Written by: Chris Janssen , 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 felt overwhelmed and fearful the other night for our world—unrest in Afghanistan, the earthquake aftermath in Haiti, wildfires in the West, floods and hurricanes in the East and the continuing global pandemic. My husband asked a simple question that propelled me to change my perspective. “What are you afraid of exactly?” In pondering how to answer him I realized that all my anxiety stemmed from 'what ifs.' What if life as I know it is gone for good? What if our troops don’t return from Afghanistan safely? What if a natural disaster hits my town next? What if my family gets sick? What if I get sick? What if more people lose their jobs? What if more businesses close? What if more people die? What if I die? What if, what if, what if? There are new unknowns about the future of life, health, business and human rights now—just like there always have been. Did I really know when my loved ones or I would die, or what tomorrow held, before? I did not. The 'what ifs' I was fearing were outside of my control. Challenging events happened before, are happening now, and will continue to happen. Your fear over a life circumstance will not change the circumstance. Your mindset during any event will determine how you show up for it, and encourage those around you to show up productively as well. If you already have a problem, adding fear to that problem is just layering on a second problem. The more you layer, the more anxious, brain-fogged and unable to problem-solve you’ll get. There is great power in layering clarity and calmness on instead. Problems happen. You fear the problems you expect shouldn't exist. You face problems when you believe you already have everything you need within you in each moment to keep showing up and moving forward. Showing up for life when it’s scary does not feel safe. It takes bravery. And you are brave. Fear is natural. Overwhelm and anxiety is just one option for responding to fear. There are other options. You have the power to choose your response. If you want to face fear and use it to fuel you instead of deflate you, first ask yourself the question my husband asked me, what are you afraid of exactly? You must know the target in order to throw a dart at it. Now you can grab a piece of paper or a notebook and list the things you have control over at that moment. For example, what you choose to focus on, your thoughts, what you eat or drink, your beliefs, your words, your actions, what you read, what you watch, what you listen to, how you manage your time, how you pray, what headlines you focus on and what stories you tell yourself. Make a second list of what you cannot control. This is usually the circumstance or event that triggered the fear. The second list is a reminder. If you fret over anything on that second list, remember it is outside of your sphere of influence, so celebrate—you are off the hook for managing that thing. Keep bringing focus back to the list of what you can control in that present moment. There have always been and continue to be real threats to the human race’s way of life and survival. You will be most effective in facing any unwanted fear when you do not give that threat the power to control your mind and emotions. You get to decide to give away your power to choose a fruitful mindset in the midst of an unfruitful situation or not. By choosing a focused and meaningful mindset, we choose effective action over ineffective fear. My oldest child recently finished three years of active duty with the US Army, 82nd Airborne. Currently, his brothers and sisters in arms are serving in Afghanistan, some of them on their first deployment. In the midst of immense turmoil, these soldiers are able to offer fierce compassion in action because they have been trained to focus on what they can control instead of fearing what they cannot control. They cannot control the hurtful choices of other people and groups. They can control their trained response to current events. You cannot manage all of your life circumstances. You can manage your response to and interpretation of them. You can train yourself how to respond by: Use your emotions as alarm bells. If you feel a way you don't want to feel, stop and celebrate your awareness. To this point, it is just a feeling, nothing more. Immediately ask yourself, what just went through my brain? Some thought happened, either consciously or subconsciously, to give you the unwanted feeling. What was it? Find it. It may have been in the form of a question like, why is this happening or why does this always happen to me? Now that you’ve found the triggering thought and brought it to awareness, you are able to manage it. This is great news! If the thought was a question, flip it to a question that serves you instead. Whenever your brain asks a lousy question like, why is this happening? the brain will also provide a lousy answer like some version of, because life stinks. So flip the question to something like, what skills or strengths will I discover in myself because this happened? How will I get to be creative and play a part in the solution? Now condition your new thought or question. You can turn this thought into a mantra and repeat it throughout the day, out loud or to yourself. Write it down. Take a screenshot of it for your phone or computer wallpaper. Scribble it on your bathroom mirror. Record yourself reciting the mantra with hand motions and re-watch the video. You retain information differently from others. Find what works best for you to get the new thought into your physiology and nervous system. You will disrupt an old neural pathway and develop a better one that serves you. It takes time to create new patterns of thinking. Be patient. It took time to develop your old go-to thought patterns and it takes repetition to condition the new ones as well. You may need to repeat an empowering mantra several times before you believe it. It’s okay to decide what you want to think cognitively and allow your feelings to catch up to that truth over time. Keep using your emotions to alert you when it’s time to be extra vigilant about the thoughts you are entertaining. Continue replacing the unhelpful thoughts with helpful thoughts. If a thought doesn’t serve you, dump it and replace it. In doing so, you will serve others and your environment most effectively. Shifting your focus from what you cannot manage to what you can manage, will save unnecessary and unproductive anxiety over circumstances. Depending on the life event, sadness or grief may remain. That’s okay. You can let these and other natural emotions in most productively once fear clears out. How will you feel when you shift your focus to now and what you can manage? What’s great about the present moment? What have you gained since the event you’re tempted to fear? What can you do right now that will benefit you and others in 6-12 months from now? Write your answers down. What if your Higher Power took away your illusion of control over the future so you would lean into that Power even more completely? What would you trust your Higher Power with? Write it down and celebrate your bravery. Want to learn more from Chris? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin or visit her website . Chris Janssen, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Chris Janssen is a Board Certified Life Coach with an honest, strategic style who helps her clients master habits and skills to move toward and thrive in what they love. Chris excels in working with high performers and understands the character traits associated with driven achievers. As a trained Business Coach, Chris specializes in closing the gap between where a company or individual is and where they want to be. Chris partners with her clients to access their creativity and resourcefulness necessary to achieve the sustainable results they want. She cares deeply about her clients' careers, relationships, spirituality, wellness, health, patterns, and mindsets. Chris says her clients are experts at what they do and she is an expert at the psychology of what they do. Together they are unstoppable.

