How to Rebound from Burnout in Just 8 Hours

https://youtu.be/MNnyqQWK_zg This is the real process I discovered when creating a video to rebound from burnout and I was toast and after doing this, I felt fresh, revitalized and I have felt that way ever since! In this episode of The Lifehack Show, I'm diving into the 6 strategies you can use to rebound from emotional burnout and get back on it.

How to Stop Comparing Your Life to Others (Step-by-Step Guide)

They look so happy. I bet they never fight. Why can’t my relationship be like that... We’ve all been there, thumbs scrolling social media looking at the enchanted lives of our former co-workers, schoolmates, old flames, and total strangers, wishing we could switch places with them for just a moment. We spend time examining their images and captions as we flog ourselves mentally for all the choices made that brought us to the present moment, somehow thinking it's “our fault” that their lives look so great and ours feels so crappy. Psychologists have coined this the comparison trap, and there is no doubt that the invention of social media has made the trap much bigger and harder to get out of.((Psychology Today: The Comparison Trap)) Depending on how many people you are connected with on social media and their frequency of posts, you face a daily onslaught of smiling faces and orchestrated moments designed to show how grateful, happy, positive, focused, and productive they have been. Yet, those are mostly curated moments chosen because they don’t capture the real messiness of that person's everyday life. Put simply. those moments may be real, but they are not indicative of what is really happening in that person’s life at the moment. The feeling of being overwhelmed that accompanies actively comparing your life to others can be extremely destabilizing, especially if you are making an upwards comparison. This can be detrimental to you emotionally, physically, and psychologically. Some studies showed that:((American Psychological Association: Taking A Closer Look at Social Comparison Theory))

“When a person chooses an upward (rather than downward) comparison target,  . . . that threat leads to increased upward comparisons.”

Comparing yourself against someone whom you believe has a better life and has accomplished more than you only leads to you finding more people with lives that seem better than yours for you to compare yourself to. If you stop comparing your life to others, you will become more content with your life. But how do we stop comparing ourselves to others when we are constantly bombarded by social media images of smiling faces many seemingly unaffected by the world's problems, people boldly fight against injustice looking rested and unscathed, and others who appear to have easily given themselves to the work of spiritual and personal growth without a single set back? Here are the four steps that you should do if you want to stop comparing your life to others.

1. Change Your Focus From External to Internal

Turning your gaze from external to internal is not easy, but it is worth it. You should stop comparing your life to others because you are the only person who needs to validate yourself. I know that may sound like a crazy idea, but it is true. However, that would be a difficult idea to integrate into your life if you have never tried it or are so afraid of it that you cower at the thought of being in a relationship with yourself. A good place to start is by sitting with yourself, whether through meditation, journaling, movement, or some other kind of intentional reflection. Begin by asking yourself, “what are the external influences that I have allowed to guide my life—intentional or accidentally?” Think or write about it. Then, give yourself some time to envision what it would be like to be unmoved by external forces, opinions, or thoughts—draw or write what that reality would be like for you. While this work is ongoing, this is a great starting point that you can always come back to when you feel yourself getting sucked in by those external influences.

2. Limit Your Consumption

It's easy to get caught in the comparison trap when you are constantly looking outside of yourself for validation. Limit your screen time if you want to stop comparing your life to others. Use the tracker on your phone to minimize the amount of time you spend online consuming social media. The images you see there are often highly-curated and seemingly perfect moments in otherwise messy and real lives. Trust me, these people aren’t living examples of perfection they are just crafty people who stockpiled content for drip release over time.

3. Pick One Source of Grounding Inspiration

It's okay to have one or two people whom you look up to for inspiration. This could provide a bit of external guidance for your journey. The person does not have to be a famous one like Deepak Chopra or Oprah. They could be your yoga teacher, mentor, good friend, someone in your industry, or someone on a similar journey. It can be helpful to turn to them as a resource when you feel off your game or if you are losing track of your journey and are starting to get sucked back into the mind-numbing rat race.

4. Cultivate a Sense of Joy to Detach Yourself From Others' Success

Seeing others succeed should not shake your world. Even if you think that they are doing the same thing as you, their success and struggles are their own. Stop comparing your life to others because you are all experiencing different things. Cultivating detachment around the journey of others will help to liberate you from feeling that you have to measure your progress against theirs. Cultivating a sense of authentic joy for their progress will help you celebrate your own progress. When you are happy for others, it makes it easier for you to be happy for yourself. When you are willing to acknowledge the wins of others no matter how small, it allows you to acknowledge your incremental wins, too

Final Thoughts

Proactive self-validation and reflection are the cures for avoiding the comparison trap. However, this is easier said than done. There will be ups and downs in your journey if you want to stop comparing yourself to others. But if you make your focus internal, limit your consumption of ultra-curated social media, pick a grounding source of inspiration, and work on cultivating joy and detachment for the success of others, then you already made a big step in the right direction.

More on How to Stop Comparing to Others

• How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others & Celebrate Your Uniqueness
• The More We Compare, the More We Lose Ourselves
• How Self-Doubt Keeps You Stuck (And How to Overcome It)

4 Simple Ways to Make a Difference And Make This World Better

Once upon a time, you woke up and decided to become the hero of your own tale. You decided that what you have to say matters. You decided what you had to give could make a difference. And you decided that you could make this world better. There would be a happy ending. That hero is in all of us. Sometimes, you may forget how much you have to offer. Even the smallest good deed has a ripple effect. When you give, you develop a better perspective, peace of mind, and appreciation for life. You stop focusing on all your problems when you go out and help others. You take on tasks that others may not feel like doing. You show kindness in places that need it. You don’t overlook anyone or anything around you. There is always something you can do to help. The key is to start where you are. And once you start helping others, you’ll want to do it again and again. There's a study in 2012 where researchers found that upon reflecting ways one had helped another, it motivated them to want to help more people.((GoodNet: 7 Scientific Facts About the Benefit of Doing Good)) So, helping others is a little addicting. Enjoy it. The good news is that it’s good for your health and reduces stress increasing life-expectancy, making you feel good and happier each day. If you’re a better you, there’s no telling what the world will benefit from you. And sometimes, that good comes right back to you.

1. Volunteer

Volunteering is not just a way to help others and make a difference—it serves your soul. You just feel better when you do good for others. You have a chance to uplift your community and walk into a situation shedding light on solutions. You give hope, and when that happens, you also feel better about yourself. The world can be a little better because you walked through it. Find a cause. Find an organization. Find an interest. Take it upon yourself to seek out opportunities to make a difference. You can both volunteer and advocate for issues touched upon by an opportunity. You can become invested. The tools are right on your fingertips—a quick search online will lead you to many things. Doing good was never this easy! Here are just a “few” places you can search for volunteer opportunities:

• American Red Cross - Volunteer
• American Red Cross - Give blood
• The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) or Americorps
• Habitat For Humanity
• Volunteers of America
• Ready - compiled list of disaster relief opportunities
• Heart.org
• Do Something
• UN Volunteers
• Crisis Text Line (become a crisis counselor)
• Peace Corps
• Become a Poll Worker
• USDA - Earth Team Volunteer
• Human Rights Campaign
• Boys & Girls Club
• FEMA
• Cancer.org
• Humane Society
• The Gentle Barn

For a continued search of volunteer opportunities, try searching on Idealist. There are many other sites to search for opportunities as well. Check out your local organizations and find some that need you. You could also start your organization, drive, or event. There are always people looking for involvement, so you can find help. Shop around a little, get some ideas that will motivate you. This is your time!

