dimension find depth when brought together. 

Throwing two separate ideas together can create new ones with exciting depth.

Stop Second-Guessing Yourself While Writing 

Once you have an idea that you feel enthusiastic about finishing, the important thing is to finish it. 

Our brains have a filter for quality. We know what good art looks like, and we want to know that our own efforts meet these standards. Which is why it’s worth remembering that Rome wasn’t built in a day.  

The famous Hemingway quote goes as follows: “the first draft of everything is s**t”. 

The important thing is to get the idea down, even if you know that what you’re doing lacks focus. Then, refine it. Once you have a functional draft in place, you can get outside perspectives from colleagues and friends. They will be able to offer advice that will feed your subconscious.   

Use what they like or don’t like to guide the direction of the next draft, and the next one, and the one after that. But always trust your gut feeling when trying to get the draft written as fast as possible. 

Read Now: How to Stop Being Obsessive Over Things 

Wrapping Up 

Above all, getting over a creative block requires you to stop expecting the first draft to be perfect. It also takes accepting that you won’t be able to be creative all of the time. 

Whether you’re on a deadline or not, removing these expectations and reconsidering how you generate ideas are some best ways to get out of a creative block. 

If you’re interested in learning more about how to drive creativity, or other ways to improve your life, contact Ceed today. 

The Valuable Mental Health Benefits of Cold Water Swimming

Cold water swimming, especially in wild locations, comes with a variety of physical and mental health benefits. 

The colder the water, the better it is for you, whether that be in the sea, a lake or a river. Cold open-water swimming has been linked to:  

  • Pain relief 
  • Improved circulation 
  • Reduced inflammation 
  • Better concentration 
  • A significant positive effect on chronic low-mood and stress
Cold water swimming is good for your mental and physical health!

Inducing the Stress Response 

These health benefits come from inducing the body’s natural stress response. Through cold water swimming your body learns to self-regulate and overcome the stress induced by the water. 

The human stress response is an instinctive survival mechanism that reacts to your environment. So, any sudden change in your metabolic rate, like a change in temperature, will trigger a stress response. 

During this process your brain floods the body with stress hormones, which create a state of shock. This then triggers the parasympathetic nervous system which works to regulate your metabolism. Once regulated any physiological sensations and emotions fall back into equilibrium and you will feel calm again. 

By regularly inducing a stress response in your body through cold water swimming, you train yourself to be more efficient at regulating stress. So for those with anxious thoughts or panic attacks, cold-water swimming can help to train your body to overcome anxiety. 

Start cold open-water swimming today!

Immersing your face in cold water is key, as this stimulates the vagus nerve. This helps to slow your heart rate, relax the body, and activate metabolism. 

By submerging your face under water you trigger the mammalian dive response, which is where the somatic nerves of the facial muscles react to water and causes your heart rate to slow and muscle tissue to store more oxygen. 

Cold water swimming can also have a positive impact on your physical wellbeing. When the body is exposed to cold the blood vessels constrict, restricting blood flow and as a result reduce inflammation. So, if you have aches and pains that never seem to go away, cold-water swimming could be the answer.   

Read Now: How to Get Out of a Funk 

Mindfulness 

Mindfulness is the practise of being fully engaged in the present moment, aware of where we are and what we’re doing and not focusing on any distractions. To be mindful is to be fully present in the given moment.   

Cold water swimming and being in nature provide the perfect conditions to keep you present. It’ll be hard to focus on anything but the physical sensations you experience. 

When you’re in the water, it’s important to focus on your breathing and your movement through the water. You’ll disengage from any worry or stress in your life and find yourself completely present. 

Swimming in cold water takes courage, just the act of going and having the discipline to stay in the water can improve your sense of self-worth. It’s not an easy feat to be a cold-water swimmer. 

Read Now: 4 Effective Ways to Clear Your Mind of Stress 

How to Start Cold Water Swimming 

To begin your cold-water swimming journey its best to start small. It can be daunting to go out into nature and plunge into the cold. Instead try starting with something less intimidating. 

You can simply reduce the temperature of your morning showers, taking it one day at a time until you’re not using heat at all.  

As you ease yourself into cold water immersion be mindful of your breath and don’t allow yourself to tense up. Take deep breaths and relax. Essentially, you’re training yourself to be comfortable in the discomfort that comes with the cold.  

Another great option to try before taking the plunge is spending time outside in the cold. If you wear light layers this can trigger the same stress response cycle in the body without the intensity of cold-water swimming.  

When you feel ready to swim in the wild you can find your local swim group online. 

