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Are You Using Negative Affirmations Without Realizing It? Here’s How It Hurts

February 27, 2022 by Kristen Butler

Many people use negative affirmations without realizing what they’re doing. Your thoughts play a role in how your life plays out, and they impact your overall well-being. It’s harmful in many ways, whether you realize it or not.

Negative affirmations are statements and words that lead to negativity. This non-constructive type of self-talk is severely damaging to your self-esteem and overall outlook on life. While you might not realize that you’re engaging in negative self-talk, you can learn to identify it and address the issue.

Positive affirmations are popular, so you’re likely familiar with those already. However, many people don’t realize that negative affirmations exist, too. Negative phrases work the same way as the positive ones, but they attract negative energy instead of positivity.

Whether you say the phrases aloud or you keep them in your mind, they’re detrimental in many ways. Learning to identify negative affirmations is essential for overcoming them and shifting your mindset. Once you’ve identified it, you can replace it with something positive about your life.

How to Determine If You’re Using Negative Affirmations Without Realizing It

1. You Say Sentences Starting With “I Will Never.”

When you say things similar to this phrase, you’re setting yourself up to be unsuccessful. Whatever you’re saying you’ll never do, you’re probably correct.

So, shift your thought process and tell yourself that you can do anything. Rephrasing the statement allows you to make it a positive thought instead of a self-limiting idea. Nothing is impossible unless you tell yourself it is.

2. You Think Negatively About Yourself

Anytime you experience negative self-talk, it’s an affirmation. These thoughts manifest other negative things in your life. You don’t have to say the words out loud for them to affect your life, so always be aware of your thoughts.

If you often experience negative self-talk, start memorizing positive affirmations to replace them. When you make this beneficial change, you’ll see how detrimental the toxic thoughts were.

3. You Have Negative Thoughts About Money

You might be surprised to know that you can manifest money. However, even more, surprising is that negative thoughts about money can cause you to run into more financial issues.

Anytime you talk or think about money negatively, you only exacerbate the problem. Plus, you start to convince yourself that earning money is hard and that not everyone can do it. This false idea quickly harms your finances as you stop being open to new opportunities.

One big issue is constantly thinking about debt. While you must address the problem, you shouldn’t obsess over it at every moment. Try focusing on your income instead of on your debt and see what a difference it makes.

4. You Talk About Your Problems, Limitations, and Obstacles

When you discuss your limitations with yourself or others, it starts an endless cycle of negative thoughts. Likewise, complaining about the obstacles you’re dealing with can hinder your progress.

While it’s okay to vent, you must know when to stop and let go of the negative thoughts. If you find yourself talking about your problems, limitations, or obstacles, take a moment to refocus. Replace the negative thoughts or comments with positive ones, like how you’ll overcome each issue.

5. You Tell Yourself That You Will Fail

If you ever tell yourself that you can’t do something, you probably won’t be able to do it. This negative affirmation is one of the most detrimental because it holds you back in every way.

Many times, you won’t even attempt because you’ve convinced yourself that you will fail. Other times, you will still have the negative thought on your mind as you try to do something, hindering your success. Your thoughts become your reality, so you must stop telling yourself that you’ll fail.

6. You Can’t Stop Thinking About Your Problems

If you don’t stop thinking about your problems, they’ll never get any better. Think of things in the present that allow you to move forward positively. The negative thoughts only recreate the situation instead of changing it with the help of positivity.

7. You Constantly Tell Yourself That Life is too Hard

Focusing on how hard life can be is sure to hold you back. Telling yourself that things are too hard for you to do limits your abilities instead of letting you push your limits.

When you say phrases like this, you subconsciously give up on whatever task you need to accomplish. Even when things get complicated, it’s never too hard to overcome by finding a creative solution.

8. You Feel Like You Have Bad Luck

If it seems like bad things keep happening to you, you might think you have bad luck. However, it is more likely that you’re manifesting negativity. Pay attention to your thoughts and see if you subconsciously refer to negative thinking. If so, now is the time to shift your mindset.

How Negative Affirmations Hurt You in Life

Negative statements and thoughts make you feel bad and unhappy about your life. They make you feel like you can’t change anything and that you’re stuck where you are right now. When you allow these thoughts to continue, it worsens the problems instead of inspiring a solution.

Not only do negative affirmations exacerbate the problem, but they also invite other harmful things into your life. You teach yourself to expect bad things to happen, and you start subconsciously looking for negative things around you.

Additionally, after hearing negative self-talk often enough, you start to believe what you tell yourself. When you say that you’re bad at something, you’ll begin to feel insecure about your abilities. Likewise, if you tell yourself that you are lazy, you’ll stop doing the things you do now.

Whatever your self-talk is about, you’ll experience a setback in that area of your life. You might even stop trying to do anything because you have convinced yourself that you are a failure. Even if you don’t notice a dramatic effect from your negative thoughts, it’ll still interfere with your happiness and self-appreciation.

Unfortunately, you can’t unthink a negative thought or remove it from your mind. It’s a part of life, but you must learn to overcome it to undo the damage and avoid further harm. Let go of your negative self-talk and embrace positivity instead.

Replacing Negative Affirmations with Positivity

Replacing negative affirmations with positive ones can make all the difference in your life. You’ll notice an overall improvement, and you’ll start to see the good all around you. Positive affirmations are inspiring and encouraging words regarding what you want to happen, receive, or achieve.

Anytime you acknowledge a negative thought, replace it with a positive comment about yourself or your life. If you shift your thoughts each time, it’ll become a habit that helps you get further and feel better. The statements should improve your life and cultivate a positive mindset.

You can also shift your mindset by countering every negative thought you have. For example, you might think about how you don’t make as much money as someone else. You can oppose the ideas by acknowledging that you get to spend more time with your family because your job is less demanding.

When you focus on positivity, you can always counter your negative thoughts. After consciously doing this, you’ll find that you don’t have as many negative thoughts anymore.

Examples of Positive Affirmations

To help you get started on replacing your negative thoughts, here are a few examples of positive affirmations:

I am capable of getting this job.
I can get this promotion.
I’m successful and living up to my full potential.
I love myself as I am right now, and I embrace my unique qualities.
I’m attracting positivity into my life.
I’m enjoying a remarkable career that brings me joy and allows me to have everything I need.
I know that everything in my life is gradually getting better, and hardship doesn’t last forever.
I watch for signs from the Universe to guide me forward.
I’m happy with my life right now, but I continue to improve myself every day.
I let go of any fear that might hold me back.
I’m worthy of positive things in my life.
I choose happiness even when things get complicated.
I’m excited to become a better version of myself every day.
I learn from my mistakes, so I have a better chance of success next time.

Are You Using Negative Affirmations Without Realizing It? Here’s How It Hurts

Now that you know how to recognize negative affirmations, you can start making a positive change in your life. Start by addressing the negative thoughts and figuring out how to overcome them. Shift to positive thinking and countering your thoughts and comments.