2. Find Your Calling

Your calling is what captivates you. Whether it’s through helping others or achieving something, your goals give you a better life. And your life touches the world making it better, too. Try these 15 Ways to Find Your Calling in Life for a Meaningful Life. There’s nothing that you can’t do and achieve. But many people get stuck somewhere in life. Along the way, wrong values, priorities, or even people can disrupt your life’s calling. It’s easy to get distracted and lose your way. Your calling is made up of living your principals and taking action on your plans. It’s something everyone has, but not everyone rises to the occasion. You may have a goal in mind that you set to achieve. So, how do you find your calling? Well, what’s something that you can’t live without doing? It’s like eating, breathing air—just natural. It’s what you most want, even if others tell you not to go for it. When you find your calling, you start contributing. And that contribution affects everything. A fire that started in you can fan flames in those around you. You get others inspired. You wake up each morning ready to go, and you know you can do it because, after all, you’re the hero of your tale. A calling can be a job, a kindness, a status, an achievement, an investment, a gift, an action, a perspective—anything that gives you satisfaction. You then find that you’re not alone. You step out of your comfort zone, out of your little bubble to help others. You find out that you do matter. What you do for the world matters, even if it’s little. It all matters. Don’t feel defeated because you didn’t invent the next great thing or don't have absolute celebrity status or influence. If you did a kind deed today as part of your calling, you are moving mountains. And that shifts the world.

3. Altruism

Your best self is when you let go of the self—you are selfless. According to Psychology Today, selflessness takes sacrifice.((Psychology Today: Altruism)) There may be a cost for being kind, but altruism is what changes the world. Altruism is an attitude. It an assertion of value and goals to make the world and the people around you better. It’s assisting others when they most need it. It’s fulfilling in and of itself because you are not looking for a reward. The reward is knowing that how you treat people will leave a smile on their faces and make a difference. But sometimes, you do not get to see the benefits of what you start.

“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.” —Greek Proverb

You may not know where to start. Just start by planting a seed. A seed of kindness that can grow over time, whether you are there to see it or not. A giant tree will come of it—a great experience, a great connection, a great solution. A small seed of kindness becomes a tree that offers everyone shade. You may not get the shade in your lifetime, but you will be happy knowing you were the planter. That’s the beauty of altruism. You don’t need to wait to start being altruistic. You just have to be kind. Kindness, love, compassion, support, understanding—these are the tools that an altruistic person uses, and they all come from within. You don’t need formal training to become altruistic. You just have to put someone or something greater than yourself before your interests. You have to move towards things that light up the world when there is so much dark. The next time you pass that stranger, say hello. When you ask someone how they’re doing, add ”How are you, REALLY?” When you stand in line and pay for someone’s groceries or just a coffee, say “Just pay it forward” with a wink. When you choose to be kind to one person, you turn their day around, and they WILL pay it forward. That’s how powerful altruism is—it gets everyone wanting to spread the good feeling that you gave them. Kindness is contagious—in a good way!

4. Share Your Story

Your part to play in this world isn’t insignificant. You take up space—you are allowed to have a say. Your story may be the only thing that helps someone else through similar struggles. Your pain may be someone’s point of reference for how to survive. Your passions may be the only thing that saves a life. Yes, save a life. Sharing your story may save a life. That's because, at the end of the day, people need hope. Hope is the reason behind great acts of kindness and good in this world. Hope can be given through the hardships you have faced. What have you gone through that impacted you in any way? What lessons did you learn? How did you get through it? What was healing like? What have you accomplished since then? Look to your story; you have everything you need to change the world. Your story itself will make the world a better place. You can share it however you want—a blog, an article, a video, an interview, a book, a speech, or just something you share between you and another person. However you want to do it is up to you. It will take vulnerability and courage, but it is worthwhile because on the other side, you’ll find people who can relate and you need to know your reasons for holding on. Your resilience can be a motivator. In that way, you become a mentor. Lives will change just because they look up to you. That’s an incredible power! And it’s yours to use anytime. Just open up—don’t worry about being perfect. Welcome flaws. Welcome failures. They are all tools for learning and growing. If you want to make a difference, start by seeing the value in your own story. Start by using what you’ve been through to change the world. When you do, you’ll find others following your footsteps. You may be the leader. What’s more motivating in using our negative experiences for a positive impact? If you can’t change the past, use it. Don’t ruminate on it. Don’t live in it. Just let it be part of how you help others. This will help you heal. As you teach others the lessons of your life, you reteach yourself. This is how to save yourself and others and serve as a reminder that we are all in this together. So, what’s holding you back?

Final Thoughts

In a way, just by BEING you, you are already doing good. As Wayne Dyer says, “you're a human being, not a human doing." Just having been here, that is felt by someone. That is held onto by someone. You are making some sort of impact with your choices, your character. Why not focus that energy into a cause you love, finding a calling, being altruistic, or sharing your story? You CAN make a difference. The world is waiting for you to shine. Let go and live through love.

More on How You Can Make a Difference

• 10 Things That Even You Can Do to Change the World
• The Simplest Ways To Inspire People And Change Their Life
• Love Can Change The World: 6 Ways To Make An Impact In Your Community

How to Identify Your Strengths And Weaknesses in 5 Steps

Many of us have a wide range of experiences and achievements we want to have and reach during our lifetime. The final destinations always have a bright and shiny appeal about them but what we don’t often prepare for the twists, turns, and trials that can challenge us along the way. Here’s where knowing our strengths and weaknesses can be incredibly useful. With a better idea of our resourcefulness and shortfalls, we aren’t only able to develop better plans to reach our goals, but we can also eliminate would-be challenges, experience a far more enjoyable journey as we progress toward our targets, and inevitably grow along the way. The best way to identify your strengths and weaknesses involves a mix of methods. Some involve self-evaluation and others require a lending hand from others. By following these five steps, however, you’ll be eagerly embracing opportunities to increase your awareness of your strengths and weaknesses.

1. Identify Strengths and Weaknesses in Terms of Context

Firstly, forget drawing up a two-column table and listing your strengths on one side and weaknesses on the other without reference to a context. Doing so will be a completely pointless exercise. Without referencing your self-evaluation to a specific situation, you’re likely to wind up feeling overwhelmed and directionless. According to researchers, strengths and weaknesses are highly contextual and dependent on the mix of our values, goals, interests, and situational factors.((Psychology Today: A dynamic approach to psychological strength development and intervention)) Given this, it's helpful to begin by reviewing key situations in your life where you have goals for things to be better than they are. Certain aspects of your work might require you to exercise different skills and knowledge to varying degrees. You might be experiencing challenges in your personal or family relationships. Perhaps you want to master skills at playing a musical instrument, a sport, or develop a creative or performing arts talent. Whichever you choose, get to task on the following:

1. Determine what skills, knowledge, and style of application will bring the desired outcomes and changes to fruition.
2. Review which of those you believe you have.
3. Rate how close a fit you believe what you have is a fit to what is required (e.g. 10 might be a perfect fit and zero represents no skills, knowledge, or application capability).
4. For ratings you ascribe yourself above zero, ask yourself how easy or challenging it is for you to apply the skills, knowledge, and understanding.
5. Ask yourself, “What did I enjoy the most?” and “What did I enjoy the least?”

It can also be more helpful and accurate to rate yourself along a continuum as opposed to trying to identify a trait, skill, or attribute as purely strength or weakness. You might be stronger in some regards and weaker/less strong in others. You might also consider substituting ‘strengths’ and ‘weaknesses’ language for:

• easiest to hardest
• effortless to effortful
• ineffective to highly effective
• completely unfamiliar to familiar

Doing so lessens a tone of judgment often associated with the highly polarized strengths-weakness dichotomy. Self-evaluation alone is not an effective means of discovering your strengths and weaknesses. If harboring lower self-esteem strikes a chord with you, you’re likely to be negatively biased and a harsher critic toward yourself. Even though this initial reflection is a step in a helpful direction, its individual and subjective nature can do more harm than good. It’s time to engage an external evaluation tool designed to help filter out at least some level of that negative bias.

