Written by: Anne Ward, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. What if I told you that by holding on you are blocking yourself from moving forward? Let go of all expectations and learn to live as the flow of the river. You can not control what comes but you can control your response. Learn to release your hopes and dreams into the universe and then listen to the signs that direct you to the path of success. Let go of the need to have and want to obtain and learn to accept and be grateful for all that you are and all that you can be. In this way of living, we open ourselves up to the potential. That potential will bloom if taken care of as a plant needs water our potential needs faith. Faith in ourselves and faith in belief. Let go of the anger and jealousy that follows. Release all negative thoughts and ideas into mother earth. Ask her to transmute this into love and positivity. Let go of the hurt, however, remember the lesson that came with it whether this is from a relationship, employment, friendship, or foe. There is always a positive in the lesson if we only open our eyes and ears to see it. Let go of the stubbornness, let ourselves be humble. Don’t underestimate the power of listening. Through our ears, we learn so much more than through stubborn behaviors refusing to hear. We can learn from the smallest of sounds to the greatest of lectures. Let go of the need to know and embrace the ability to learn. Through learning comes growth, and through growth comes abundance. Let go of the sadness and enjoy the pleasures the memory brings. Through joy comes living, comes laughter and love. In these moments we raise our energy levels to that of accepting the abundance granted to us. Laughter is the most healing sound and feeling. Through laughter, we can heal our minds, body, and soul. Let go of the frustration and grasp onto the understanding of action. When we are frustrated, we tend to flow down the river of thought. The thoughts that hold us down, that compare us to others, and block us from expanding our minds. Instead, if we learn why we are frustrated and positively manage our emotions, then we will obtain the lesson and grow toward our better selves. Let go of the desire and ask the universe to give the best result for our wants. Trust that the universe hears you and knows what it is you need. Listen to your dreams as often the action comes out in a play of our minds. The universe will speak when we are silent. During this time, we gain the most knowledge of the next steps to gain what it is we seek. Let go of the façade that you try to portray and live your best life. Live a life being true to yourself, your values, morals, and your journey. Let go of the need to impress and walk the path you came to walk. Others will always find a reason to talk or judge, that is theirs to own not yours to carry. Live a life that allows you to walk with your head held high, no matter what be true to your chore being. In this existence, we allow ourselves to experience our best lives. One of many rewards, lessons, and experiences. In living, we are truly alive. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Anne! Anne Ward, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine ​Anne Ward is dedicated to teaching individuals lifelong skills to better themselves. Anne has a proven record of helping her clients to live a more positive and balanced life through the use of specific tools that can be applied to any situation they may face. Anne’s goal is to help people be the best they can be with the resources and power they host within themselves. Anne will offer an intuitive ear and gentle guidance to clients as they work through areas of their life that they want to improve. Anne is a fantastic professional.

Written by: Frank Spevak, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. There is a way to make better and faster decisions. Seems incredible, right? Not really. Anyone can do it. There is some good news and there is some bad news. First, some of the bad news. The pandemic isn’t over. When it’s over, something else will take its place. There is a minor crisis every 3 to 5 years. There’s a major crisis every 8 to 12 years. We tend to remember the time after the crisis and not what lead up to the crisis or what it was like during the crisis. A crisis in one market may not affect you in your market right now but the next one might. Now for some of the good news. Most everyone survived the pandemic. There were lots and lots of learning opportunities if you took the time to understand them. We had the ability to examine and readjust our businesses. We were able to get rid of bad business and or bad employees. Usually, there is a long period of growth following a crisis. There is a hard reality that exists, and the pandemic proved out this principle. Those companies that can adapt, make good decisions with greater confidence, speed, and follow up, will survive. Those that don’t ‒ DIE. The ability to adapt, adjust, or pivot lies in the ability to improve how you make decisions. I have found a way to make better and faster decisions. Seems incredible, right? Not really. The key to this newfound ability is that you have to get comfortable with VUCA ‒ Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. Each of these elements exist all around us even when we can’t or won’t see them. Each of these elements can change up or down in connection with the others or change independently of the others. Each of these elements can and will play with your mental calculations and your emotions. So how do you get comfortable with VUCA? By gathering information not just data. Data are various facts and numbers. Information is developed when you understand the context of the data and how it is properly applied to your situation. You need to openly share that information with your team and do it by letting them know your level of comfort. It is not just you that need to get comfortable. You need to gauge the team’s level of comfort. You can have different levels of comfort, but you need to be honest with them and they need to be honest in return. Over the years, I have worked with engineers and physicists, and they like to have lots of data, not necessarily information. They get comfortable in the volume of data. But it is the actual information you draw from the data that is key. You don’t have to have 100% of any and all conceivable amount of data to create meaningful information that can lead to better and faster decision-making. There is another way to get comfortable with VUCA. By creating frameworks and processes for decision-making and action. By creating frameworks and processes for all decisions, you are better prepared for all types of decisions. Frameworks and processes are used to learn how to frame the problem. You learn how to understand the context of the problem. You learn which problem you’re actually trying to solve and only work on that particular problem. You learn deadlines and decision rights and constraints. Step 1 – Framing the issue The first step in this whole framework and process decision-making is finding out exactly what needs to be decided. Write out the issue. What are the symptoms? Where do these symptoms point? Take the symptoms out of the equation. Then reframe what you wrote. Rewriting or editing helps you discover more about the real problem at hand. And is this a singular problem or part of a system? As my friend Bill Spohn, CEO of TruTech Tools pointed out recently – “simplicity”. Take on only the one problem and then complete the process. You also want to determine if you are trying to find a problem to fit a solution you already have? Think about the drill that is being sold. Is it a problem with the drill or is it with the hole being drilled or the bookshelf that you are trying to attach to the wall? Which part of that string are you trying to solve? Step 2 – Constraints The next step is to determine what constraints exist for the problem. Constraints are actually a good thing. It gives you boundaries within which to work. If it were unlimited funds and an indefinite timeline, all things are possible, but you may spend so much money you go bankrupt and you never get the product out. What good is that? So, you need to be somewhat precise in understanding the constraints you have to deal with. Is it money? Is it time? Is it the location where you are or where the customer is? is it people? And is it the customer? Step 3 – Decision Rights From there, you need to understand decision rights. Who is the ultimate decision maker? Or is the committee the decision maker? Who really needs to be involved in the decision-making? Is the decision maker part of the committee? Is consensus good enough or does it need to be 100%? If the decision maker is not in at the beginning, then they weaken their decision-making stance. Is he or she comfortable with that? You need to be honest about who can decide what and when. Step 4 – Information A big stumbling block, as I alluded to near the beginning is data and information. Understand that they are very different things. Data without context is meaningless. Information cannot be developed without data. What data do you have? What data do you need? What data do you really, REALLY need? How much data is good enough to make a decision? Jeff Bezos says that 70% is good enough. Some financial decisions may need more data and information, but you will never get or need 100%. The whole point of understanding how much data is good enough comes down to the losses you experience when you chase data. You waste time. You waste money. And most importantly, you waste opportunity. Step 5 – Testing your decisions As you start developing solutions you need to screen them through different perspectives. Each time you need to look at it from the customer’s perspective, your company’s perspective, and any other stakeholders who might be involved. Start testing your decisions and your solutions. You do this in a few different ways. Talk to people with at least three diverse backgrounds. Talk to someone you trust and can speak candidly. Talk to