The more often you challenge your negative thoughts or replace them with positive affirmations, the sooner you’ll see an improvement. Use positive affirmations each morning and night for the best results, and use them anytime you need a boost during the day. As you become more comfortable with positive affirmations, you’ll experience fewer negative thoughts.

15 Daily Affirmations for a More Disciplined Mindset

February 27, 2022 by Sarah Barkley

Having a disciplined mindset is one of the most important skills a person can have. It helps with all areas of life, helping people achieve their goals and accomplish tasks. However, many people fail to recognize the importance of a tenacious mindset, and fewer know how to achieve it.

You can strengthen your self-discipline by reciting daily affirmations. These positive phrases help you manifest the things you want in life. Luckily, many positive phrases can help you achieve a disciplined mindset.

Self-discipline doesn’t require living a restrictive lifestyle. Instead, it requires using common sense, setting priorities, and thinking things through before acting. It also requires self-control and inner strength in all situations.

With a disciplined mindset, you’ll have the power to make decisions and follow through with them. It helps you get things done, allowing you to live the life of your dreams. Get started by using these daily mantras and developing the best mindset to improve your self-discipline.

What Self-Discipline Means

Understanding self-discipline can help you develop the skill in your daily life. Having a better understanding of what discipline means will also help you use the affirmational statements. Self-discipline means that you:

Exhibit self-control
Avoid unhealthy excess of anything
Persevere in all situations
Have the inner strength to keep trying
Keep your goal in mind
Continually pursue your plans despite setbacks and frustration
Can delay instant gratification
Avoid procrastination

People with self-discipline exhibit certain behaviors, too. They are more punctual than others, and they take responsibility for themselves. These people know that they control their lives and focus on doing what’s best long-term.

These people also set goals and determine which steps they must take to achieve them. If you work to develop these behaviors yourself, it’ll help you be more focused.

Fifteen Daily Affirmations for a More Disciplined Mindset

1. I am using my time wisely today.

When you use your time wisely, you’ll maintain a focused mindset. You can’t get wasted time back, and being self-disciplined means you’ll resist distractions and procrastination. This affirmation will also help you prioritize the essential tasks on your list.

2. I am giving my best effort in all situations.

It might be easy to slack off sometimes, but you must resist the urge. Even when you don’t feel like doing something, you must give your best effort anyway.

3. I always finish what I start.

When you start a project or a task, you must see it through to the end. Avoid giving up on things you’ve already started by using this affirmation each morning and night. You can also use it to gain motivation in the middle of a task you feel like quitting.

This affirmation shifts your mindset and awakens everything you need to accomplish the task. You’ll feel positive and content as you finish what you started.

4. I practice self-discipline each day.

Self-discipline takes daily practice and consistency. It isn’t something you can occasionally do and expect it to become a habit. Work on it every day, resisting temptation and being the best version of yourself.

The more often you practice self-discipline, the better you’ll get at it. Before you know it, it’ll be a habit that you no longer have to think about.

5. I am setting realistic goals and sticking to them.

As you set your life goals, you must think realistically. Set goals that you can create a plan for, and make sure your dream correlates with your vision of the future. Once you choose your goals, stick to them no matter what obstacles come your way.

There are many ways to reach the same goal, so avoid switching paths mid-way. If you feel like your plan isn’t working, keep pushing forward because you might already be on the right path. Choosing a new plan halfway to your goal could set you back and cause other issues.

6. I am doing things that I don’t want to do because they are good for me.

Having self-discipline helps you do things you don’t want to do. Not everyone wants to exercise or eat healthy foods, but it’s beneficial to their well-being. Likewise, some people don’t want to quit smoking or give up other bad habits, but they want to be healthier.

Whatever it is that you don’t want to do, remind yourself that it’s good for you. If the task is beneficial to your health and well-being, practicing willpower can make all the difference. This affirmation will help you get those tasks over with, allowing you to move forward with your day.

7. I am making the best decision for myself and my family.

Remembering that you’re doing what’s best for you and your family makes it easier to maintain self-discipline. Having something or someone to keep trying for can make all the difference. This affirmation can also help when you have a tough decision to make. It’ll help you choose the right option for you, giving you confidence regarding your decision.

8. I am in control of my actions, thoughts, and choices.

You might sometimes feel like other people control you and your life. However, that is never truly the case because you are the only one who can control your actions, thoughts, and choices. Other people might influence them, but they can’t ever control you.

Use this affirmation in the morning to start you on the right path for the day. Repeat it before bed to help solidify it in your mind. The more often you say it, the better off you’ll be regarding discipline.

9. I am conquering every obstacle I encounter.

You’ll encounter obstacles even with extensive preparation. By telling yourself that you are conquering every setback, you’ll be ready to tackle everything. You’ll always be on the lookout for learning opportunities and other solutions to your problems.

10. I am creating results.

You are responsible for creating your results in life. When you want something, do what it takes to make it happen. Go after the things you want that will help you accomplish your dreams.

Using this affirmation can help you develop and maintain a disciplined mindset. It reminds you that you’re responsible for creating results, and it won’t happen without your determination. When you keep this in mind, you’ll want to keep pushing forward even when things get hard.

11. I am resisting distraction today and staying focused.

Getting distracted is one of the most common reasons for not getting things done. You might miss deadlines or events, or you could get behind on work and feel overwhelmed. Plus, you won’t work as effectively if you give in to distraction.

12. I am making progress every day.

It doesn’t matter how quickly you reach your goals, only that you keep working toward them. Make progress each day by taking small steps to get you going. Each small step leads to the bigger picture, so the ultimate goal is to persevere.

Keep pushing when things get hard and find new ways to do something when your original plan didn’t work out. Obtaining a more discipline mindset means working on your goals even when you don’t feel like it. You can’t reach success overnight, so use this affirmation to help you focus on progress.

13. I am disciplined and highly organized.

By repeating this affirmation, you’ll start to exhibit that behavior. Being highly organized helps with discipline as you can find things easier. It helps you accomplish more and remember everything you have going on, too. Staying organized plays a huge role in your discipline levels, helping you reach your goals and accomplish tasks.

14. I am following through on all commitments.

When you say you’ll do something, make sure to follow through. A disciplined mindset requires doing the things you say you will. When you don’t do what you committed yourself to do, you start to make a lack of self-discipline an issue. Then it’ll be harder to accomplish anything, including reaching your goals.

15. I am making choices that get me closer to my long-term goals.

Your decisions should always align with your goals. There will be times when you must choose between something that doesn’t get you closer to your goals and something that does. In every instance, choose the option that will get you where you want to be long-term.

The other option might sound like a fun time, but it could set you back. Choosing between the best option and a fun experience is where a disciplined mindset comes into play because you’ll have to choose the best option. Using this affirmation each morning will help you with decision-making throughout the day.