2. Carefully Select and Use Self-Assessment Tools

Self-evaluation tools greatly help you to make sense of and organize your strengths and weaknesses. Profiles that emerge from your answers enable you to recognize where it might be best to direct your energy and attention to improve your knowledge and skillset. The formerly known Values in Action survey is now recognized as VIA Character Strengths. Despite the name change, it maintains that every individual—regardless of culture or nation—has varying degrees of 24 character strengths that constitute the best of our personalities.((Oxford Handbooks Online: Character Strengths and Mindfulness)) Character strengths are defined by researchers and psychologists to be positive, trait-like capacities for thinking, feeling, and behaving in ways that benefit oneself and others. The VIA Institute developed the survey from a strong foundation of research indicating how focusing on strengths has multiple benefits:

• Increases in self-reported ratings of life satisfaction
• Improved workplace productivity and lower staff turnover
• Higher self-esteem, motivation, goal achievement, and sense of direction

As the VIA is a self-report tool, it’s important to note that your top strengths are those you identify to be such in amongst your other characteristics. The strengths are not identified as strengths in comparison with other individuals. Another validated self-report tool, the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument® (HBDI), helps you recognize your preferred thinking styles.((Herrman: WHAT IS WHOLE BRAIN® THINKING?)) Categorizing how we think into four quadrants—analytical, experimental, relational, and practical—the instrument helps deepen our awareness of how we’re apt to think and tackle different situations and relationships. Your results profile reflects where you might feel more at ease and where you might find challenges more arduous. According to the Australian Hermann Brain division, 58% of individuals completing the instrument are apt to predominantly operate from two quadrants and 34% prefer three. There will be times you’re less apt to embrace activities and experiences willingly. More and different types of effort are required to undertake them. While learning these insights can be incredibly useful, you need to caution yourself from falling into traps:

• Shying away from situations because you have less aptitude for navigating through them with ease
• Making excuses to justify poor/lower effort because your natural thinking style isn’t accommodated for

Remember, your attitude and positive psychology mental toolkit have a large influence on your capability. So, while your brain might currently work in certain ways automatically, it is still a neuroplastic machine. You need to be cautious when evaluating yourself with self-assessment tools. Check to see what the recommended application is behind the tool to start with, particularly with psychometric tests and evaluations. Such assessments are created with different goals and intentions in mind. So, it’s important to identify the one which is most helpful to the context in which you’re looking to review your strengths and weaknesses.

3. Consult Qualified, Trusted Individuals

When we’re asked to describe the strengths we see in our friends, it’s a relatively easy task to do. However, when asked to do this exercise for ourselves, our list of weaknesses tends to carry far more weight than our strengths. The notion we are our own strongest (and often harshest) critics, rings true. Conversely, the Dunning-Kruger effect can also be at play—you might think you’re better than you really are. Founder of money management organization My Budget, Tammy Barton, describes how when undertaking performance reviews with her employees, there are clear differences between men and women. Women underreported their skillset, communicated lower self-efficacy, and shot for lower goals than men. With men, she witnessed more reports reflective of the Dunning-Kruger effect. Because of these (often unconscious) biases we have, getting feedback from those qualified to give you feedback is essential. After all, you wouldn’t ask for advice on how to run a business from someone who has never run a business—nor would you ask your dentist to assess your heart’s health. Finding the right authorities who can help us develop deeper insight into our strengths and weaknesses requires a few steps of due diligence:

• Find those you believe might be qualified authorities to help you and research them.
• Check the integrity of their training, skills, experience, and track record.
• Be wary of testimonials as these can be orchestrated, false, and inauthentic.
• Ask yourself if the authority might have their agenda in addition to helping you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
• If you have the opportunity to develop an initial rapport with the person you seek feedback from, take time to do this so you can sense whether or not you feel you can trust their feedback.

Getting helpful feedback from others isn’t always as straightforward as it can seem. Sometimes, paying an objective third party is a necessary step. We must remember that others have their own biases, conscious, and unconscious. They see the world through a different lens than us so the likelihood of projection is quite high. A weakness they see in you may not be a weakness in the eyes of others who are also qualified to give you the same feedback. Look to collate feedback from a few different qualified sources and look for common patterns and themes. Don’t stop at one source. Also, avoid cross-contamination of feedback you’ve received from one source to another. You want as pure and independent insight about your strengths and weaknesses as you can get. This way, you’ll have not only a wider scope of review but also a more thorough one that be will be more accurate.

4. Test Yourself

Testing ourselves is something we rarely do. We don’t naturally seek out opportunities to have our skills, abilities, and personality characteristics scrutinized. However, this is what will give us the purest discovery and recognition of our strengths and weaknesses. Put yourself through a variety of assessments that test you in several ways:

• Skill-based
• Personality and traits
• Breadth and depth of applicable knowledge

Consciously and deliberately putting yourself in situations to test your skills and knowledge has a much higher likelihood of helping you address your weaknesses. Taking this approach is not only considered and directed, but it is also incredibly rewarding when you start experiencing and noticing changes you are aspiring to. While you always have the choice to simply ‘see how things go’, there are drawbacks to letting things organically unfold:

• You miss out on opportunities to diffuse emotional and mental discomfort emerging when your weaknesses are highlighted and emphasized.
• You deny yourself the ability to step into opportunities and experiences you truly want.
• You miss opportunities to recognize and capitalize on your strengths.
• You remain stale and stuck.
• Your mindset retains feeling a lowered agency of control to change unfavorable circumstances.

Before you throw yourself into exercises to test yourself, check your expectations. Just as you can feel validated and have your self-esteem reinforced, expect also that you might feel challenged, disappointed, embarrassed, or humiliated. Build support from different resources. Share with others you trust—qualified and unqualified—what you are doing, how you are testing yourself, and what you might be scared of. You don't have to walk the vulnerable path of discovering your strengths and weaknesses alone. Sharing your experiences and discoveries with others helps you cement whatever lessons you learn and lessen the weight of emotional and mental discomfort that can unfold in the testing process. Also, pick wisely when and how you are going to test yourself. You don't need to do them all at the same time. Too much feedback can be mentally and emotionally overwhelming. Personal development work is most effective when done in batches with time and space to rest in between. As your insight grows around your strengths and weaknesses, give yourself time to accept and become familiar with what you have just discovered. Give yourself time to consider and adjust to changes you might consider making. One by one, address those changes.

5. Repeat the Process and Re-assess

Repeatedly looking at the previous steps at different times in your life is an invaluable life skill. The more we become adept at assessing and testing our strengths and weaknesses, the more it becomes a normal and healthy part of our life’s journey. Rinsing and repeating the process carries many benefits. You can progress toward your goals faster. You improve your resilience. You can recognize opportunities that will be more enjoyable for you versus those you can expect to feel more challenged and uncomfortable. You can also orchestrate the times when you need to feel more in control of choosing better timing to strategically immerse yourself into uncomfortable challenges. The most wonderful discovery you’ll reach through repeatedly reviewing your strengths and weaknesses over time is that there are no real strengths and no real weaknesses. It becomes more about recognizing where and when your blend of unique skills, attributes, and knowledge are harmonious, helpful, and appropriate and where and when they aren’t.

Final Thoughts

There are many ways that you can recognize your strengths and weaknesses, and there are also many ways you can try to tackle them. If you're unsure what to do, just start with these 5 steps and you'll be good to go!

More About Strengths and Weaknesses

• 7 Steps to Turn Your Weaknesses into Strengths
• How to Identify and Leverage Your Personal Strengths
• Many of Us Can’t Identify Our Strengths and Weaknesses Because We Misunderstood What They Mean

How to Find a Sense of Purpose to Live a Full Life

A satisfactory life is a "full" life. To achieve a full life, you need to have the right sense of purpose. There’s no "one purpose fits all." You have to first understand the true meaning of having a sense of purpose, its importance, and the way to find it.

What Is a Sense of Purpose?

A sense of purpose is whatever you believe in. It is your driving force, your motivation, and your guiding light to work towards a life that you think will satisfy you. Your life’s purpose is very closely linked to your sense of purpose. The only difference is that you only have one purpose in your life. But a sense of purpose is different for all aspects of life. Although, they are all aligned. Your sense of purpose is what pushes you to achieve your goals. It is completely personal to your lifestyle and preferences. It is what keeps you on the right track in all aspects of life. So, a clear purpose will help you plan your career goals effectively. Similarly, a different sense of purpose for your relationships will encourage you to maintain your relationships accordingly. While keeping things coherent, different purposes in different aspects of life also maintain a clear distinction among them. If you have completely different work ethics than how you plan to be with your family, your defined purposes will help you maintain the line. Your beliefs and values play a huge role in determining your sense of purpose as well.((Beyond Blue: Sense of Purpose)) If you have clear values in the early stages of your life, you might have a clear sense of purpose at a young age. There is no age limit to when you find a purpose. Some people only get to it after most of their life has passed.