Written by: Stephanie Collinson, 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. As an entrepreneur you become your own boss, you choose when you work, how often you work, where you work, and how you work. It can seem really empowering for you to set the tone for your work schedule. However, when you throw a chronic condition into the mix it can feel really overwhelming. Chronic conditions can be unpredictable and you might feel you are constantly rearranging and changing your week around to fit around your needs. It can make you seem flaky, unreliable or that you are avoiding certain people and projects. So how do you manage this and create a schedule that suits your work and your chronic condition? 1. Write down the tasks you do each week. Are you trying to do too many high-energy tasks all in one day? This includes maybe some housework that is exerting a lot of energy plus back-to-back zoom calls all afternoon. Although both tasks require different levels of physical and mental energy, you may be setting yourself up to fail because you are not managing your energy levels in an effective way. You will likely feel physically exhausted, which is going to impact your mental fatigue. Can you break down the task into manageable chunks so you don’t have to do it all at once too? This is also something worth thinking about. 2. Rate the energy level of each task. So is this a way to measure each task you do in terms of how much energy you exert? Yes, rate each out of 10 and see which tasks can be done on a certain day. Spread out your zoom calls for the week or leave space between a day which you know is going to require high energy. Put yourself in control as much as you can. This will help you begin to figure out what tasks can be done together each day and which may need more periods of rest before and after. It will also allow you to create space and boundaries around your energy levels, which I think is really important for others' expectations as well as your own. 3. Anticipation of a flare-up may be better managed. You are in more control of when you potentially may experience a flare-up or heightened symptoms. If you know a higher energy task may leave you feeling exhausted, then you have planned time around there to rest. Likewise, if you planned for a potential flare-up but you find you have more energy to complete a lower energy task, then you can fit this into a schedule earlier than planned. It creates both planned and flexible time slots for a variety of different situations. If you can plan ahead and communicate with your family, friends, and colleagues that this is how you manage, then this will improve your levels of anxiety, too, for sure. 4. You give yourself more control. Ultimately this is all about giving yourself more control. You will learn to respond, adapt, plan, and communicate better overcome with the pacing approach. Pacing is vital for any chronic condition, but it can be applied to anyone who finds their days exhausting, overwhelming, and stressful. Could you introduce this pacing approach to allow you more control of your life? So I encourage you to set some time to look at your day-to-day schedule for each week and see if you can apply pacing to your own life. Follow Stephanie on her Instagram and visit her website for more info! Read more from Step hanie ! Stephanie Collinson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Steph Collinson is an occupational therapist, virtual assistant, and holistic mentor. After working in the NHS as an occupational therapist and struggling to manage her long-term condition of IBS. Steph decided to start a side hustle in August 2020 after discovering a course online which promised time and financial freedom. Steph has successfully begun to work for herself less than a year since starting up her business to pursue a life she is passionate about and is meaningful to her. Steph now helps mentors and allied health professionals in the online space get visible, create inspiring content and connect with their ideal clients. She also has her own podcast called The Meaningful Mentor, which discusses the daily impact and challenges of living with long-term health conditions and provides helpful tips and insights to her listeners. Steph's mission is to support those with long-term conditions to live a more meaningful life daily while running their online businesses.

Written by: Kaye Doran, 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. Whenever you have an aspiration to change any given area of your life, you will eventually be greeted by your friend fear. Everything within you has the right to be heard. All too often, feelings such as fear are labeled as negative. The only thing negative about our feelings is the constant denial and suppression of them. The more you attempt to suppress, the more it will rise within you with the need to be heard, just like a tantrum-throwing child. When you aspire to change, it means that you will have to let go and grow. Let go of what you might ask? Well, habits and excuses that hold you back that are driven by false stories and beliefs that bleed into your subconscious and distort your perception of yourself, the world around you, and your experiences. You may start strong and set things into motion towards that change you seek, or you may feel frozen immediately. It all depends on how big the change feels compared to your current comfort zone. Let us also be clear that some comfort zones feel comfortable, or should I say familiar, yet if you have that inner calling to change something, it is generally because you are not feeling so comfortable with where you are. Hence the aspiration for change. Imagine for a moment that you have two elastic bands around your waist. One band is connected to your past and present; the second band is connected to your present and your future. As you take action, moving away from your past and towards your desired future, the old elastic band will begin to feel very tight and uncomfortable, attempting to pull you back. Most people, until they understand the process of change, are not yet comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. The moment of change is when you feel this pressure. Accompanying this is fear. Fear is the very thing that, if not understood, freezes you in your tracks and into nonaction. Here is where the excuses come in, “I don’t have time, I don’t know enough, I don’t have the money, I can’t afford to, I don’t have what it takes, I will do it when…” The list goes on. Sound familiar? The elastic band pulling you back. False stories and beliefs that feel very real yet are non-truths dragging you back. Then the overshadowing takes the place of feeling like a failure and a victim to your life. I call this being in the passenger seat of your life. If you are constantly living with your excuses, living as the victim to circumstance, you may very well be in the backseat. When you understand what is happening and why it is happening, you can change your perception. Then the fear that rises and whispers to you becomes a friend, and it is telling you that you are heading in the right direction. However, you are going to have to let go of your current comfort zone and limiting beliefs that have previously held you back, change and grow. It is a signpost saying, ‘this way to the change you seek.’ Be prepared to feel a little uncomfortable for a time before the road smooths out. Place your new friend fear into the passenger seat and take charge by being in the drivers’ seat of your life and destination. You are an action taker. Now you need to start to calm that voice of fear by going eyeball to eyeball with it and giving it a chance to be heard. This starts to quieten the voice of fear. If you don’t, you will eventually find yourself back in the passenger seat and fear in the drivers’ seat, directing you back to where you came from. This concept appears simple. Just as writing an email seems simple, you type it, and press send within moments the recipient has received it. Simple right? Yet what is happening in the background is way more complex than what appears on the surface. How to face your fear Write down this heading. These are my fears , and they are not my truth Now write down your fears, all your fears, exactly how you feel them Write underneath your fears. These were my fears , and they are no longer my truth Now write down the opposite of your fears. The successful outcomes. Finish by writing. These are my Truth. Another powerful way to do this process is by saying them to someone Direct the person to sit opposite you Speak the above process while looking them in the eyes The rule here is the listener must not respond to you or try to fix and give solutions or reassure you in any way. They are merely there as a way of you facing your fears and allowing them to be heard. Lessening their hold on you. Something very powerful that we all have is the power of choice. People that create successful change within their lives, whether that be losing weight, getting fit, starting a business, writing a book, or changing jobs, all have one thing in common. They choose to move through the uncomfortable. To see loss as an opportunity, to take what feels like a risk, to put their excuses in the passenger seat, and stay focused on their destination. To break the old elastic band and they chose to understand the path ahead is an ever-changing landscape designed to bring out the best within them. They choose fear as their friend. I am not saying that to achieve your desired change, it is as simple as listening to your fears in this way. However, it is one essential component that most commonly stops people in their tracks because their fear is merely communicating what is in the subconscious that is holding you back and telling you it is ok. Face it and take yourself to the other side. Whenever I have made a major decision to change, fear has arrived. Every time I listened to that fear as my friend, it always worked out for my highest good. The more I listened to fear from the perspective of being my friend; it made room for the voice of knowing, power, and potential to amplify. If you are ready to make a friend of fear and recognize what is holding you back and you feel you need some support from someone who knows the terrain, contact me via my website to set up a call to see how I can accelerate your progress towards your desired outcome. If you want more, please go to my website , under resources, you will find three powerful meditations as my gift to you. Or, if you would like to join a weekly zoom meditation and insight group, please reach out to me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn to find out more. Read more from Kaye! Kaye Doran, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kaye Doran is an entrepreneur, facilitator, speaker, women’s leadership and life coach, shamanic healer, and creator of Inner Expressions, helping women realize their leadership from within. An unshakable optimist, she lives with a foot in both worlds – physical and spiritual, working with her unique blend of gifts in connection, knowing, shamanic energy sound healing, and accredited master life coaching. She empowers women with self-worth and the ability to create change. Supporting them to feel and know their inner power moving them beyond their comfort zone and back into the driver’s seat of their life. She has been working with women for three decades – and working on herself longer. Her motto is, “the power of change is in your hands.”

