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3 Productivity Traps in Fall + How to Avoid them

The days are getting darker and the weather seems to get worse everyday. Storms. Rainy days. Muddy streets. But fall is also known for its wonderful orange and red leaves, hot delicious beverages and the spooky month called October. While some of us enjoy their time at home, working as motivated as never before, some others seem frustrated and unmotivated.

So why are we impacted so differently?

The explanation is actually quite easy: Some of us finally have time to sit down and get things done (after celebrating a nice summer), while some of us just can’t get into working mode.

If we want to find out how to get more productive in fall we have to find the reasons why we actually aren’t motivated during this time.

Number 1: Being sick

Oh no, not again! Coughing. Sneezing. A bit of an aching throat here and a stuffy nose there. How great! And woosh – motivation fled to the Maldives! Being sick definitely influences our productiveness. Our bodies ache, we are tired all day, burning eyes and our face is as red as if we still have sunburn from the end of July. The best way to solve this is by avoiding it! According to Steven J. Heyden there are more cold and flu viruses hanging in the air if the temperatures are colder.

Now should we stay indoors all day? Of course not! The answer is to strengthen our immune system. Tips for a stronger immune response are published by the medical school of Harvard. Mainly to mention are:

  1. No smoking and less/no alcohol
  2. A balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables
  3. Getting enough sleep
  4. Low stress
  5. Washing your hands
  6. Exercise regularly

Number 2: Being moody!

Yes, the change of season has an influence on our mood. One of the most known examples is seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which are depressed episodes that happen during fall but also spring. A multilevel approach was made by the University of Edinburgh, Humboldt -University Berlin and the Utrecht University. The approach describes how the weather affects the daily mood – including the impact on the energy level, sleep length, weight, appetite and social activities.

While SAD should be treated with the help of a doctor – there are several things we can do if we are just a bit more moody than usual.

  1. Getting more sunshine! Open your windows or take a walk in the park. If you choose the later you will not only have a nice change of workspace but you will also have a quick moment to let your thoughts wander and your brain declutter.
  2. Workout and eat healthy!
  3. If nothing helps: Eat a chocolate bar! Nothing makes a situation better then two layers of sugar
  4. Try to destress or even take a day off if your head feels like it will explode soon.

      Be careful with Vitamin D lamps as it increases the risk of skin cancer (insider.com)

Number 3: Feeling Uncomfortable

Another point to mention is the feeling of being uncomfortable. This could be because it is actually cold in your apartment or you in general feel uneasy or nervous at the end of the summer months (Which actually was named autumn anxiety in 2005 by the therapist Gene Scully). Ms Scully described the feeling of autumn anxiety as the anticipation of something yet unknown and leaving the person feel anxious for what is to come.

As anxiety, just as depression belong both to a doctors job – I have some ways to make you feel less restless at home and to add your place a cozier vibe:

 

  1. Put on a warm, comfortable pullover and curl yourself into your favorite blanket
  2. Drink your favorite hot beverage
  3. (Turn your heater on if you feel cold)
  4. Decorate your apartment in warm colors
  5. Bake your favorite cake or visit a coffee shop
  6. Write down all of your thoughts and worries
  7. Talk to you friends and family
  8. Light candles (with or without scent)
  9. Craft or draw something
  10. Use an air humidifier (dry air can cause burning eyes and irritation in nasal passages – healthline)
  11. Drink lots of water!
cozy clothes

Extra Tip:

On some days we need to put our work aside to refresh our mind and body. Especially when we are irritated, frustrated or want to throw our laptop out of the window! (You have no idea how many laptops I would have had to buy if I’d actually done that)

Aggressive behaviour, just as swearing, is definitely a sign to take a day off. Don’t think about work. Close your laptop, push it aside. Spend time with your family, hike somewhere, pamper yourself. Just destress for a day or two and you will see how much better it is when you come back to your work project after a relaxing time off.

On the other hand, if you sit in front of your laptop and you just can’t find the motivation to do it -it is time to make a motivational recharge day! Personally I always like to do something that reminds me why I want to reach my goals. For example watching youtube vlogs of people who have reached what I want to reach. Students can watch university vlogs while small musicians can watch covers of popular singers. Rewrite your goals or draw your future life in your own creative bubble. Write down 3-4 small goals you can still meet this year. Or if you are more present based you could make a gratitude list or write thankful letters to the people you love in your life and you are grateful towards.