How to Find a Sense of Purpose?

To get the most out of your life and increase your potential, you need to start by finding a sense of purpose. It’s a process that is worth every minute you spend looking for it. You need to start with a general purpose at first. This is a broader sense of direction for your life in general. A life purpose is what you need to define foremost. This will allow you to keep everything else aligned with this broad purpose for coherence in your life. For example, if your general life purpose is to be more at peace, you’ll work in each aspect of life to find a calm outcome. You’ll want to have good relations with your family. Career-wise, you’ll want something that promotes your mental health instead of deteriorating it. A steady source of wealth will also be a vital part of your goals and hence, it will translate to your purpose as well. After that, you tackle all life aspects one by one. Here are the life aspects that you should go through:

• Physical Health
• Relationships, Family, and Social Life
• Work and Career
• Wealth and Money
• Spiritual Wellness
• Mental Strength

In each of these aspects, you need to look beyond what’s apparent. To find the true purpose in each regard, you have to look for the hidden opportunities so that you can identify your true driving force. After that, you should invest your time and energy in this direction to reap good results. To do so, you can implement the following methods that will ease the whole journey for you.

1. Incorporate the 5 Whys

The 5 whys are a self-interrogatory technique. They play a very effective role when it comes to discovering your sense of purpose. The 5 whys ensure that whatever you end up finalizing is coherent with your intent. With the help of the 5 whys, you can find all the answers that you’re looking for. The best part is that you’re the only one involved in the process so everything you end up finding out it 100% true to you. This is why it is a great method to use if you want to find a sense of purpose that will stick with you for life. This technique will get you on track towards the direction where you’ll find your purpose. In fact, this is the step where you’ll do most of the work. The rest of the steps are just ways to strengthen what you’ve got in mind.

2. Listen to Yourself

Your mind is very likely to tell you your purpose on its own. All you’ve got to do is listen to yourself. One easy way to do so is to consciously shift your focus to what’s on your mind. Every morning when you wake up, what are the things that you think of first? Similarly, what are the thoughts that go through your mind before you go to sleep? Or when you randomly drift into a thinking spree during work? All these thoughts are your mind’s way to communicate with you. Find what’s common in them to give yourself a direction to work in.

3. Meditate

Meditation is not only a great way to organize your thoughts, but it is also a source of encouragement for your mind to define a sense of purpose.((Intentional Insights: Meditating on Purpose)) Even a 5-minute session squeezed in your morning or evening routine is enough. It gives your mind the space it needs to get your mental processes in order. Once that is done, you’ll find it way easier to understand them. Extracting meaning out of what seemed senseless previously will be a piece of cake with the help of meditation. However, you’ll have to be consistent.

4. Distinguish the Do's From Don’ts

Sit down and make a list of what you want to do in life versus what you would never want to do. Be as broad or narrow as you want. Pinpoint all the details of everything you want to steer clear from. These are the things your purpose will be far in nature from. On the contrary, your sense of purpose will be closely related to the things that you are naturally inclined towards. With a picture in mind of the dos and don’ts clarified, it will be easier for your mind to establish an idea that suits your life choices.

How to Strengthen Your Sense of Purpose

If you follow these steps to find your sense of purpose, it will be strong enough to stay consistent for life. However, there is a chance that while your purpose was clear at first, you’ve been feeling lost now. This isn’t something to fret over. The ups and downs in life can shake your circumstances and your purpose too. You can easily re-focus your perspective on your well-defined purpose. You can also find a new purpose that suits your new circumstances. If it happens to be so, don’t feel like you’ve failed in life. It is alright if you lose your emphasis during challenging times.

Re-Evaluate Your Life

Start with reminding yourself of the sense of purpose you were following previously. Think about it. Think of how it affected your life and decisions. This isn’t an easy thought process. It will take you days or even weeks to come to a conclusion. You’ll have to go through your desired achievements, short-term and long-term goals, and most importantly, your past. Evaluate all these facts of your life. Then, question yourself to find out if the same purpose still aligns with your life choices or not.

If Yes

If the answer to the question is yes, your sense of purpose is perfectly fine. All that you need is some motivation to put it into practical implementation. You need to remind yourself of all the benefits of having a clear sense of purpose. Everything that you achieved because of your sense of purpose, everything that you wish to achieve will serve as your source of motivation. You can also try some other motivation boosting tips to refocus your perspective.

If No

If you think your sense of purpose has done you no good or will no longer be of any use, you require a new sense of purpose. This is possible in case you went through major changes in life. Your sense of purpose can also get hazy if you failed to define a strong one initially.

Final Thoughts

Having a sense of purpose is a fool-proof way to a fully satisfactory life. It leads to ease in prioritization, strengthens morals and values, aligns all your life goals, and helps you stay focused. The clarity in life is only possible if you have your sense of purpose sorted. So, get on with the process right away. You’ll have a sorted life in no time once you’re done with defining your purposes in all aspects of life!

More About Finding Your Sense of Purpose

• How To Find Meaning in Life: 9 Simple Ways
• 7 Ways to Create Your Life Purpose
• How to Find the Purpose of Life and Start Living a Fulfilling Life

You Can Change Your Life NOW: 5 Strategies to Start Living Your Best Life

https://youtu.be/hOD46QrN6zk Ready to completely change your life right now? Whether you're trying to make a change in your career, relationships, or your overall lifestyle, you are in the right place! In this episode of The Lifehack Show, I'll dive into 5 actionable steps you can take to start changing your life right now.

9 Essential Tips for Starting Your Own Business

Starting your own business is the dream of every would-be entrepreneur. While it is a huge undertaking, the rewards of owning a business have proven to be worth it for millions of people all over the world. In this article, we will talk specifically about how to start your own business and how to make it successful. We have all heard the statistics about the high failure rate of new businesses:((Fortunly: Examining What Percentage of Small Businesses Fail))

• Roughly 20% of small businesses fail within the first year.
• Roughly 33% of small businesses fail within two years.
• Roughly 50%of small businesses fail within five years.
• Roughly 66% of small businesses fail within 10 years.

As these numbers suggest, starting a business and having a successful business are two vastly different things. Knowing how to start your own business the right way can mean the difference between long term success and failure. There is an old saying that people don't plan to fail, they fail to plan. There is a lot of truth to this. Starting a business is more than just coming up with a good idea and jumping in. You need to have a plan for success, and that means you have to know how to set and achieve goals. From the time you get that (Eureka!) moment up until you open the doors, every decision you make will impact the business. So, it is important that you carefully evaluate every aspect of your business.

1. Evaluate Yourself

The cold hard truth is that good business ideas are a dime a dozen. Realistically, the chances of your idea being so unique as to be revolutionary are slim to none. This does not mean that you should abandon it. It just means that you will need to do more than just bring it to the market. The phrase "If you build it, they will come" works better in movies than real life. Be Honest - Doing honest self-evaluations are notoriously difficult. Humans just are not particularly good at accurately evaluating themselves. Here is a quick little experiment you can do with any group of 10 or more people. Ask them to hold up a hand if they know how to drive a car, virtually 100% of hands go up. Then, ask them to keep their hand up if they are better than average drivers. 90-95% of hands stay up. So, what does this tell us? Because it is statistically impossible that everyone is "above average", it illustrates the phenomenon called the "Dunning-Kruger Effect," which is a cognitive bias in which people wrongly overestimate their knowledge or ability in a specific area. This tends to occur because a lack of self-awareness prevents them from accurately assessing their own skills".((Psychology Today: Dunning-Kruger Effect)) Because of this Dunning-Kruger Effect, it can be helpful to consult others about what they see as our strengths and weaknesses. Just assure the person that you are interested in their actual opinion and you won't be hurt or offended if they give it to you. Some of the things you will want to include in your self-evaluation:

• Are you a self-starter? Unlike being an employee, there will be no one standing over your shoulder telling you what to do or when to go to work. If you are someone who requires a lot of structure, starting your own business may not be the best option.
• How organized are you? Planning and organizational skills are important, especially in the early stages of launching a business. Entrepreneurs that "fly by the seat of their pants" rarely succeed.
• How do you handle risk and failure? The fact of the matter is, going into business is a risky proposition. Success is never guaranteed. Smart business people take calculated risks, but they are still risks. If you are someone for whom the thought of failure or losing money would be devastating, entrepreneurship is probably not for you.
• How well do you get along with people? How are your communication skills? Most of us consider ourselves "people persons", but business owners take communication to an entirely new level. When starting out, the business owner is a jack of all trades. You need to be able to interact with clients, business partners, industry partners, suppliers, staff, accountants, lawyers, regulators, and a host of others both accurately and decisively.
• How disciplined are you? Resilience and perseverance are two of the biggest factors that will determine your success. As we stated earlier, mistakes will be made and some of them will be costly. You need to have enough resilience and perseverance to continue getting up after being knocked down. The only sure way to fail is to give up.