Written by: Dhairya Udeshi, 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. As a Personal Trainer, I get to work with clients with almost all kinds of unique health challenges. Today, we are going to discuss disc injuries and how it affects people’s health. There are various disc injuries, such as Disc Inflammation, bulged disc, and a slipped disc or herniated disc. If it happens in the neck region (cervical spine), clients will have symptoms such as migraine, neck pain, frozen shoulder, tightness on the shoulder blades, numbness in the arms, or loss of strength in arms compared to before. If it’s a slipped disc, there would be nerve compression ranging from the neck to the elbow. Similarly, for the Lower back (lumbar spine), disc injuries are the same. Except the symptoms would include numbness in the legs, tingling sensation on the feet, pain, and tightness in the knee, pain in the lower back, tightness on the glutes. If it’s a slipped disc, there would be a nerve compression from the glutes until the leg. Now, the question is that what is the best way to treat it. According to doctors, physiotherapy and pain killer tablets and injections are the best treatment for such injuries. Doctors highly recommend not to do weight training at all. A physiotherapist will only show the clients various stretches that would strengthen the surrounding muscles of the disc. However, with study and experience of all these years, I realized that these are just temporary solutions, and the pain and symptoms would be back again if they would do anything strenuous, such as lifting even slightly heavy or cleaning the house. Weight training helps build up strength and pumps blood in the surrounding muscles and nerves around the disc. This would help to protect and keep the discs hydrated, which would reduce the chances of herniation. Now the question that would arise is, “won’t be lifting weights put a further load on the herniated disc?” As a Personal Trainer, my job is to ensure that the workout is being done smoothly, putting no pressure on the disc and ensuring that we also achieved the desired result of strengthening the surrounding muscles. This is mainly done by using very light weights and repetitions ranging from 10 to 15 per set. For injuries relating to the neck, the training would do workouts below the shoulder level at least for the first 2 months. That would include exercises related to the Biceps, Triceps, and Legs mainly. The idea is to increase the blood flow around the arms and neck and strengthen those muscles. No exercises related to push and pull, as this would trigger the pressure on the disc and neck muscles. Similarly, exercises relating to lower back injury would include mainly seated straight and lying down flat exercises. I do this so that there is no pressure on the lower back, and surrounding muscles of the lower back muscles get strengthened. Clients will start seeing results in 2 to 4 weeks where stiffness would have reduced considerably, and their strength and flexibility would increase over a period of time. Exercises to avoid would be Weighted Squats, Leg Press and Deadlift, as it directly pressures the Lumbar Discs. It is very important to stretch the full body before and after the workout—particularly the areas which are stiff and painting the most. Stretching increases flexibility and strengthens the muscles around the disc. I hope this article was helpful for all those having challenges dealing with disc injuries. If you would like to have further consultation or for 1 on 1 Personal Training, you can follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Also, visit my website for further info. Follow me on Facebo ok , Instagram , LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Dhairya Udeshi, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dhairya Udeshi is the Executive Director of Shape Up LLC, UAE. His company focuses on providing Personal and Group Fitness training services either in the Gym, Outdoors, or Online training using a video call service. It depends on the client's preference. Dhairya's idea has always been to provide clients with many flexible options and make it easier for them to choose their preferences. Dhairya's aim has always been to build a big network of clients and potential clients as his mission is to help more and more people stay fit and healthy. This is why he implements the strategy of charging 20-30% lesser than the market rate and providing clients with even better services with more flexible options for places to work out. With 8+ years of Experience in Health and Fitness, Dhairya has trained over 500 clients with all kinds of Health and Fitness challenges such as Running a marathon, Playing at the national level, Heart issues, Disc injuries, Spasms, Arthritis (Both Rheumatoid and Osteo), Diabetes, Blood Pressure, Depression and Anxiety. Dhairya is also a Life Coach, and he takes care of the mental health of his clients along with their physical well-being. With his belief that he instills to the world that Mental well-being is as or more important than Physical well being his Clients are more than willing to take up Coaching sessions along with Fitness training sessions in order to focus on their all-around development. Very few kinds of companies provide this kind of service.