someone who always disagrees with you. Talk to someone who has no experience with the issue. And talk to someone from a different part of your organization. Criticism isn’t easy to hear but you need to be open to it. To do that there are a few things to consider. You need to make it easy for people to question your solution. What are three ways the solution might fail? Who will disagree with you and why? What is the biggest obstacle to making it work? What are your blind spots? And ask yourself, “what am I missing?” As you consider your different solutions there are first-order consequences as well as second and third-order consequences. When the decision is made, what possible consequences can take place? What possible consequences can take place after the first-order consequences? And then what are the possible effects on the third order of the decision. It gets murkier the further down you go, but it can help you answering objections and problems that might come up. And with any decision you make, you need to understand what customers might think and do? What might your competitors think and do? What might your employees think and do? What might your suppliers think and do? Decision Making Traps Within all of this decision-making and developing frameworks and processes you need to avoid the various traps that can exist to sink any possible solution no matter how good. How do you avoid these traps? The ultimate decision maker needs to be in at the beginning. Beware of leaders and experts because sometimes they can become too focused on their expertise or a desired outcome to properly consider alternatives. Don’t let people go along to get along. Don’t let people decide prematurely. Make them wait until everything has been discussed. And most importantly - beware of grandstanders. These are people that will come in at the last minute with what seems like an incredible solution and have not been involved in the discussions that have taken place so far. It seems like there are a lot of steps to do. The first time you do it, it will seem like far more than you are usually used to dealing with making a decision. And that is good, because you want to make better decisions, right? As you get used to framing issues, collecting data, creating information, constraints, decision rights, developing solutions, and testing your solutions, you will get better and faster. This whole idea of decision-making and frameworks and processes came up to a small business owner with just a few employees. He asked how could he employ these frameworks and processes on every decision when it was just a couple of people there? My response was that no matter the size of a company, no matter the size of the decision, going through the exercises of these steps each time will make each and every decision better and over time you will do it with more speed and confidence. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Frank! Frank Spevak, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Frank Spevak helps entrepreneurs improve productivity, increase profit, and achieve peace of mind for themselves and their business by evaluating their business operations, and maximizing brand and marketing opportunities. It all started when Frank realized that street smarts and luck can carry you only so far. Formal education doesn't necessarily mean that you learn the lessons of running a successful business. Frank's success comes from his passion for lifelong learning. That lifelong learning has helped him in the company after company, to build business strategies and innovation programs to take companies to the next level. Coming up through the ranks of sales and marketing developed a deeper understanding and the importance of creating a strong brand and comprehensive marketing programs to ensure success for the business and the owner. Before running his own business, Frank was a senior executive and worked as Chief Marketing and Sales Officer of a successful multi-million-dollar technology manufacturing and distributing company in Minnesota. Nowadays you’ll find Frank writing, speaking, and riding around the country on his Harley–all while coaching, serving clients, and providing practical and buzzword-free learning.

Written by: Gail Kauranen Jones, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I have a different take on Breast Cancer Awareness Month, both as a survivor and as an intuitive coach who took a deep dive for 10 years in healing my mind, body, and soul. While I appreciate all the stories and research related to breast cancer, there are some key emotional components of the disease that often overlooked. For example, I learned from three different healers that claiming one’s worthiness to live can potentially extend longevity. Many of us (and not just those dealing with cancer) have a subconscious death wish when life becomes too challenging. Note I said “subconscious.” We often don’t know we carry this internal saboteur. I was so impacted by this insight that I rebranded my 20-year coaching business (once called Support Matters) around worthiness. I began seeing when I helped clients reclaim their innate worthiness that their lives changed in many significant ways beyond improved health. Learn more here. Another part of the cancer healing story that helps immensely is learning to shift your energy by creating a new mindset. The body has an innate ability to heal, and we can connect to that power through rewiring the brain for optimal outcomes, and spending time in solitude listening for guidance and resting. The body heals best in a restful state. Caring for yourself and others through cancer: Here are a few other unique insights and resources about prevention, as well as healing and supporting someone through cancer: Whether one uses conventional or alternative medicine, or a combination of both as I did, one needs to release the emotional stressors that may have contributed to the disease. (That’s what I do as a coach using EFT-Emotional Freedom Technique, which is an energy psychology tool endorsed by many doctors. I also employ other skills I learned training with Dr. Joe Dispenza, world renowned for his work in neuroscience, using the mind to heal the body.). Chemotherapy, radiation, and other drugs, however helpful they may be to some, don’t release the stressors. Learn more in my book, Cancer as a Love Story: Developing the Mindset for Living. Most conventional doctors aren’t trained in the emotional components of a disease (like how one’s childhood/trauma impacts getting cancer, as discussed by the highly respected Dr. Gabor Maté). He says he can tell who will get cancer-based on their childhood. He has many videos on YouTube, along with insights on health, addiction and connection, in his recently released book, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture By Gabor Maté. The gift you can give a loved one touched by cancer: PAY ATTENTION MANY MONTHS and EVEN YEARS LATER (as I also suggest you do by checking in with someone who lost a loved one) with extra tender loving care. Look beyond how someone appears as they start reinventing themselves post-cancer. It’s often a very lonely internal journey, entailing grieving the old life before the new one is created. For some, a cancer diagnosis changes the psyche, with a loss of innocence, and having to face one’s mortality for the first time. There can be an extra sense of fragility going forward, yet to those who know the survivor, they may think once the cancer is gone, everything is fine. Rarely is anyone “the same” again. Fear of recurrence lives within for many, which can also ignite one to grab life in new ways. My mantra became “SAY YES TO LIFE,” which gave me the courage to move cross-country to re-create my life, freed from the familiar stories/settings of the past. I also highly suggest surrounding yourself with people who light you up, and who have the capacity to “be there” for you through the highs and lows of life. Choose to live and work in (or create) healthy environments where you are respected, valued, and nurtured. And most of all, align with the energy of love. In the words of author Vivian Amis: “Love is the only power that heals, connects and includes all…not by force, but by grace.” Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter, or visit my website for more information. Check out my free, guided meditation on worthiness on the home page. I also offer a complimentary 30-minute consult to explore guiding you forward on your path. Read more from Gail! Gail Kauranen Jones, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Gail Kauranen Jones (known as “Coach Gail Jones”) is an intuitive coach, gifted wordsmith and inspiring teacher who has been leading clients through transformation for more than twenty years. She is also an Honoree of Brainz Magazine’s prestigious CREA global award given to creative entrepreneurs making a difference in the field of mental health She is the author of two books, "Cancer as a Love Story: Developing the Mindset for Living," and "To Hell and Back… Healing Your Way through Transition." Passionate to get to the root causes of blocks that hold clients back and then help them create empowering new beliefs to move forward, Gail delved deep after going through her own journey of healing from breast cancer. She learned some profound ways to optimize health and well-being including claiming one’s worthiness to live and thrive. Gail trained with world-renowned neuroscientists in guiding clients to rewire the brain for new levels of personal and professional success. She has appeared as a guest “worthiness coach” nationally in the US on CBS TV’s Emmy award-winning talk show The Doctors and on Sirius XM Radio. She also was hired to train several hundred HeartMath coaches globally on her worthiness platform, with her signature presentation, “The journey to the heart of worthiness.” She is the host of her own podcast, “Claim Your Worthiness: Intimate Conversations with Gail Jones,” which features national thought leaders and handpicked experts and others who have transformed their lives to serve.

