It’s not surprising that we are harder and less forgiving of ourselves than we are of others. The demands on our time, energy and goodwill seem to be never ending.

And while we are willing to help others happily, at the end of the day, we often forget all the good we do. It’s hard to remember when we’re tired and realize we haven’t reached our personal goals, and all we see is we failed.

A big part of why we think less of ourselves, and even hate ourselves sometimes, comes by way of comparing ourselves to others. It’s natural to compare ourselves to the people around us, and there certainly is no lack of opportunity for it.

Sometimes when we compare ourselves with others, it can motivate us to work harder to achieve our goals. Unfortunately, though, most of the time it leads to feelings of inferiority and can lead us to hate ourselves and our lives.

The more social comparisons we make, the more likely we are to find comparisons that leave us feeling sensitive and even a little paranoid. It doesn’t matter how successful, healthy, or wealthy we are; there will always be someone who is better than us.
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So with the demands on our time and our natural ability to compare ourselves to others, how do we stop hating ourselves and start loving our life for what it is? Well, we need to become more mindful of what is happening around us and how individual decisions impact how we feel. Continue reading.

Originally posted on Power of Positivity.

If you live in the real world, you're going to encounter bad news and negativity every single day.

For many of us, it's a lot to cope with. However, research has revealed a counter-intuitive little trick that puts your brain the best possible position to deal with reality.

In fact, your brain has much more capacity to assimilate negativity that you might realize.

Most people, upon encountering bad news or a negative person, go into avoidance mode. It turns out that this is the very opposite of what you brain needs you to do. Attempting to shut out negative thoughts and feelings only thwarts the brain's process of digesting these experiences and letting them go.

So, you put these thoughts out of your mind, but then have to keep fighting them off all day long (because your brain isn't done with them). Then,

• Negative tension festers in your stomach, chest and shoulders.
• It clutters your thoughts and distracts you from the task at hand.
• It causes chronic stress and physical ailments (tense muscles, digestive problems and lethargy).

Negative stress is exhausting!

The good news....  continue reading.
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Originally posted on Natural News.

This November, appease your appetite for almonds, please your palate with pistachios, and work some wholesome walnuts into your diet. Nuts are one of the ten identified brain-healthy foods in the MIND diet, which one large-scale study suggested could slow cognitive decline by 7.5 years. Five servings of nuts a week is recommended. 

Why nuts—and which nuts? Nuts are chock full of nutrients that have been associated with better brain health. Walnuts (especially the English and Persian varieties) are probably the best over all. As with other nuts, they are great sources of antioxidants and vitamin E—but they are also the nut highest in Omega-3 fatty acids. As one study showed, higher walnut consumption (an average of about 10 grams per day, a small handful at most) improved cognitive performance on a battery of tests.

​Almonds and hazelnuts are two fantastic sources of vitamin E, and vitamin E intake has been associated with less age-related cognitive decline. In one study, people who received vitamin E improved statistically and clinically in memory and verbal measures, while participants who received a placebo did not. About a third of Americans do not get enough vitamin E.
Pistachios are also a great choice, as recent research has shown they contain several types of antioxidant compounds that can be beneficial to the brain and body. Interestingly, from a nutritional perspective, pistachios have more in common with fruits and vegetables than with other types of nuts. You may have noticed that pistachios are more colorful than other nuts. Their green, yellow, and purple shading correlate with their beneficial antioxidants. The purple color comes from anthocyanins, which are the powerful brain-boosting nutrients found in blueberries. The yellow color can be attributed to beta carotene, lutein, and polyphenols, which are found in olive oil, grapes, and other healthy fruits and seeds. Go to article for more.

​Originally posted on BrainHQ.