Written by: Bernadette Bruckner, 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 . We are in August already. Do you feel like you haven’t done anything this year? Me too – even when I am a busy bee! I do not know about you, but as a woman, and definitely, as a mum, do you have the feeling that everything is in chaos more than ever since COVID-19? And still, the laundry has to be done, food has to be on the table, kids want to be entertained, and grandparents need to take walks, just like the dog. Are you still smiling? As I have been used to getting called for emergencies since childhood, I am kind of “used to all that.” Things that other people experience as apocalyptical. So, I am pretty calm, and yet I still feel like “the last woman standing.” I should probably become a crisis manager or taking care of many kids, as I smile when others cry, I am positive when others are totally down, and I cheer up when others are falling apart to take care of them in bad times. The last woman standing is a life motto! As I nearly died four times over, I witnessed terminal care, and I also built others up in the times of crisis I have seen since last year. For many, the world they believed to be real got shaken (not stirred!). What about you? Did COVID-19 change you? If so, in which direction? I checked again my core values which are: Collateral Passionate Enabling I know that my core values give me the strength and security to go on, deeply trusting that everything will work out fine! As the last woman standing, giving hope to others, both online and offline, I see that talking to strangers or giving a smile can support others, can make them see their world differently than they did before. Since childhood, I have stood up for my beliefs and felt like a highly sensitive person. I just “knew,” I knew everything would be better one day. I just knew that this small stuff doesn’t count later in life. I just knew that trusting my intuition and vision. I could not only reach the stars but fulfill my dreams. And this attitude has led me to beautiful places and people to this day. I love being the last woman standing, smiling, and giving kind words to others, not only in times of crisis but right now, to help them see another future than they saw before our encounter! What are your core values, and how do they help you in times of crisis? Who are you without your values and the filters you learned from others? And what if… You were the last woman standing? Who would you be? For more information, follow me on Facebook , Instagram and visit my we bsite ! You can buy my book here ! Read more from Bernadette! Bernadette Bruckner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine The creative allrounder worked successfully in different working fields in Austria and abroad. By her interest in corporate communications, marketing, human resources, and many other business areas, she has appropriated an enormous amount of knowledge over more than 30 years. Numerous educations at international top-trainers like Richard Bandler, Robert Dilts, Roy Martina, and Clinton Swaine. Internationally active as a holistic trainer in health, nutrition, and mental health with exceptional holistic resilience methods. Founder of „iMM – intuitive mentoring method and 1-min-coaching-to-go“, further development of NLP, as well as, ORINITION® - n(fl)ourish soul.mind.body.“ – an innovative nutrition work of (re-)membering our own body intelligence. Successfully Master’s degree in health management with a focus on public health. International Ph.D. & research in health communication with a focus on psycholinguistics combined with neuroplasticity and health economics. International bestselling publisher and author of numerous books in different languages. Global Author Award 2018 / Nominatee NLP Award in Research 2019 in London. 2021 opening my own research center for intuitive science in Austria.

Written by: Hanna Hanula , 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. We tend to think that bloating is only a mechanical issue, we just eat something 'gassy,' and we get bloated. Or we overindulge in heavy food, had too many fizzy drinks or pastry. But when you take a closer look, you will notice that some people are more prone to bloating than others. A significant role is played by our microbiome and its psychobiotic bacteria that are a part of our nervous system. Yes, bacteria make up your enteric nervous system! ENS is a completely autonomous nervous system with 500 neurons that is only secondary to the brain. These good bugs send signals using their chemical language (neurotransmitters) to the brain affecting your mood and also your food choices. When there is a gut dysbiosis, which means the bad bacteria outnumber the good ones, then you tend to crave more sweets, fatty, and carby foods. You are also more prone to have low mood, anxiety, and depression. Fact: 60% of people with IBS suffer from anxiety. So there is clearly a link between your gut and brain connection. Now, let's come back to our emotions. What is the link between how you feel and your gut? Well, your gut creates a mirror picture of your feelings. For example, if you feel sad, you find yourself craving something sweet to lift your mood momentarily. But who is really lifting your mood? It's your gut bacteria! There can be several emotions that often get trapped in your bowels. The most common are insecurity, vulnerability, anxiety, worry, nervousness, low self-esteem, rejection, and abandonment. How do they get trapped? Your body generates emotions based on what you are experiencing in the moment and information stored in your body and mind from past experiences. For example, if you have a stressful situation in the office, the emotion of anxiety, worry, or nervousness can be produced. However, if you don’t process feelings correctly (fully feel the emotion) and release them, they get stuck in the body. Using the above example, if you felt anxiety and worry and wanted to cry, but instead, you repressed this feeling, then moved on with your busy day, then the emotion is blocked in your body. Every trapped emotion leaves a trace in your body not only as a chemical imprint but also as stuck energy. Your body keeps the score. This trapped feeling can cause you bloating and/or other digestive discomforts as your gut is the place you absorb and assimilate your reality. So let's have a look at three ways emotions keep you bloated. 1. Emotions as trapped energy . Repressed feelings are 'stuck' in your belly, impairing your digestion. It can happen through, for example, low production of hydrochloric acid. When there is a low hydrochloric acid, then more bacteria can pass through your stomach and into your small intestine, causing you SIBO ( Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth). The main symptom of this is bloating. 2. Emotional eating . When you experience certain emotions like loneliness, nervousness, anxiety, sadness (and many more), you turn to processed food or alcohol for comfort, which fuels your gut dysbiosis. This is because your bad bugs feed off sugar, so the more carbs and alcohol (yes, it metabolizes as sugar too!) you consume, the more severe your gut dysbiosis may be, causing your bloat. 3. Fight or flight mode. When you get stressed or consume too many stimulants like coffee, your body goes into what's called flight or fight mode, activating your sympathetic nervous system. This system is responsible for our survival, and when faced with a stressful situation, it pumps adrenaline and puts on hold non-vital -for survival functions like digestion. That means that when you are stressed and eat quickly, your food will not get digested properly, and harmful bacteria will feed off it, causing you bloating. Also, the release of stress hormones negatively influences the microbiome. What can you do to ease your bloating? Fan activity that will allow you to express your emotions like dancing, going for a walk, journaling, painting, or talking to a friend Find a practitioner who will help you release already trapped emotions from your body Create strategies to mitigate your stress like meditation, yoga, reading, cooking. Take three deep breaths before consuming your meals. Each of us is unique, and so should the approach be. That's why I created my method, GEM that is based on gut healing, energy medicine, and mindset. This proven method is fully personalized and holistic to address all parts of you: body, mind, and soul. How does it work? Body - through nutritional therapy, target supplementation and removal of trapped emotions. Mind - releasing limiting beliefs, old patterns and creating new habits and behaviors. Soul - through energy medicine and energy healing. All in one program called Bye Bye Bloated Belly. Reach out to me for more details. For more info, follow Hanna on Faceboo k , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit her web site ! Read more from Hanna! Hanna Hanula, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Hanna Hanula is a leading nutritionist, naturopath, and mindset coach specializing in the gut and mental health. She is a former sufferer of high functioning anxiety, ADHD, social anxiety, and several digestive issues (mainly IBS, Candida, Sibo, and food intolerances) who healed herself by working holistically on the gut-brain axis. She then developed her own unique method called GEM based on gut healing (G), energy medicine (E), and mindset (M). She became passionate about helping others understand the importance of the influence of food on our mood. She is a founder of Souliciously Hanna, a coaching practice through which she runs group programs called Holistic Anxiety Reset and coaches private clients. She is also the author of Stress & Anxiety - the ultimate remedies guide. Her motto is that if you really want to heal your anxiety and feel comfortable in your body, then you need to address your emotional center - your gut.