Written by: Katarzyna Dorosz, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. What is independence for you? When we start thinking about independents, the first truth that comes to mind is money. This is normal for us. But today I want to show you a different view of independence that incorporates all of the following: Health Independence Happiness Independence Time Independence Relationship Independence Spiritual Independence Health independence Take care to exercise, increase your flexibility, eat healthy food. In this view I also want to focus, how important to us is the mental health. Next is stress control and management. Your healthy thoughts and memories. Creating a Healthy brain. Happiness independence Can we manage ourselves to be happy? Is it even possible? Yes, it is. You will learn how to start practicing happiness every single day, every minute of every day. Start to change your habits. First the most important aspect is your decisions. Start to be happy. Today, here, and now. Time independence If you are a person who owns a company, then time management is very important. But also if you are a mother or student, time is always important. Time for work, time with children, husband, and time for your relaxation. In this life, the important thing is balancing. If you decide to only work all the time, after a while you are tired mentally and physically. This doesn’t make sense. A balance in life gives you much more power. For all entrepreneurs, independence means TIME. More time for your pleasure and improvement! Most people who have a business, make money but don't have time to enjoy life. Relationship independence Strength and peace of mind rests within the family. If something negative or destructive happens in your life, this need not reflect in your personal relationships. But...this is a very big step to learn. To be strong, smart, are you ready to change come critical decisions in your life? Are you ready to be open for a new life and to be strong, to never change your heart for somebody else. Life gives you plenty of possibilities to meet different people. But remember sometimes this is only the outer shell of man. Always trust yourself. Always try to be fair to yourself and others. Make decisions from your heart. Please remember that in happiness your family and relationships make you stronger. Be honest with yourself. Spiritual independence Trust yourself : this is true independence When you want to take a decision consult yourself first. You are your own best friend. When somebody tries to tell you that you don't know how to do something, be ready to give answer with peace in your heart that "I can do anything, and I can make the best decision myself". This person is probably expressing to you their own fears and concerns. You can do anything, and you can do everything. It's a classic projection where someone else transfers their fear onto you. Only inner intuition can lead you to your goal. You truly are perfect the way you are. You have everything within you need to make good choices. Trust yourself. Learn. Apply your knowledge. Learn to educate yourself. Read books. You deserve a beautiful life. And ultimately you will be independent! Independence from social media A moment of silence. Do you like to be in your own company? Are you bored? Can you have an idea for yourself? So please take a moment of rest from the media for a week or two without TV, telephone, FB. Suddenly and amazingly, you'll see how much you have cleared your mind. Strengthen the peace of mind in your family. Read more in my book “Your path to happiness” Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read from Katarzyna! Katarzyna Dorosz, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Katarzyna Dorosz is a leader in the field of brain performance, mental performance, and improving memory and quality of work. She is a world-renowned expert for senior and mature individuals who also conducts research on longevity. She is also a lecturer and author of several books. Katarzyna works with many prestigious American universities about attaining meaningful longevity in Life and how to maintain brain function. She also supports women around the world through motivational lectures. Her attitude and stubborn pursuit of purpose show how important changes and progress in life are. She is also the author of the TV Show "The Power of Life". During lectures, she uses the "Educational kinesiology and Emotional intelligence" and developed her own methods of exercises that provide excellent memory, concentration exercises as well as relaxation, and a set of physical exercises to improve the condition (adjusted to the age and flexibility of the body). In business training, Katarzyna uses the popular Japanese Kaizen method, i.e. a philosophy based on changing lifestyle ‒ an endless process of improving and improving the quality of the company.

Written by: Jade Bartholomew, Director of Sierra Six Media A recent study by Intergrowth found that 75% of people never scroll past the first page of search engines. This means that if your website isn't ranking on the first page, you're missing out on a lot of potential traffic and revenue. Search engines are the primary way that people find information on the internet. Being one of the top search engine results is essential for any business or individual that wants to be visible online. Fortunately, there's a lot you can do to improve your website's search engine ranking. By optimising your website for search engines, you can dramatically increase your visibility and get more traffic to your site. The Importance of SEO SEO is the process of making your site more visible to search engines like Google. When you improve your SEO, you're more likely to show up in search results when people are looking for the products or services you offer. And since most people don't click past the first page of results, it's important to do everything you can to rank as high as possible. How to Improve Your Websites Ranking There are many factors that contribute to your search engine's ranking such as the quality of your content, the relevance of your keywords, and the number of backlinks you have. However, one of the most important factors is website optimisation. Website optimisation is the process of making sure your website is well-designed in a way that search engines can easily understand and are easy to navigate. Search engines favour sites that are user-friendly and will help your ranking. By using keyword-rich titles and descriptions on pages as well as using alt tags to describe images and creating well-organised and easy-to-navigate pages, you can see dramatic results. In order to draw customers and convert leads, your website needs to be engaging and easy to find. Focus on creating high-quality content that includes the keywords people are likely to use when they're searching for what you offer. In addition, promoting your site through social media and other online channels can also help to improve your ranking. The benefits of Appearing on the First Page of Search Engine Results As anyone who has ever searched for something online knows, the first page of results is often the most relevant and useful. Search engines use a variety of factors to determine which websites to rank on the first page, but two of the most important are relevance and authority. Websites that are relevant to the search query are more likely to appear on the first page, as are websites that are considered to be experts on the topic. Appearing on the first page of search engine results can dramatically increase traffic to a website, as well as improve its reputation and visibility. In addition, first-page results tend to get clicked on more often than those on other pages, so appearing on the first page can also lead to more sales or conversions. Why It's Important To Have a Website That is Mobile-Friendly In today's world, it's more important than ever to have a website that is mobile-friendly. More and more people are using their phones and tablets to access the internet, and if your website isn't designed for mobile devices, you could be missing out on a lot of traffic. A mobile-friendly website is easy to navigate, and all of the content is easily accessible. This makes it more likely that people will stay on your site and explore what you have to offer. In addition, a mobile-friendly website can help you to rank higher in search engine results, making it more likely that people will find your site in the first place. So if you're not sure if your website is up to par, now is the time to make some changes. Mobile-friendliness is no longer a luxury; it's a necessity. Though it may seem daunting to think about how to get your website noticed when 75% of people never scroll past the first page of a search engine, there are steps you can take to increase your ranking. If you're not sure where to start, our team of SEO experts can help. We can optimise your website and improve your online presence and reach more people. If you want help getting started or don’t know where to begin, feel free to contact us, we’re always happy to help!