Final Thoughts on Daily Affirmations for a More Disciplined Mindset

These daily affirmations can help you develop a more disciplined mindset and reach your goals. Indeed, developing your discipline skill can make all the difference in how quickly you accomplish your dreams.

With discipline, you’ll experience positive guidance heading toward your goals. You’ll know what you must do. Besides that, you’ll be able to choose the best option for your long-term dreams. Use these affirmational statements each morning and at night for the best results.

15 Behaviors That Help You Have a More Abundant Life

February 26, 2022 by Sarah Barkley

Living an abundant life allows your mind and body to experience freedom. You’ll have what it takes to reach your full potential, living up to all of your dreams.

Many people believe that living an abundant life requires being rich or having lots of extra money. However, this belief isn’t accurate because it only requires is happiness, determination, and eliminating self-limiting thoughts. If you fulfill your needs and reach a state of contentment, you’ll have everything that it takes to live an abundant life.

You’ll feel free to live a happy life while chasing your goals and living in the moment. Living abundantly creates a barrier of positivity, helping you be more resilient in life. You’ll know that everything will be okay because you have everything you need.

Once you understand that you already have everything it takes to be happy, you’ll start living an abundant life. However, it’s not always easy to shift your mindset, but there are some things you can do to help yourself.

Fifteen Behaviors That Help You Have a More Abundant Life

Learning the behaviors that help you have an abundant life can make all the difference.

1. Practice Self-Love Fosters a More Abundant Life

When you love yourself, you’ll feel like you have everything you need right now. Accept who you are to boost your self-image, confidence, and sense of self-worth. When you know what you’re worthy of, you will have an easier time loving yourself and living a fulfilling life.

Love yourself by focusing on your physical, mental, and emotional health. Make sure to live life on your terms, too, and avoid following societal standards. Do things that bring joy to your life, and don’t accept things that don’t feel right for you.

2. Prepare for Opportunities

While you must live in the moment, you must take some time to better yourself. Preparing for opportunities allows you to feel confident when the time comes. If you’re always ready for a new opportunity, you’ll continue advancing in life and becoming better at what you do.

When you prepare for opportunities, you’ll start by identifying your strengths. Then, continually develop your skills related to what you’re good at. You’ll also want to be observant and on the lookout for unexpected opportunities.

3. Be Consistent

When you practice consistency, you won’t have to struggle with willpower as often because you’ll form beneficial habits. Being consistent allows you to make steady progress toward your long-term goals.

Come up with a plan to develop healthy and beneficial habits and stick to them. There are always many ways to reach the same goal, so don’t keep switching your methods to see if another way will produce faster results. If you want to achieve a goal, consistency is essential.

As you implement new habits, practice them daily for short increments rather than weekly for a longer time. Daily activity will help develop a consistent routine more than weekly or monthly.

4. Time Management Can Help You Be More Abundant

It’s easy to get distracted, and even a quick interference can cause you to lose focus. With time management, you can knock out the essential tasks each day. Plus, it helps keep track of time, productivity levels, and efficiency.

Practicing time management requires preventing procrastination, defining your goals and tasks, and breaking your tasks down into smaller chunks. It helps with relieving stress and getting more done in less time. You’ll also want to determine your distractions and work on eliminating those.

5. Avoid Comparisons

Comparing yourself to other people will make you feel like you’re lacking something in your life. Remember that everyone has flaws, and no one has a perfect life, even if they lead you to believe that they do. Focus on becoming a better version of yourself and avoid comparing your life to anyone else’s.

While it’s detrimental to compare yourself to people in person, it’s even worse to do it on social media. People on social media only see what other people want them to see. They’ll post the good parts of their life and gloss over the rest, attempting to look perfect to everyone else.

6. Continually Improve Social Skills

Fostering healthy relationships is essential to living a fulfilling life. Surround yourself with positive people and improve your social skills along the way. Focus on listening to others and spreading happiness, hope, and love.

Having negative people in your life will bring you down, so fostering positive friendships is essential. The law of attraction describes how positive people attract positivity, and negative people attract negativity. Make sure you surround yourself with people who have the same mindset you want to achieve.

7. Take Responsibility for Building an Abundant Life for Yourself

Taking responsibility for your happiness and life fulfillment is essential. Don’t blame misfortunes and bad moods on anyone or anything around you because you can make a change at any time. The sooner you take responsibility for your happiness and fulfillment, the sooner things will improve for you.

8. Keep an Open Mind

Keeping an open mind allows you to recognize opportunities and think of ideas you wouldn’t have otherwise. It’ll help you think critically and reasonably, even in challenging situations. With an open mind, you’ll learn new things, feel empowered, become insightful, and experience optimism.

You must move beyond limiting beliefs and understand that with focus and determination, anything is possible. Challenge your existing thoughts and look for ways to build on them. Keeping an open mind will also help you explore new strengths that you didn’t know you had before.

9. Accept Risks

Fears can hold you back in all areas of your life. The fear of the unknown might stop you from changing certain areas of your life that aren’t beneficial. When you get used to how things are, it’s easy to want to stay in your comfort zone, but it won’t help you.

Staying in your comfort zone doesn’t allow you to broaden your mind or fulfill your potential. Instead, it holds you back from becoming a better version of yourself. Accept risks and try new things, even when it would be easier to stay where you are.

10. Express Gratitude to Receive an Abundant Life

Expressing gratitude leads to more happiness and fulfillment in life. It helps you focus on the things you have right now and limits thinking about the things you don’t have. When your mindset shifts to one of gratitude, you’ll quickly realize that you’re living a fulfilling life.

Think about all the people and things in your life that make you happy right now. Focus on those things each day, and you’re sure to realize how blessed you already are.

11. Avoid Overthinking

Your thoughts determine how you live, so make sure you focus on positivity. Overthinking leads to negative thoughts, enticing negative results. If you can shift your mindset and avoid overthinking, you’ll find that you feel happier and more fulfilled.

Overthinking is a habit you’ll have to overcome, but you can make it happen. Focus on living in the present and thinking about the things that could go right instead of wrong.

12. Focus on One Task at a Time

It’s great to have long-term goals, but you must focus on more minor things each day. Break your long-term goals down into more manageable tasks, helping you make steady progress. When you break down your goals, make sure you separate them into manageable tasks that you can focus on daily.

Working a little each day will help you get further, promoting consistency. Don’t set too many goals for yourself, or it’ll lead to overwhelm and lack of progress. If you want to feel like you have everything you need, set one small goal at a time, guiding you a little closer to your overall dream.

13. Manifest Happiness, Don’t Chase It

When you manifest happiness, you’re more likely to find it than when you chase it. Happiness and fulfillment come from within, so don’t bother searching elsewhere. Focus your mind on one goal, and use affirmations to help you feel empowered.

