Self Hypnosis - Can it really boost your productivity?

Hello Friends!

I want to introduce you to Self-Hypnosis...sounds like a very daunting scientific topic doesn't it? I have been doing a lot of reading since the start of the year and happened to come across Michael Cohen's The Power of Accepting Yourself, a powerfully immersive read. 

Self-hypnosis is a naturally occurring state of mind which can be defined as a heightened state of focused concentration. With it, you can change your thinking, kick bad habits, and take control of the person you are—along with relaxation and de-stressing from everyday life.

How can YOU do it?

I am going to introduce you to a simple but effective technique of self-hypnosis. This technique is called eye fixation self-hypnosis and is one of the most popular and effective forms of self-hypnosis ever developed. We will start by using it as a method to help you relax. After you have practiced this a number of times we will add hypnotic suggestions and imagery. 
Reduce distractions by going into a room where you are unlikely to be disturbed and turning off your phone, television, computer, etc. This is your time. You are going to focus on your goal of self-hypnosis and nothing else.

Then:

1. Sit in a comfortable chair with your legs and feet uncrossed.

Avoid eating a large meal just before so you don’t feel bloated or uncomfortable. Unless you wish to nod off, sit in a chair, as lying down on a bed will likely induce sleep.  You may also wish to loosen tight clothing and take off your shoes. If you wear contact lenses, it is advisable to remove them. Keep your legs and feet uncrossed.

2. Look up at the ceiling and take in a deep breath.

Without straining your neck or tilting your head to far back pick a point on the ceiling and fix your gaze on that point. While you keep your eyes fixed on that point take in a deep breath and hold it for a moment and then breathe out. Silently repeat the suggestion “My eyes are tired and heavy and I want to SLEEP NOW”. Repeat this process to yourself another couple of times and, if your eyes have not already done so, let them close and relax in a normal closed position. It is important when saying the suggestion that you say it to yourself as if you mean it, for example in a gentle, soothing but convincing manner.

3. Let your body relax.

Allow your body to become loose and limp in the chair just like a rag doll. Then slowly and with intention count down silently from five to zero. Tell yourself that with each and every count you’re becoming more and more relaxed. Stay in this relaxed state for a number of minutes while focusing on your breathing. Notice the rising and falling of your diaphragm and chest. Be aware how relaxed your body is becoming without you even having to try and relax it. In fact, the less you try, the more relaxed you become.

4. When ready, come back to the room by counting up from one to five.

Tell yourself that you are becoming aware of your surroundings and at the count of five you will open your eyes. Count up from one to five in a lively, energetic manner. At the count of five, open your eyes and stretch your arms and legs.

Repeat this technique three or four times and notice how each time you reach a deeper level of relaxation. However, if you find you do not relax as much as you would like, do not force it. There is a learning curve involved so resolve to practice self-hypnosis on a regular basis.

Hope you are able to increase your productivity levels by using this technique! 

- Yash

Its 2017 ! Are you up to speed? - learning to embrace failure

Hello all ! 

Let me start off by wishing you all a prosperous 2017!

Before I say anything else, I have a confession to make - don'e be overtly critical of me, but let me start off by saying - I've failed. A lot. I've failed in different pursuits of life in ways that were unimaginable to me.

While some failures were soon forgotten about, some were devastating. Landing my dream job, failing to grow my first venture into a successful idea due to lack of time and my inability to put theoretical knowledge to practice at times...to name just a few. Let's face it: failing sucks. Almost all of us would have loved to be successful the first time, but that is not how life works. And the idea of failure sometimes prevents us from even trying to begin with.

Failure, especially repeated failure, can be hard to bounce back from. It can specially crush your confidence to unfathomable extents.It might get to the point where you might wonder, Why even try? It can be extra tough when you feel you’re doing your best, and your best isn’t good enough.

Failure is inevitable. It doesn’t feel good, but it is a part of life. Instead of fearing failure, here are some ways to help you bounce back and regain your confidence when it does happen.

1. What did you learn? - We often fail so we can learn. If you haven't failed before and are all perfect, you sound pretty boring to me. What can you do differently in the future? How will this set you up for you next project you decide to take up? Most importantly, what did you learn out of the experience? An answer to the above can help us see that our time and efforts aren’t wasted - we’ve come out this a smarter, more able than before.

2. Consider the long-term view of things. Always - Sometimes, we think that we must succeed almost immediately. Maybe you feel that your business will be an overnight success or that new skill that you learnt will be mastered almost instantly. So, check your expectations to see that they don't cause distress to you. Look at the long-term view of things. Consider this: “Success is like growing bamboo.”

Bamboo seems like it takes a long time to grow. For the first five years, you don’t really see much happening. Just a tiny shoot. For five years.What we don’t see is what’s happening underground. Its roots are pushing through the dirt, growing in complexity - setting the foundation. And then, its growth explodes and the tree can rise by up to a meter a day.

Success is the same way. Look at your failures as setting the foundation. Take the long-term view and grow your bamboo.

3. Failure is not a reflection of who you are - Our brains are funny things, and they respond to threats that sometimes aren’t there. Some of those threats are things that make us look foolish or lesser in the eyes of others.We don’t want to fail. But failure is not a reflection of who you are. Your reaction to failure is.

It’s your call whether to pick yourself up or not. If anyone judges you based on your failures, that’s their problem, not yours!!

I hope you all have a great 2017 ahead!!

- Yash