Written by: Victor Mosconi, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Here you are, ready to work on the next task or project, but then you pause, and you start reviewing everything that needs to be completed for it. Thinking about the various groups it’s connected to, and the number of people that will see it, use it, and be impacted by it. You’re uncertain of what steps to take or which you feel is “correct” or what others would feel is correct. You begin to wonder if you know what actions to take and the right moves to make. Your anxiety increases and your thoughts begin to race and your breath shortens, and all of a sudden you become paralyzed in regards to starting this project. The Experience Why? It’s just a project like any other. But not to you. To you, it’s much bigger and more demanding. You think this project is for someone with more experience and knowledge, someone who is more skilled and is of a higher position. The weight of this project induces this feeling of fear. Fear so strong that you freeze. You can’t do anything on this project. You can’t decide, can’t move. Just the mere thought of any aspect of this project creates this intense feeling of paralysis. It may only be related to this one project. Or it may begin to seep into other areas of your work life and other tasks. Why does this happen? How do you go from being capable, knowledgeable, and confident one moment to completely frozen and unable to do anything related to that project next? Paralysis due to imposter syndrome can be a very common characteristic and effect. Paralysis is the inability to move or function; the total stoppage or severe impairment of activity. Imposter syndrome, also known as, the impostor phenomenon, is the inability to recognize internalized successes and achievements. It’s the constant fear of being a fraud for not being good enough and needing to seek out acceptance from external sources that will never fulfill that need. A low or lack of self-belief. In the medical field, paralysis is often related to physical body movement, yet in regards to imposter syndrome, it can be related to physical movement and mental processing. Why Does This Happen? When you are experiencing imposter syndrome, you doubt your own abilities. You see yourself as a fraud, not being good enough, but hoping your achievements will make you acceptable and you’ll receive approval from others. When starting a project, due to your imposter experience, you become overloaded with negative thoughts and emotions that swirl in your mind. These thoughts are from the expectations, bias, and comparisons that others have thrust on you over time. These negative thoughts become related to who you are and what you are capable of or the perception of what you are not capable of accomplishing. You are concerned about how other people would do the project and worry of how they could do it better. Your belief is that you’re not good enough, so why even try? You create a negative perception of yourself due to their influence, words, and behaviors toward you. A negative perception where you doubt yourself and your abilities. When faced with a new project, or big project, your imposter thoughts grow and remind you of your past mistakes, and the words of others. You see this negativity as reality. This negativity creates a mental block not just of what steps to take, but in clarity of acknowledging who you are. Imposter syndrome on its own will create self-doubt, lower self-worth, and a lack of confidence in your own capabilities among other characteristics. This will lead to overthinking about whether you can succeed in your accomplishments. You also wonder if you’re worthy of this project, or the right person for the job in accomplishing the project. The project then gets bigger in your mind. You see all the various steps at the same time, and possible outcomes and perceived feedback, which based on your spiral thinking, none of it is good. All of this gets wrapped in the fear of failure. Your low self-belief in being successful, in who you are and in your perceived lack of abilities grows, and you just freeze up. Unable to decide. Unable to take a step forward. Unable to even tell someone. The result is being paralyzed with fear due to your imposter thoughts. You are paralyzed in body and mind. 6 Tips to Help You Move Forward You do not need to stay this way. You can learn to break free of the paralysis by following these tips: Acknowledge you are experiencing this feeling of being paralyzed in your actions and thoughts. Recognize you aren’t able to move forward or act. Don’t dismiss this feeling. Ask yourself, what is the task or situation you are currently experiencing this paralyzed feeling in? It may seem like a given, but in the beginning, with your thoughts swirling, you may not be able to clearly recognize why this is occurring or where this paralysis stems from. Reflect on the skills, knowledge, abilities, and resources you have for this project. Think about what you can do and do well. Do not compare to anyone else, and do not discount any knowledge, or ability. Write down everything that is related to this project that you know you can do. Remember similar tasks, projects, or situations of your past, and your successful outcomes. Do not downplay any aspect, such as “Yes, but they could have been better”, or “But I just got lucky.” This will strengthen your imposter thoughts and paralysis. Focus only on your achievements and success and link your skills and abilities to them. Determine your next 3 steps to start moving forward. Write them down, so you can see and acknowledge what those next steps will be. Once you get to the third, then write the next 3 steps. Keeping yourself to a few steps will reduce the fear and help you see with clarity what is manageable in this project. Be good at doing it how you want to. If it doesn’t work, adjust. There is no one way for each project, and you will develop what works best for you. Don’t worry or care what others are doing. Just focus on what you are doing. The main goal is to grow belief in yourself. Moving Forward These 6 tips can help you break free of the paralysis brought on by your imposter thoughts. Your imposter thoughts are about your inabilities and lack of self-value. As your mind goes to the thoughts of the project, it will create a false narrative based on your imposter fears and doubts that you see as true. Your fear of failure will create a wall of paralysis. Refocusing on your true self-worth and abilities will increase your self-appreciation and self-belief. Believing in yourself will reduce your imposter thoughts and help you break free of your paralysis and get you moving forward. Follow me on Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Victor! Victor Mosconi, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Victor Mosconi, is a Ph.D. Candidate in Psychology, with a Master’s in Psychology of Leadership Development and Coaching, a Master’s in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and the founder of Imposter Solution Coach. Through his life-long experience with imposter syndrome, his psychology background, and coaching skills, Victor specializes in supporting up-and-coming women leaders and entrepreneurs in overcoming their self-doubt and imposter thoughts to develop a mindset of self-appreciation and strong self-belief. Take his quiz on his website and discover what level of impostor syndrome you experience.

Written by: Joaquín Pinto, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Pursuing a college degree is one of the most important decisions you can take for your personal and professional development. You can take it to the next level by studying abroad, and make it an even more fantastic experience. We think enrolling in a higher education program in Dubai is one of the best decisions you can make. Here's why. Today, Dubai is one of the world’s most important financial hubs. Besides being a cosmopolitan city, it features incredible educational offers for international students. Not that long ago, few people were aware of Dubai. Today a dynamic private sector in the country creates the need to hire highly qualified foreign workers, creating countless opportunities for newly graduates. This makes Dubai an attractive hub to study and work, and a truly cosmopolitan city. These are the three reasons why you should choose to pursue your higher education program in Dubai. 1. Outstanding Higher education programs More and more students are choosing to obtain higher education qualifications from Dubai. The education framework mirrors the United Kingdom’s, and students can immerse themselves in a fascinating culture during their stay. Higher education programs in Dubai are aligned with international standards of the highest quality, and they were created to be recognised and valued across the world. 2. Programs designed for the labor market Prospective students often ask: how will a degree help me get a job? In Dubai, higher education programs are closely linked to labor market demands, so graduates quickly find jobs after their studies. Universities have worked hard to create programs that adapt to the professional reality. Thinking not only in the Dubai industry, but the world, these educational programs respond to actual market needs, and forecast future trends to stay ahead of the game. 3. It’s all about the money It may seem like Dubai, as a destination that oozes luxury and is covered in high-tech skyscrapers, is out of reach of most people’s pockets. The truth is, however, that higher education programs in Dubai have very competitive prices, being better value than more conventional destinations. Daily life for students can be similar to other destinations: the gastronomical and entertainment offer is varied and reasonably priced, and the city is designed with efficiency and comfort in mind for all its inhabitants. Some of the most sought-after programs These are some of the best higher education programs in Dubai. Business and management: you will learn the necessary skills to professionally face the challenges in the business world. You will learn best practices as an employee, and also key skills to create your own company or startup. Get insights into finance, human resources, marketing and customer service and learn how to work in a team. Get the tools to succeed. Construction management: the growth of cities requires qualified professionals that can handle the challenges of an increasingly complex sector with more and more regulations. This higher education program prepares their students to thrive in the construction sector. Cloud computing: develop your knowledge and competencies for this career of the future, with a practical component that prepares the student for the job market. You will develop your soft skills and work with real world tools from day 1. A closer look at Dubai It is located on the Persian Gulf coast, its official currency is the Dirham and although his official language is Arabic, most people speak English. While there are seasons, temperatures tend to be high all year round. It’s the ideal destination for the winter months (November-March). Dubai is very attractive for foreigners: it is an organized, safe and very modern country. Work tends to be well paid, especially for qualified people. If you choose a higher education program in Dubai, it’s likely that once you complete it, you will find attractive job offers. Dubai is multicultural. In the city all cultures live together, with over 75% of its population being foreign. How can an agency help you choose your next destination? In Boom Studies, our work is to connect you to your ideal english or higher education program and destination. We provide tailored advice so that the student chooses a higher education program in Dubai or other destinations based on their own goals. All of this, without incurring any additional expenses. Contact us and we will help you in finding a program that fits your dreams, objectives and budget. Let’s go! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Joaquín Pinto, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine A serial entrepreneur, Joaquín led several enterprises - including an editorial and a consultancy - before co-founding Boom Studies in 2019, after identifying critical weaknesses in international students´experiences in Malta. Boom Studies is a travel to study agency which offers unique tailored support all along the customers´ journeys so that they have the best possible experience abroad. As the CEO of Boom Studies, Joaquín has managed to grow this start-up despite having launched a few months before the pandemic. Rough seas make good sailors, and Joaquín and his team were able to establish Boom Studies as a leading agency in Malta, thanks to dedication and innovative thinking. We also expanded to new destinations (Canada, Ireland and Dubai) and have big plans for the future. A political science graduate from Sciences-Po Paris, Joaquín has lived abroad for most of his life, and is an expert in engaging different people, from government to private sector, or civil society representatives. Joaquín is a cosmopolitan citizen of the world with a passion to help others and connect people. So launching Boom Studies came naturally, and leading this company whose mission is to help people accomplish their dreams is the most fulfilling role Joaquín could have.

