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Category: POSITIVE

Breaking the Cycle: How Overthinking Sabotages Productivity and Possible Ways to Overcome It
Overthinking refers to the process of continuously dwelling on thoughts, ideas, or problems without reaching any resolution. It involves excessively analyzing situations, often leading to a state of mental exhaustion and indecision. Overthinking can manifest in various ways, such as worrying excessively about the future, ruminating on past events, or overanalyzing present circumstances. It can interfere with decision-making, productivity, and overall well-being. Overthinking can waste your time in several ways:

Analysis Paralysis: Overthinkers often get stuck in a loop of analyzing every possible outcome or scenario, which can prevent them from making decisions in a timely manner. This indecision leads to wasted time and missed opportunities.

Ruminating on Past Events: Overthinkers tend to dwell on past mistakes or regrets, replaying scenarios in their minds and imagining alternative outcomes. This rumination consumes mental energy and time that could be better spent on productive activities.

Worrying about the Future: Similarly, overthinkers may spend excessive time worrying about hypothetical future events, trying to anticipate every possible problem or obstacle. This preoccupation with the future can distract from the present moment and prevent effective action.

Perfectionism: Overthinkers often strive for perfection in everything they do, which can lead to spending unnecessary time on tasks or projects trying to achieve an unattainable standard. This perfectionism can be paralyzing and ultimately counterproductive.

Lack of Focus: Overthinking can scatter your focus, causing you to jump from one idea to another without making meaningful progress on any single task. This lack of focus can result in inefficiency and wasted time.

Overanalyzing Social Interactions: Overthinkers may dissect every social interaction, obsessing over what they said or how others perceived them. This hyper-awareness can lead to self-doubt and insecurity, ultimately wasting time that could be spent on more fulfilling activities.

Stress and Burnout: Constantly overthinking can lead to increased stress levels and eventual burnout, further reducing productivity and wasting time in the long run as you struggle to regain your mental energy and motivation.

Overall, overthinking can be a significant time sink, draining your mental resources and preventing you from effectively focusing on the tasks and goals that matter most. Learning to manage and redirect your thoughts can help you break free from the cycle of overthinking and reclaim your time for more meaningful pursuits.

To overcome overthinking, consider implementing the following strategies:
1. Awareness: Recognize when you are overthinking. Pay attention to the signs, such as repetitive thoughts, indecision, or excessive worry.
2. Challenge Negative Thoughts: Question the validity of your thoughts. Ask yourself if there is evidence to support them or if they are simply assumptions or irrational fears.
3. Practice Mindfulness: Focus on the present moment through mindfulness meditation or deep breathing exercises. This can help quiet the mind and reduce the tendency to dwell on the past or worry about the future.
4. Set Limits: Allocate a specific amount of time to think about a problem or decision. Once the time is up, make a choice and take action, rather than continuing to ruminate endlessly.
5. Shift Focus: Engage in activities that distract your mind from overthinking, such as exercising, spending time with loved ones, or pursuing hobbies.
6. Problem-Solving Techniques: Break down complex problems into smaller, manageable steps. Create a plan of action and focus on solutions rather than dwelling on the problem itself.
7. Practice Self-Compassion: Be kind to yourself and recognize that it’s normal to have doubts and uncertainties. Treat yourself with the same understanding and empathy you would offer to a friend.
8. Limit Information Intake: Avoid overloading yourself with unnecessary information or seeking reassurance excessively. Trust your instincts and make decisions based on the information available to you.
9. Seek Support: Talk to a trusted friend, family member, or therapist about your overthinking tendencies. Sometimes, sharing your thoughts and feelings can provide perspective and help you gain clarity.
10. Set Boundaries: Establish boundaries to protect your mental well-being. Learn to say no to overcommitment and prioritize self-care activities that help reduce stress and promote relaxation.
By practicing these strategies consistently, you can gradually overcome overthinking and cultivate a healthier mindset that fosters productivity and peace of mind.
January 27, 2024
Here Are 4 Amazing Benefits of Volunteering
Volunteering is one of the best ways to add advantage to your personal and professional living. It helps you grow in various aspects of life and brings a sense of value and importance to the things you support and advocate for.

When you volunteer, you are taking one step forward in being the change you want to see. You are able to develop a deep sense of responsibility of the issues that are of concern and knowing that you are doing something about it. There are so many volunteering programmes and all of them are so important and need people to come together and take needful action.