If you are satisfied that you have what it takes to become an entrepreneur, it's time to move on to the next step.

2. Evaluate Your Business Idea

Again, being able to honestly evaluate your own business idea is key. However, this step is generally not as hard as the self-evaluation because the criteria used in the evaluation process is more objective than subjective. Identify your target market - Who are the people that will be buying your product or service? For this step, it's important to alter your mindset. Instead of thinking like a seller, start thinking like a customer. Can you articulate answers to the following questions?

• What is the problem addressed by your product or service?
• How does your product or service solve that problem?
• Why is your solution better than the competitions'?
• Are people willing to spend money on a solution to the problem?

You will also want to gather as much information about the people in your target market as possible. At the bare minimum, you will want to know the following about your potential clientele:

• Age
• Location
• Income
• Gender
• Occupation
• Education
• Marital Status
• Ethnicity
• Number of Children

All of this information will help tweak your product or service to better suit their needs. It is also helpful in developing a marketing strategy.

3. Evaluate the Competition

Generally, you can divide your competitors into three categories:

• Direct competition - These are companies that offer the same products or services to the same target market as your business. You can think of Burger King and McDonald's as direct competitors.
• Indirect competition - These businesses will offer products and services that are similar to the ones you provide without being the same. Another type of indirect competitor can be one that markets the same product or service, just to a different clientele or market segment. Subway and McDonald's would be indirect competitors.
• Substitute competition - These are businesses that offer different products or services to the same clientele in the same market segment as you. An example of substitute competition for McDonald's would be the local mom and pop diner.

Once you have identified exactly who your competitors are, you will want to gather the following information:

• What is the range of products and services they offer?
• Are they expanding or scaling down their business?
• How long have they been in business?
• What do customers see as their positive/negative attributes?
• Can you identify any competitive advantage they have?
• What is their pricing strategy?
• What is their advertising/marketing strategy?

The purpose of the analysis is to identify your competition's strengths and weaknesses to better compete. For example, if your competitors sell largely to companies with more than 100 employees. You may decide to target smaller companies with less than 100 employees. This means that your pricing and marketing strategies will need to be more in line with what the smaller companies expect and can afford.

4. Evaluate the Financial Feasibility of the Business

In developing a financial feasibility analysis, you need to have answers to the following questions:

• What will it cost to get your business off the ground and become profitable?
• What initial expenses will you have?
• What ongoing expenses will you have?
• What is the source of your start-up capital?
• What is the earning potential of the business, and how long will it take to achieve?
• How will you keep the business open and pay your bills until it becomes profitable?

Once you have this information in hand, you will need to build in an extra "cushion" for all of the extra "surprise" expenses that pop up. Additionally, most people are overly optimistic when it comes to estimating the profitability of the business and the time frame needed to achieve it. How much of a cushion do you need? No one can say for sure. Some people will tell you to double or even triple your estimates. At a bare minimum, you should add 50% to the estimates you made.

It can be disheartening to learn that your business idea really is not financially feasible, but it's much better to make that discovery now rather than after the money is spent.

5. Have a Professional Business Plan

If you haven't done so already, get yourself a professional business plan. When I say "professional," I don't mean that you need to go out and hire someone to do it. I mean that you need to know what a professional business plan looks like and take it seriously. Too often, new entrepreneurs neglect to create a business plan in favor of flying by the seat of their pants. This is not a good strategy. Without a plan, you won't know where you are headed.

"It can seem a daunting task when you’ve never been faced with writing a business plan before, but it’s a crucial task which will enable your venture to start and continue on a solid foundation. A business plan is also necessary when you’re looking to secure funding or investment. Essentially, a business plan is your vision for how the business will run, what you expect to achieve, and how you will achieve those things."

-Mike Gingerich((Mike Gingerich: 7 Aspects You Must Cover in Your Business Plan))

6. Use Common Sense Money Principles

Successful start-ups keep a tight rein on expenses. As an owner, you should know exactly where every penny is spent. In all businesses, expenses tend to go up over time. But in the initial stages, you can count on having more expenses than income. In the earliest stage of being a startup owner, you will deal with an array of challenges. You have to familiarize yourself with the selected business landscape and look for options to expand the business venture while saving the operating costs. During this time-frame, trimming the operating costs is not optional; defacto is a matter of life and death for your startup. You can’t keep moving in a specific direction. It is mandatory to drift your business towards one goal with smart planning.

7. Start With a Narrow Focus

All too often, I see new business owners get into trouble by overreaching their goals. What happens is that people take on work outside their expertise. For example, a website designer will take on a client who wants SEO optimization in addition to the design Assuming that the web designer is not an expert in SEO, there are several potential problems with this scenario:

• Pricing - Without knowing or understanding the scope of SEO that's involved, the chances of underestimating and losing money on the project go way up.
• Quality - They may be the greatest web designer on earth, but that's still only half of the job. Clients rightly expect the entire project to be done right.
• Reputation - There is no second chance for a first impression. These first projects need to be done well if you want any chance of referral business. They will also determine if your first few clients become repeat customers or not.

Remember, Amazon started out just selling books. They slowly expanded their business until you can now get virtually anything on their site. Be like Amazon. Start with a narrow focus and expand from there.

8. Search Out and Use Specific Resources

There are a lot of free resources out there that every new business owner should take advantage of. They are a great source of information, help, and most importantly, networking opportunities. Some of these resources are general, while others are targeted to specific types of entrepreneurs. Both are worth checking out. Here's a partial list of resources:

• The Chamber of Commerce - Their slogan is, "Designed for business owners, CO—is a site that connects like minds and delivers actionable insights for next-level growth."
• U.S. Small Business Association - They offer free business consulting services, SBA guaranteed business loans, certification for federal government contracting, and more.
• Women’s Business Club - It is specifically for women to network and exchange ideas, but it also useful if you are marketing specifically to women.
• BLACK ENTERPRISE - Similar to the Women's Business Club, Black Enterprise is designed specifically for African American entrepreneurs. They bill themselves as, "The premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. Since 1970."
• Hispanic Small Business Resource Guide - This guide is filled with resources and networking opportunities for the Hispanic entrepreneur.

9. Just Do It!

Okay, I borrowed the phrase from Nike, but it's good advice. It not only means taking concrete steps to start your business but also to get out of your own way. A lot of entrepreneurs (and regular people) are afflicted by a condition called analysis paralysis. It is when someone overthinks about a decision too much that a choice never gets made, resulting in inaction. If you are a perfectionist, you need to be especially careful of analysis paralysis. Perfectionists tend to wait until everything is perfect before launching their business, and many never get off the runway.

Final Thoughts

Accept that you will make mistakes, that you won't make the right call all of the time, and that unforeseen obstacles will always pop up. If you are truly committed to the entrepreneurial lifestyle and your business, then take the plunge. The goal isn't to be perfect, but to build a business that changes lives.