Written by: Anna Goryacheva, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. "If you want to achieve a high level of skill, then you should focus on one thing" – a stereotype you often hear from teachers or mentors. Like in many modern media industries, the versatility in music production is considered to be not the best quality for a professional. Andrey Borisov is one of Europe's most sought-after sound engineers. His recordings received remarkable reviews from the world's top critics and were nominated for the Recording of The Year by MusicWeb International Magazine. He has worked with acclaimed theater directors such as Robert Wilson, Dmitry Krymov, Robert Lepage, and Grzegorz Jazhina. He combines work as a sound designer in musical and drama theater with classical sound engineering, recording symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles in concert halls. In addition to engineering and sound design, Andrey has composed music for numerous theatrical productions and several movies. He also teaches sound engineering at the Moscow State Institute of Culture. Today we spoke with Andrey Borisov personally and learned how it is possible to work in different areas of the industry and achieve top heights in each of them. Andrey, tell us how you got started in sound engineering and music. The music came first, although I always had a complicated relationship with it. I started studying piano at ten, relatively late by today's standards. And as you understand, I had significantly fewer chances to become a professional performer than my fiveyear-old colleagues. However, it did not last long, and after two years, I dropped music school. A few years later, I wanted to play the piano again, which was serious this time. My parents helped me find a private teacher, and my interest in music has grown daily. I studied regularly, listened to many different recordings, and even began to compose. My passion for sound engineering came later, thanks to my older brother, who was fond of sound recording equipment. At 17, I started my studies at the Moscow State Institute of Culture in the sound engineering department. However, I didn't feel comfortable without formal musical education, so after graduating from the Institute, I continued at the Moscow Conservatory studying composition. So, after you received your education as a sound engineer, you temporarily left the profession? On the contrary, after the Institute, I started working as a sound engineer at a theater, being a student at the Conservatory at the same time. After several years of experience in theater music production, I also began participating in theatrical projects as a composer. Did you work on live shows at the theater and record classical music? How is it possible? It's a matter of planning. The theater's repertoire is usually known months and years in advance. So while I didn't have theater performances, I would have scheduled recording sessions. You have a lot of solo piano and chamber music recordings. Have you developed any recording methods of your own over the years? Oh, sure! First, it's important to mention that in classical sound recording, the choice of microphones and their placement is crucial. If you hear the result that satisfies you at the recording stage, you can assume that most of the work is already done. When I first started recording piano, like most novice sound engineers, I used the so-called "good old starting points." But over time, after listening to quite a few recordings made at various well-known studios and halls, I created my templates of microphone setups and started using them, combining options. Although I have developed several exemplary configurations for different situations throughout my work, I continue trying new things. Many sound engineers will probably agree that there are no ideal universal solutions – different halls, studios, and recording methods are suitable for different music. In other words, my microphone setup for Chopin's Etudes would be slightly different from what I choose to record Prokofiev's Sonatas with the same grand piano. The sound engineer always makes the final decision on how the recording product will sound. It is a continuous process: searching, paying attention to nuances and details, differences in perception, and experimentation. That's why we call it The Art of Sound Engineering. Well said! As I understand it, classical sound recording requires musical education from a sound engineer. Yes, that's right. Sound engineers who work with professional musicians must have serious musical training and experience. I often tell my students about this – when you record music, especially classical music, you should at least be able to follow the score and understand styles, form, and arrangement. But is it necessary at the theater? As for the theater – everything is a bit different. You have to be fast and creative there. Since most of the work has to be done on the fly, academic pedantry is not on your side. By the time you decide which of your favorite tube microphones is best for the harpsichord, the scene will most likely already be over, and you will not have time to do critically important work. Since we moved on to the theater, we know that you have worked with many prominent directors. How difficult is it from a psychological point of view? This is a fascinating question. It's not always the same. Interaction with directors in cinema and theater often differs from working with musicians. With musicians, you can usually speak the language of music using all available professional terms. Many directors know the musical language but still do communicate using different figurative terms. It's more complicated, and it often comes down to how long you've been with the director and how well you understand each other. With Dmitry Krymov, for example, we had a very successful workflow: he explained what he wanted to get as a result. He said: "I will not interfere with the process, and when you think that I need to pay attention to your work – just tell me that everything is ready." Such an approach is essential for work at the theater – all stages of the work of a sound engineer are constantly exposed to everyone. That is entirely different from studio work, where you can decide when the result should be presented. How do you generally build communication with musicians or directors? Are there any peculiarities? I believe it is worth trying to understand the director's tasks regardless of how he describes them. Many novice engineers tend to use technical vocabulary too much without thinking about whether someone understands them or not. As an educator, I believe that this is not the best solution. Ultimately, the final result is vital for the project, and it depends on if all the team members are on the same page. Maybe Pink Floyd created genial things while not having the most friendly relations within the band – but it's better to treat this as an exception and maintain a positive atmosphere and good relations in the team. So, can and should one be universal in one's profession? Well, on the one hand, experience gained in one field of activity can make you an outstanding professional in your area. On the other hand, the experience you get from different activities is a broad outlook, which helps to follow the changes in the entire industry. Often, knowledge gained in one area enables you to answer questions from another. Classical sound recording and work in drama theater are still areas of working with sound, which is why they coexist so well. As one of my teachers once said, "It is crucial to find unity and variety balance." Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Anna! Anna Goryacheva, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Anna Goryacheva is an award-winning Russian-American pianist, recording artist, educator, and entrepreneur. Being a brilliant soloist and chamber musician, Anna performed recitals in Russia, United States, Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Finland, and Sweden. Her solo and orchestra performances were broadcast on the radio and television worldwide. Anna is the Founder of Elite Piano Institute – the top piano school in Los Angeles, California. She has also gained recognition as a renowned pedagogue and has been featured in numerous media outlets for her expertise as a piano coach such as Thrive Global, Kivo Daily, Influencive, America Daily Post, The American Reporter, Voyagela, Disrupt Magazine, to name a few. In 2020 Anna was featured in the Brainz Magazine global list of 500 entrepreneurs, influential leaders, educators, and business owners worldwide recognized for their success, achievements, and unique work.