When you believe in your goal, it’s more likely to come true. Visualize living in abundance as you manifest happiness, and you’ll find what you’re looking for.

14. Practice Mindfulness to Feel More Abundant

Mindfulness helps you become aware of the present moment, allowing you to enjoy life. You don’t have to do anything special or take much time out of your day to practice mindfulness, either.

To practice mindfulness, you can look outside, do acts of kindness, observe nature, or meditate. Other options include reflecting on your situation, smelling food or different scents, or sitting quietly.

15. Let Go Of Resentment

Holding resentment is harmful to you and doesn’t often affect the person you have a grudge against. It causes unnecessary stress in your life, causing you to feel like something isn’t right. Focus on forgiveness and moving on instead.

Final Thoughts on Behaviors That Help You Have a More Abundant Life

Living an abundant life doesn’t require being rich. Instead, it only requires having the basic things you need in life. If you can remember that you have everything you need, you’ll start to realize how blessed you are.

With that realization, you’ll start to make more significant strides toward your goals. Living an abundant life helps you excel in life and do more than you ever thought possible. Implement some of these behaviors into your life and see what a difference they make.

10 Exercises to Help Reduce Distractibility and Refocus Attention

February 26, 2022 by Sarah Barkley

If you struggle with distractibility and focus, you likely want to know how to overcome the issue. It interferes with every part of your life, holding up the progress toward your goals. Even when you know it’s holding you up, it can be hard to resist distractions.

Many people get distracted by their phones, so it’s hard to escape things that pull your focus away from your task. Everyone seems to have their phone nearby and within reach even when they’re busy with other things. It’s hard to stay focused on anything else with nonstop notifications, text messages, emails, video games, and so much more.

There are also many other distractions surrounding you, including your stress levels. When stressed, it might seem like your mind is racing, creating distractibility. Plus, things like cravings, the weather, and other people can cause distractions, too.

Studies show that the mind wanders for nearly 50% of your waking hours, making it hard for you to focus. Luckily, you can make some changes to reduce distractibility and refocus attention. A few brain exercises might be all it takes to refocus your wandering mind.

Ten Exercises to Help Reduce Distractibility and Refocus Attention

When you first hear the word exercise, you likely think of physical activity. However, mindful exercises are the way to go regarding reducing distractibility and refocusing attention. Training your brain to stay on track can be life-changing, helping you accomplish more and go further.

1. Mindfulness Training Decreases Distractibility

Mindfulness training is the best way to control the distractions around you and in your mind. Research indicates that mindfulness training is helpful for people in high-stress groups.

Additionally, those who regularly practiced mindfulness training experienced improved attention over time. It helps you remain stable and focused, even when things go wrong.

However, the people who didn’t practice mindfulness training experienced a decline in distractibility when they experienced stress. They struggled to push away distracting thoughts and ignore external factors that caused them to lose focus.

Mindfulness training requires that you pay attention to the present moment. You focus on starting aware without letting your emotions distract you. As you practice mindfulness training, aim for at least fifteen minutes a day, five days a week, for the best results.

The more time you spend, the more benefits you’ll experience. You might not see a difference right away, but it’ll come with time and practice. An essential thing to remember when practicing mindfulness is to return wandering thoughts to the task at hand.

2. Single-task instead of multitasking

Multitasking sounds like a great idea, but it won’t get you very far. Your brain can’t do multiple things simultaneously, so you believe multitasking is just switching tasks quickly. You lose productivity each time you switch jobs because it hinders your focus.

Instead of doing multiple things at once, list everything you must do. Then, prioritize your list and start doing things one at a time.

In between each task, you can reward yourself by checking your phone or getting another cup of coffee. Your goal should be to avoid these distractions during the job, so rewarding yourself afterward can help.

3. Get enough sleep to lessen distractibility

Life gets busy, and it’s easy to assume you’ll function well with little to no sleep. However, distractions will be hard to ignore if you don’t get enough sleep each night. Your brain will struggle to concentrate on one thing, and everything around you will pull your thoughts from your task.

Try to get at least seven hours of sleep each night to reduce distractibility and refocus your attention. With more rest, you’ll find that you get more done during the day, evening out the extra time you spent asleep.

4. Open monitoring

Open monitoring is mindfulness training that helps you pay attention to the world without becoming attached. Instead of latching onto a specific object or person, you remain open to any experience. You will embrace every situation and allow it to happen without overthinking or overprocessing first.

You’ll want to sit comfortably when you first start practicing open monitoring. Then, focus on your thoughts, sensations, and emotions, but don’t hold onto them.

Instead, name the feeling and then release it. Making the conscious choice to remove feelings and thoughts helps you stay focused on the essential parts of your life.

5. Listen to music

Background music can help you stay focused on your tasks. Music can help your brain release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that entices happiness. When you’re happy, it’s easier to concentrate and push away distractions.

You don’t have to play classical music quietly, either. If you’re up for it, you can turn it up louder than background music and listen to your favorite songs until you feel like you can focus again.

6. Body scanning can lessen distractibility

A body scan directs your thoughts to specific things, helping you train your brain to focus on one thing at a time. Start this brain exercise by concentrating on your toes and taking note of the sensations you feel. Acknowledge that you experience tightness, tingling, warmth, cold, or anything else.

After your toes, move on to the soles of your feet, your legs, stomach, chest, and so on. Continue your focus up your body, only thinking of one part at a time. As you get better at focusing on one aspect at a time, you’ll begin to handle distractions much better.

7. Mindful breathing

Mindful breathing is a brain exercise that increases your ability to focus on one thing at a time. Start by sitting in a comfortable but upright position to do this focused attention exercise. Then, focus your thoughts on your breathing.

As you focus on your breathing, think about how it feels or what it does to your body. You could think about the cool air coming in and out of your nostrils or how your abdomen moves. Focus on any aspect of the breathing process, but ensure it’s tied to a sensory experience.

Don’t get frustrated if your mind wanders as you focus on breathing. Instead, acknowledge the thought and then refocus on your breathing. It’s normal for the ideas to creep in, and the more you practice, the easier it will become to push them away.

By gently redirecting your thoughts back to your breathing, you teach yourself to ignore distractions. Practice this exercise daily, and it’ll quickly start helping in your daily life.

8. Ease stress to lower distractibility

It’s hard to focus on something when you’re overwhelmed with stress. If you want to decrease distractibility, find ways to cope with stress and eliminate it from your life. One way to burn stress is through physical activity, but there are other ways, too, including:

Meditation
Deep breathing techniques
Hugging a loved one
Finding a creative outlet
Positive affirmations
Expressing gratitude
Progressive muscle relaxation
Therapy
Getting some fresh air and basking in the sun
Counting backward
Stretching or yoga
Closing your eyes for a few minutes
Squeezing a stress ball
Organizing your space
Finding something to laugh about
Writing in a journal

9. Start with a small and simple goal

Spend some time thinking about what a reasonable goal is for you. Then, cut that goal in half and use what you come up with as your first milestone. Set a timeframe so you’re more motivated to keep going and accomplish your goal on time.