More Tips on How to Start Your Own Business

• How to Become an Entrepreneur (Advice from a Serial Entrepreneur)
• How to Set Long Term Goals and Reach Success
• How to Become a Successful Solopreneur and Thrive
• How to Start a Company from Scratch (A Step-By-Step Guide)

Too Much On Your Plate? 7 Ways to Tackle It

Do you ever feel like you’re crossing off tasks from your never-ending “to-do” list and yet get to the end of your day feeling like you didn’t make significant progress? Your new marketing plan takes a backseat. The much needed "you time" is put off until next week. The exciting new idea you’ve been working on can wait until life gets less hectic. You have too much on your plate but unsure of what to do. In a world where we value the pursuit of more—ideas, tasks, actions—what if you were able to shift to valuing less, putting your energy towards what really matters? There is a way, one where you take control back. Here, you identify what matters most. You make deletion a habit. You leave the cult of busy and value priorities instead of random actions. In this article, you’re going to learn how to manage the feeling that you always have too much on your plate. Most importantly, you’ll get your mental sanity back while being able to make progress on what matters to you.

1. Delete the Clutter—Literally

As you read this, there is physical, mental, and emotional clutter that is robbing you of precious energy from what really matters. This manifests itself in myriad ways. Your workspace makes it impossible to focus. Your calendar has recurring meetings that expired months ago. You haven’t had that one conversation that keeps you anxious. In other words, your next level of growth starts with subtraction. We tend to overestimate how much we can get done while underestimating the amount of time and energy things will take. Researchers call this the “planning” fallacy.((Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Exploring the "Planning Fallacy": Why People Underestimate Their Task Completion Times)) The result is that in trying to do too much, we fall short every time. Instead, start by deleting something today:

• Donate old clothes.
• Clear the clutter in your home office.
• Tell your college friends in the text message thread that you’re going to be away for a while.
• Scan your calendar for any worn-out obligations that are consuming your precious time, energy, and attention.

While many productivity experts will stack new actions, habits, and routines to your schedule, you’re going to do the opposite. By deleting things out of your life, you create some much-needed breathing room. With this newfound perspective, you can now identify what matters.

2. Identify Your "Big 3" Priorities

We tend to overvalue new ideas, projects, and initiatives because they provide a tantalizing dopamine hit of possibility. Not being able to set your priorities straight results in having too much on your plate.

• The new marketing campaign is a can’t miss for doubling profits.
• The collaboration with someone we admire has unlimited potential.
• The new podcast we're launching will turn us into our industry’s top expert.

Right? Well, not always. Due to the planning fallacy we mentioned above, we often say yes to way too much at once, which means we scatter our limited energy and focus across too many domains. Instead, take a minimalist approach to your life, career, and business. In any given quarter or “season," pick one, two, or three main priorities.  These are typically not urgent, yet vitally important projects that move the needle in a significant way. They are not half-hearted tasks, random initiatives, or "fake work". They are connected to your bigger goals and matter to you. If you're having trouble identifying your "Big 3," write down at least 15-20 possibilities that could be one. Then, take a step back, and highlight the most important ones. Going forward, you'll now be able to filter your decision-making by asking a question—will this next task, meeting, action serve one of those priorities? Granted, not everything you do all day will. But this alone will help you with making better and faster decisions, establishing boundaries, and taking control back of what matters. When you do, you'll start winning your day with daily, consistent action.

3. Win the Day With 1% Progress

The conventional wisdom of personal growth and self-help have sold you a false myth—the illusion that every day must be a rousing success. Hopped up on motivation, it’s easy to buy into this narrative and yet, sustained success is about consistent action steps compounded over long periods of time. Enter the 1% rule, which operates under the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen—defined as steady, continuous improvement. Using this rule, you’ll make daily progress a habit and tap into the number one human motivator. Research by Harvard professor Teresa Amabile and psychologist Steven Kramer dove into why people stay motivated at work. In analyzing 12,000 diary entries where they tracked their emotional state various times a day, they came to one conclusion—it’s not money, it’s not security, and it’s not approval. Progress is more important than anything else.((Harvard Business Review: The Power of Small Wins)) To harness what is called the ‘progress principle’, break down the priorities from step two into the smallest possible action. For example:

• Instead of “create a marketing plan”, start with the first step—brainstorm marketing ideas for twenty minutes.
• Instead of "launch website", choose to complete a draft of your About Me page.
• Instead of "grow the business", choose to make three extra sales calls on any given week.

Progress triggers dopamine in the brain, which makes motivation surge, and the cycle repeats itself. One percent today and tomorrow start to accumulate, and incremental growth turns into exponential. To make this a consistent practice, you're going to lower the bar to get started.

4. Lower the Bar to Get Started

We’ve all found ourselves staring at a blank cursor at the local coffee shop, primed to do important work, and then realized that 55 minutes went by and we got nothing done. Why? Getting started is always the hardest part, and it's much harder when you have too much on your plate. Whether that’s your workout routine or working on your priorities, resistance is always highest right before you start. Borrowing the term from how chemical compounds change at different thresholds, psychologists call this term “activation energy”.((Psychology Today: Activation Energy: How It Keeps Happiness at a Distance)) This is a fancy way of saying the energy it takes for you to go from thinking about doing something to doing it. The higher the volume of the task, the longer the wait to get started or, in many cases, we put it off entirely. Instead, you’re going to play a trick on yourself:

• Instead of a 45-minute time-block, commit to doing 10 minutes.
• Instead of a 3-mile run, commit to two loops around the block.
• Instead of cleaning your home, commit to getting the closet done.

By lowering the bar, you’ll take the pressure off yourself. And, as you’ll notice, once you’ve started, it’s much easy to keep going.

5. Double Your Rate of Saying No

No decision you make is ever in a vacuum. The coffee meeting you agreed to early in the morning means you said "no" to your morning workout. We tend to say yes freely without thinking about the consequences until we’re stuck at a networking mixer or Zoom catch-up we don’t want to be in. However, the most important word you can use in the pursuit of taking stuff off your plate is “no.” Here are two questions to ask yourself when receiving a request or opportunity are:

• If this was tomorrow morning, would I still say yes? We tend to say yes to anything that is a few weeks or months out.
• If I say yes to this, what am I saying no to, and is it worth it? This simple question allows you to be aware of the cost.

Saying no creates instant clarity. It deletes “open loops” in our heads and honors some much-needed boundaries. Most importantly, it gives you the time, energy, and bandwidth to pour yourself into your priorities. Of course, this does not mean you will neglect parts of your life you enjoy. Rather, you will do so with discernment. Otherwise, you will say "yes" to anyone and everyone at your expense. Instead, say “yes” to yourself first. Say yes to your goals. Say yes to your priorities. Say yes to your creative time before you agree to someone else's needs and agendas.

6. Leave the Cult of Busy

The cult of busy consumes your precious energy and thrives on making you a card-carrying member who pays their dues with exhaustion, scattered progress, and burnout. Busyness has become a societal badge of honor—a 'tell' to let others know you're important. It's as if having too much on your plate is a good thing. However, is busy actually working? On a long enough timeline, busy leads to overwhelm, distraction, and a lot of social media scrolling. To leave the cult of busyness is a courageous act, and it starts with your language. Research has shown that language provides a look into our beliefs. If we believe we are always busy and don’t have enough time, it’s easy to procrastinate and self-sabotage on what matters. Next time you want to tell the world how busy you are and how hectic life seems to be, catch yourself. Shift your language, use words like prioritized, focused, committed—and watch how these shift your emotional state.

7. Celebrate Wins Every Day

You’re the worst person in the world to recognize your growth. It's a bold statement, but I can say that with confidence because I am, too. We all are. We are masters at focusing on what’s not working and the “gap” between today’s reality and our future selves. Furthermore, we often discount the goals we worked hard to attain. We brush them off once we’ve achieved them and quickly move onto the next. It’s time to take control back and celebrate at least three wins every day. These are not about grand moments, it’s about the small ways you showed up. This is essential to helping yourself when you have too much on your plate. If you want to unlock this even further, identify the ‘ingredient of success’ for your win. For example:

• Your win was to show up for your early morning workout, the ingredient is discipline.
• Your win was to have a tough conversation with someone, the ingredient is honesty.
• Your win was to publish something before you felt ready, the ingredient is courage.

Why does this matter? Celebrating small wins has been shown to amplify motivation in our personal and professional lives.((Harvard Business Review: The Power of Small Wins)) By writing these down, you'll recognize the places where you are growing and are already accumulating the ingredients of your next success.