Written by: Ivonne Zucco, 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. Burn-out (noun) The International Classification of Diseases 11 edition (ICD 11) defines burnout as a syndrome (not a disease, used only in the occupational context) resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. With the Great Resignation, many individuals today must manage the pressure of hiring and training the right people while carrying the workload in understaffed organizations. There is a general feeling of exhaustion. In addition, due to the pandemic, the burnout rates in certain industries have seriously escalated in the last two years. Yet, burnout and exhaustion look very different. You can work on fatigue by using self-care strategies or taking a nice vacation. Because the sources of burnout are both organizational and personal, identifying and recuperating from it must be a collective effort. The first time I experienced burnout, I left my job feeling defeated and demoralized. Unfortunately, when I stepped into a new role at a new workplace, I was still carrying all that emotional burden with me. It was not long before I was falling into the same pattern, but the symptoms were escalating this time. I experienced trouble breathing, heart palpitations, and a general sense of anxiety that interrupted my daily non-work activities. Burnout is challenging to detect because, in part, it is subjective to each person’s perception of their ability to manage their job. As per the ICD 11 definition, "it is characterized by feelings of energy depletion, feelings of negativism or cynicism towards one’s job, and a sense of decreased professional efficacy." In the long term, the consequences of unattended burnout can lead to results that range from extreme stress, fatigue, irritability, sadness, insomnia, substance overuse, vulnerability to getting sick, and long-term consequences like depression and anxiety. The earliest research on the issue came from the fields of psychology, social services, and healthcare because these job environments tend to be defined by selflessness and prioritizing the needs of others first. Also, because of their missions and the manner they are funded, these industries are characterized by high demands and limited resources. According to the article “Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry” (Maslach & Leiter, 2016), different test models have been developed to measure the burnout experience. As the models have changed, also the understanding of causes for it has broadened. Today, there are six known factors across industries that determine the risk of burnout in an organization. Work overload: A manageable workload is essential for the well-being of individuals and organizations. When there is not enough opportunity to rest and recover, and resources like time, skills, and people are stretched thin, the likelihood of burnout increases. Control: autonomy and agency are key elements to internal motivation. When an employee lacks enough information and capacity to influence decisions, there are more chances that they will feel unhappy about their work situation. Likewise, leaders who must answer to priorities imposed on them will find it hard to maintain their level of inspiration. Reward Insufficient recognition is also a significant influencer in burnout. Employees need to feel that their efforts are being recognized. Recognition might take many forms, including financial compensation, peer acknowledgment, and institutional accolades like promotions and upgraded job titles. Community It is also essential for an individual to feel emotionally connected at work. That connection will mostly come from a community of colleagues who can be trusted and healthily resolve conflict. If organizations lack a healthy culture, there are big chances that morale will be affected. Fairness This is related to the perception that decisions within an organization have been made fairly and in a transparent manner. It has its roots in social justice and equity. This can be tricky for organizations since the same treatment and accommodations for everyone are not enough. Equity requires that individuals with different privilege levels are brought to a comparable level to ensure the same opportunities for all. (i.e., language and disabilities accommodations) Values A match between organizational and individual values is essential for job satisfaction. This emotional and intellectual factor can even be more important than financial reward. A person who is not aligned with their company’s values will soon feel out of place and will find their job unfulfilling. Although it is essential for companies to keep a close watch on these six factors, it is important to acknowledge the significance of personal responsibility on well-being. Self-regulation and maintaining consistency on boundaries rests on the individual. For example, a good boundary to have is not to work during vacation. Nevertheless, if I decide to answer emails during a time that should be dedicated to rest, I cannot make others responsible for replying and make it seem that I never get time off. I have talked to many people who believe they have no choice. However, the truth is that most of the time, there is a choice, but we have a hard time seeing it. The same way technology seems to have tied us to be in communication all the time, and there are plenty of tools to help manage external expectations. Nevertheless, there are no apps that will help us change our mindsets and habits. We need to do the internal work so that we feel engaged and satisfied at work. As I mentioned in the beginning, the second time I suffered burnout, a lot of that was created by feelings and habits that I had carried from my previous job. Fortunately, I was able to work with an excellent cognitive behavioral therapist on setting boundaries and creating habits that helped me maintain a sense of control. I was also able to clarify my personal goals and how they aligned with my job. I have since then found my best role fit within the organization based on my abilities and values. My level of engagement and happiness at work has increased exponentially. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Ivonne! Ivonne Zucco, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine As the Founder and CEO of A Better Story Coaching, Ivonne's mission is to work with individuals searching for fulfillment and balance in their careers and with companies working towards intentional culture change. We are currently experiencing a significant shift in humanity. Because of the worldwide health crisis, individuals have learned that there is much more to life than working 12 hours a day. For so long, we believed that the only way to be happy was to follow the old script of working hard to obtain financial security and sacrifice our health and relationships to buy things to make us happy. Today people are learning that: Life balance is more important than wealth. Creating memories is more important than obtaining accolades Financial security does not mean more money; we can live with less Finding meaning in what we do is the only real fuel to living a successful life Ivonne works with those looking for clarity and purpose using a pragmatic approach to help them advance from where they are to where they want to be. Bilingual-bicultural (Spanish-Latino).