While there are numerous advantages and gains that come out of volunteering, here are some of the key ones –
1. Opportunity to learn new skills and abilities
When you volunteer, you develop new skills and abilities. For example, you can increase your computer efficiency if you volunteer at a place that uses computers for their services, or you could learn new things about arts/sports if you are interested in them and want to learn about them. Volunteering will help with mastering your interests into skills. It also generally boosts confidence, communication skills, time management and accountability.
1. Travel
With volunteering for campaigns, mission trips, etc. you get to travel! That is a huge plus of volunteering if you ask me. You get to go to new exciting places and explore, with a sense of adventure and a wonderful experience to enjoy.
1. Keeps you active and engaged
Volunteering programmes are the best way to make best use of your free time and stay active and engaged, especially when you don’t know what to do with all the free time you got. School, work and family responsibilities can get burdening, but being able to take time out to volunteer comes as a real reward for the way you use your time. Physically and mentally, it really helps you stay fit and healthy – it makes you feel good about the time and efforts you put in for a cause and at the same time it also brings you physical exercise.
1. You build a community
One of the most beautiful things of volunteering – it brings people together. In today’s day and age, when everyone is so busy with their lives that they do not have any time for social interactions, this is a great way to initiate and develop connections and relationships with like minded people and build friendships. You come together as a community and share lives with each other, which is just beautiful.
October 25, 2019
This cultural practice in Afghanistan makes parents dress their daughters as sons

In Afghanistan’s deeply patriarchal society, sons are valued over daughters – to the point where a family is deemed “incomplete” without a boy. Bacha posh, which in Dari literally translates to “dressed up as a boy”, is a cultural practice in Afghanistan where households without a male heir present a daughter as male dressing them in the masculine attire.

Credit: Casper Hedberg / Kontinent

Such parents say they raise their daughters as sons so that they can enjoy all the rights that come with being a man in their society. There is societal pressure for families to have a son to carry on the family name and to inherit the father’s property.

Credit: Casper Hedberg / Kontinent

The centuries-old tradition says much about the discrimination faced by Afghan girls quite literally from the moment they’re born.

Credit: Casper Hedberg / Kontinent

July 9, 2019
5 Ted talks that will bring out the greatness within you

You, yes YOU! You with your phone permanently stuck to your palm, snuggling comfortably in your couch, procrastinating for the nth time ever, I see you! If you NEED some serious intervention, or have someone in your life who does, get on board, check out these TED Talks that we have carefully curated to bring out the GREATNESS within you.

1. Larry Smith – Why you will fail to have a great career
Views: 3.6 M

To this day, this is my favourite TED Talk ever! Larry Smith, a professor of economics, has spent his entire career coaching individuals to pursue their passions.

In this talk, he appears angry and frustrated (rightfully so) by the excuses people make for not following one’s passion. Larry shares his words of insight with a straight no-nonsense attitude like only a grumpy but caring uncle who loves us can.

2. Angela Lee Duckworth – Grit: the power of passion and perseverance
Views: 5 M

Angela Lee Duckworth boils down the secret to success into one word – Grit! Here, she discusses how passion and perseverance are better indicators of success rather than high IQs.

3. Simon Sinek – How great leaders inspire action
Views: 10.3 M

Simon Sinek is one of the most sought-after public speakers of our time and this video kicked-off his popularity. Unlock the WHY, HOW AND WHAT of becoming a great leader with Simon with this profound talk.

4. Elizabeth Gilbert – Your elusive creative genius
Views: 3.8 M

Apparently, becoming a “creative genius” is so simple! Eizabeth stresses that genius is not as rare as we presume it to be. She explains why we shouldn’t think of people as “geniuses.” Instead, we should think of people as vessels for genius.

5. Mel Robbins – How to stop screwing yourself over
Views: 19 M

When I first saw the title, my brain went “yep, you’re watching this one!” Do you want to lose weight? Get married? Triple your income? Mel Robbins, top career and relationship expert, debunks and simplifies how to get everything you’ve ever wanted in life!

June 26, 2019
3 Reasons Why Children Should Be Encouraged To Play Sports
Sports should never be underestimated. They are instrumental in keeping one healthy, productive and in the long run, keep moving up the ladder of success.

