Does your head ever feel like exploding because of all the noise? I bet you are nodding yes.
There is so much noise in the world, there is good noise like the noise of people laughing, birds chirping and even your own voice howling away to your favorite song. But there is also a huge amount of unnecessary noise, noise like piles of news clips running in the background, Facebook statues so long and never ending that they begin to fill your dreams.
To achieve the success you desire in your life you need to we willing, once and for all to cease some of the mind numbing distractions and claim a greater state of calm.
It's important to stay up to date with what's going on in the world but if you seek to do great things (whatever that is for you) you need to go on a distraction diet to claim your calm. Studies have shown that an over-consumption of too much of anything is not a good thing. Negative news stories and gossip can actually add to your anxiety and affect your stress and coping skills, and not in a good way.
You only have so many hours in your day and space in your mind. Getting honest about what you are putting in your head and what you are doing to while away your time is important. If you think you have it all reigned in (and maybe some of you have) I challenge you for one week to keep a log of all the time you spend online and sitting in front of the television, time with the TV blaring news in the background counts too. This includes all time online EVEN if you are on your phone while waiting for an appointment.
I think you will be shocked to learn how much time you truly spent feeding the noise monster and with that information you are taking the first steps toward more success and health in your life.
Be brutally honest as there is no sense in lying to yourself. When you know the what then you can tackle the why and begin to focus on habits that will help you rock life in a big way.
Here is a 6 step Rx for fending off the calm sucking monsters in your life.
1. Do not check your computer, phone or email first thing in the morning unless you are waiting on critical information that you can't possibly move forward without; this rarely is the case. Even after years of running an online business, I can tell you that most things can wait until a couple hrs after you start your day.
2. Logout of your social media accounts on your phone before bed. Go into your settings and force stop them on your phone. Do not log in until the time you decide you are ready to use them. This will keep pesky alerts and blinking lights from impacting your sleep AND it will keep you from jumping to look at notifications during the day. This clearly with not be an easy task for most people so, be ready for a bit of discomfort. I can tell you from experience that after a few days you will begin to enjoy the freedom that comes with not reading every comment or crazy news story you see.
3. Spend more time with people that laugh more and gossip less. Spend time with people that lift you up and are interested in talking about ideas more than people.
4. Consider adding a meditation practice to your day. It can be a simple five minutes of quiet to get your mind more centered. Focus on what you have to be grateful for. Don't worry about all the thoughts running sprints through your head simply let yourself just be. This isn't a contest for perfection it's a challenge to just do. After some practice you may start to find that you look forward to this quiet time.
5. If you have a long commute have some audio books ready for your drive, pepper your selections with something uplifting and inspiring. You can get many audio books free of charge from your local library. The same goes for carrying a book with you at all times, it will help fend of the peace robbing villains that live in your phone.
6. Give yourself a break. Your inner critics needs a time out. Let your mind dance to the thoughts of all you are doing right that is helping you move toward your successful life. Thank yourself, yes, let your mind say a great big thank you. You deserve it.
With a bit of practice you will see that the lack of negative noise in your life makes your feel more creative and connected to what matters. Before you know it you will be an old pro.
If you had good lucky with these tips or have some of your own I would love to hear from you, so comment below. If you know someone this can help please share it with them.