Written by: Paul L. Glover , 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. The Panic: "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth" – Mike Tyson. In February, COVID-19 punched the economy in the mouth, turning the best economy in the last decade, into the worst downturn since the Great Depression. This drastic downturn caused most companies to rapidly contract their operations. Five months later, the virus’ detrimental impact on the economy has not lessened. But the period of panic has passed. And while the “next normal” work environment hasn’t been defined; it will be significantly different than the old normal. With this realization, organizations are faced with a binary choice: Try to perform work like it was done pre-pandemic or Prepare for post-pandemic growth by transforming how the organization meets the needs of their employees who perform the work and generate organizational success. The Possibility: "Never let a good crisis go to waste." – S aul Alinsky T he pandemic creates a unique opportunity for leaders to challenge the assumptions of how work is performed, to determine if those assumptions continue to meet the needs of the organization and its employees. If those assumptions are outdated, then how work is being done must be replaced with how work should be performed for the mutual benefit of the organization and its employees. Then the organization must make a significant commitment to dedicating the time, energy, and resources needed to create and implement those new approaches. The economic justification for a transformation about how work is performed is supported by the research done after the 2008 Great Recession. The 9% of organizations that reacted to the 2008 Great Recession by transforming how work was done, outperformed their competitors by at least 10% in sales and profits growth during the three years following the recession. Additional analysis by Bain and a study by McKinsey confirmed these results. Seventeen percent of the organizations that did not take the steps necessary to strategically restructure to meet the realities of a new work environment went bankrupt, were acquired, and 80% had not regained their pre-recession growth rates for sales and profits 3 years after the recession. A Proposed Work Transformation Plan Based on my experience assisting organizations to re-structure after the 2008 Great Recession, here is how organizations can transform how work is performed and begin to thrive in the post-pandemic marketplace: 1. Operational Efficiencies, Selective Terminations and Investing in Employee Development: Organizations relying on reducing their workforce only have an 11% probability of achieving post-pandemic breakaway performance. Organizations that reduce their workforce significantly less than their competition, improve operational efficiencies to reduce operating costs, and invest in developing their employees, have a 35% chance of achieving post-pandemic breakaway performance. Finding Operational Efficiencies requires a complete examination of every process, policy, practice and rule to determine if the status quo is still providing the most effective and efficient way to deliver the desired outcome. This examination must include the participation of those impacted by or required to use the process, policy, practice or rule. Recommendation: Start this strategic mindset approach by reading T esla’s Employee Handbook. Selective terminations: While this may seem like a crazy approach when companies are facing labor shortages, focusing on recognizing and retaining the company’s talent while eliminating The Working Dead – actively disengaged employees – at all levels of the organization and from every team is the key to increasing employee engagement and performance. Recommendation: In most organizations, this means 20% of the workforce must be released. Since only 18% of Team Leaders have the level of talent necessary to lead High-Performance Work Teams, terminations need to include command and control Team Leaders at every level, including the C-Suite. Continuous Skill Set Development for Core Employees: Pre-pandemic, 42% of companies recognized gaps in skill sets made them less efficient. Organizations addressing existing skill gaps by reskilling and upskilling their Core Employees – 20% of the workforce who are actively engaged and committed to the growth of the organization and want ongoing skill set development - will be better positioned to avoid the impact of the Great Resignation movement by retaining existing talent and attracting additional talent. Recommendation: This is the opportunity to find Core employees with the potential to be leaders of High-Performance Work Teams and develop them so this potential will be realized. 2. Decentralize Decision Making: M any organizations reacted to the pandemic by increasing centralized decision-making . However, companies that delegate decision-making to Front Line Leaders of High-Performance Work Teams, who quickly and effectively identify/fix problems and take advantage of opportunities provided by rapidly changing conditions in the marketplace outperform more centralized companies by 20 to 25%. 3. Improve the Employee Experience: Only 17% of employees give their company an exceptional rating for the Employee Experience (EX). By not having an EX that meets the needs of engaged/committed Core Employees, organizations risk their disengagement, loss of this talent to the Great Resignation movement and the inability to attract the talent necessary for post-pandemic growth. To improve their EX, organizations need to focus on: Autonomy: 63% of employees define a great EX as being empowered and trusted to do their job with little supervision. Suggestions: Begin the process of developing Team Leaders who are more coach and facilitators while creating High-Performance Work Teams capable of decentralized decision making. Work Flexibility: The pandemic has shown employees want as much flexibility as possible. Accordingly, organizations seeking to keep their talent and attract new talent need to provide as much flexibility as feasible. This applies to the 40% of employees who can WFH and the 60% of the workforce whose job won’t allow them to WFH. Recommendation: Flexibility means permitting nontraditional work locations (work remotely, hybrid), and creating customized work schedules through work week and work hours options such as job crafting, rotating shifts, night work, flextime and compressed work schedules. The “Next Normal” Workplace is being created now The “next normal” workplace is being created based on the expectations employees now have about how work can be performed post-pandemic. Leaders who; want their organizations to thrive in this “next normal” workplace, and want to avoid the disastrous impact of the Great Resignation, ...need to implement the operational efficiencies, invest in employee development, decentralize decision making and improve the employee experience as discussed in this article. Those leaders who choose not to treat their employees as stakeholders, who need to have their expectations met, should heed the words of W. Edwards Deming who remarked "You don’t need to change – your survival is not mandatory.” Want to learn more from Paul? Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit his website. Read more from Paul! Paul L. Glover, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Paul is known as The No B.S. Workplace Performance Coach. For the last 30 years, his mission has been to assist Executives, Team Leaders, and their organizations in achieving their full potential. His approach is practical, hands-on, grounded in the realities of the real world of work, and very results-oriented – but all applied with a sense of humor and panache. Paul is also a "recovering trial lawyer," a Chicago Bears fanatic, an unabashed Starbucks addict, and the author of WorkQuake™, a book dedicated to how to thrive in the Information Economy and a Member of the Forbes Coaching Council.

Written by: Ann Verster, 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. Your Spiritual Gifts are the Superpowers you carry within. There are different kinds of Spiritual Gifts, but the same Spirit (God) is the source of them all. Spiritual Gifts work best in Unity because they are given to us in Unity. When you activate your Divinely Gifts – your Gifts will bring you Abundance in Love, Health, and Wealth. Let me explain, you have a path and a specific purpose for being here. In the same way, you have a quest, something you are seeking, and strengths or abilities that are your own. As you journey through life, you may find yourself drawn to certain activities and things you feel called to do along the way. You begin to resonate with a specialty or calling, and therein lies the keys to identifying your Divinely Gifts. Gifts From The Divine Gift of Administration Gift of Apostle Gift of Discernment Gift of Evangelism Gift of Exhortation Gift of Faith Gift of Giving Gift of Healing Gift of Help Gift of Hospitality Gift of Knowledge Gift of Leadership Gift of Mercy Gift of Prophecy Gift of Serving Gift of Speaking in Tongues Gift of Teaching Gift of Wisdom At the end of the day, who you are, what you do, and how you show up in the world are sacred and unique to you. Everything you share, whether it’s your beautiful smile, your loving heart, your incredible wisdom, or your quality of presence, you have a ripple effect on everyone around you and beyond. Whoever you are and whatever you do, the world needs your unique Gifts. Know that you can alter the circumstances of your life and those around you by Activating your Gifts. You may not know how to take those first steps - you do so by thinking big, showing up bold, and sharing your uniqueness. That’s when everything around you changes - you become a role model for many who have lost hope and faith. Share or leave a comment below on how you discovered your Gifts from The Divine (God)and how you have made a difference in your own life or your community. Love & Light Anne Verster Spiritual Life & Abundance Coach Want to learn more from Ann? Follow her on Facebook , LinkedIn , and visit her website . You can also get in touch at lifecoach@annverster. com . Read more from Ann! Ann Verster, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine I’m a Spiritual Life & Manifesting Abundance Coach. I've mentored thousands of people to rewrite their money stories over the past 18 years. I truly believe that we all have this incredible ability to manifest our dreams and desires, so I am inviting you to have a look at my Manifesting Album on my website. I want you to see what is possible for you and get so inspired! I have manifested several businesses, homes, cars and traveled the world using The Law of Attraction. I am well known for my spiritual take on manifesting abundance. I deeply believe in you and your unique life purpose - and it's my mission to help you create abundance on all levels of your life.