It’s Time to Take Stuff Off Your Plate

We've all felt like we have too much on our plate at some point—and things seem to be getting worse, not better. There are more tasks to do. There are more social media platforms to post and comment on. More inputs are competing for our attention that never seem to end. The reality is that unless you take control of this now, it will only get worse. But it doesn't have to be this way.

• You can delete clutter every day.
• You can get clear on your priorities.
• You can choose to leave the cult of busy.

Once you do, you'll start to value less, not more. You'll accumulate winning days more often. You'll learn how to set boundaries and recognize a distraction disguised as a shiny opportunity. Best of all, you’ll get to the end of your days knowing you are moving forward in your life and business. During these times, nothing could be more important or relevant.

More Tips to Help You End Overwhelm

• 15 Signs You Are Too Busy And Should Stop
• 5 Techniques to Tackle a Busy Schedule (And Create More Time)
• 11 Differences Between Busy People And Productive People

5 Powerful Self-Care Ideas for When Life Is Stressful

Stress doesn't discriminate. It affects everyone, invariably in different ways. Regardless of how stress shows up in your life, I think we can all agree that it's present. When it does show up, it takes over the show. It then becomes difficult to stay in the present moment or show gratitude for what and who we have in our life. In the eye of the stress storm, everything is tossed around into oblivion. This is probably when self-care finally comes to our mind.

How Does Stress Show Up?

On a physical scale, stress tends to be behind many of our typical ailments, such as headaches, insomnia, muscle tension, or body aches and pain.((Mayo Clinic: Stress Management)) When we're in stressful situations, our body activates our fight-or-flight response. According to the American Institute of Stress, when the body is in this mode due to stress, "the body’s sympathetic nervous system is activated due to the sudden release of hormones. The sympathetic nervous system stimulates the adrenal glands, triggering the release of catecholamines, which include adrenaline and noradrenaline. This results in an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate."((The American Institute of Stress: How the Fight or Flight Response Works)) Why is this important? While our fight-or-flight response is extremely helpful when we're in situations that risk our survival, not every situation is that dire. However, the body doesn't know how to differentiate between such scenarios. Rather, we become accustomed to seeing every stressful situation as dire, and essentially locked into this fight-or-flight response automatically. This causes us to burn out because our body is constantly fighting or fleeing from threats that are not causing us any real harm. On a mental and emotional scale, according to the Mayo Clinic, "Stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior." Everything is interconnected. When our physical body takes a toll due to stress, this has a domino effect on how we process our thoughts and feelings. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see correlations between depression and anxiety when it comes to dealing with stress.

How to Combat Stress?

Below are five self-care ideas for combating stress in your life. Consider implementing them into your daily routine for the best results.

1. Start a Brain Dump Writing Exercise

When you're overwhelmed with thoughts, it can become very difficult to stay present and focused. This could affect you at work, in school, or in your relationships. It's as if your mind were filled to the brim with thoughts that are constantly competing for your attention. If left unattended, this can affect your performance or your state of being. Stress is just brewing! One exercise to get this under control is called a Brain Dump, and it's exactly how it sounds. Start by getting comfortable with a pen and paper or your favorite journal. Without any special formatting or introduction, just start writing any and all thoughts that come up. Consider your paper a blank canvas onto which you're going to spill every thought, no matter how small or unimportant. This can look like a laundry list, a jumble of words, or a paragraph. Don't think too much of how it looks. The idea is to give your thoughts an exit. Once they're on paper, they're no longer swimming in your head for attention. Once you have them written down, leave them as they are. We have a tendency to want to fix our thoughts. Instead, allow them to simply exist as they are — they're not right or wrong. Consider coming back to this exercise daily or whenever you feel like you have a lot on your mind.

2. Sweat It Out

There is nothing more therapeutic than moving the physical body when it feels the weight of stress. Energetically, we carry our day in our body! If we've had a particularly difficult day, that energy is going to feel tense and unsettling. This is why it's so important to move and really break a sweat! According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America,((Anxiety and Depression Association of America: Physical Activity Reduces Stress))

"Scientists have found that regular participation in aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, elevate and stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem."

Find what exercise regimen works for you, and commit to it for a few days per week. Scientists have also found that even 10-15 minutes of aerobic exercise can have a tremendous effect on your body. Go for a run, take a spin class or a power yoga class, or dance the stress away in Zumba. Whatever gets your heart rate up and breaks a sweat is one of the perfect self-care ideas to keep the stress away.

3. Seek the Care of a Therapist

Sometimes writing out our thoughts and feelings doesn't seem quite enough. This is common and to be expected. After all, we are complex human beings who want to understand and process our emotions on a deeper level. This is why having a regular therapy session is so beneficial! In the presence of a professional, we can open up about what stressful situations we're going through. We don't have to keep our emotions bottled up, and we know that our honesty will be protected and safeguarded. Additionally, when we're feeling stressed, we often want to simply vent and get things off of our chest. Having someone on the receiving end who will simply listen and hold space is a truly healing gift. We can often leave the session feeling more empowered, seen, and offloaded of the stress we brought in. Lastly, we may be able to receive guidance from our therapist on a particular situation we're struggling with. Having someone else's perspective on something we're too emotionally close to can be just the right solution. Here are more self-care ideas from a therapist: Self Care Tips During Difficult Times (A Therapist’s Advice).

4. Interrupt Your Day

This may seem like a derailing technique, but give it a shot! Interrupting your day means introducing something entirely new or random into a routine that is very monotonous or typical. If your work or school day is the same sequence of events every single day, bringing in an interruption can be quite conducive to your productivity and creativity. This can look like pausing in the middle of the day for a yoga stretch at your desk or in your office. It could be playing your favorite playlist in-between meetings or taking a walk outside for lunch. Not only does this stir up new energy for your day, but it can also de-stress your day. As I said in the earlier tip, when we're too close to a situation or conflict, we have a harder time breaking away. We're so emotionally and mentally invested that we don't see how that proximity is affecting our health. So, interrupt yourself when you're feeling stress coming on, and do something fun, random, and refreshing.

5. Get Some Energy Work Done

Energy work is anything that is being done to improve the circulation and energetic flow of the body. This could be a massage, Reiki session, chiropractic adjustment, or acupuncture. As I said in a previous tip, moving the body helps move the energy that is blocked or stuck. This is why exercise is so important. However, sometimes we need a session where that work is done for us by a licensed professional. In such treatments, we have the luxury to relax and receive the benefits of the treatment. It's a beautiful way to self-care!

Final Thoughts

Stress is unfortunately a common part of our life. It affects everyone, but to what extent it affects you is personal. One thing is for sure, and that is that stress has a tremendous effect on our physical, mental, and emotional state. This is why regular exercise is so important, as well as mental stimulation and emotional release. These self-care ideas won't necessarily guard you from ever feeling stressed, but they will help you manage it better.

More Self-Care Ideas

• How to Customize a Self-Care Plan That Works For You
• 12 Powerful Self-Care Tools That You Can’t Live Without
• 40 Self Care Techniques To Rejuvenate And Restore Yourself

10 Best VPNs to Browse the Internet More Securely

When it comes to digital security, public Wi-Fi networks aren’t safe enough, making it much easier for hackers to access your personal data. Whether you are studying in a library or scrolling through Facebook in a coffeehouse, it is vital to have a VPN installed on your device. VPNs work wonders when it comes to securing your internet connection. By creating an encrypted tunnel between a remote server run by the VPN service, they protect your personal data from prying eyes. There is a variety of VPNs available on the web, and we have collated a list of the best VPNs that stand out from the rest.

