Category: Best Self

Are you a scanner? And how to cope if you are.

Here’s a post originally published in 2014 but I think that some people may find it a help…

So here’s a question for you, have you heard of the term “scanner” when it comes to describing someone’s personality?

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No? But I’m sure that you’ve heard the variants such as multi-passionate and multi-potential which have become somewhat buzz words of late.

But the term scanner was coined by Barbara Sher who describes this personality type as:

“People who love to read and write, to fix and invent things, to design projects and businesses, to cook and sing, and to create the perfect dinner party. (You’ll notice I didn’t use the word “or,” because Scanners don’t love to do one thing or the other; they love them all.)” 

Well, this is me down to a tee. I’m constantly digging, scheming and dreaming. I’ve known about this term for quite a while and you know what? I’ve learned to embraced it.

And I’m not alone!

I’ve had quite a few careers jobs in my young(isn) life (call centre agent, sales, talent agent, event planner, public relations, small business owner, journalist etc) AND alongside a vast range of interests and willingness to try new things has meant that I’ve often been branded unfocussed and scatty…

But as the New York based author says: “A scanner is GENETICALLY wired to be fanatically interested in multiple things at once.”

You hear that? It’s genetically wired.

But scanners have a major problem. We become bored and go off on tangents and we think it’s bad that we keep quitting things and moving on. Something which Sher thinks we should stop feeling bad about and instead start having fun with. We also tend to doubt ourselves because we fail to decide on just one career path which then leads to worrying that we could be getting it wrong which then leads to the frantic need to focus.

But before you start thinking that procrastination habit is OK, not everyone is a scanner. There are people who jump from idea to idea that do so because they actually can’t make up their mind about what they want to do or have other reasons for doing so. Continue reading “Are you a scanner? And how to cope if you are.”

How To Stay Positive

When things are stacking up against you, I know how hard it can be to stay positive. Even if things seem like they are going well, sometimes all it takes is just one trigger for all that positivity and confidence to simply fall apart.

How to stay

I remember when I failed my driving test(s). The first time, I accepted that it was just one of those things, the second and third however, I did the grown up thing and just took myself to bed. Did it help? For about 5 minutes yes! But eventually, you have to get up and face the world so you may as well do that sooner than later.

Staying positive isn’t easy. It’s actually pretty hard work, our brains are hard wired to look for threats and when it finds one, it focuses on it. Threats can be perceived by the brain as being something as simple as worrying about a deadline – so you can be sure it happens to everyone.

There are times when you have to consciously choose to stay positive and you can train your brain to do so…

Here are three tips on training your brain to stay in positive mode…

Be Grateful.

Everyone is going to be faced by challenges whether it’s on a daily basis or once in a blue moon, we all have to deal with different shit. However, when things are going well, and there are positive things around you – it’s important to stop and take stock of these moments. Even if it’s something as small as having a choccie biscuit with your cup of tea.

Reflecting on the positive events in your life helps your brain store these moments up. Consider keeping a gratitude journal where you can write down your blessings as and when they come. Or maybe make it a weekly ritual that you start to document all the great things that you’ve actually got going on in your life. It doesn’t have to be long, drawn out essays, just keep it short, sweet and to the point.

Use affirmations.

Affirmations work on the basis that the more you hear something, the more you’re likely to believe it’s true. So if you’ve got a self confidence issue, standing in front of the mirror and telling yourself that you are worthy – works!

Try to chose at least two affirmations that represent you, your ethos and your goals.

I love this one from Tiny Buddah…

Keep your head up and your heart open.

Repeating your positive affirmations will help you make sense of and handle negative aspects of your life.

Don’t give in to negative thoughts

After my car accident earlier this year I had a week where I just felt awful. Not just in a physical sense but about everything. I didn’t want to get up, didn’t want to work and I didn’t want to even leave the house. I had to force myself to quit moping, get up and just get on with things.

Our brains zone in on negative thoughts, they expand them and can (at times) blow them out of all proportion. If you’re constantly worrying about something, those negative thoughts become bigger and badder.

