How to Improve Your Attention Concentration - All in the Mind - Dr Sangeetha Madhu and RK Shivani

How to Improve Your Attention Concentration

“Focus now .”

Practice saying this to yourself every time you notice your attention wandering while you are doing work. At first, you will have to say this to yourself quite frequently, maybe even several times per minute. Gradually, this will occur less often. Every day you will see more improvement if you are consistent with correcting yourself using the “focus now” statements. This technique trains your brain to focus.

Allow yourself to have a specific time for thinking and worrying.

Set aside a specific time each day to spend thinking about the thoughts that keep entering your mind and interrupting your focus while you are trying to concentrate in class and while reading and/or studying. Then, when the thoughts that take your focus away from where it needs to occur, remind yourself that you have a specific time set aside for those topics. Having a time set aside for worry will significantly improve your focus and concentration.

Stretch and get active.

Don’t just stay in your seat and talk if there is a break. When you take a break, get up and walk around. This gets more oxygen to your brain to help you focus more efficiently

Notice the little things. Develop an eye for detail. This teaches you how to focus and makes you happier. Target things that are fun and provide positive reinforcement

These techniques usually begin to work in a few days, but their maximum benefits will be seen when  you practice it daily

Sourcehttps://www.roanestate.edu

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/memory-medic/201102/12-ways-improve-concentration

Dr Sangeetha Madhu , a clinical psychologist and Leadership expert & Shivani RK presenting articles related to well being, leadership/personal development, cognitive mastery, positive emotions, building resilience, and relationships.

Coping with Stress - All in the Mind - Dr Sangeetha Madhu and RK Shivani

Coping with Stress

Stress is an element of everyday life affected by multiple contributing factors from all areas of functioning: personal and professional in nature. When stress persists, it can take a toll on your health and well-being causing a burnout. This could further impair functioning in various areas of life. A stressful environment can cause physical symptoms (for eg: headache, sleep disturbances, stomach aches), cognitive symptoms (for eg: difficulty concentrating, difficulty paying attention) and emotional symptoms (for eg: short temper, low mood).

The 3 A’s of dealing with stress are as follows:

●      Adapt to the stress

By adapting to a stressful situation, the impact caused reduces which in turn can provide health benefits. Choose healthy coping options such as exercising regularly, meditating or engaging in leisure activities to handle stress. Engage in following a healthy diet since food choices have a great impact on mood and cognitive functioning throughout the day. Use relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercises, meditation and practising mindfulness. Start by taking a few minutes out of your day to focus on simple activities like breathing, eating your meal and breathing. The ability to focus on these activities increases with time and can be easily applied to other areas of life.

●      Alter the situation

By changing the way you communicate and operate in life, the situation can be modified. Taking help from trusted friends and family members can improve your ability to handle stress. If you continue to feel overwhelmed, seeking help from a counsellor and taking part in programs at work designed to provide professional help can be beneficial.

●      Avoid unnecessary stressors

It is not healthy to avoid stressful situations that need to be addressed. However, by eliminating the emergence of stressful situations can be beneficial. Creating a balanced schedule and planning tasks ahead of time helps in avoiding stressful situations that may arise due to not meeting deadlines and time pressure.

Dr Sangeetha Madhu , a clinical psychologist and Leadership expert & Shivani RK presenting articles related to well being, leadership/personal development, cognitive mastery, positive emotions, building resilience, and relationships.

Dealing with Homesickness - All in the Mind - Dr Sangeetha Madhu and RK Shivani

       Dealing with Homesickness

Homesickness occurs when someone is having trouble adjusting to a new environment away from where they usually live. It’s essentially a difficult coping process because we’ve lost our normal access to the home environment, our family, and our friends.

Missing home, the place (your house), the people (your family and friends), and the pets is absolutely normal. Adjustments of learning how to cope in a new environment take time to develop. Once you figure it out, that skill can provide you with practice and experience in coping with moves or transitions later in life.