As you can read, some of the tipps can be done next to working while some are more based on when you take some time off and try to recharge. Of course it is free to you which points you implement and which you omit. In general it is always the best idea to listen to one’s body and to act according to one’s needs.

Don’t push yourself too much if you compare yourself to others who might have a better time during fall. Not everyone is the same. Some struggle during summer months and some during winter. Drink a hot cacao, destress and take your tasks step by step!

If you want to get informed about the latest updates, please subscribe to our newsletter. Last but not least we update every Wednesday and every Saturday. So, it would be great to see you again. Also, for updates follow us on:

 

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Love from Germany,  Carina and Julia

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17 Negative Habits to Get Rid of in 2020!

Already half of 2020 is over – to be precise only 149 days are left until we celebrate the next year. Those 149 days give us enough time to work on our bad habits and to start fresh into 2021. And who knows, maybe working on your bad habits might actually help you check off some of your new year’s resolutions you’ve made half a century ago.

To make this list perfect for the current situation (may COVID.19 vanish as mysteriously and fast as it came) I dug deep to find the most common bad habits during this pandemic, which are exactly the same bad habits we had before this mess.

If our wishes are heard and the virus disappears – those bad habits are still there if we don’t work on them. Let’s dig into it!

1. Avoiding Calls

Like every person with the fear of calling knows: dialling a number feels like possibly diving right into the most embarrassing situation ever. It makes us absolutely anxious just thinking about it. Or we have been postponing a nasty call that has to be made. How to avoid that? The answer is: Don’t (Sadly, I belong to this group too) We know what is the right thing to do but don’t do it out of fear or discomfort. Stop it! Many people in home office probably got used to it by now – you will too!

2. Eating Out/Unhealthy

Another bad habit to change is your unhealthy diet. In fact weight gain is so common during this pandemic that it not only is called “Quarantine 15” but the hashtag #quarantine15 has almost 50k posts alone on Instagram.(medicinenet.com)

A regular unhealthy diet can cause tooth decay, heart disease and stroke, type-2 diabetes, cancer and even more according to the Government of South Australia

It may seem hard to cut out junk food, sweets and soda but once you overcome the first four days it will be less hard to keep your fingers from it. . Restricting and Crash Dieting also belong to this point as they not only sabotage your metabolism but also keeps your body from necessary vitamins and minerals. (healthline.com)

If you struggle with your eating behavior or fear to have an eating disorder – please talk to your doctor.

Unhealthy

3. Not Working Out

Raise your hand if you didnt work out the last 7 days. I am sure there are many who aren’t really fans of moving, some might even celebrate their work at home for not having to go outside. Now I have some good news for you lazers – you only need to workout 30 minutes a day to see a significant difference! Next to improving your health, Genesis mentioned a change in mood and your energy level, less stress and an improved memory. Furthermore it mentioned that your productivity but also creativity increases if you spent just 30 minutes for your physical workout in the morning. (genesisfitness.com) If you absolutely at all costs have to avoid working out go take a walk instead.

30 Minutes is doable! Personally I would recommend you youtube -workout instructors like Chloe Ting and Blogilates as they are free and offer workouts for beginner to long term followers. . Or if you like to interact more with people you can try find a zoom workout class!

4. Staying Inside All Day

Get up and your body outside, breathe in some fresh air (while walking) and remind yourself how nice the world actually is. Also, it is a nice break from work!

5. Sleeping In

Another bad habit is to sleep in. Did you know that oversleeping actually has negative health effects? Amerisleep mentioned that oversleep causes increased pain, higher risks of obesity, diabetes and heart diseases as well as a higher all-cause mortality. If you want to learn more about negative effects check out Amerisleep’s post :here!

Not only are you risking your health you are also wasting time in the morning while others work. Dwayne Johnson mentioned in his Twitter: “Raise the bar, outwork the competition and wake up at a “you gotta be sh*ttin’ me” hour to workout” while hashtagging 4:45 as his rising time.