Written by: Kelsay Elizabeth Myers, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Have you ever felt like you are living your life in black and white instead of the vibrant, full spectrum of colors? I’ll make a confession to you. I used to feel that way. When I was a little girl, I would jump up on the bathroom counter, find a comfortable position around the sink and sit just looking at myself in the mirror, getting lost in what I imagined I would want to see and who I wanted to be when I was older. As I got older, I began taking selfies I would filter in black and white because it looked more artsy, more sophisticated, closer to the ideal version of myself I had in my mind: a glamorous diva, the Asian Madonna, my own LIFE Magazine feature, or whatever else captured my fancy, further getting lost in the beauty of the created image, the self-reflected me who was hiding from the realness and messiness in all the shades that exist in this life. It’s like that Kristin Martz quote: “We lose ourselves in the things we love. We find ourselves there, too.” I’ll be honest. I still love black and white photos, and I still spend a good amount of time staring at myself in the mirror, or the image of me that appears reflected in the windows or sliding glass doors in my apartment. Being an entrepreneur and online coach also requires I take a fair amount of selfies or talking head videos and keep posting them on social media! The difference is that I no longer lose myself in looking. I don’t avoid the realness and full range of colors in life. I am present in my day-to-day experiences and present for the messes. Rather than living for a future me, I imagine seeing reflected back, I am living my life as I want to be living it right here and right now. And what changed? It was a subtle, slow, but monumental change in the way I was looking at it. It was a process, and it’s taken me a lot of time, money and dedication to my own personal growth and transformation. When I was in it, I was looking at myself from one facet, but by seeing myself in various objects that represented each of those facets, I was able to enact and eventually become my own shapeshifting, multifaceted and vibrant wholeness. The Steps to My Multifaceted Transformational Process I used objects as a way to express aspects of myself that needed healing, growth and transformation. The first object I found to represent my own core wounding was the mirror itself—a site for me to discover who I am and who I am not. I could literally look at my reflection and imagine or recreate the ideal future version of myself looking back. We know mirrors distort our reflections to begin with. The way the glass is cut creates concave or convex mirrors that do not reflect a real representation back to us, and human beings also see what we choose to focus our attention on. I took that distortion and focus to new levels by imagining Madonna’s face as my own or seeing a future version of myself dancing to Henry Mancini’s “Moon River” with the person I love as I watched Carrie and Mr. Big do on the TV screen. Twenty years later, the mirror/TV screen became my metaphor for the creative power of identity construction, and I did dance with the woman I love not to “Moon River” but to Engelbert Humperdinck’s “The Last Waltz,” and even though the experience was not an exact replication, it was a mirrored image. I became settled enough in my body to be in the present without needing to get lost in the future or the past. My own experiences learning and settling my nervous system through many different integrative somatic trauma therapy, expressive arts therapy, narrative therapy and embodiment practices inspires me in my life and in my own healing arts business every day. Until I became regulated and discovered my own inner resources to ground and center, to resolve or release, and to activate and settle, I couldn’t allow myself to fully be in the present moment. I reconnected with the joy and creative power I experienced when I was a young girl creating new worlds for myself within those mirrors and let go of comparing the fantasy to the reality of my life. I was able to fall in love with many things: waking and falling asleep with the sunlight, the scent of coffee and rose petals brewing, cat cuddles, listening and dancing to my playlist of songs that have uplifted me since childhood, and being inspired by the way life is constantly changing and shifting. I learned how to let go of my need to know everything and control my life and simply be in the flow of it. Being inspired by constant change and shapeshifting was challenging for a control freak like I used to be. Staying with the objects and metaphors long enough for them to shift, release, change and grow allowed me to not only see, but also feel emotionally and at the sensate level, that each time it was okay. I could trust the transformative process. Mirrors became kaleidoscopes of fragmented colors and mosaics that then became a lighthouse, and I was the lighthouse shining forth my light to attract new pieces. Swords of truth became soft feathers and then flower petals of beauty. Bowler hats became wings and modern kimonos, and I don’t need to know more than that right now. I enjoy being in this process. If my multifaceted transformational process appeals to you, I offer it in individual coaching sessions and longer-term coaching programs that allow people to shapeshift, grow and go after what they want in life with passion, confidence and trust in their own wisdom, voice and ability to navigate the complexities of identity in our contemporary world through my business, Dialogical Persona Healing Arts. You are in the questions that you ask, in the colors of your world, and in the dialogues that make up your life experiences: the things you love, the things you wonder about…these details make up your multifaceted self. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Kelsey! Kelsay Elizabeth Myers, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kelsay is a professional writer, artist, and registered somatic movement educator (RSME) with the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association. She is passionate about trauma healing and restoring connection to ancestral roots and wisdom for a fuller sense of self and creative expression. As an expressive arts coach and founder of Dialogical Persona Healing Arts, LLC, she helps people from all over the world that want freedom from inner blocks holding them back embody resources to transform their lives with soul-based expressive arts programs and courses. The mission of her work is to hold space for the full expression of a living, vibrant and multifaceted self through the embodied arts. She has trained with Tamalpa Institute in the Life/Art Process, Clean Language facilitation through The Academy for Soul-based Coaching and Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy approaches.