How to Choose a VPN

• Free trial period - Free trials allow you to try the product risk-free. The same idea technically applies to those with 30-day full refunds as well.
• Speed - You want your VPN to be just as fast as the internet speed at home. Good quality VPNs are ones where you see little difference between those speeds.
• Device connection - Of course, the more devices that can connect to VPNs, the better. It increases the customers’ coverage and the product’s value. You also want to consider compatibility since fewer VPNs may work for Mac or Windows only.
• Number of servers - The number of servers determines how much capacity a VPN can handle while you are connected. The more servers there are, the more users it can handle without running into potential disconnections or slow speeds.
• Kill switch feature - Having this feature means that your IP address isn’t exposed if the VPN disconnects for some reason. A lack of this feature is a big deal since the whole reason why you’re paying for a VPN is to hide your IP address, among other things. (Find out how to avoid getting tracked online here: Big Brother Is Watching You Online: How To Avoid Being Tracked)

Why You Should Trust Us

Our hand-picked VPNs are incredibly efficient and offer such distinctive features that grant you safe browsing. They outperform many VPNs in terms of both speed and security. Their primary aim is to provide you the utmost security, thus enabling you to surf the web safely and prevent any potential threat from causing harm. Among the best VPNs’ many unique features include split tunneling, strict logging policies, high encryption level, and availability of international servers. We have gathered them in this article to enlighten our readers and offer the best pieces of advice before you get one. Therefore, take our word for it, and if you go for a VPN mentioned below, you’d be fully appeased.

1. NordVPN

The most popular VPN on the market these days is NordVPN, and it’s easy to see why. It has widespread coverage, offering a selection of over 5,000 servers spanning across 59 countries.((NordVPN: Everything you ever wanted to know about NordVPN: brand, features, and values)) Due to the high number of servers, its speed is similar to your Wi-Fi at home. Lifehack’s CEO, Leon, has been using NordVPN for many years and wants to recommend it for its remarkable server count in different locations with no-logs policy. The VPN perfectly works with Netflix and Fire TV stick, too. NordVPN is also compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux. You can download the app onto Chrome, Firefox, Android, and Mac OS. Thanks to its massive coverage, it’s easy to connect multiple devices onto these servers. In terms of pricing, while NordVPN doesn’t have a free trial period, they argue that their plans are considerably cheaper than those of their competitors. For example, a one-year plan for ExpressVPN costs $8.32 per month, but NordVPN only charges $6.99 monthly. NordVPN has a new protocol called NordLynx that is based on WireGuard with speed benefits, though it’s still under development.((PR Newswire: NordVPN Is Rolling Out NordLynx -- New Generation VPN Protocol That Makes VPN Connection Faster Than Ever)) If you’re looking for general quality and affordability, this is one of the best VPNs around. Buy this VPN.

2. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is the second-best option out there for keeping your privacy while browsing the internet. Like many other VPNs here, they will encrypt your IP address, offer vast coverage, and can have multiple devices connected to their servers. Compared to NordVPN, while the pricing point is higher, ExpressVPN’s biggest selling point is the number of countries that their connection covers. Depending on where you are in the world, this may be the only option you have. They have fewer servers — 160, to be precise — but they make up for the low server count by covering 94 countries.((ExpressVPN: The ultimate guide to choosing a VPN server location)) Cost-wise, your best bet is to go with the yearly plan where they charge $8.32 a month. They also have one- and six-month plans. Buy this VPN.

3. Surf Shark

With regards to Surf Shark, you can connect multiple devices to its servers, and it’s compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac. It is also available on Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, and FireTV. Furthermore, Surf Shark can whitelist apps and sites, letting them bypass the VPN. This, along with the lines of split-tunneling, is another feature that many VPNs offer. The difference is that Surf Shark allows you to whitelist specific apps or any website, while most VPNs will whitelist all sites or none at all. The other consideration for this app is the price. While lower-tier plans are more expensive compared to others, Surf Shark’s 24-month plan is priced at $2.69 a month, so it’s cheaper than even NordVPN’s equivalent plan! Buy this VPN.

4. CyberGhost

Another top-reviewed VPN is CyberGhost. They’ve been around for 15 years and have fine-tuned their offers and features to stay competitive. They provide the standard package of browsing the web and logging into accounts safely and give you access to regionally blocked content. The network also maintains security from hackers, malware, and phishing. Aside from that, you can connect multiple devices, and it’s compatible with all kinds of platforms. What separates CyberGhost from the others is their extensive coverage. They have multiple servers, and the pricing point is still very low. It covers over 88 countries and has roughly 6200 servers for you to choose from, all while charging $2.75 for their 18-month plan. Buy this VPN.

5. IPVanish

IPVanish’s prime purpose is to give users online freedom by providing fast speeds and private connections. It’s clear that they can meet that promise as they provide many of the features that have been listed previously from their competitors. IPVanish is a part of SugarSync now. What is that, you may ask? It’s a cloud-based service that syncs files across devices and computers for sharing, backup, and many more. What this means is that other devices can access various files and videos so long as they are connected to your specific VPN. Furthermore, it can serve as a backup plan if you get hacked or lose your device for some reason. Buy this VPN.

6. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a remarkably generous company in many ways. Aside from the obvious features, they offer great incentives and discounts for people to try out their products. They claim to be the most trustworthy and reliable VPN around, and we believe that. One notable thing is that PIA offers a free two-month trial. Compared to other VPNs to this point, none have provided free trials (though all come with a 30-day money-back guarantee). On top of that, small businesses can avail of their VPN at a discounted rate. There is also the fact that their pricing plans go as low as $2.69 a month for two years, and they let you pay with gift cards. In terms of specs, PIA has over 2695 servers that cover 47 countries right now. These particular aspects make PIA unique and one of the best VPNs to consider. Buy this VPN.

7. Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield is all about offering protection while you’re browsing the internet or using streaming services like Netflix. The encryption is military-grade, and its speed is ultra-fast. In truth, it is even marketed as one of the fastest VPNs. Hotspot Shield offers a plan that only costs  $7.99 a month; however, it’s one of the few in this list to provide its services for free. Like other Freemium apps, the free version comes with limited features. That said, it gives you a much better feel for the VPN. Also, take note that the encryption feature is still there, though the limitations in the free plan include connecting to one location in the US and having limited streaming options and speed. Buy this VPN.

8. TunnelBear

As unusual as a name choice for an online security protection service can be, TunnelBear is nothing short of incredible. It makes our list of the best VPNs for various reasons. The biggest one is that the company goes through a yearly security audit. This is notable because many VPNs don’t bother about independent audits to ensure their systems are secure and safe from any issues. This is critical as VPNs have gotten some bad reputation over the years, as TunnelBear has noted in their post about their security audit.((TunnelBear: TunnelBear Completes 2nd Annual Independent Security Audit)) The fact that they are doing this annually ensures that nothing is being compromised. Furthermore, TunnelBear offers limited services for free, but even their paid plans are pretty cheap. For individuals, you’re merely paying $3.33 per month. The only catch is that you can connect five devices regardless of which paid plan you pick. Buy this VPN.

9. Norton

Norton has been on the security scene for some time, and it’s actually one of the founders of the internet security industry. It started with virus and malware protection in 1991 and has since branched off to other sectors as the industry has shifted. As you might expect from a company that’s been around for a long time, Norton provides excellent services, and a few of their other services have gone into the VPN package. In reality, Norton is the only one thus far to offer a password manager with their VPN services. They provide 50GB of cloud storage as well. Norton has one of the cheapest VPNs, considering you can get their deluxe plan at $49.99 per year. That comes up to roughly $4.17 a month. It might be slightly higher than other equivalent plans, but you get a lot of extra value that makes it worth the price. Buy this VPN.

10. StrongVPN

The final VPN we want to cover is StrongVPN. Like many others, it’s great at blocking unnecessary web traffic and providing a fast and simple solution to navigating the internet without any hindrance. StrongVPN has over 900 servers. It is available in more than 30 countries and compatible with all devices. Beyond that, the only notable selling point it has compared to others is that it also offers Sugarsync services and 250GB of storage, irrespective of your chosen plan. As for the pricing, their year-long plan costs $5.83 a month, while their month-long one is $10. Buy this VPN.

Bottom Line

Getting online protection is important these days, and companies recognize this. With more hacks and breaches occurring every single day, the best VPNs can provide an excellent haven for many people who value their security and privacy. We hope that by putting together this list, you’ll be able to find the best VPN that you can trust and enjoy using. As you can see, there are several great options with no real wrong one out there. Pick the VPN that’s best for you.