So, sleeping in not only risks your health but also gives you a disadvantage to your competition. Now, tell me honestly: When are you waking up? How much sleep did you have? What can you do to wake up earlier tomorrow morning? Like any change of habit it won’t be easy at the beginning but you will get used to it as some point

6. Staying in PJs or Comfortable Clothes

No more messy buns and sweatpants! – or even worse: staying in your Pjs all day! Yes, it is a bad habit don’t tell me otherwise. Doing your hair in the morning or actually just adding some earrings will not only make you feel better in your skin but it also gets you more motivated about work and increases your productivity for the day. Also, your professor or boss will definitely have a better picture of you if you wear proper clothes in front of the screen ( Are you working with sweatpants in front of your superior or coworkers?)

Sleeping In

7. Avoid Tidying Up

Another bad habit is to push back your chores. Santa clause won’t clean your plates overnight and the Easter Bunny won’t do your laundry. The only way work gets done is either you do it yourself or you have a mother who can’t stand your mess. (No seriously do it yourself!) Be honest – if your place is untidy you won’t feel motivated to do anything else but to eat and watch netflix. Actually if you tidy up daily and declutter from time to time, the atmosphere of your room will change and so will your motivation to work. It will be easier to get things done and you potentially save money on hospital bills as you avoid falling over your missing shoes.

8. Forget/Postpone Doctor Appointments

Now, I am really bad with doctors appointments but I try my best to at least keep up with regular check-ups or make time if something feels off. CNBC made study with 2000 American adults, whereby 54% of those postponed their doctors appointment last year. The reason for the postpone was the high cost involved. I understand if your budget is tight yet I ask you all to invest in your health as much as possible.

(Best way to avoid medical costs is by staying healthy in the first place). Workout, eat healthy and stay safe during Covid-19. (There are a lot of people who neglect the risk already)

9. Not Reading

Did you know that most millionaires or successful people read at least once a day? Bill Gates even reads 50 books a year which is according to inc.com a book a week!

Can you imagine how much knowledge those people just gain by reading? What would you do with this knowledge? What would you read? Pick a book and set it as a daily task to read at least some pages every day. Who knows – maybe it can help you improve your life or business! Or even give you amazing opportunities for something completely new! (If you are unsure what to read: Check out our must reads!)

If you are very busy or you just aren’t a book lover – I can recommend you to listen to podcasts instead. They are easy to implement during a gym session, cleaning or driving a car and can teach you the same amount of knowledge too.

10. Watching TV All Day

Did you know that the average streaming time of people watching TV [worldwide] has increased by 20%? (mashable.com)

I cannot lie – Netflix, Hulu and other streaming platforms got us good. But the truth is, binge watching series and movies is not good for our eyesight and also not good for fulfilling our goals. Of course there are many more negative effects from a high amount of screentime such as headaches and insomnia (scripps.org) So, would watching just two hours a day hurt that much?

TV

11. Taking No Breaks

Feeling tired during your work day? Taking small breaks during the day can actually increase your energy level and also your productivity (thewellbeingthesis.org). For Example, you could take a 20 minute nap. According to Mayoclinic.org, naps have the benefit to improve your mood and memory, help with fatigue and increase your alertness.

You could also take a walk, like mentioned earlier or use the short break to add a small workout. Personally I like to refill my water bottle, eat a small snack and stretch. Usually I divide my tasks in pomodoro sessions – Thereby I have given breaks of 5 minutes and also fixed times of 25 minutes where I have to get my tasks done.

12. Skipping Breakfast

I am sure at some point you have picked up that eating breakfast is healthy or better skipping it is unhealthy. Rush.edu explained that eating a healthy breakfast can not only increase your performance but also help to lower one’s BMI and fat intake for the later day. Mentioned was that the body recognizes breakfast as a lasting food source and thereby wont eat as much to a later point of time. Also breakfast is beneficial for a higher daily calcium and fiber intake. There are plenty of breakfast ideas to be found online, many cheap and fast to prepare.

13. Not Taking Care Of Your Hygiene

No more skipping showers or „forgetting“ to floss your teeth! Good hygiene is not only important to stay healthy but also an act of self love.

14. Skipping Classes

I know skipping classes sounds amazing, especially when it’s 7:30 and you are still in bed. I also know that it is much easier to record classes and play them at a later point of time. Both cases seem miles apart, but actually they are the same: You are skipping classes and you make your life harder. The first one is simple to explain: you don’t go, you don’t get the notes. Maybe you get them from friends but you will always have a disadvantage for not getting the extra information.