Starting with small goals gives you a break to look forward to at a specific time. You’ll want to keep pushing to get it done, allowing you to focus and ignore distraction. When you make a habit of working this way, it’ll become easier to resist the distraction.

10. Mindful Walking

Like mindful breathing, mindful walking requires focusing on one thing at a time. However, you’ll walk around rather than sit still as you focus.

As you walk, pay attention to how your feet feel on the ground or the breeze against your skin. Listen for the sounds all around you as you walk through nature, too.

You can focus on whichever sensation you want, but don’t keep shifting your focus. Once you’ve chosen a focal point, stick to it as you practice. You can also do this exercise inside if you can’t go out.

Final Thoughts on Ten Exercises to Help Reduce Distractibility and Refocus Attention

Distractibility is often considered an issue for kids, but adults struggle just as much. If you need help refocus your attention, these tips can help you. Don’t let your wandering mind stand in the way of your career or reaching other goals.

Learn to stay focused on the task at hand so that you can get things done and enjoy your time later. You’re not too old to learn how to focus and reduce distractibility. If you start practicing now, it’ll quickly make a difference.

This Artist Paints Stunning Watercolor Illustrations Using Brush Pens

February 26, 2022 by Kristen Lawrence

Katie Smith, an award-winning artist and nature lover, expresses her zest for life through beautiful watercolor illustrations. However, as a multidisciplinary artist, she enjoys experimenting with other mediums. Her art has been featured in local shops, won many awards, displayed in galleries, and sold worldwide. Here’s her story about how she got into watercolor illustrations and where the journey has taken her.

“I am an artist, and creativity is my way of life. I love drawing, art journaling, painting; pretty much if it’s creative, I love it. I started my journey as an artist as a kid who pretty much just drew on everything, including her homework,” Katie explains.

Since she attended a homeschool, she had spare time to draw and doodle as she pleased. That passion only grew as she got older and blossomed into a small business where she could create to her heart’s content. Over the years, her interests have shifted more towards watercolor illustrations as her primary means of expression.

“As a teenager, I got into scrapbooking and was published in multiple magazines. At 17, I started a DIY blog where I posted my art and my work online and started my journey as a freelancing artist by doing DIY projects for crafting companies. And then in 2014, I discovered art journaling which is when my love for crafting switched more towards fine art and illustration,” Katie says.

“So, now I am most passionate about drawing and painting, and everything artsy. One thing about the creative process that excites me the most is actually the creative process itself. I like to say that I learn as I paint, so I enjoy the process of creating the work just as much or possibly more than the finished artwork itself.”

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This Artist Paints Stunning Watercolor Illustrations Using Brush Pens

“I love working with watercolors, pens, markers, and different collage papers, also, especially oil paints. I love all of the mediums, but if there was one thing that I just cannot live without in my studio, it would definitely be my Tombow dual brush pens because I use those in pretty much all of my illustrations,” Katie says.

Her watercolor illustrations have a way of making you fall in love with nature and the universe. Using vibrant colors and delicate patterns, she takes the viewer on a journey to other worlds. Her art radiates calm, tranquil energy because of the natural scenery and otherworldly images.

Katie says this:

“What inspires me most is nature and the world around me. My goal for my paintings and my illustrations are to really capture the beautiful spirit of mother nature. And, just sort of transport you into another world through colors, animals and any surreal, magical vibes, or galaxies and outer space.”

On her Instagram page, you can see her imagination come to life through her watercolor illustrations. She’s painted mesmerizing pictures of bears, whales, deserts, galaxies, and other nature scenes.

Many of her paintings feature overlapping images of nature, such as a whale with a relaxing seaside landscape as its body. In another, she painted a woman’s face overlaid with a beautiful forest scene. One of her favorite paintings features a woman with galaxies as hair and a mountainous landscape as the body. It’s simply breathtaking!

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A post shared by Katie Smith | Artist (@studio.katie)

She’s become a master of her craft after years of dedicated practice! Aside from painting watercolor illustrations and other art forms, she also likes to teach others how to paint. On her website, you can find various online courses such as painting galaxies and sketch faces. She also teaches small business owners how to market their products on social media and create a unique art style.

“The more you practice, or if you do art like every single day, you will get better, you will develop your own unique style. It will happen – you’ll find your style, you will definitely improve and grow your art. It just takes time, it’s not like an overnight thing. I hope that inspires you to pick up your art supplies, get in your studio and start creating.”

We hope you enjoyed learning about Katie’s magical art! If you want to support her, please check out her original art pieces on Etsy.

Tips to Create Your Own Watercolor Illustrations

Want to start painting watercolor illustrations? If you’re a beginner, these tips will come in handy to get you started.

Gather the necessary supplies: paint, paper, and brushes. You’ll want several brushes of varying sizes depending on what you’re painting. For example, an all-purpose round brush with soft bristles works well for most paintings. However, if you want to paint details, you will need a smaller, fine-tipped brush. As for paint, start out small with a watercolor set of 12-16 colors. This will give you a good idea of how certain colors mix and what they look like on paper. Watercolor paper comes in different varieties, but it’s advisable to choose textured paper for beginners because it’s easier to control. One watercolor illustrator recommends 140-pound cold-pressed watercolor paper with a slight texture for beginners.
Practice basic techniques, such as glazing, wet on wet, and washes. Glazing involves painting in layers to achieve different effects. You need to dampen the paper first and then add color for wet on wet. Then, the paint will spread, creating a beautiful rippling effect. Finally, washes are categorized as flat or graded; flat means a smooth layer using one color. After wetting your brush with water and paint, apply the brush to the paper with slight pressure. Then, as you run out of paint, you add more as needed. It involves the same process with graded washes, except you’ll reload the brush with water instead of new paint to create a lighter color.

Final Thoughts on the Magic of Watercolor Illustrations

Anyone can paint watercolor illustrations with enough practice and determination. Katie started her journey as a teenager and now makes a full-time income with her artwork. If you truly have a passion for something, the universe works in mysterious ways to fulfill your deepest desires. Have you ever experimented with watercolor illustrations? Let us know in the comments!

This Adorable 2-Year Old Is a Talented Aspiring Artist

February 26, 2022 by Kristen Lawrence

Mia Mai, a 2-year-old aspiring artist, pours her heart and soul into all her drawings. It’s rare for a young child to excel at art, but Mia possesses a natural talent. Both her parents fully encourage her creative mind, helping her realize her true potential. Most children Mia’s age can only scribble, so it’s mind-blowing to see what she can create!

“Some of Mia’s favorite things to draw are suns, flowers, fish, and her toys, but her absolute favorite is to draw all the members of our family. We call these family drawings “Mesamis,” Mia’s dad Meigo says.

