Tag Archive for: anxiety

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Image of a person holding a smart phone with the blog title: How to be less happy and more anxious

How to Be Less Happy and More Anxious

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Image of a person holding a smart phone with the blog title: How to be less happy and more anxious

Is your smartphone making you less happy and more anxious? George & Mary-Lynn discuss a study that says it does on The BIGG Success Show.

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Thanks to smartphones, we are constantly connected to our friends, our family, and our work. As a result, we are less happy and more anxious.

A  Kent State University study of college students shows those who spend hours each day online, texting or talking on cellphones are more anxious, less happy and get lower grades. The students who were “less addicted” to checking their phones were better off.

Speaking of addiction, another study shows that many people suffer from anxiety if they lose or forget their phone, even if only for a few minutes. That rush of anxiety and fear some feel once they realize their disconnected is called nomophobia -as in no-mo(bile) phone-phobia.

How do we break our addiction to technology? It won’t be easy.  People are checking them everywhere: while watching TV, at the movies, at the dinner table, in church, in bed, and while driving.

How to Feel Happier and Less Anxious

Do we really have to talk, text,  or post so much? No we don’t.

Andrew Lepp, one of the researchers in the Kent State study says, “You need time to be alone with your thoughts, and recover from the daily stressors in a way that doesn’t involve electronic media.”

Ways to Disconnect:

  • Meditate
  • Go for a walk without your headphones
  • Read an old-fashioned hardback book
  • Do some household chores
  • Journal with pen and paper

Quiet time lets your mind rest. Stress diminishes, attention and memory improve, endorphins are released. Your creative process is allowed to work. You can explore meaningful thoughts which can provide important direction in your life.

Use this time to refresh, and realize it will take practice to achieve. To get started, try to dedicate at least fifteen minutes a day for quiet time. Keep track of the days you do this. Pay attention to your stress levels on the days you unplug, versus the days you don’t.

It’s your choice! You can be constantly connected and feel less happy and more anxious. Or, you can disconnect for a short time every day to feel happier and more at ease, which leads to BIGG Success!

Will you commit to disconnecting daily? What will you do with your quiet time?

Direct link to The BIGG Success Show audio file | podcast:
https://traffic.libsyn.com/biggsuccess/01152-052924.mp3

4 Signs It’s Time to Abandon Ship

4 Signs It’s Time to Abandon Ship

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4 Signs It’s Time to Abandon Ship

We hear it all the time, successful people stick to it. They don’t give up. They try, try again. But sometimes in spite of all that effort, success is still elusive. What should you do? It may be time to abandon ship!

Click the player to listen to this episode of The BIGG Success podcast. Find the summary below.

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In our last podcast, we said that persistence is the single most important ingredient for your success. If you persist long enough, you’re sure to succeed! However, you have to be smart about it. There are 4 signs it’s time to abandon ship – some are internal and external.

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Man rolling large wheel uphill with the blog title 2 ways to endure tough times

3 Ways to Endure Tough Times

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Man rolling large wheel uphill with the blog title 2 ways to endure tough times

When tough times bring stress and anxiety, use these three attitudes to improve your mindset and take on the challenge.

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Tough times, stress, anxiety, financial worries, how do you deal with it? Hear us discuss three attitudes that will help on The BIGG Success Show Here’s a summary of that discussion.

During tough times, especially tough economic times, business owners and individuals feel a LOT of anxiety over things like incoming bills and meeting payroll. To add to that you’ve got all this uncertainty…one day the stock market’s way up, the next it’s way down.

There’s a lot of things you can do in tough times – especially tough economic times – but there’s a few that we’re going to zero in on today that will help you persevere in any tough situation.

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I Get Anxious Before an Interview. How Do I Relax?

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Bigg Challenge
Kelly e-mailed us because she gets overly nervous about job interviews. She wants to know how to get over it before her upcoming interviews. 

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Bigg Advice
It’s natural to get nervous when you interview. Here are some key things you can do to overcome your anxiety. Before the interview It boils down to self-confidence, which largely comes from preparation. There are three ways you should prepare:

Before the interview
It boils down to self-confidence, which largely comes from preparation. There are three ways you should prepare:

#1 – Research
Get information about the industry and the specific company. If they’re a public company, you’ll find a lot of information available. If not, you can still check out their web site and search the internet to see what you can learn. Also, check your local library.

Try to learn more about the person or persons with whom you’ll be talking. Once again, Google them. Also, check out social media sites like Facebook and Linked In to see what you learn.