Written by: Gabrielle Washington, 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 like to look at abundance as a state of being rather than just a noun. It's an inner knowing that everything is working out for you even when the world is in chaos. It knows your true power and how your energy affects your state of abundance. Living in a state of abundance means you. Love yourself more Work with your emotions instead of fighting them Have a closer relationship with all living beings You fly above the drama Know how to walk in your power Although manifesting abundance may seem like a new school belief, its origins can be traced to biblical times. It's not a new concept, but rather we are going through a major shift in human consciousness, and with this shift, our true state of being is being revealed. What do you think about when you hear the word abundance? Most people tend to lean towards financial abundance, but true abundance is so much more. True abundance flourishes through every area of your life, and when you are living in the state of being, you begin to create the life of your dreams. In order to live a life of abundance, there are some steps to follow in order to get you there. The Blueprint For Walking Into Your Power has all the tools needed for becoming the embodiment of abundance. If you're ready to start living a life of abundance by stepping into your power, then sign up for my free Manifesting Abundance Masterclass. If you are ready, then abundance is ready for you! Gabrielle Washington, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Gabrielle Washington has a successful business as a psychic medium and handmade conscious jeweler. Her life has been a rollercoaster of tragic events, from battling major health problems that started in her twenties to losing one of her baby sisters back in 2011 and her divine counterpart (Twin Flame) in 2015. Although these events may seem tragic, they all were divinely orchestrated to be a catalyst for her spiritual awakening. She battled and won the war with her major depression, which leads her to open up her vessel to be a channel for divine energy. Gabrielle's mission is to help not only twin flames but to help as many souls as she can awaken to their soul's purpose.

Written by: Ivonne Zucco, 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'd like to preface this article with the clarification that I use the terms leader and manager interchangeably because I believe that the separation of "what makes you a manager vs. a leader" does not help prepare those in the middle management to advance with the right tools. We are all leaders, and all leaders need to manage and produce results. In our current service industry economy, the main asset to a business is their employees' intellect and creativity. We have moved away from the production line model to a dynamic that requires participation, buy-in, and leaders who learn to adapt quickly. Leadership books and articles are abundant; I personally have at least ten of them in my library, and that is a modest number. As much as I would like to say that they are very inspirational and have taught me how to be a better person in general, I have always felt that there is a disconnect between what leaders and managers experience every day and these books' aspirational goals. In fact, the majority of articles and books I have read about leadership fail to acknowledge that managing individuals are just tricky. Their focus lies in asking the leader to be better without addressing the complexity of human interactions. Yet, you know that on the ground, it is challenging to make individuals of different generations and cultural backgrounds excited, engaged, and productive about the same goal because they all bring to work their personal experiences, current challenges, and beliefs about themselves and the world around them. Whether you are a new manager, excited about the opportunity presented to you, or a long time leader who is still struggling with finding the right balance, here are a few ideas that you might want to consider: Moving Up The Leadership Ladder Requires A Paradigm Shift Up until now, you are probably used to doing the work yourself. Naturally, because you know the most efficient way to get things done, you will tend to want to continue doing what you were doing. Your skills and dedication have gotten you where you are, so it is hard to turn that switch off. Nevertheless, now your job is to manage and lead people, and you need to make them the center of your focus. This idea is especially hard for the doers. Starting something and finishing it gives you a sense of accomplishment, something palpable that you can point to as proof of your hard work. As a leader, you won't have such clear deliverables. Your deliverable will be how happy your team is with their work, and as a result, how much they produce. It is hard to let go, but if you do not make that essential change, your team will view you as a micromanager and hoarder of accolades who has no desire to teach or empower those under you. I read a quote once that was along the lines of "do not be so focused on the goal that you forget about the people." Unfortunately, I could not find it to quote here correctly, but it is a thought that has guided me in those moments in which I felt the pressure to deliver results, and I forgot that the only way to get there is by trusting those I lead. Empowering People Requires That You Let Go If you are going to ask people to contribute and be proactive, you must listen to them and try things even if you don't think it is the way you would do it. Teamwork talk is cheap if, in your team, you are the only one making decisions. I had a manager once that, every time we came up with an idea, would say, "We already tried that and didn't work." Being a person with a lot of ideas, I felt shut down and eventually stopped contributing. Looking back, I appreciate the fact that he did not want to try things that had already failed because the efforts would have been a waste of resources. Nevertheless, when you have enthusiastic staff that really want to do something for the organization, you might have to pick your battles and let people do what they think is best. After all, just because it did not work for you does not mean that it is not going to work for someone else. Maybe that employee has some knowledge or skill that the team did not have when you tried before. If your experience was such that you know for sure that this is not going to work, think of ways to present your response in a manner that is educative and constructive. For example, these are the steps we took; these are the reasons why it did not work, is there anything you know that we didn't at the time that might make this idea work? Can you do some research and get back to me with a proposal? Communication, Honesty And Vulnerability Will Bring You Closer To Your Team When you are a manager, those that work under you tend to project a lot and forget that you are a person too. Just like in parenting, in order not to disappoint those that expect so much from you, you must keep it real. Yet, our culture portrays a leader as someone who has all the answers and shows no weakness. I cannot help picturing those blockbuster movies showing a great leader in a moment of weakness having an epiphany that miraculously leads their team to success. This view fails to acknowledge that great leaders have fears and insecurities, too and that their most significant achievements have come from being vulnerable and allowing those around them to support them in difficult times. As a manager, it is essential to have honest communication with your team, admit you made a mistake when you did, and apologize if this error affected them. Without breaking confidentiality or trespassing boundaries (yours and theirs), make them aware of your circumstances. Most employees will not have a clue about the number of responsibilities you carry on your shoulders, making assumptions about your performance based only on what they know. By allowing yourself to be vulnerable, you will enable them to support you and together create a better outcome. Presume The Best And The Worst In People This paradigm is one that is difficult to digest. Yet, one of the most common human relationships complaints is: "I trusted this person, but he stabbed me in the back." This does not necessarily mean that people have an evil plan from the beginning (some do, but most do not). It means that people change how they think about something based on how they see the world and how they feel about themselves and their circumstances. Therefore, someone who promises loyalty today and swears that they will never have a better boss than you can feel vastly different at any given moment. When people are at their best, they can be a delight to work with. When people are in a negative mindset, it will require that you are very well balanced and help guide this person back to a better place. A word of warning here; stay very attentive