Mia’s main inspiration comes from her beautiful, natural environment. She lives in a peaceful village in Vietnam surrounded by rice fields, lush gardens, clear skies, and loving neighbors. You can see many of these elements reflected in Mia’s drawings, which she creates with glitter pens. So far, the aspiring artist has drawn over 100 unique characters – such an imagination!

Meigo added that she was ten months old. Both he and his wife have been working full-time from home. So, for Mia’s whole life so far, the three of them have spent every day together. This gave them ample time to encourage and support the aspiring artist’s abilities. Mia drew on any surface she could find because nothing could stop this creative soul!

“At the age of 1 year and 2 months, Mia started to draw on the walls of our home. We did not stop her but encouraged her and even drew together with her,” Meigo said.

“Then she started to draw with erasable markers on a big whiteboard. She could scribble for hours and fill the entire whiteboard again and again. After that, she fell in love with small, magnetic drawing boards that she carried with her to every place she went.”

This Young Creative Soul Inspires Us With Her Talent

Meigo and his wife then introduced her to paints and brushes, which created a giant mess. Sometimes, her whole face, hands, legs, and clothes were covered in paint. However, they didn’t mind the mess and kept encouraging her along the journey. Because of their support, the aspiring artist created many beautiful paintings at just 1-year-old.

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A post shared by NFT Art by Mia Mai (@nft.mia)

“One very big influence on our daily lives has been classical music. We spend at least 3-6 hours per day listening to classical radio. Basically, we are just living inside the music,” Meigo said. “I am very sure that this has had a huge positive impact on Mia’s sensitivity, development, and creativity.”

Meigo added that while she draws, they encourage her to use both hands in order to develop different areas of the brain. It’s clearly working because Mia exhibits creative intelligence far beyond her years.

“Many people were absolutely skeptical when they saw Mia’s drawings and wrote to us that it’s totally impossible for a 2-year-old to draw like this. Even a few kindergarten teachers and child development experts wrote that it’s not possible,” Meigo said.

We do not doubt that the aspiring artist will blossom into a master of her craft someday. With talent like that, it seems Mia will have a bright future ahead of her!

Seeing how many handmade drawings and paintings Mia’s created, Meigo’s older sister said they should launch an NFT collection. NFTs stand for non-fungible tokens, meaning they’re a unique digital asset that only belongs to the creator. Once you upload them to the NFT marketplace, you can sell the assets to interested buyers.

“That felt like a really great idea, so we bought a very good scanner and started to scan her art. Currently, we have launched 6 NFT collections with over 135 NFTs, but there will be hundreds and hundreds more,” Meigo said.

The Aspiring Artist Draws and Paints Straight from the Heart

Since Meigo’s spent so much time with Mia, he’s witnessed her creating art for hours each day. He says that sometimes, she’ll even wake up in the middle of the night wanting to draw something! They’ve been able to document much of her journey thus far and will continue doing so. One day when Mia becomes a famous artist, she can look back at how far she’s come!

“Luckily for us, we have been filming and photographing Maria Mai’s life and development every single day since her birth. Her daily activities and live drawing videos are all available on her Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages,” Meigo said. “All her art is born from wonder, experimentation, sincere joy, and pure love, and we really hope that her art will also bring some joy to everyone who sees it!”

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A post shared by NFT Art by Mia Mai (@nft.mia)

It’s inspiring to see such a young child with a drive and talent like Mia. Her parents have instilled qualities such as positivity, love, and acceptance in her, which have helped shape Mia’s interests. Meigo and his wife love to paint, so the aspiring artist had the perfect environment to shine. We can’t wait to see what lies in store for this talented toddler!

Meigo finished the video with this kind message: “We are wishing and sending you lots of powerfully positive energies, and inspiration to treat other people, nature, and also yourself, better and better.”

Mia also said: “Thank you for watching! I love you! Goodbye, everyone!”

Final Thoughts on the Talented Toddler with a Knack for Art

Gifted children such as Mia typically start showing signs of their intelligence at a young age. While we all harbor various talents, it’s rare for a 2-year-old to have such artistic capabilities like Mia. Surrounding by natural beauty, classical music, and her artistic parents, the young girl had the ideal environment for creative growth. She loves what she does and will hopefully continue drawing into her adult years!

Even if she doesn’t, it’s inspiring to watch a child’s imagination come to life through creative expression. Her drawings are heartwarming and beautiful, and we hope they brought happiness to your soul!

Study Warns About Traffic Pollution Causing Skyrocketing Pediatric Asthma

February 25, 2022 by Kristen Lawrence

A George Washington University study linked rising pediatric asthma cases to traffic pollution worldwide. They estimate that almost 2 million newly diagnosed pediatric asthma cases trace back to air pollution. Smog poses a problem, especially for large cities worldwide, such as Los Angeles and Mumbai.

The study marks the first to estimate the burden of pediatric asthma cases resulting from traffic pollution in over 13,000 cities.

“Our study found that nitrogen dioxide puts children at risk of developing asthma, and the problem is especially acute in urban areas,” Susan Anenberg, a co-lead author of the article and a professor of environmental and occupational health at the George Washington University, said. “The findings suggest that clean air must be a critical part of strategies aimed at keeping children healthy.”

Anenberg and her team wanted to measure ground concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, or NO2, in particular. This pollutant comes from vehicle exhaust, power plants, and industrial locations.

They also tracked new pediatric asthma cases in children from 2000 until 2019.

Study Warns About Traffic Pollution Causing Skyrocketing Pediatric Asthma

Asthma is a long-term illness that causes narrowing and inflammation of the airways. Asthma affects nearly 6.1 million children under 18 in the US.

The research team highlighted these significant findings from the study:

Two-thirds occurred in cities among the estimated 1.85 million new pediatric asthma cases globally linked to NO2 in 2019.
However, the number of pediatric asthma cases linked to NO2 in cities declined recently. This reduction probably occurred because of stricter air regulations in higher-income countries, such as the US.
Air quality also improved in Europe. Unfortunately, pollution is rising in lower-income countries such as those in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. NO2 pollution, in particular, is a growing problem in these areas.
Pediatric asthma cases attributed to NO2 pollution endanger public health for citizens in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

A prior study by the GW researchers discovered that NO2 contributed to around 13% of global pediatric asthma cases. About 50% of these cases occurred in the 250 most populated cities worldwide. People living near congested roadways and industrial sites are at the highest risk of developing asthma.

Overall, the number of pediatric asthma cases associated with NO2 fell from 20% in 2000 to 16% in 2019. This decline means that initiatives to clean the air in Europe and the US have paid off, particularly for children living with asthma.

Of course, there’s more work ahead for both higher-income countries and developing countries. Low-income areas usually find it challenging to lower dangerous vehicle emissions and other sources of NO2 due to costs and technology constraints.