If involved since childhood, sports can teach children so many life lessons that as they grow older, they are prepared and ready to face a lot of things that life throws at them.

Photo by Lukas (Pexels)

According to experts, parents should encourage their children into sports, obviously the kind the children like and are interested in and keep them motivated to grow in and through the sports. When children are into sports they like, they are happier and happier means healthier. This brings about a lot of great benefits for the children. Here’s what they are:
1. Perseverance
Sports, due to its competitive nature, comes with physical hurts. These hurts either make you or break you. Usually parents get concerned with the physical hurts that can be caused during sports but it is these hurts and pain that the children face which develops their character and makes them stronger. As they say, ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’. Being able to persevere and push through even when you’re in pain teaches determination and the attitude of not quitting till you reach the finish line. This goes a long way in life.
1. Sports and academics
Usually parents think that if their children get involved in sports it distracts them from their academics and brings them down in their grades. It is actually not that way, if you find the balance. In fact, sports boost the child’s academics to higher levels. According to experts, sports help children to build a sense of focus, discipline, time and being organized. This in turn affects their studies too. They are able to focus better and manage their time well in academics. Being competitive helps them work harder for good grades too. Also, being involved in sports reduces the compulsive need that children have these days to play video games. They prefer being outdoors and play real games that build them up.
1. Confidence
Sports is the best teacher when it comes to the lesson of ‘believe in yourself’. Self esteem and confidence are something that take time to be developed in an individual and a sport can do that beautifully, as opposed to a teacher trying to teach them to a classroom. To keep pressing on, to accept success and defeat with grace, to respect your team and your opponent, to give your best even if it hurts, to be a team player, to show your team through your actions that they have your back. Champions are those who are able to believe in themselves and their teams. And these are the ones who are champions in life too.

Photo by Hoang Le (Pexels)
June 21, 2019
Kindergarteners Learnt Sign Language To Welcome A Deaf Student

Just so that a little 6-year-old deaf girl would feel welcomed into her class, the entire elementary school learned sign language. Isn’t that such a sweet and thoughtful gesture?!

Morey Belanger, from Maine, who is Dayton Consolidated School’s first deaf student, stepped into the school with an opportunity for everyone there to learn sign language.

Now, sign language posters are lined up on the walls of hallways, and the students have learned how to sign more than 20 words. So impressive! Also, the school got a hearing assistive system installed and has implemented extra teacher training to incorporate sign language into every classroom.

The children and teachers of the school have really come to love Morey, who has been successful in helping them learn sign language. Everyone looks up to her and really respect her. They love spending time with her and learn sign language whenever they get any free time. Through all of this, the whole school has worked hard to keep out any insecurities Morey might have, but have done nothing but the best to provide her with equal opportunities, as every other child.

Morey’s mother, Shannon Belanger, mentioned that her family is touched by how the school has embraced Morey and are supporting her all the way.

Dayton Consolidated School / Facebook

“I absolutely feel like it makes her feel welcomed,” Belanger said to the news. “I think all the kids feel excited that they know another language and I think they think it’s fun.”

“Morey — without even knowing it — has taught us so much,” said school Principal Kimberly Sampietro. “She has brought a culture to our building that we didn’t have before.”

To celebrate the children and to reward them for their hard work, the school invited Cinderella, the real-life princess, to spend time with them. Since Cinderella could sign, the school thought it would be the perfect gift for the children and for Morey.

“We wanted to show our students that this isn’t something they can only speak with Morey,” said Principal Sampietro, who said most students in their rural Maine school have not encountered many people with hearing impairment. “We wanted to show them that signing happens in all kinds of settings.”

When Cinderella came to spend time with the students and sing to them, Morey was right there helping with the signing.

https://www.facebook.com/108308099513537/videos/392383481489015/

There is so much to learn from these wonderful children and the school on the whole. Such a beautiful example of acceptance, love and being inclusive, where differences feel like they don’t even exist. Makes the heart warm.

June 19, 2019
Lego Is Launching Braille Bricks For Visually Impaired Children

LEGO has brought about Braille Bricks for visually impaired and partially sighted children! This Danish toy manufacturer has created a new version of its building blocks with Braille letters and alphabets, which will change the way visually impaired and partially sighted children play and learn. This is a big step in creating creative opportunities for the children to develop, nurture and sharpen skills.