#2 – Questions and answers
Think about the questions they might ask and prepare your answers. Reflect upon your past interviews for some clues. Also talk to friends who have interviewed recently. And if you have friends in human resources or management, get some hints from them.

As you think about how you’ll answer the questions, focus on what makes you unique. Everyone says they’re a “good people person”. Think “you” – how will hiring you benefit them? Give specific examples from your past that show what you can do.

#3 – Rehearse
Practice in front of a mirror until you’re happy with what you’re saying and how you’re saying it. Also, set up a friend with flash cards so you can do some role playing.

If that friend is in human resources or management, so much the better. If you don’t know anyone like that, find a friend who’s a successful interviewee with whom to practice.

During the interview
You’re prepared and the bigg day is upon you. Now put yourself in the right frame of mind. Keep in mind that a little bit of anxiety is good – it will make you sharper.

On the show, Mary-Lynn said that a good friend of hers gave her some great advice the day before a bigg interview

Take deep breaths and believe in yourself.

Give yourself a positive affirmation as you’re walking in. You can do it – you’re fully prepared!

As the interview starts, focus only on the conversation at that moment. Don’t worry about anything from the past. Don’t try to anticipate upcoming questions. Deal with one question at a time.

And remember, it’s just a conversation. Pretend it’s a good friend and you’re telling him or her all about the work you’ve done, the work you want to do, and why you should be hired.

Finally, remember they have to sell you, too. You’re investigating a job opportunity. This may not be the right one. You’re there to learn about them and let them know how great you are! That’s all!

Thanks, Kelly. We know you’ll do great!

If you have a bigg challenge, send it our way bigginfo@biggsuccess.com,

Our bigg quote today comes from Beyonce Knowles:

“I get nervous when I don’t get nervous. If I’m
nervous, I know I’m going to have a good show.”

Turn your nervousness about nervousness upside down so when it’s show time, you’ll be a star!

Next time, we’ll look at how two great coaches built their winning teams. Until then, here’s to your bigg success!

 

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9 Presentation Tips to Make You a Star

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rockstar

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Performing live didn’t bother Dean Martin at all. On the other hand, Frank Sinatra got quite nervous before shows. One night, right before a show, Dean noticed Frank’s anxiety again. Dean said, “Why are you so nervous, Frank? It’s just singing!”

Some people would rather walk on a bed of hot coals than make a public presentation. But it’s just speaking! Getting good at presentations is a sure-fire career builder. Just be prepared going in! 

#1 – Define your purpose.
What is the desired outcome of your presentation? Know this before you do anything else. You’ll make a lot of choices as you build a great presentation; know your purpose so you make better decisions.

#2 – Know your audience.
What’s their background? What are their preferences? What has worked well for people who have made presentations to them before? What didn’t work? Design your presentation for their needs and wants.

#3 – Develop the appropriate collateral materials.
With your purpose, audience, and content in mind, develop needed support materials.  For example, believe it or not, some people hate PowerPoint presentations. If you know that in advance, you might use flip charts or some other tool instead.

#4 – Develop a back-up plan.
Ask yourself, “What could go wrong?” For example, we’ve all witnessed technical difficulties. Prepare for it in advance. Your show must go on!

#5 – Plan for interaction.
Think about questions and comments that might arise. In some cases, you’ll respond on-the-spot. In others, you may defer to a follow-up discussion. Some questions or comments may not be relevant. In all cases, know how you’ll stay on track.

#6 – Put yourself in the role.
Refer to our blog, 24 The Role of Role Playing]. Rehearse by yourself, but also find someone who will listen to your presentation and follow-up with questions.

#7 – Focus on making a connection.
Seek to build trust. Make eye contact. Relax. Just plan on having a conversation so the real you shines through.

#8 – Don’t waste time.
A little small talk goes a long way. Get to your points early. Stay on point. Allow us to elaborate …

Whoops! We just about went against our own advice!

#9 – Call for action.
You started by determining your purpose. Now we’ve come full circle. Fulfill your mission by asking your audience to do what you set out to accomplish.

So keep these points handy. The next time you’re asked to present, review them, apply them, and you’ll be a star!

Our bigg quote today is by Philip Crosby.

“No one can remember more than three points.”

Wow, we just did nine points. Good thing our readers are three times smarter than no one!

Next time, we’ll talk about how to be rich today. Except we guess it will actually be tomorrow! Until then, here’s to your bigg success!

 

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