While it’s often quite obvious when we’re experiencing it, homesickness can include symptoms such as:

• Loneliness
• Sadness
• Constantly thinking of home
• Low motivation
• Feelings of loss
• Nausea
• Sleep problems
• Headaches
• Change in appetite
• Palpitations

It’s important to show yourself some compassion and understanding, and give yourself time to get used to the new environment. Other things you can do to help yourself include:

• Getting adequate sleep
• Eating well
• Exercising
• Establishing a routine
• Getting involved with as many things as you can
• Taking the time to explore (and learn about) your new surroundings
• Keeping in touch with family and friends
• Finding and reminding yourself of the positives – your Job will bring.
• Keeping things like photos and keepsakes close by

If you find that after one or two weeks, you are still experiencing homesickness, it would be beneficial to seek some help. You can take support from the visiting counselor at your campus.

Dr Sangeetha Madhu , a clinical psychologist and Leadership expert & Shivani RK presenting articles related to well being, leadership/personal development, cognitive mastery, positive emotions, building resilience, and relationships.

Source :

http://www.deltapsychology.com/dealing-with-homesickness/

https://caps.ku.edu/homesickness

Anger Management - All in the Mind - Dr Sangeetha Madhu and R K Shivani

ANGER MANAGEMENT

Anger is a perfectly normal human emotion, when dealt with appropriately. We all feel angry from time to time, yet this feeling can lead us to say or do things that we later regret. Anger can reduce our inhibitions and make us act inappropriately

Anger management is a term used to describe the skills you need to recognise that you, or someone else, is becoming angry and take appropriate action to deal with the situation in a positive way.

Anger management concerns recognising the triggers for anger as early as possible and expressing these feelings and frustrations in a cool, calm and collected way. 

Anger management does not mean internalising or suppressing anger.

Some ways to manage your anger

·       Identify the triggers for your anger, such as environments and people.

·       Notice the bodily warning signs of anger: tightness in shoulders or increased heart rate etc.

 

·       Think before you speak

In the heat of the moment, it's easy to say something you'll later regret. Take a few moments to collect your thoughts before saying anything — and allow others involved in the situation to do the same.

·       Once you're calm, express your anger

As soon as you're thinking clearly, state your concerns and needs clearly and directly, without hurting others or trying to control them.

·       Get some exercise

Physical activity can help reduce the stress that can cause you to become angry. If you feel your anger escalating, go for a brisk walk or run, or spend some time doing other enjoyable physical activities.

·       Take a timeout

Give yourself short breaks during times of the day that tend to be stressful. A few moments of quiet time might help you feel better prepared to handle what's ahead without getting irritated or angry.

·       Identify possible solutions

Instead of focusing on what made you angry, work on resolving the issue at hand. (e.g. Is your partner late for dinner every night? Schedule meals later in the evening — or agree to eat on your own a few times a week). Remind yourself that anger won't fix anything and might only make it worse.

·       Rehearse your anger strategies. Imagine being in a situation that makes you angry and draw upon one of your skills.

Remember, anger in itself is not the problem. The problem lies in how we manage and express it. The Dalai Lama may have said it best: “The true hero is one who conquers his own anger.”

If you feel that your anger is really out of control, if it is having an impact on your relationships and on important parts of your life, you might consider counseling to learn how to handle it better. A psychologist or other licensed mental health professional can work with you in developing a range of techniques for changing your thinking and your behavior.

Dr Sangeetha Madhu , a clinical psychologist and Leadership expert & Shivani RK presenting articles related to well being, leadership/personal development, cognitive mastery, positive emotions, building resilience, and relationships.

Source

http://www.mayoclinic.org/, http://theconversation.com/, http://www.apa.org/ and  skillsyouneed.com/

Active Listening - All in the Mind - Dr Sangeetha Madhu and R K Shivani

                                                ACTIVE LISTENING

Active listening involves listening with all senses. It is fully concentrating on what is being said rather than just passively ‘hearing’ the message of the speaker as well as giving full attention to the speaker. It is important that the ‘active listener’ is also ‘seen’ to be listening - otherwise, the speaker may conclude that what they are talking about is uninteresting to the listener.