There are totally 250 bricks, including letters, alphabets and symbols.

© Lego

“Experiencing reactions from both students and teachers to LEGO Braille Bricks has been hugely inspirational and reminded me that the only limitations I will meet in life are those I create in my mind,” LEGO Group Senior Art Director Morten Bonde said in a statement. “The children’s level of engagement and their interest in being independent and included on equal terms in society is so evident. I am moved to see the impact this product has on developing blind and visually impaired children’s academic confidence and curiosity already in its infant days.”

This is a project which is close to Bonde’s heart too, because he has a genetic eye disorder due to which he is losing his eyesight and that will gradually lead to him being blind.

The project will surely create a positive impact as it brings about such a warm and beautiful reminder to never limit ourselves from doing good and to constantly work on helping those who need it and moreover, deserve it. There is never too much inspiration in the world.

“Blind and visually impaired children have dreams and aspirations for their future just as sighted children,” said John Goodwin, CEO of the LEGO Foundation. “They have the same desire and need to explore the world and socialise through play, but often face involuntary isolation as a consequence of exclusion from activities.

“With this project, we are bringing a playful and inclusive approach to learning Braille to children. I hope children, parents, caregivers, teachers and practitioners worldwide will be as excited as we are, and we can’t wait to see the positive impact.”

The Braille Bricks are set to be launched in 2020. It is also planned that these building blocks will be given to certain institutions all across the globe for free, celebrating and anticipating the wonderful impact it will create!

Can’t wait for these blocks to bring a breakthrough and be enjoyed by visually impaired children, adding joy to their childhood!

June 19, 2019
Mother With Child Gives Earplugs And Candy To Passengers On A 10-Hour Flight

A flight experience can go two ways – good or bad. Flying can be a stressful, pleasant or annoying. The annoying part comes when you cannot relax because of some kind of disturbance on it: off the top of my head – a crying baby. This is always a fear everyone traveling on a flight has. There is not much that can be done to calm a crying baby on a flight because they don’t understand the changes they feel in their ears and there is really no way of distracting them or telling them that it will all go away soon.

This mother, traveling on a 10-hour flight from Seoul, Korea, to San Francisco was being very cautious when she gave out 200 pairs of earplugs along with candy to all the passengers on the flight.

Credit: Dave Corona / FB

Yes, to all of them!

She had her four-month-old baby with her, and she was all set in preparation to not annoy her co-passengers because of a potentially bad experience they could have with a crying baby around.

The mother packed the earplugs and candy in cute little gift bags and handed them to each of the passengers as she entered the flight. On the bags, there was a message that read “I may cry or make too much noise. I will try to go quietly, though I can’t make any promises… Please excuse me.”

How cute.

Credit: Dave Corona / FB

She took so much of effort to make sure that everyone had a happy and comfortable flight and that her baby would not be the reason for a bad experience. But to everyone’s surprise, that little four-month-old cute thing did not make a sound that could be defined as crying or troubled throughout the duration of the flight.

Yep, all that effort in vain.

But this gesture of hers was admired and appreciated by all her co-passengers and they all were very impressed by her concern for all of them, had the baby decided to destroy all eardrums on the flight.

One passenger wrote on social media, “On a Ten-hour flight from Seoul Korea to San Francisco, a mother handed out more than 200 goodie bags filled with candy and earplugs, in case her 4-month-old child cried during the flight. A very touching gesture by the mother but as you know when you have kids expect the unexpected.
Not a peep out of the kid.”

On a Ten hour flight from Seoul Korea to San Francisco, a mother handed out more than 200 goodie bags filled with candy…

Posted by Dave Corona on Tuesday, February 12, 2019

As he said, with children you can expect the unexpected!

March 29, 2019
Now Barbie Has Dolls With Disabilities That Feature Love And Diversity

Mattel introduced Barbie to the world in 1959.

Throughout my childhood, I cannot remember any friend of mine not playing with a Barbie doll. Yes, even boys.

That was the best thing about Barbie! We could be anything – doctors, nurses, engineers and we could be from anywhere – with different hair, skin types, body shapes, etc. Playing with Barbie gave us a sense that we could achieve anything in life when discrimination was not something any of us cared about. Life was good and it was about equality, with scents of dreams and hopes and aspirations.

Good news! Barbie has come with a new line and it is just amazing!