A good tip I discovered was to try and distance yourself from the negative thoughts and look at them from an outsiders point of view. Observe it and then take practical steps to actually solving the problem.

So for example: rather than thinking “I’m a failure” try looking at it from the point of view of “I’ve worked really hard, this hasn’t worked out because of XYZ so what can I do to achieve my goal on the next attempt”.

It’s not easy to do but if you keep at it then you’ll start to look at things in a completely different way.

How do you stay positive?

image credit flickr

Are You A Morning Person? Setting Up a Morning Routine

There’s a really interesting article you should check out from Michael Hyatt who gives guidance on becoming a morning person. Apparently morning people make more money, are more productive, live a healthier, longer lives and are happier…

This is all down to creating a morning routine for yourself and one of my resolutions this year was to set a morning routine. Nothing over the top just simple things that would mean my day would get off to a roaring start.
morning-routine

image via StyleSaint.com

I’ve been a big fan of doing my to-do list the night before for a while. I find if I fail to write down what it is that I need to do the night before, I spend most of the day coasting, aimlessly going from project to project (or worse from twitter to facebook) and achieving nothing!

Working from home I think its imperative to have routines, so that the work/home life doesn’t blur (or at least doesn’t blur as much because there is and always will be an overlap).

But I’m also fascinated by other people’s routines (something I’ll be posting more about in the future)…

Leo from Zen Habits shared his routine: Continue reading “Are You A Morning Person? Setting Up a Morning Routine”

5 Ways To Recharge Your Spiritual Batteries

Majorca 2013
I know it’s only Tuesday but I bet that there are a fair few of us craving Friday already.

That’s the trouble with our modern life, it leaves us feel drained, tired and as though we are in need of a good spiritual battery recharge. We often push ourselves to the limit leaving us on the verge of snapping, which proves that there’s only so much we can take before we HAVE to have a break.

So if you’re feeling physically, mentally or digitally exhausted then try these simple ways of recharging your batteries…

Get Some Sleep…
I know that it’s a cliche but if you’re lacking sleep it’ll affect you in more ways than you think. Lack of sleep may have an effect on your weight, can cause serious illness, make you feel grumpy and depressed and quite frankly can dumb you down. Who wants that? We’re all guilty of not getting enough sleep so make a promise to yourself to go to bed just half an hour earlier than usual and you’ll notice a difference.

Continue reading “5 Ways To Recharge Your Spiritual Batteries”

Decide on your rules and then stick to them…

Today my good friend Deborah Lee wrote an excellent post all about working for free. I’ve wrote about the same thing on this blog and I’ve publicly condemned those who think it’s ok to expect creatives to work for nothing.

But today something struck me. Since the end of last year, I changed the way I started working. I discovered what I was worth, decided on how much my services cost and I stuck to it. Anyone who didn’t want to pay or suggested that my quotes were too expensive, clearly didn’t want to work with me. So I wished them well and just moved on. I didn’t change my pricing or scuttle around trying to appease someone who’d already told me that they didn’t think my work was amount that I was asking.

Graffiti with Soul

And you know what? It’s worked. I finally set my rules for working and it has totally changed the way I work. I’m happier, I work with people who I like working with and its a nice feeling knowing my clients respect me enough to know that I’m worth the rates I charge.

Which makes me think about what other rules we need to set in life.

For example time. Time is another commodity that we take way too lightly. People will think nothing of suggesting a quick coffee Continue reading “Decide on your rules and then stick to them…”

Time to take a bath…

We live in a crazy, crazy world.

I don’t know about you but I find it so difficult to switch off. I seem unable to just shut down the computer and walk away. My iPhone or iPad is constantly on googling, reading, emailing etc…It takes a lot of time (and self control) for me to be able to unwind and switch myself in to relax mode.

But one way I find instantly relaxes me is by taking a long, hot bath. I suspect it relaxes me so much because being number one in the clumsy league the idea of taking my iPhone in the bath is a dangerous one. So really it’s the only time (aside from driving but then bluetooth in my car has put a stop to that one) where I can shut out the outside world and be alone.  I’ve just always loved baths, maybe it’s because I’m a Pisces and have a natural affiliation with the water or maybe because there’s just something incredibly indulgent about having a bath.