Written by: Diana Marquez, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. More frequently than not, we constantly wish for a better life without realizing that the power is within every one of us. Around 20 years ago, I came by the concept of 100% responsibility, and I always attached it to more proactive things like getting a new job or making "my dreams come true." And sure enough, that helped me achieve some of the things I wanted and my approach to a "successful" career. As time passed, I knew something was missing. I was redefining every other aspect of my life, and it took a complete turn of events to take it to the next level and accept that I needed absolute ownership of everything that came my way, no matter how unfair that could be. Almost magically, soon after realizing that, I came across a fantastic book: The Power to Change everything, and even if I recommend you take note and buy it as soon as you can, that is only part of what this story is about. The power to change everything sounds like magic, but it actually isn't, but it really is. I heard about quantum physics somewhere in 2005 when I heard Dr. Deepak Chopra talk about abundance in everything and then saw the documentary What the Bleep Do We Know? This entire scientific concept of how our physical world is only 1% of the world and the rest is 99%, so energy, so for me, someone that could never really understand what that means, but I do know enough to know that I really know nothing. I knew right away that the closest I could explain was that it was like magic, and I could make my life whatever I wanted it to be. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. At first, I thought that was a bit unfair; why in the world would I be responsible if someone cut me off on the highway leading to a crash, or if my partner gets mad at me for something that has to do with their insecurities and not what I do. Unconsciously I was only making excuses because it seems easier to be able to just be responsible for my actions vs. the entire world. After many fights with everyone, most frequently myself, I finally gave in and decided to change my perspective, and just like magic, everything changed. It was more liberating to have full responsibility instead of hoping the 15 million drivers in Mexico City would have all the necessary variables to change their driving habits overnight. In other words, I was relinquishing my power, willingly, to every other person that crossed my path. Extreme ownership. We don't come to this world; we become. The sooner you accept that this is true, the more joy and blessings you'll have in your life. That is NOT an easy task, and we will fight with all we know to justify not taking complete responsibility. The more committed to finding my purpose in life, the more I realize I want to help you do just that. A hack, if you will, to make a smoother and faster transition. And as a first step, I want to share the essential 3 big rocks you need to continuously assess and address. 1. Our ego. This goes beyond the typical definition of our pride. This is more about our opponent, every reaction we have that prevents us from bringing light into our lives. Ego typically is found in: a. Comfort zone. As humans, it's hard for us to use energy more than needed. We must fight and grow out of our comfort zone and constantly challenge it. b. Judgment leads to reaction vs. proactive behavior. Most of the time, this also indicates that we judge ourselves vs. choosing kindness. c. Self-esteem issues. This has been a never-ending journey, but do you know we can't give what we don't have? We can't love others if we don't love "us" first. 2. Our mindset. We can't change what happens, but we can change how we react. We also know that what we focus on expands. This is why this is so important. Our mindset defines everything; do we think we can continuously grow? Do we believe there's more than enough for all of us? Our mindset is a muscle that we need to exercise. 3. Our habits. Sometimes we need to hack our minds. We might not always be motivated to make healthy choices; this is when our habits kick in. According to several studies, we spend half of our day on autopilot; if that automatic journey we are taking is not beneficial for us, then it is costing us way more than we know. We need to change the triggers and reactions to improve our lives. As Lao Tzu said: "Watch your thoughts; they become your words; watch your words; they become your actions; watch your actions; they become your habits; watch your habits; they become your character; watch your character; it becomes your destiny." I've created this: "break the status quo" tool so you can embark on your journey to extreme ownership; I hope you find it helpful, and I hope to continue to see you here. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Diana Marquez, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Diana Marquez is here to lead a counseling-oriented role promoting creativity and nonlinear thinking. She has a dedicated her life to challenging her perspective, and growing her mindset has become her life purpose of helping others in their journey in order to tap into their own personal power. She is passionate about organizational culture and human behavior and how to drive and accelerate business growth.

Written by: Maureen Chiana, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. High rates of mental health problems have recently been documented among employees, managers and even university students. As a result, employee wellbeing has emerged as a massive priority for organisations, as many workers complain of dissatisfaction and burnout, resulting in low employee engagement, an increase of 'quiet quitting', and the 'Great Resignation'. “Our history is not our destiny.” — Alan Cohen Many people spend too much time focusing on their physical health, and forget to work on their mental health, because unhealthy thoughts lead to an unhealthy life, even if you exercise daily and eat well. What actually is mental health? It is how well we process our thoughts, emotions, and actions by deciding how we handle stress, relate to others, and make decisions. The ability to intelligently manage the emotional brain is a fundamental mechanism in wellbeing and developing high Emotional Intelligence skills plays a key role in this by enabling individuals to cope more effectively with challenging situations, resulting in improved mental and physical wellbeing. Mental health problems have become prevalent and psychosocial stress and the feeling of rejection are strong contributing factors. In addition, many workers are dissatisfied in their jobs with a feeling of not being able to speak up, resulting in them leaving or decreasing their effort while suffering in silence, ultimately causing mental and emotional health issues which negatively impact on the workers and the organisation. Unrealistic expectations, accompanied by excessive workloads and tight deadlines, increase workers stress levels, especially when they have not learned to control their brains narrative. This is currently leading to many work days lost to anxiety, mental fatigue, stress and depression The workplace is a community of people with diverse brains so it's become essential for leaders and organisations to understand how to support their and their people's mental health for sustained high performance, productivity, creativity and effective decision-making. Emotional Intelligence Research has shown that emotional Intelligence (EQ) can largely prevent symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress (mental health problems) because those with higher emotional Intelligence have developed skills to manage their emotions to typically have more positive moods. This results in psychological, mental and emotional wellbeing, an ability to thrive and not just survive. The right hemisphere of the brain is normally responsible for processing emotions of our thoughts — is it happy or sad, angry or calm, so it has become crucial to understand the role of Emotional Intelligence for prevention and treatment. "Emotional intelligence (EQ) includes "the abilities to accurately perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions" (Mayer et al., 2004). Each person has their own way of looking at the world (perception) and responding to it (behaviour). Those recurring responses – partly inherited and part learned fall into patterns, referred to as behaviour preferences. Emotional Intelligence is also involved in the shaping of social functioning. Individuals who are better able to recognise and regulate their own emotions appear more able to establish and maintain healthy social relationships. A Sense of Belonging Having a sense of Belonging is an important aspect of social functioning because we human beings are wired to establish a certain amount of stability and develop positive interpersonal relationships. People with higher levels of Emotional Intelligence, experience a higher sense of inclusion and less rejection which, in turn, is associated with lower overall mental health problems. The same person can experience high levels of inclusion and rejection at different times, and our brain experiences negative emotions more strongly and for longer, this is why better leaders don't just focus on creating a sense of belonging at work but to also work on reducing the experience of rejection as well for better impact. Strategies For Mental Health Leaders Need Good Mental Health to Be Empathetic When you feel stressed and fearful from consistent change, challenges, and working under pressure, it's difficult to feel empathy for others because your emotional brain activates the stress response keeping you focused on the problems and your survival. But being empathetic under these difficult circumstances is the edge that will make you a great and high-performing leader. When you care about your team and understand their perspectives, you build rapport, trust and credibility. This is where developing Emotional Intelligence is vital to help you manage your emotions, thoughts and behaviour so that you can then have the mental and emotional ability to care for others. Without this, you run the risk of being an absent, unavailable leader that loses peoples' trust and your credibility. Minor issues can become magnified in the brain to become major when an individual has not learned the skills to manage their thoughts, emotions, or actions resulting in mental health problems. Regulating emotion needs to be practiced consistently and some common strategies include: setting goals mindfulness self-compassion meditation positive self-talk nutrition reflective practice. You can regain your motivation and focus to complete tasks when you set goals correctly, enabling you to regain emotional control when achieved. Mindfulness enables us to stay in the present because, as humans, we tend to