Urban Air Pollution a Growing Problem Worldwide

In another study by Veronica Southerland at GW, Anenberg and colleagues discovered that urban air pollution caused 1.8 million excess deaths in 2019. This study also found that 86% of adults and children living in cities worldwide get exposed to unsafe levels of fine particulate matter. In fact, pollutant levels often exceed the recommendations from the World Health Organization.

Their paper states: “Despite progress in reducing exposure in some countries, the global health burden of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is increasing annually. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 is associated with premature mortality from various diseases, including cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, lung cancer, and lower respiratory infection. PM2.5 is now the leading environmental contributor to the global burden of disease, rising from being the fifth leading contributor among environmental risk factors in 1990, in part driven by declines in household air pollution and unsafe water and sanitation.”

“Reducing fossil fuel-powered transportation can help children and adults breathe easier and may pay big health dividends, such as fewer cases of pediatric asthma and excess deaths,” Anenberg said. “At the same time, it would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, leading to a healthier climate.”

Six Tips to Protect Yourself from City Air Pollution

If you live in a large city, it’s crucial to reduce your exposure to pollution as much as possible. The American Lung Association offers the following guidelines to reduce pediatric asthma:

Check your local forecasts for daily air pollution levels. This data will tell you if it’s unsafe to go outside or limit your exposure.
Clean your home regularly to reduce indoor air pollution. Avoid wearing shoes inside, as they can track in contaminants from outdoors. Also, don’t allow smoking indoors, and light candles sparingly.
Reduce energy usage in your home. All our appliances and modern conveniences run on electricity, creating air pollution. Consider green energy sources like solar to power your home.
Don’t exercise outdoors when high air pollution is present. Also, if you exercise outside, make sure to avoid high traffic areas. Being around tons of cars will increase your exposure to pollutants.
Consider wearing a mask while outdoors if you live in a megacity or urban area. It may be uncomfortable, but it will protect you somewhat from heavy pollution and smog.
Walk or bike instead of taking a car. Globally, transportation accounts for about 15-20% of greenhouse gas emissions each year. If you have to use a vehicle, opt for a bus or carpool with friends. Reducing the number of cars on the road would make a considerable dent in urban air pollution.

Final Thoughts on Study Linking Air Pollution to Pediatric Asthma

A recent study by George Washington University discovered that air pollution contributes to nearly two million pediatric asthma cases per year. About 50% of cases occur in large urban areas. However, in Europe, the US, and parts of Asia, pediatric asthma is on the decline. Researchers believe that tighter air pollution laws have reduced nitrogen oxide levels in the atmosphere.

While this is undoubtedly good news, we still have a mountain to climb to reduce emissions. Another study found that urban air pollution caused nearly two million deaths globally in 2019.

Researchers say that we need to provide a healthy climate if we want healthy populations. Getting fossil fuel-powered cars off the roads would make a huge difference in lowering air pollution.

Kind Man Grows a Vegetable Garden for His Groundhog Buddy

February 25, 2022 by Kristen Lawrence

When a groundhog began stealing Jeff’s vegetables, he wasn’t too happy at first. After a while, though, the adorable creature grew on him, so Jeff didn’t stop him from partaking in the garden’s bounty. He even named the groundhog Chunk, a very fitting name indeed. He taught Jeff important life lessons while also giving him memories to last a lifetime.

“This whole process taught me how to coexist with the animals. You know, this is their land too; they’re just trying to survive,” Jeff says. “So, if I can have a garden to help them in that, so be it. There’s plenty, you know – I’ll get my share, they’ll have their share – it’s all about coexisting.”

As an avid gardener, Jeff’s been planting a garden each year for the past 25 years. He noticed that with each new harvest, there’s something different to discover in the garden. This time around, his garden, unfortunately, suffered damage on a scale he’s never seen before. To him, it looked like a deer had come along and eaten all the vegetables.

Whatever animal it was, it only took a chunk or two out of each vegetable. Then, it left the remnants on the ground and moved on to the next veggie, repeating the process. Wanting to know the culprit behind the garden sabotage, he decided to set up a motion detection camera.

One day at work, he got a notification, and a groundhog popped up out of nowhere! Surprised, Jeff kept watching as he stared at the camera while gnawing on the delicious vegetables. As the groundhog smacked his lips, thoroughly enjoying his meal, he found the animal quite adorable and innocent.

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A post shared by Chunk The Groundhog (@chunk_the_groundhog)

Kind Man Grows a Vegetable Garden for His Groundhog Buddy

The more he watched the groundhog pop into the camera frame, just staring and eating his food, the more he adored him. The anger Jeff felt in the beginning melted away, and he opened his heart to the animal. He called it a “cuteness overload” that he almost couldn’t handle. So he embraced the experience and continued letting the groundhog feast on his garden.

“They were just so awesome; they would just eat from the garden each day, staring at the camera continually each day. You know, as time went on, it just really made me have a different view of the wildlife,” Jeff recalls. “It was like, this is their home too; they are just trying to live here, just trying to survive. You know, if they’re eating from my garden, oh well.”

He embraced the groundhog so much that he named him Chunk, since he loved taking chunks out of the veggies! Jeff says the most positive takeaway from the experience was his changed view of wildlife. He started to become more aware of the struggles they face each day just to survive.

Seeing them happily eating vegetables in the camera, getting a belly full of nutritious food, made Jeff’s heart swell. He said it felt nice to give them something to eat so they didn’t have to forage for scraps. Plus, they’re getting the highest quality vegetables possible, as Jeff is an organic gardener. Most people who practice organic gardening probably wouldn’t tolerate the groundhog, but Jeff sees him as a friend now.

At the end of the season, they had such an impact on me that I gave them their own garden the following year. So even though I did give them their own garden, they would eat out of mine still. I was okay with that though,” Jeff jokes.

He soon had even more mouths to feed, but his garden provided plenty for them.

“Then the following season it didn’t take long for babies to show up. Yep, Chunk and Nibbles had babies; they had Nugget, Chip and Chibbles. All of them would come out, different times, together sometimes; they would all eat in front of the camera from their own garden and from mine.”

As Jeff’s garden continued to flourish and attract more groundhogs, the need for more efficient management grew. With the increasing number of mouths to feed, transporting additional soil, compost, and mulch became essential for maintaining the garden’s productivity.

Jeff quickly realized that a utility trailer would be the perfect solution for hauling larger quantities of materials without the hassle. After researching options, he came across a reliable dump trailer for sale Ontario, which offered both durability and the ability to quickly unload heavy loads. This new tool allowed him to keep up with the demands of his expanding garden and support the growing community of animals that had become part of his gardening experience.

