Staying Focused

I've always considered myself passive. I'm introverted but driven, I am an insanely motivated person by nature. I am always thinking about the future, how to be a better at my job and how to achieve a list of goals a mile long but lately my mind has been scattered. The list is under a stack of papers on my night stand and my mind is worrying about tomorrow's projects. Not being able to remember things like work related questions or something someone has told me has become a regular occurrence, I've been sick four times this year (which is a rarity, I'm a healthy person) and  I'm exhausted all day long. For someone who has always had low blood pressure and been moderately healthy (besides gaining weight in undergrad and graduate school) anxiety has taken over most of my adult life and learning how to deal with it has been challenging. I thought being out of school would be a good thing, like all the free time I had would allow me to tackle things and my future would become a little more clear. But sadly, not much has changed. I use to pride myself on my single-tasking, my dedication was unflinching. While the allotted free time excites me, the structure of my evenings and weekends needs to change. To find focus, it's important to create a healthy mindset. I promise to keep these five tips in mind after the work day and when I find myself panicking.  What are healthy habits you adopt for a healthy mind?

1. Not only is enough sleep a necessity but getting good sleep is just as important. 

2. Buy a planner. I find planning (work and life) out in advance eliminates stress and freak outs.

3. Creating healthy habits. Waking up at the same time, going to bed at a reasonable hour, cooking instead of getting take out every night, making the bed, drinking tea, lighting candles, find a relaxing but productive activity like working on a puzzle, knitting, playing an instrument or reading definitely helps relax your mind.

4. Meditating, whatever that means to you. For me it's a breathing ritual. I use to be a deep breather but not sure much anymore. When at home, I lay down on the floor in savasana and work on my breathing for ten minutes. (Tip: I do this at work usually on my lunch)

5. Make time to rest. This is the hardest task by far; which would explain why I'm so burned out. I never allow my mind to rest. Every second of every day, my mind is working has fast and has hard as it can. Putting at the top of my list of priorities. 

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