The second is just a question of time management. Yes you have the notes and might study it well later. But in all honesty, the ability to procrastinate with your studies to the latest point is inevitable. (Been there, learned my lesson) At the end you will be stressed and only skip through the videos as you barely have enough time left to study even the necessary topics. So please, don’t skip your classes!

shower

15. Skipping Work

For this one I actually had to dig deeper into my research. I honestly wasn’t sure how people want to skip work as you usually need a doctor’s notice for your absence (except when you work for yourself, of course). Man was I wrong! There are actually tips out there how to skip your work!? For your own good – don’t look them up, just do what you have to do. If you really can’t stand to work another day in your job then maybe it’s time to find something else. If you have your own business – work harder! There will be one day when your hard work will pay off.

16. Complaining

I know life is different right now, we are anxious and scared of what comes next – but complaining does not make anything better. I would even dare to say that it makes everything a bit worse as people are scaring each other more and more or hyping each other up to see everything a bit more critically. The world is no dark place just because we are looking at the shadows. Instead of complaining, start a gratitude journal. Write down 3 things you’re grateful for and how you can make today a better day. Concentrate on the good things in life: opportunities, changes, friends and family.

17. Being Late

Last but not least: being late. Being late is not only disrespectful as you don’t appreciate the time of the person who is waiting for you. In some cases you even don’t get clients or fundings. Time is money. – phoenix business journal.

Nobody will waste their money to wait for you. Especially on an online meeting you have to be punctual as there is no proper reason to be late. But it has no difference to a lecture. Professors and teachers will know if their students are on time (even if you don’t have attendance!) 

I know that some of those habits are heightened by our new living restrictions, fear and anxiety.But I just can encourage you to move closer to the person you want to be and take the necessary steps to achieve your goals. Also, together we are strong so let us share love and coherence and push each other to the next level instead of talking each other down with negativity.

I hope you all have a good time – like always: feel free to share your experience with us!

 

If you want to get informed about the latest updates, please subscribe to our newsletter. Last but not least we update every Wednesday and every Saturday. So, it would be great to see you again. Also, for updates follow us on:

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Love from Germany,

Carina and Julia

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Methods to overcome Fear and Anxiety

Imagine this: You are sitting in the classroom and the teacher calls you to the board for a “little” quiz, as he calls it. You are totally unprepared.  Immediately your heartbeat speeds up. You think about excuses. Maybe he would let me go if you I was sick?  Your hands get sweaty. All eyes are on you. Your brain starts rattling of worst-case scenarios: “They will definitely laugh at me. The teacher will give me an F. I am doomed. I will be so embarrassed.”

We all know fear and anxiety. What we have to know is that fear is an emotional response by our body. Whenever our brain recognizes a threat and interprets our environment as dangerous, we feel certain emotions.

 

Fear has the Power to

·         Change our Way of Thinking

·         Manipulate our Body Functions

·         and Influence our Behavior 

Actually,  fear is something that is meant to protect us. Like when we meet a strange person at night in a dark alley and suddenly, we are able capable of running as fast as we never could have imagined. Fear gives us that willpower to stay up all night to study for an exam that we totally can’t fail.  

But most of the time in modern society our fear is holding us back.

 

 

“Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem to be more afraid of life than death” – James F. Byrnes

There are 3 typical behavioral reactions to fear, which most of us are aware of:

Take a look at Stefanie she is scared of public speaking, but her friend has the glorious idea to take her along to a public speaking competition.

 

Situation A (FIGHT): Stefanie starts getting angry at her friend. “You don’t understand me at all. I don’t like that stuff it’s stupid and boring!”

Situation B (FLIGHT): Stefanie makes up excuses. “I am sorry Lauren I am busy that  weekend I already made plans.”

Situation C (FREEZE): Somehow her friend got her too the competition. Stefanie is on stage, but no word comes out of her mouth despite all the preparation. She is just standing there panicking inside.