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A post shared by Chunk The Groundhog (@chunk_the_groundhog)

Interesting Facts About Groundhogs

Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are a member of the rodent family. They’re also one of 14 species of marmot, or ground squirrels, and are the largest animal in the squirrel family.
Groundhogs can eat up to a pound of food in one sitting. No wonder Jeff’s garden always looked like a tornado passed through it!
During the summer and fall, a groundhog’s incisors grow about 1.6mm weekly to accommodate their eating habits. As they hibernate in the winter, they need all the food they can get beforehand.
While they hibernate, a groundhog’s heartbeat slows from 80 beats per minute to just 5 per minute. Their body temperature also drops from around 99F to a frigid 37F.
These rodents eat an herbivorous diet, meaning they survive solely on plants. They eat foods like fruit, veggies, tree bark and grass. They’re well-known for breaking into backyard gardens and stealing food, so many people view them as pests. Well, except Jeff of course!
Groundhogs have a lifespan of three to six years.
They only live in North America, and are mostly found in central Alaska, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Canada.
A groundhog burrow can be up to 6 feet deep and 20 feet wide. They usually keep a burrow in the woods during winter and in grassy areas throughout summer.

Final Thoughts on Jeff and His Adorable Groundhog Friend

Jeff’s story shows the beauty that can unfold when we coexist with nature. Sure, no one likes all their vegetables eaten by wild animals, but look at it from their perspective. They have to forage for hours or days to find just scraps of food. When Jeff realized this, it opened his heart and he didn’t mind sharing his garden with the cute animals.

Perhaps we can all learn a lesson from this story, and share our backyards with the critters that stop by. Just because we have the highest intelligence of any animal, doesn’t mean we should look down upon others. We all have to share this planet somehow, so why not make it easier on the tiny creatures among us?

Japanese Study Proves That Chewing Slowly Improves Health

February 25, 2022 by Kristen Lawrence

A new Japanese study reveals that chewing food slowly benefits health in various ways. In today’s fast-paced life, many people eat their meals in a rushed, stressful manner. However, ancient cultures knew the importance of being mindful while eating and expressing gratitude for their food.

Aside from the mental benefits, chewing slowly improves physical wellbeing also. Various scientific studies have shown how eating mindfully and savoring the experience help prevent obesity and weight gain.

Usually, the chewing process increases the energy expenditure associated with metabolizing food. It also enhances intestinal motility, which helps improve the heat generated in the body while digesting food. This process is known as diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT).

However, scientists couldn’t determine how chewing slowly triggers DIT in the body before this study. Recently, Dr. Yuka Hamada and Professor Naoyuki Hayashi from Waseda University, Japan, began researching the mechanism behind this process. They’ve published the study proving the correlation between chewing and DIT in the journal Scientific Reports.

DIT, otherwise known as the thermic effect of food consumption, boosts energy expenditure above the basal fasting level. This factor helps prevent weight gain since it increases metabolism. Previously, the team discovered that slow eating and thorough chewing enhanced DIT and increased blood circulation in the splanchnic region of the abdomen.

While these studies linked slow chewing with increased digestion and absorption of nutrients, a few questions were left unanswered.

Hayashi explains, “We were unsure whether the size of the food bolus that entered the digestive tract contributed to the increase in DIT observed after slow eating. Also, do oral stimuli generated during prolonged chewing of food play any role in increasing DIT? To define slow chewing as an effective and scientific weight management strategy, we needed to look deeper into these aspects.”

Japanese Study Proves That Chewing Slowly Improves Health

To discover the answers, the team designed their recent study to include only liquid food, thus excluding the effects of the food bolus. A food bolus starts as a small, round food mass in the mouth during the early stages of digestion.

The study included three trials conducted at different times. Researchers asked volunteers to swallow 20-mL liquid test food usually every 30 seconds in the control trial. The volunteers kept the liquid food in their mouths for thirty seconds without chewing in the second trial. This allowed them to taste the food for a more extended period before swallowing.

Finally, in the third trial, they studied how chewing and tasting impacted metabolism and blood circulation. The volunteers chewed the liquid food for 30 seconds at once per second before swallowing it. The research team measured hunger and fullness levels, gas-exchange variables, DIT, and splanchnic circulation before and after volunteers drank the liquid.

The researchers gained great understanding from the results of their study. They found that no difference occurred in hunger and fullness scores throughout the trials.

However, as Hayashi describes:

“We found DIT or energy production increased after consuming a meal, and it increased with the duration of each taste stimulation and the duration of chewing. This means irrespective of the influence of the food bolus, oral stimuli, corresponding to the duration of tasting food in the mouth and the duration of chewing, increased DIT.”

The longer the participants chewed and tasted their food, the greater the gas exchange and protein oxidation. Also, blood flow in the splanchnic celiac artery increased. Since this crucial artery supplies the digestive organs with blood, the upper gastrointestinal tract showed a more significant response to chewing.

So, the study proved that chewing more slowly can help prevent metabolic syndrome and weight gain by boosting energy expenditure. In other words, slowing down while you eat uses more energy, therefore staving off obesity and other weight-related problems.

Hayashi concludes, “While the difference in energy expenditure per meal is small, the cumulative effect gathered during multiple meals, taken over every day and 365 days a year, is substantial.”

The team believes that slow eating and thorough chewing could provide simple solutions for weight management moving forward.

How to Practice Mindful Eating

Proper food nourishes the body with essential nutrients and induces a relaxed mind. Yogis refer to these foods as sattvic, as they instill the body and mind with positive, balanced energy. These foods include fresh, whole foods like fruits, nuts, seeds, and grains.

Once you establish the proper diet to induce balance in your life, mindful eating will become second nature. Fresh foods have many subtle flavors we often miss in our modern diets. However, once you get back to the source and eat from nature, you will start noticing these vibrant, enriching flavors.

These basic principles will help you become more mindful while you eat:

Eat in a calm, quiet environment. To practice mindfulness while eating, you need a relaxing atmosphere. Turn off the TV and other electronics and avoid talking while you eat. Instead, focus on how the food tastes and savor each bite. This mindfulness will help you slow down while eating and enhance the experience overall.
Listen to your body and stop eating when you’re full. When you eat whole foods, it’s easy to recognize your hunger and fullness cues. As these foods have more volume, you will remain fuller for more extended periods.
Practice gratitude. How often do we say thanks for the food we eat? Feeling grateful for the food on your plate is a critical tenet in the practice of mindful eating. Appreciating your food will help you become more conscious of your feelings and expand your awareness in every facet of life.

Final Thoughts on Study Showing How Slow Chewing Impacts Health

A Japanese study linked slow, thorough chewing with a decreased risk of developing obesity and metabolic syndrome. The scientists found that chewing slowly increases diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT), which means your body uses more energy during digestion. This not only increases your metabolism but boosts blood circulation and nutrient absorption.

Perhaps to end our obesity epidemic, we need only slow down and become more intuitive while we eat. Before modern life, cultures across the world considered eating a spiritual experience. It’s time we bring back the old ways and begin healing our planet, starting with each one of us.

Weekly tips, affirmations, and small actions to feel your best.

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