It happens nearly every day, but each time, it seems like we are never ready for it—the afternoon slump. It’s always frustrating when we start the day with boundless energy, only for it to dissipate a couple of hours later. The problem is that we often must continue working despite that, with some of us having hours of work to finish. Thankfully, there are easy methods that can help you overcome the afternoon slump and push through until the end of the day.

Get Some Fresh Air

When you have to do the same thing every day for hours at a time, you should expect fatigue. That is why it’s so helpful for you to take a break and get a fresh perspective. Go outside, breathe in some fresh air, and, if you can, consider working outside. Switching up your environment is one of the easiest ways to overcome your afternoon slump.

Hydration Is Key

Sometimes we disregard the importance of hydration, but it’s pivotal to the proper functioning of our body and mind. You might struggle to focus on the task at hand if your body wants some water. To increase your energy, consider drinking something with electrolytes or add something dynamic to your plain water, like ginger. Ginger as an energy supplement for caffeine will give you that boost you need without the crash, and the best part is that it has so many health benefits.

Nourish Yourself

There have likely been several shifts where you went without eating a proper meal; that’s understandable. However, it’s crucial that you don’t do this often. While it’s easy for some of us to go a whole shift without eating, we may not realize its effect on our energy levels until that slump hits us. Try to stock your work bag with simple foods to munch on that will provide lasting energy, like mixed nuts, yogurt, cut-up fruits, and vegetables.

admin @ Inspire Your Journey

Anxiety can be a normal and healthy emotion. However, it can become a problem when it’s out of proportion to the situation or it interferes with your daily life. You might have anxiety about an upcoming event such as an exam or a speech. Or you might have a general anxiety disorder. This disorder is chronic, uncontrollable worry and tension unrelated to any particular event. Some people may need medication or other treatment, but there are also several simple habits to help you reduce your anxiety.

Talk to Someone

Talking to someone about your anxiety can help you feel less alone and more understood. It can also help you find solutions to your stress. A therapist can help you understand and manage your anxiety. You can also talk to a friend, a family member, or other trusted person.

Get More Exercise

Exercise can reduce anxiety and improve your mood. It can also help you sleep better. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. If you don’t have time for 30 minutes, try (3) 10-minute sessions throughout the day.

You don’t have to run or lift weights to get exercise. You can go for a walk, dance, or do some gardening instead.

Learn To Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a type of meditation that focuses on being present in the moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you focus on the present and let go of anxious thoughts about the future. Anxiety often manifests from past events, and finding the root causes of your stress can help you manage it better.

You can practice mindfulness by paying attention to your breathing and to the sensations in your body. You can also try guided mindfulness meditation.

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep deprivation can make anxiety worse. Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. If you have trouble sleeping, there are several things you can try, such as:

• avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening;
• winding down for 30 minutes before bedtime; or
• creating a relaxing bedtime routine.

Start a Journal

Writing in a journal can help you manage your anxiety by helping you track your anxious thoughts and see patterns over time. Try to write for a few minutes each day. You can write about whatever you want, but you might find it helpful to focus on your anxiety and how it makes you feel.

Reducing your anxiety takes time and effort, but it’ll be worth it. These simple habits can help you feel better and take control of your anxiety.

If you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety, resources are available to help. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) is an excellent place to start. You can also talk to your doctor or mental health professional.

Authored by Admin @ Inspire Your Journey

If you have low self-esteem, there is no reason to allow those feelings to drag you down. Most people experience low self-worth, at least a little in their lives. The important thing is to overcome those distracting, negative emotions. In these useful tips for becoming more self-confident, you will learn the mindset needed to readjust your thinking when you experience low self-confidence.

Acknowledge What You Have Achieved

It can be easy to lose a positive self-image if you think you have not achieved anything. People with low self-esteem struggle to think of instances when they overcame an obstacle, bested the odds, or proved their worth. If you ever feel lacking in self-confidence, write up a numbered list of achievements. Make sure to add new achievements to the list as they come. Keep it close, so you always have a reminder of your capabilities.

Get a Hobby

It is never too late to pick up an interest or passion. Whether it is knitting, photography, journaling, or anything else, a new hobby has the power to revolutionize the way you think about yourself. Earnestly investing your time and energy into something fresh will remind you how versatile and competent you are. There is a reason so many people point to new hobbies as one of the most useful tips for becoming more self-confident.