to those employees that are consistently negative and continue to exhibit toxic behaviors. Even if you invest time trying to get them out of the dark zone, they have deeper underlying issues that you cannot change, and it will do you no good to retain them. Let them go. Whether You Want To Deal With Them Or Not, You Also Have Feelings, And You Should Keep Them In Check One of the most common things you hear from executive coaches is that the individuals they coach do not want to talk about feelings. Keep your problems at home, do not cry at work, and other emotional numbing advice is something we learn early in our professional lives. Yet, all humans (except maybe for psychopaths) come with feelings pretty much as they come with a set of kidneys and lungs. Yes, emotions are there, and you might have learned to shut them down, but they will come out at some point, and they will not look pretty. As a leader, you will have to live with a lot less than a 100% rate of approval. Your work and decisions will be criticized repeatedly, and this will take you through a bumpy ride, even if you know you are doing your best. It is essential that you have someone you trust, can be vulnerable with, and can speak about the effect these circumstances have on you. A mentor, a coach, a sensible friend, or a group of leaders like yourself can help you feel grounded and learn to know yourself better. Most people that make it to management and leadership roles tend to be self-driven individuals. They perform very well at their jobs but do not necessarily have the introspection or guidance to determine whether managing people is something they are good at something they want to learn or just something that is not their strong suit. With the high cost of replacing talent and the current generation's work dynamics (changing jobs often vs. being there for years), most companies understand that improving employee satisfaction matters. Yet, the prevailing culture continues to lag on proper mid-managing training. If there is any, they focus on the competencies and company policies but fail to teach the essential skills of all: people and self-awareness skills. I hope these tips are helpful, and if you feel stuck and do not know where to begin, or if your company is looking to improve talent retention and I would be happy to chat with you about it. And do not forget to share these tips with other leaders on the path to greatness! I will leave you with a quote that many years ago spoke to me about the importance of self-awareness: “Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job. If you work hard on your job you can make a living, but if you work hard on yourself you'll make a fortune.” ― Jim Rohn Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Ivonne Zucco, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine As the Founder and CEO of A Better Story Coaching, Ivonne's mission is to work with individuals searching for fulfillment and balance in their careers and with companies working towards intentional culture change. We are currently experiencing a significant shift in humanity. Because of the worldwide health crisis, individuals have learned that there is much more to life than working 12 hours a day. For so long, we believed that the only way to be happy was to follow the old script of working hard to obtain financial security and sacrifice our health and relationships to buy things to make us happy. Today people are learning that: Life balance is more important than wealth. Creating memories is more important than obtaining accolades Financial security does not mean more money; we can live with less Finding meaning in what we do is the only real fuel to living a successful life Ivonne works with those looking for clarity and purpose using a pragmatic approach to help them advance from where they are to where they want to be. Bilingual-bicultural (Spanish-Latino).

Written by: Adele Chee, 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. Nothing feels more debilitating than someone pulling the rug from right under your feet without you noticing - especially when you thought that you’ve got everything figured out. You acknowledge that circumstances are constantly changing all around you and can impact you in big or small ways whether you like it or not, and whether you notice it or not. However, this is not enough to keep the stress and anxiety at bay. So, what can you do to deal and cope in undesirable situations? 1 Know yourself - your values, strengths, limits and priorities. In uncertain times, it is even more crucial to recognise your worth as it endows self-trust and instills self-belief which allows you to be in control during less-than-ideal conditions. Having clarity about your priorities and acknowledging your strengths and limits, will enable you to remain focused on what needs to be done. This includes knowing who to turn to for support given the position you’re in and putting up boundaries where necessary to prevent further resource depletion. By knowing yourself in advance, you will be able to better prepare and overcome anxiety when something unexpected happens. 2 In order to exercise your power of being in control, you need to first develop consciousness on what is within your circle of control. Stephen Covey’s Circles of Control, Influence and Concern model is a great tool to help you break the problem down so that it’s less overwhelming. The model suggests categorising and prioritising your worries into 2 main parts - things you can do something about (Circles of Control and Influence) and things you can’t do anything about (Circle of Concern). Control: Starting with this circle, ask yourself what elements of the issue are within your control e.g. your behaviours, actions, attitudes, outlook and decisions. Then, direct your time and energy towards tackling these elements. Influence: If there are elements that are not within your control, check if you can exert influence on them to support you in eliminating the issue. For example, people - your family, friends and colleagues or environments - home, work and play. Concern: Finally, if the issue or elements of the issue are out of your control and influence, let these go by accepting them as a concern that you can do nothing about e.g. spread of virus, actions of others and impact on the economy. Knowing what you’re in control of and can influence will help you navigate through the issue more effectively and confine stress to a manageable level. 3 Master the art of letting go and take back control. It’s true that this is easier said than done but it is certainly not impossible. In my personal experience, there is an active way to do this and a passive way; but they are not mutually exclusive. Active: I call this the distraction technique where you channel your energy into doing something that requires concentration. For instance, any form of workout or simply casting pebbles on the water. Besides being somewhat symbolic - like sweating the concern out, stomping on the issue or tossing the problem away - the dedicated focus needed for these activities will not allow for any more bandwidth left for worrying. Passive: This is the emptying method where you depressurise to come back to your core and be whole again. Poetry-writing, knitting, mindfulness meditation, prayer - even screaming into a pillow or vast expanse are some common tension-relinquishing practices. When you’re fully present, you will be able to recognise what you want or need and can focus on taking the right actions to achieve it. Having the ability to release the weights that weren’t yours to bear to begin with will ease your load and empower you to move forward more swiftly. So, start doing these 3 things today to be better prepared in managing stress and overcoming anxiety in times of uncertainties. For more info, follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website! Adele Chee, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Adele is a transition coach and mentor. She supports professionals and entrepreneurs, who are standing at a crossroad and feeling overwhelmed by their options to move forward. Through her proprietary S.P.A.R.K.© self-alignment model and programme, she has helped clients around the world to be in control and navigate through shifting environments with confidence. A change-enthusiast herself, she believes that having clarity and alignment of one’s values, strengths, vision and purpose - “core elements” of their self - are essential in enabling a person to take ownership and be the agent of their own life. She has gone from lab coats to business suits, working on the international stage out of Asia and Europe, in the consumer goods and pharmaceutical industries. In the 15 years of her corporate career, she has held a variety of roles from marketing and communications to project management and consulting. All these experiences led her to finally realising her personal ambition of becoming a coach and she started her coaching practice during a global pandemic.