The way to improve your listening skills is to practice "active listening." This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent

Signs of Active Listening

Non-Verbal Signs of Attentive or Active Listening

Smile

Small smiles can be used to show that the listener is paying attention to what is being said or as a way of agreeing or being happy about the messages being received.  Combined with nods of the head, smiles can be powerful in affirming that messages are being listened to and understood.

Eye Contact

It is normal and usually encouraging for the listener to look at the speaker. Eye contact can however be intimidating, especially for more shy speakers – gauge how much eye contact is appropriate for any given situation.  Combine eye contact with smiles and other non-verbal messages to encourage the speaker.

Posture

Posture can tell a lot about the sender and receiver in interpersonal interactions.  The attentive listener tends to lean slightly forward or sideways whilst sitting.  Other signs of active listening may include a slight slant of the head or resting the head on one hand.

Mirroring

Automatic reflection/mirroring of any facial expressions used by the speaker can be a sign of attentive listening.  These reflective expressions can help to show sympathy and empathy in more emotional situations.  Attempting to consciously mimic facial expressions (i.e. not automatic reflection of expressions) can be a sign of inattention.

Distraction

The active listener will not be distracted and therefore will refrain from fidgeting, looking at a clock or watch, doodling, playing with their hair or picking their fingernails.

 

Verbal Signs of Attentive or Active Listening

 

Reflection

Reflecting is closely repeating or paraphrasing what the speaker has said in order to show comprehension.  Reflection is a powerful skill that can reinforce the message of the speaker and demonstrate understanding.

Summarisation

Repeating a summary of what has been said back to the speaker is a technique used by the listener to repeat what has been said in their own words. Summarising involves taking the main points of the received message and reiterating them in a logical and clear way, giving the speaker chance to correct if necessary.

Provide Feedback

Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions.

·        Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. "What I'm hearing is," and "Sounds like you are saying," are great ways to reflect back.

·        Ask questions to clarify certain points. "What do you mean when you say?" "Is this what you mean?"

·        Summarize the speaker's comments periodically.

Although some positive words of encouragement maybe beneficial to the speaker the listener should use them sparingly so as not to distract from what is being said or place unnecessary emphasis on parts of the message.



Active listening - Benefits.

·       Active listening shows respect to the speaker. It shows that you genuinely want to understand his or her viewpoint.

·       It avoids misunderstandings, as people have to confirm that they do really understand what another person has said.

·       It tends to open people up, to get them to say more.

Active listening is a skill that can be acquired and developed with practice. 

Dr Sangeetha Madhu , a clinical psychologist and Leadership expert & Shivani RK presenting articles related to well being, leadership/personal development, cognitive mastery, positive emotions, building resilience, and relationships.

Source

http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/active-listening.html#ixzz4JblAlaLi

http://www.otago.ac.nz/negot/activel.htm

Work Life Balance during COVID 19 - All in the Mind - Dr Sangeetha Madhu and R K Shivani

Work-Life Balance during COVID 19

        

    Work-life balance is the lack of opposition between work and other life roles. It is the state of equilibrium in which demands of personal life, professional life, and family life are equal. Work-life balance consists of, but it is not limited to, flexible work arrangements that allow employees to carry out other life programs and practices. Spending long hours at work due to "inflexibility, shifting in work requirements, overtime or evening work duties" could lead to an imbalance between work and family duties. Lacking time for personal works leads to pressure, which is experienced differently based on the individual's age, the age and number of children in the household, marital status, the profession and level of employment, and the income level. Today work-life balance ranks as one of the most important workplace attributes - second only to compensation, and workers who feel they have a better work-life balance tend to work 21% harder than employees who feel overworked.