But the best thing about baths is that they are incredibly good for you – mentally and physically.

Dr. Michael R. Irwin, director of UCLA’s Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology says “When you become present in the moment, a profound relaxation occurs. It actually resets your physiology, regulates some stress hormones, helps with concentration and reduces tension”

When it comes to the physical aspect, taking a bath helps you sleep better, eases skin problems and soothes sore muscles. But you knew that right?

If you’re like me and you love a hot, scented, bubble induced soak here is a great DIY bath soak that will draw out the toxins, lower your stress related hormones, balance your PH levels and help your sleep soundly…

bath detox...

Ole Henriksen recommends soaking in a bath at least once a week to ease common upper back and shoulder tension. To replicate the spa bathing experience at home, he suggests indulging with candles, calming refreshments, soft music and a rolled-up towel for neck support. Add Epsom salt to help take out the body’s stress and strain, a cup of powdered milk and your favorite essential oil blend. Henriksen uses lavender to calm, and rosemary and eucalyptus for aching muscles. Soak, close your eyes, meditate, relax.

Suzi Grant wrote 48 Hours to a Healthier Life and gave a savvy guide on what’s the best bath concoction and how long you should stay in it… Continue reading “Time to take a bath…”

Do One Thing: Kick Off Your Shoes and Earth.

Question for you…when was the last time that you walked across the grass without your shoes on?


I don’t know about you but I can’t say my sleep patterns are fantastic. I’m a good sleeper but I can’t remember the last time when I woke up feeling fully refreshed. I don’t think the increase of gadgets in my life helps matters, I work on a computer – a lot. I try my best to use a notepad when it comes to making notes to give myself a chance to get away from staring at a screen but in the evenings I’ll relax by watching some tv or a movie and even my books and magazines are now shown on a screen.

It’s technology overload.

So I was fascinated last week to read an article on how we’re all wearing rubber shoes these days and not connecting to the earth and that’s having an effect on our health.

Bear with me, the technology link up is coming very soon.

Now, I hate wearing shoes. If I’m at home or in the garden the first thing that comes off is my shoes (followed very closely by my bra, unless I’ve got company). There’s something so satisfying about feeling the air around your feet. But I do have a LOT of devices around me at all times.

Now, because of our shoe wearing habit and wiith all our energy, wi-fi, tv’s, mobile phones etc, we, as humans build up positive electrons and with our rubber sole shoes we’re not expelling that energy…just storing it up.

Put simply…the earth has a negative grounding charge.

To be able to rid ourselves of this build up of electrons, which can cause health problems such as poor sleep pattern, we need to earth. Much like you would when you’re sorting the electrics, you need to ground your body to the earth and doing so is SO simple. Walking barefoot on the grass, sand or in the sea will connect your body with the earth, returning the voltage to zero helping us feel calm, sleep better and have a positive impact on our health.

You see, our skin is a good conductor so that means that you can connect any part of your body with the earth (not just your feet) and still technically be earthed but it’s worth noting that right in the middle of the ball of your foot; is a point known to acupuncturists as Kidney 1…and what are kidneys there for? Flushing the toxins. So by using your feet to connect to the earth will give particularly good results.

Health Benefits of Grounding/Earthing Continue reading “Do One Thing: Kick Off Your Shoes and Earth.”

The power of positivity…

One thing I try to do is surround myself with positive people. I don’t mean the type of people who are so happy that they border on fake and have no authenticity but people who are positive, exciting, inspirational and solutions people.

You know the type – the ones you can call to discuss a problem and by the end of the conversation you’ve come up a million ideas to set the world on fire. Figuratively speaking.

Source: flickr.com via Renee on Pinterest

 

I’m telling you this because I downloaded the wonderful e-book from In Spaces Between. The first page “surround yourself with passionate people” hooked me in immediately.  It reminded me of the Oprah quote above – to only surround yourself with people who are going to take you higher. Continue reading “The power of positivity…”