hold onto the past and worry about the future. But, in reality, we can determine our present because the past has gone, and the future isn't here yet. So being mindful will enable you to see current opportunities and set and act on small goals that can be achieved. Self-compassion Many people get trapped in vicious cycles of having unrealistic expectations of themselves and others, setting themselves impossible standards, failing to reach them, and living in self-blame, shame, and self-doubt. Self-compassion is the most effective way to eliminate these limiting feelings and emotions by giving yourself the same kindness you would give to other people. Meditation can be effective when done appropriately by providing scope and focus for example, when deep breathing and movements are practiced, leading to increased energy. A common mental health symptom is low energy, so meditation can help increase energy levels and motivation. Positive self-talk is essential to eliminate what Daniel Amen describes as ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts). It's an ability to replace these negative thoughts with positive believable ones. Negative thinking or undisciplined thoughts are formed from bad habits you engage in because they attack and take over your mind. These negative thinking habits form through a process called long-term potentiation as neurons fire and wire together, and the negative thoughts become an ingrained part of your life to the extent that you start believing that they are your reality. Don't believe every thought you have. Emotional Intelligence becomes essential to enable you to develop this skill of guiding and directing your thoughts. This is a key step in developing strong mental discipline. For best results, start with small, subtle changes such as reframing 'I can't do this, to 'I can’t do this yet.' Or "I can't ask for help" to I can ask for help when I need it. Nutrition: The gut bacteria in our digestive system don't just function to help us break food down. There's a close association between the brain and the gut, which is incredibly important in mental health. So make your gut health a priority by listening to your body and watching what you eat. Eat low-sugar foods and reduce or eliminate processed and refined sugars and carbs. Learn to let go of mistakes quickly when things don’t go the way you expect. Be persistent, and do not allow frustration to undermine your confidence or focus. Aligned to all these strategies is the use of the reflective practice. Reflective practice will facilitate your ability to develop mental and emotional well-being. Reflective practice will give you an opportunity to self-assess your thoughts, emotions and actions so that you can adjust/shift quickly when required. Coaching: One very good indicator of progress is the growing practice of appointing performance coaches to help leaders, managers and team members increase in performance by helping them maintain their mental and emotional wellbeing to enable them make the right actions and take appropriate actions. Conclusion To stop yourself from getting into a self-defeating, downward spiral, it's essential to learn to be kinder to yourself by choosing self-compassion over self-criticism, practice mindfulness to ride out emotional waves, and develop high emotional intelligence skills. Pay attention to yourself to determine whether you spend more time during your day reacting to situations or responding. When you react, you create toxic thought patterns that negatively impact your mental health. On the other hand, responding enables you take time to analyse the situation before speaking and gives you control. You lose control when you react because you give control to someone else or something else over you. No matter what challenges you encounter in life, when you master the art of mental self-care, you will boost your mind, mood, and mental health and achieve extraordinary success in life. Follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and visit my website and Academy for more info! Read more from Maureen! Maureen Chiana, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Maureen is the CEO and founder of The Mindsight Academy and host of Lead To Excel Podcast. She is a NeuroCoach, delivering Performance Enhancement Treatment [PET] by rewiring the brains of leaders to perform at their optimum. She is a High Performance Coach, Corporate Consultant, Neuro-Leadership and Emotional Intelligence Specialist, an Award Winning Speaker, that leverages on Neuroscience insights of how the brain works, to empower leaders, executives, female founders and business owners to perform optimally and transform how they lead, work and live. Maureen is passionate about helping people mitigate the biases that negatively affects them and their decisions, and her framework focuses on the Human Central Processing Unit – THE BRAIN, which helps leaders make better decisions ‒ especially under pressure ‒ thereby improving their overall or targeted performance.

Written by: Dr. Leslie Davis, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Jiu Jitsu…a martial art also known as “the gentle art”. In my opinion, it’s the perfect martial art to train as a woman, especially for female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Intimate partner violence includes the use of violent behaviors (physical and sexual) and intimidating behaviors of one romantic partner towards another, in order to exert power and control. Any woman who trains jiu jitsu will probably share how intimidating it can be on your first day because there’s a great chance you might be the only woman in the gym full of big, sweaty men rolling around on a mat. You’ll walk into the room and see what seems to be guys cuddling and sometimes trying to murder each other. You’ll sense a high level of intensity in the room combined with the smell of a teenage boys’ locker room. Just imagine how that might feel for a woman who has a history of being physically abused by her partner. All around her are various forms of triggers. If she has the courage to stay, she will soon learn the power of jiu jitsu. In my 5 years of training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu O’Fallon, I have seen many women come and go. Once I received the rank of blue belt alongside my jiu jitsu partner, Vanessa Sims, we started a group called We Roll Too to empower the women in our area, to develop sisterhood, and to have opportunities to openly ask questions of upper-ranked female jiu jitsu practitioners. As a blue belt, I have chosen to focus on the mentorship side of the art as I observe how women roll. Some women are very aggressive and enjoy dominating both men and women in the gym. Other women are timid and tend to focus on defending themselves. As a psychotherapist, I began to wonder if there was a connection to how women train in jiu jitsu and their life experiences with violence. Through many conversations with my jiu jitsu sisters, it was not surprising that many of us had a similar history of experiencing intimate partner violence. The jiu jitsu mat oftentimes becomes a sacred ground for those who are committed to the journey. And on this ground, I have witnessed various signs of trauma, such as panic attacks, crying, misplaced aggression, and sometimes isolation. I have also seen and heard many stories of women who display a multitude of reactions to their unidentified response of FIGHT, FLIGHT, OR FREEZE. Sometimes I wonder, “If only they knew the power of jiu jitsu.” Fight While training with a partner, a woman may be triggered to attack, as the movement and positions of jiu jitsu mimic real-life scenarios of violence, but within a controlled environment. The power of jiu jitsu for this woman is that she will learn offensive techniques that can be used against a larger and much stronger person, as well as knowledge of when to attack, if she needs to be more aggressive. Flight As a woman trains with bigger and stronger opponents, especially men, she is likely to be placed in vulnerable positions on the mat. The power of jiu jitsu for this woman is that she will learn techniques for self-defense, including how to escape a stronger and more aggressive person. Freeze With the range of skills and techniques in jiu jitsu, it’s not uncommon for beginners to freeze when trying to remember a technique that was taught in class. This reaction also happens when a woman is attacked by her romantic partner and struggles to decide how to properly respond to get to safety. The power of jiu jitsu for this woman is that she will gain confidence in her abilities to protect herself, and she will become less likely to freeze if she is attacked in the future. The power of Jiu Jitsu includes a community of support We live in a world where a woman’s safety is always at risk. Although there are reports of women who have been abused by training partners or coaches, many women find that jiu jitsu provides a sense of safety and community. For a woman who has a history of IPV, this is crucial to her healing journey. I am blessed to have found community with the women I am privileged to train with every week. I have also developed a sense of safety with my jiu jitsu brothers, whom all treat me with respect. As one of the tiniest women on the mat, standing at only 4’11” I can truly say that I am not afraid to train with any man in my gym, because I know I am in a safe environment with amazing people who care about my well-being. The power of jiu jitsu can be transformative for women who have been victims of intimate partner violence. Women who train jiu jitsu will be empowered mentally, physically, and emotionally. To all my future and current jiujiteiras, it is my hope for all women who decide to use jiu jitsu as part of their healing journey, that you learn to overcome their triggered responses of fight, flight, or freeze. If you or someone you know are in need of domestic violence resources and education, please check out The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. If you are a female wanting to learn the gentle of art of jiu jitsu, let’s connect to discuss how to locate a gym to accommodate your needs. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Leslie! Dr. Leslie Davis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Leslie Davis is a licensed counselor, relationship coach, mental health consultant, and podcaster. Using an Emotion-Focused approach, she empowers women and youth with tools to develop healthy connections. Her work with clients focuses on attachment styles, self-esteem, and empowering women to cope with anxiety and depression. As the Founder and Executive Director of Hearts in Faith, NFP Dr. Davis also brings awareness and addresses the needs of single mothers, single fathers, and youth in her community. You can find her podcast, She Matters with Leslie Davis, on various platforms including Apple and Spotify.