     Effects of Work from Home: Technology has also provided the opportunity to work from home rather than from the company's physical office. Working from home is an initiative that arose from the efforts of improving the work-life balance. In 2017, it was reported that 8 million people in the US are working from home that is 5% of the entire US workforce. Another recent research on the effects of COVID 19 on Work from Home shows that 50% reported feeling stressed whereas only 8% reported feeling relieved working from home. Therefore, it has become significantly clear that the Work from Home situation has deeply affected the Work-life balance of the employees.

Tips to maintain Work Life Balance with Work from Home situation:

·     

              Track Your Time- Keep a time log of everything you do for one week, including work-related and personal activities.

·               Determine your priorities- Spend some time reflecting on what is most important to you, and make a list of your top priorities at work and at home.

·       

       Set Specific Goals- Take your list of priorities and turn them into concrete and measurable goals. Block time into your schedule for activities.

·           

             Schedule Scrupulously- Set aside 10 to 20 minutes at the beginning of each day (or the night before) to plan your tasks and activities for the day and evening ahead.

·       Establish Boundaries- Set fair and realistic limits on what you will and will not do both at work ad at home. Clearly communicate these boundaries to your supervisor, coworkers, partner and family.

·       Take Care of your Health- Take care of yourself by eating healthy meals, exercise at least three times per week and sleep a minimum of seven hours per night.

·          

         Nurture Your Family/ Relationships- Relationships with family, friends, and loved ones are, by far, the greatest source of inner satisfaction. By making your personal relationships a priority, your productivity and effectiveness on the job will increase.

·       Make Time for You- Take at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted "you time."

·       

       Work Smarter not Harder- Adopting the right combination of time-management practices can cut stress and save you up to an hour a day.

·       

        Ask for Help- If you are overwhelmed by work, and it is causing undue stress don't suffer in silence.

Dr Sangeetha Madhu , a clinical psychologist and Leadership expert & Shivani RK presenting articles related to well being, leadership/personal development, cognitive mastery, positive emotions, building resilience and relationships.

Mental Health Concerns during COVID 19 - All in the Mind - Dr Sangeetha Madhu and RK Shivani

Mental Health Concerns during COVID 19 - All in the Mind 

COVID 19, a global pandemic is changing our daily lives changing the way we work, socialise, travel, exercise, shop and basically, live. From daily bulletins on the television to minute by minute social media updates on your phone screens, it has caused considerable distress to every individual on a global level. As days pass by, stress levels seem to escalate bordering panic and chaos and it is important to take precautionary measures for sustaining mental well-being in a time of crisis like this.

Why should mental health be prioritised?

Stress responses are behavioural manifestations that result from negative emotions. Typically, these are found to be marked by impulsivity. Another interesting finding is that people tend to mimic each other’s behaviours and emotions while experiencing stress in a collective context. This indicates that appropriate coping styles and coping responses are beneficial on an individual and a community level to combat the current scenario. On the other hand, stress temporarily affects immune system functioning which might serve as a health hazard if uncontrolled.

How to enforce prioritisation?

1. Digital wellness

Try to limit intake of current affairs in such times by avoiding possible sources of misinformation. It is important to stay informed but consider that constant updates might cause more harm than benefit.

2. Social connectivity

Stay connected with your loved ones through digital means. Share worries with them if any and utilise sources of social support around you. Similarly, try providing support to your loved ones. 

3. Cognitive well-being

Set aside time for leisurely activities apart from work. Engage in cognitively stimulating tasks and pick up new hobbies to handle solitude. 

A time of crisis like this indeed poses a challenge to many of us. However, by working together and picking one another up, we shall go a long way ahead.

References:

●      Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Situations (2020). ‘Briefing Note on Addressing Mental Health and Psychosocial Aspects of COVID-19 Outbreak’ Version 1.1. 

●      Damir Huremović (2019) Psychiatry of Pandemics: A Mental Health Response to Infection Outbreak. Springer Nature, Switzerland. Retrieved from: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-030-15346-5

●      https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Dr Sangeetha Madhu , a clinical psychologist and Leadership expert & Shivani RK presenting articles related to well being, leadership/personal development, cognitive mastery, positive emotions, building resilience and relationships.