Read Now: 4 Mindful Ways to Help You Live in the Moment 

Be Safe When Cold Water Swimming 

If you’re wanting to give cold open-water swimming a try, it’s important to do so safely. When swimming remember to:  

  • Tell someone where you’re going and what your plan is. 
  • Swim with other people who are familiar with the area you’re swimming in. 
  • Be aware of your surroundings, keep in mind entry and exit points of the water. 
  • Enter the water gradually and allow your body to acclimatise. 
  • Ensure you’re visible in the water, either with a bright float or swim cap.  

For further advice on lifestyle changes to better your mental health, contact our experts at Ceed today.  

How to Get Better Sleep

The quality of your sleep affects every aspect of your life, from how you cope with stress to your relationships and your productivity. 

Feeling like you aren’t getting enough sleep can make you anxious, which in turn can keep you awake at night, making you feel exhausted and disconnected during the day. 

Stick to a sleep routine to get better sleep!

Insomnia can feel like a vicious, endless cycle, but there are changes you can make to your daily life and mindset to try and beat it.  

Here are some of the most effective changes you can make to your lifestyle to help you get enough sleep. 

Read Now: Why Rest is Important for Productivity 

Make Small Changes to Your Diet 

There are obvious ways to eat healthier. Working more fruit and vegetables into your daily intake, moderating your portion sizes, and cutting down on your sugar intake can all help. 

What you may not know is that exactly when you eat is important for your sleep pattern. 

Late night snacks, sugary or not, have been shown to impact sleep. The science is simple: eating at night gives you a burst of energy that you’ll struggle to burn off before bed. 

Focus on making your regular meals throughout the day more filling. If you eat sugary treats, distribute these amongst meals so you’re not tempted to reach for a box of chocolates at 11PM to fill a hole in your stomach. 

This way, you’ll be eating better, valuing your body and how food affects your mood. But you’ll also be sleeping better, giving you the positive mindset that you need to make and sustain these changes long-term. 

Reconsider your diet to get a better night’s sleep!

Read Now: A Happy Diet: 9 Foods Proven to Lift Your Mood 

Exercise More 

Tiredness brings sleep. To be tired is to have used more energy during the day than you’ve put into your body via meals or snacks. If you’ve made the above adjustments to your diet, and kept to them long-term, you’re already prepared for better sleep in the evenings. 

If you can, one of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to get some exercise is to go for a brisk walk, ideally in the afternoon, or at the end of the working day.  

According to the NHS, even a ten-minute brisk walk every day can improve your health by improving your circulation, especially if you work sitting down during the day.  

Analysts predict that the shift to home working will be a more long-term change to work culture even after the pandemic ends. This means many people will lack the opportunity to walk to and from work. So, it’s more important than ever to make a conscious decision to go for a walk.  

While walking contributes to the recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise for adults, getting to burn off excess energy and decompress after a long day are happy side-effects. 

But whatever exercise you do, don’t do it right before bed. You won’t be in the calm state you need to be in to fall asleep while you’re full of adrenaline. 

Keep a Sleep Routine 

We’ve all been sat in front of the television, late on a weekend, awake for no reason. Our free time is limited, and we want to know that we’re making the best use of it, even if we aren’t. 

So, rather than staying up as late as humanly possible on a Friday or Saturday, keep close to your weekday bedtime and wake time. If you don’t have a sleep schedule for your weekdays, create one and stick to it. 

You might feel as though sleeping in on weekends is a good way to catch up on sleep missed during the week. 

However, people who keep a regular bedtime and alarm clock routine across a seven-day period are more refreshed throughout the whole week than people who eschew the routine on weekends, by being free from social jetlag

Block Out Distractions 

Turn off all your devices at least an hour before bed, and keep away from your phone. Place it on ‘do-not-disturb’ if you have the option, and keep it out of your reach until morning. Across the room, if necessary.  

Resist the urge to check devices at night!

To avoid being disturbed by light sources, make sure any electronic devices that emit light while charging are charged during the day. Get a blackout blind for your window if needed, or wear an eye-mask. 

If noises inside or outside of your room are disturbing you and can’t be dealt with directly, consider wearing ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones.  

Some might recommend putting on a dry podcast, nature sounds, or a music app on a sleep timer before bed. 

However, these will fill your mind with thoughts and ideas when it should be empty. Keep your room silent. Make a conscious effort to clear your mind at night. If you must, think in images, like counting sheep. 

Many things bothering us in our day to day lives can only be dealt with during work hours. You put unnecessary stress on yourself by thinking about these things at night, and increase the likelihood of starting the day tired. 

Read Now: Why Understanding Sleep is Crucial to Your Wellbeing 

To Sum Up… 

The good news is that getting enough sleep, for most people, is a matter of routine and psychology.  

Build routine into your life, pay attention to what you put into your body, and train yourself to clear your mind at night. This way, you should finally get some sleep.  