Dress for Success

It is true: the way you present yourself on the outside will alter how you feel about yourself on the inside. Among the many reasons men should wear a suit often, one of the most important is it boosts their confidence. Women also experience a similar sensation when they dress their best.

Set Goals

Setting and achieving goals, even if they are only small ones, can elevate your self-esteem far more than you might realize. You want to see yourself getting things done. Whether that involves baking a cake, getting a new job, or cleaning your home, the important thing is that you put in the effort and saw results.

Authored by Inspire Your Journey

We all know giving back is just one way to help out your community, but did you know charitable acts can also help you? Explore the mental health benefits of giving back.

Provides Purpose

A lack of purpose can contribute to negative thoughts and feelings about oneself. When you donate your time or money, you instantly become connected to a network of people looking to better the world. This involvement and interaction with other donors and meaningful causes can incite a sense of belonging and purpose, eliminating negative trains of thought.

Encourages Gratitude

The recipient of your generosity isn’t the only one likely to feel grateful after your donation. Charitable acts can help us feel gratitude for the abundance in our lives. The self-reflection that follows gifting resources to others prompts a newfound appreciation for what we have.

Create a Helper’s High

Dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin are all feel-good brain chemicals associated with joy, trust, and other positive elements that stem from relationships with others. Providing beneficial resources to folks in need and working with like-minded people to do so can spark a rush of these happy chemicals. This is known as the “helper’s high.”

The more you give back, the more your brain will experience this wave of positive chemicals. People who give back are known to have greater overall happiness, decreased susceptibility to depression, and a boost in self-esteem.

Ideas for Giving Back This Summer

If the mental health benefits of giving back have inspired you to act, you can easily get involved. Below, we’ve listed a few ideas you can try to support those in need within your community.

Care Kits

Care kits are simple and impactful resources that you can donate to people experiencing homelessness. Make sure you know what to include in a care kit for someone experiencing homelessness to ensure a meaningful donation.

Monetary Donations

Nonprofit organizations often have tight budgets, which means every monetary donation is a huge help. Always check for details on donation distributions before donating to an organization to ensure your money has the greatest impact.

Volunteering

If you can’t donate money this season, try donating your time! Plenty of charitable organizations accept volunteers, and many of them rely on generous folks for successful operations. Homeless shelters, community centers, animal shelters – you can choose a cause that speaks to you the most.

Authored by Inspire Your Journey

The poet William Wordsworth once wrote, “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” He knew the importance of jotting down your thoughts and memories on paper before they vanished forever. But journaling is more than simply recording your daily business. It’s about getting in touch with your inner thoughts, and by physically expressing them, coming to understand them. Keeping that in mind, here’s a guide to journaling for good mental health. Simply pick up a notebook and pen, and start writing. Just a page a day—or less, or more—is all you need.

Journaling Is Good for the Brain

The first and most obvious benefit of writing is that it simultaneously engages your intelligence, writing skills, memory, and creativity. Like a muscle, the mind only grows stronger with use, and writing is the kind of exercise regimen you need. Studies have shown that keeping a journal increases a person’s self-confidence and sense of self-awareness. Some researchers have even made the case that it improves the immune system and contributes to better sleep habits, more mindfulness, better memory retention, and more developed communication skills.

Journaling Is a Good Habit That Can Tie in With Others

The nice thing about journaling is that it can take any form. That means you can apply it to many other good practices. You can write a straightforward diary, of course, recording your daily activities and your thoughts and feelings about them. But don’t stop there. Take up a new form of exercise or a sport, and use journaling to chart your progress. Travel a lot? Keep a notebook handy to scribble entries, notes, doodles, and more about your journeys. Have you started collecting some specific type of knickknack? Write about your search. If you like, consider starting an online blog and sharing your thoughts and observations with others. It’s a good way to build up a support network of friends and colleagues.

Journaling Reduces Stress

During difficult times, journaling helps puts things in perspective by revisiting what happened and how you felt, making it easier to decide what to do next. Major life events like marriage or divorce, a major move to a new and different place, or a loved one’s death require a deeper level of thought to process. Writing is the perfect way to do it, combining your sense of reason with your urge to express yourself. Healing remains a slow process, but writing down your thoughts and feelings is a good first step.

Journaling as Preservation

One significant aspect of journaling for good mental health is that it’s a way of preserving a part of yourself. Journals can be intensely private things, and that’s a good thing. But consider making your journal a way to collect your thoughts and observations and leave them for others to discover. It’s not immortality, per se, but it’s one way to live forever.

Authored by Inspire Your Journey