 

Physical Reactions to fear Include for example:

·        A dry mouth

·        Sweating

·        Cold Hands and Feet

·        An upset stomach

·        Fast heartbeat

·        Fast breathing

 

All which is supposed to help us fight or flee the situation more easily. Oxygen gets pumped to our muscles. Our system goes on high alert. Fear also impacts our thoughts and cognitive functions. Your focus narrows down on the one problem at hand. “All the things we think of as long-term interests
get diverted to the immediate interest: fight or flight” Daniel Evans, Ph.D. 

Types of fears:

There are basically two types of fear:

 

1.      There are innate fears, which we have had since we were born with. The fear of falling for example (click the link for the whole study) .

2.       And learned fears, which we learn during our life. Most of our fears are learned fears, for example when we touch a cold object, or when we stick our tong to an icicle. Or when we are young and see our mother run away from spiders. 

Sometimes we show fear response when there is nothing to fear. Usually this fear reaction to neutral situations or objects is caused by dramatic events in our life. This is a learned fear reaction.

Let’s say Marry leaves her house and crosses the street. Suddenly she sees a car coming at her. It doesn’t slow down. Marry freezes in the middle of the street her heartbeat increases. She hears the tires screech and finally right in front of her the car comes to a halt.

That night Marry thinks about what would have happened if the car had hit her. She can’t sleep well.

The next day she wants to cross the same street. She thinks about the previous day. Her heartbeat speeds up. Marry thinks something must be wrong with her. Is this a heart attack? She starts panicking and hurries back home. The groceries can wait.

Normally after some time passes Marry would see that nothing happens at the street and that it is safe. The more often she would cross safely the more comfortable she would feel.

But Marry is unlucky on her third day trying to cross the street Marry sees a car run over a cat. Again, her heartbeat increases. Now whenever Marry has to cross a street she gets a panic attack. An extreme fear response. Therefore, she avoids crossing streets.

 

The more she avoids crossing the streets the more her brain thinks it must be dangerous. 

bare-feet-boy-child-couch-262103 (1)

This is also called fear conditioning. When an originally neutral stimulus becomes scary. The good point is this also means that if you repeat the neutral stimulus and nothing bad happens you can unlearn a fear.

So let’s take a look at how we can overcome our fears.

 

1.       Exposure Therapy – Behavioral Psychology

First there is exposure therapy, which builds on the fact that we can unlearn fears. In exposure therapy a psychologist can guide you through your fear by confronting you with your fears.

Usually this happens through different difficulty levels:  The difficulty level increases with each step. You have to repeatedly do one step until it doesn’t make you uncomfortable anymore.

For example if you have a fear of driving:

Stage 1: Imagine you are getting into a car.

Stage 2: Imagine driving the car.

Stage 3. Wear VR glasses and get into a car.

Stage 4: Drive in a simulation.

Stage 5: Get into a real car in real life.

 

 

The only issue with this therapy is that often patients refuse to actually face their fears. What is one fear that you could slowly face? Which simple steps could you take to make yourself more comfortable? 

 

2.        Change your thoughts – Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Our feelings, thoughts and behavior are intercorrelated. The good point about that is, if you change one aspect it automatically changes the other aspects.

When we are afraid, we overestimate the negative outcome. We have many negative thoughts and also underestimate our own ability to cope with certain situations. In our head we continuously repeat the worst case scenarios. This amplifies our feelings and behavior.

 

Do you know the scene in Harry Potter, where the students have to face a Boggart: A Boggart is a shape-shifter that takes the form of the watcher biggest fear. With the spell Riddikulus and thinking about the fear in a fun way the Boggart disappears. 

Just like that when we identify our negative thoughts, we can change them.

Step 1: Is to identify a negative, fear inducing thought.

Step 2: We have to evaluate the thought. How likely is it that in the dark a monster will come up to me? 

Step 3: We have to reappraise the situation. Yes there is a chance a monster is under my bed, but it is  more likely there is nothing.

Step 4: Test your new understanding through exposure.

1.      Another interesting fact I found out during my research is that fear is contagious. So, when you see a scared face you get scared. Therefore, it’s best not to face your fears with a scared person around you. My mum is totally nervous when I drive. It automatically makes me nervous and worried about driving, when she is in the same car with me.

2.     Second when you ride like a really scary roller coaster and then have to face your boss about a mistake you’ve made at work,
that might sound a lot less scary too you. What I am saying is that sometimes a good old scare can make every day fears seem less scary.

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