As a final note, while these techniques are proven to be effective in a lot of cases, they aren’t guaranteed to work for everyone.  

If, after following this advice for 4 weeks, you feel you still aren’t getting enough sleep, see your GP. They will have insight, advice, and treatment personally tailored for your situation. 

Improving your sleep pattern can improve all aspects of your life, but if you need just that extra nudge in the right direction, contact us at Ceed. 

Unconventional Therapy: Creativity as a Powerful Tool

Therapy is a tried and tested method of improving mental health, understanding emotional problems, and gaining self-esteem. But alongside the therapy types we have come to expect, there is a more intriguing branch: creative therapy.  

Creative therapy focuses on using art forms to treat mental health conditions. It encourages artistic expression to channel thoughts and emotions, creating a new way to explore problems and find solutions. It’s particularly useful for those who find it difficult to express verbally, as we don’t have to rely on our words. It can help to: 

  • Build self-esteem 
  • Resolve conflict 
  • Develop social skills 
  • Understand difficult situations  
  • Improve cognitive functions 

Being creative is a great way to improve your mental health. Creative therapy provides a structured and secure setting to explore your feelings with the help of a licenced therapist. Although there are lots of different types of creative therapy, there are four main forms that are the most common.  

Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) 

Dance movement therapy utilises body movements, dance and rhythm to improve mental and physical health. It focuses on the connection between body and mind, using movement as a language to express emotions and unconscious processes.  

Dancing can benefit physical and mental health!

It boosts both physical and mental health, helping with:  

  • Stress reduction 
  • Disease prevention  
  • Mood management 
  • Cognitive issues 

Dance movement therapy has even been proven to be successful in helping adults with depression. By using movement, it can improve physical health whilst helping you to manage your mental health. 

And don’t worry, you don’t need any dance experience to try it! Your movements and rhythms are used to explore your experiences. It isn’t like a dance class – you don’t need to learn a routine or practice choreography. All you need to do is move, and you can connect your movements to your feelings.  

Read Now: How Exercise Benefits Mental Health 

Dramatherapy 

Dramatherapy works in a similar way to dance therapy, but uses performance to express thoughts and feelings. It is used to explore issues such as dementia, physical or sexual abuse, mental illness and autism. 

Dramatherapy uses an array of dramatic techniques to help people express themselves, including: 

  • Role play 
  • Puppetry 
  • Storytelling 
  • Movement 
  • Voice work  

It helps to improve self-esteem and self-worth, removing feelings of isolation and using movement to solve problems and set goals. It creates positive changes in mood, empathy, and insight, particularly helping with broadening your range of expression and emotion.   

By providing a safe space for participants to tell stories and express problems, dramatherapy can create a sense of catharsis for those involved. 

Read Now: How to Become More Comfortable in Your Own Skin 

Music Therapy  

Music therapy uses music to assess someone’s physical and emotional wellbeing, and is particularly useful for those who find it difficult to communicate verbally. No prior musical knowledge is needed, as it uses techniques including:  

  • Improvisation 
  • Listening 
  • Discussing lyrics 
  • Song writing 
  • Discussing music or imagery 

It creates space to communicate feelings and improve mental health. It combines active and passive interactions with music, often focusing on certain genres that have a positive effect on mental health issues such as depression.  

Music therapy is beneficial for a range of issues, including: 

  • Mental health 
  • Learning disabilities 
  • Alzheimer’s 
  • Substance abuse issues 
  • Brain injuries  

When words are too difficult to use, or emotions are too confusing to explain, music therapy helps to create an understanding of your problems. Finding lyrics that you relate to, or tunes that match your mood, can be beneficial in exploring your emotions.  

Read Now: How to Uncover Inspiration 

Visual Art Therapy  

Visual art therapy (or just art therapy) uses various art forms to explore emotions and help address distressing or confusing issues. Again, you don’t need to be artistically inclined to participate in it, as it focuses more on using art to discuss your own feelings.  

Sculpting is an art form used in visual art therapy!

Visual art therapy employs art forms like: 

  • Painting 
  • Drawing 
  • Sculpting 
  • Doodling 
  • Collage  

… to explore feelings, reduce anxiety, and manage behaviour. Often, the art we create is directly linked to our emotions, even if we don’t realise it at first. Art therapy analyses your creations, and helps you understand themes and conflicts that impact your thoughts and emotions.  

To Sum Up… 

Therapy is a solid foundation for improving mental health, but more conventional forms like CBT or psychotherapy might not feel right for you. Creative therapy can give you new and exciting ways to understand and process your emotions. Maybe it’s time to think outside of the box, and see if creative therapy is more suited to you.  

Ceed can provide you with a personalised life coach to help you improve your overall wellbeing. Visit our homepage for more details.  

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