Blog

Last week we talked about STOPPING the shoulda, coulda, woulda thoughts that feed procrastination and avoidance by using the Stop Sign. Building on the work of the Stop Sign which interrupts the flow of negative intrusive thoughts, we follow it with taking a Moment to Pause with several deep, full breaths.

The Stop Sign clears the mind while the Moment to Pause breath helps us to return to the here and now.

The Moment to Pause Breath is a mindful powerhouse in terms of the positive changes it triggers and the ripples it creates in our brain, mind and body.

• First, the Moment to Pause breath signals the part of the brain responsible for our stress response to stand down;
• Next, the Moment to Pause breath activates the part of the brain which relaxes us to turn on;
• Finally the Moment to Pause breath eases us into the current moment.  

These changes in the brain - turning the stress response off and the relaxation response on -  happen quickly with a several, mindful...

What’s a busy entrepreneur to do when faced with the shoulda, woulda, coulda mindset?                                            

We’ve all been there, judging or criticizing ourselves or perhaps, being unable to let go of a mistake. When these thoughts happen every-day, it is a slippery slope into negativity and avoidance.

Procrastination is the thief of time and is often triggered by these types of thoughts and feelings. It’s fairly simple really. Negative thoughts of shoulds, oughts or musts imply a sense of obligation and lead to guilt if we don’t follow them.

Here are my satisfaction guaranteed tips to flip your mindset, reset your thoughts and get you back on track. They work, as long as you work them.

• First, ask yourself, would I ever speak to another person this way?  Probably not.Asking this question can help you show...

Research has found that our brains, particularly our limbic systems (important in emotional regulation), are wired to be Velcro for the negative and Teflon for the positive.

From an evolutionary perspective, this bias towards the negative (and potentially life-threatening) was highly adaptive.

However, in today's world, this bias can have negative consequences in our businesses. We tend to overlook our accomplishments, and focus on the small percentage of our business that is not going well.

This bias has a negative effect on our mood, and can lead to demoralization and thoughts about giving up.

I believe that it is important for every business owner to regularly schedule time to review his or her accomplishments. From a practical perspective, it helps make us aware of what worked, so we can do more of it. We often talk about learning from our mistakes, but how about learning from our accomplishments? From a psychological perspective, reviewing our accomplishments boosts our mood...

I am…at peace..

...is one of my favorite mantras for centering and refocusing the direction of my mind,  which helps me to be much more effective and focused when working on my business. 

The need to focus and concentrate in our business and in our lives, cannot be overstated.

With a constant flow of information from technology, social media and news outlets, learning to quiet the volume from these intrusions as well as the inner voice of our own minds is a vital skill to master for entrepreneurs.

Meditation is one way of achieving a centeredness amid the noise and distractions created.

More importantly, we are now able to see the positive differences in the brains of meditators versus non-meditators.

The MRI scans of participants in an eight-week Mindfulness class, show the brain's fight or flight center, the amygdala appears to shrink. This area of the brain is associated with all emotion and is directly involved with the body's stress response.

Also, as the...

What do Technology and a Gorilla have in common?

Reliance on technology – phones, tablets, ipads, laptops is pervasive today and a necessary part of most of our professional lives. A report by the Nielsen Company found Americans spend nearly half the day on a screen of some type. That’s a lot of time being stimulated by the backlight of the device and  the steady stream of information. While there are clear advantages to having information at one’s fingertips to enhance productivity, extended use of screens is a brain-drain! 

Too much screen time can lead to problems with concentration and focus, and multiple devices can lead to inattentional blindness – focusing on one activity such as talking on the phone creates inattention to other stimuli.

Which leads me to gorillas...

You may wonder how a gorilla could be invisible?

Well, in a study where participants were asked to count the number of passes made by the team in white uniforms, 42% failed to...

Our prefrontal cortex does some pretty amazing things! 

It helps us plan, organize, and think abstractly, among other things.  However, it’s also responsible for that seemingly endless chatter that’s in our brains.  And usually that chatter is negative.  Thoughts about how you are going to get a project done, how you are going to pay the bills, or when the other shoe is going to drop are just some examples of the unproductive, negative chatter that goes through our head. 

When this happens, it’s time to take your prefrontal cortex offline. 

A great way to do this is through physical movement.  Jumping jacks, hiking, dancing, whatever. 

Get your body moving and the energy in your brain will shift from your prefrontal cortex to the motor areas of your brain. 

Have you ever tried to solve a complex math problem in your head during a hard workout?  Try it – you’ll find it nearly impossible. ...

I admit it, my attention span may have been shorter than a goldfish’s. 

I want to share with you a snapshot of what my life was like about a couple of years ago. 

Picture this:  I’m at my computer working, when I hear a notification from my phone that I have a new text message. I quickly check it and send a reply.  While waiting for a response, I mindlessly open Facebook, because I have to admit…. I really hate all those numbers of notifications staring back at me.  A friend has tagged me in a post because letting me know that I would like a restaurant she just dined at.    Next thing I know, I’m on Yelp to check out the reviews.  I feel the phone vibrate and see that my sister has replied to my text.  Before I have a chance to respond, out of the corner of my eye I see that I have a new email on my computer.  I put down my phone to read it, and suddenly ask myself:

“How did I get so off...