The new line of Barbies that Mattel is bringing includes one doll that has a prosthetic leg and another that uses a wheelchair. These new bold additions to the new Fashionista line were announced by the company on 11 February, with aspirations and hopes to ‘expand the definition of what is deemed beautiful’.

“As a brand, we can elevate the conversation around physical disabilities by including them into our fashion doll line to further showcase a multi-dimensional view of beauty and fashion,” the company said in a statement.

Kim Culmone, Mattel’s vice president of Barbie Design, said, “We’re going to be introducing a doll in a wheelchair and a doll representing physical disabilities. She has a prosthetic limb.” He also mentioned that these latest additions have brought in a lot of demand in the market.

It has created so many enhancements and variations to the dolls over the past several years. In 2016, the dolls had four body types, seven skin tones, 24 hairstyles and 22 eye colors. Talk about diversity!

The company stated that a wheelchair or a doll in a wheelchair was one of the items that customers had requested through the consumer hotline.

12-year-old Jordan Reeves, who has a prosthetic arm, and the UCLA helped Barbie in creating the best version of the dolls that would be closest to feeling real. Jordan was involved in the whole design of the new doll with the prosthetic.

During the process, when Jordan said that the prosthetic in the doll should be removable, the company had a ‘dawning of realization’ moment.

“That’s not necessarily something we would have realized how important it would be to someone living with this experience,” Kim said.

The new arrivals are going viral on social media and are gaining the attention in heavy amounts. One social media user wrote on Mattel’s Instagram post, “I think the wheelchair Barbie is awesome! This will help remove the stigma behind disability in my opinion.”

Another follower wrote, “A true example of love and diversity!! You are a inspiration for boys and girls to overcome any obstacle… BRAVO.”

Really, bravo!

March 26, 2019
This Woman Carried Her Dying Baby To Full Term So That She Could Donate Her Organs

After going through the horrible pain of a miscarriage in 2017, Krysta Davis, 23, was pregnant again, but only to know after 18 weeks of her pregnancy that the child she was carrying had anencephaly, a rare condition that occurs during embryonic development where a baby is missing a portion of the brain, skull, and scalp. They do not have a functioning cerebrum and are generally born blind, deaf, unaware of their surrounding and unable to feel any pain. Davis was told that her baby would live just for a few minutes if she decided to give birth.

Davis and her boyfriend, Derek Lovett, who live in Cleveland, Tennessee, had even decided to name their child Rylei Arcadia Diane Lovett.

“It was definitely shocking. It was a huge heartbreak knowing that we’d miscarried previously and were having complications with this pregnancy. It was really hard to take in,” Davis said in an interview.

Credit: C. Tilley Photography / FB

There were two options that Davis was given by the doctors – they could induce labor and deliver the child immediately, or Davis could carry the baby to term and then donate her baby’s organs. It was a very tough decision to make, but Davis and Lovett strongly felt that they don’t want any other parent feel the agonizing pain they were going through and thus decided to carry Rylei to term and donate her organs.

Rylei was born at 40 week and two days.

“She came out star-gazing. She was born face-up,” Davis says. “It was the most overwhelming feeling of love that I’ve ever felt in my life. Laying eyes on her, I never knew that I could love someone so much. It was insane.”

It was a miracle that Rylie survived a full week after she was born. Davis and Lovett spent all the time they could with their daughter and were thankful that they could.

“It was absolutely amazing going from knowing we were maybe going to get 30 minutes with her at most to having a week with her was more than we could have ever expected or imagined,” Davis added. “We were able to fit an entire lifetime of love into that one week with her that wasn’t promised to begin with. She just smiled the whole time. She was such a good baby.”

Davis mentioned that Rylei never cried, but just once on her ast day when she wasn’t able to breathe well. “It’s like she was fighting to give us more time. It was amazing,” Davis said. “She surprised everyone by being alive for that week.”

Rylei’s lungs were given to a research hospital and her heart valves were given to two children. “It’s been really hard coming to terms with the fact that she’s really gone. But it’s also been a great month that we’ve got to share her story,” Davis said. “It’s helped a lot to be able to help other women in our situation and hear their stories. It warms our hearts to know that [Rylei’s life] will give two other babies a second chance at life.”

Credit: C. Tilley Photography / FB

March 4, 2019

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