How to Win at the Sport of Business by Mark Cuban

Main Idea:

Embrace slow, organic growth, as it’s much more stable and profitable in the long term. Fall in love with sales and make sure your product has a simple & effortless user experience (the path of least resistance).

Lessons & Notes:

Be content with slow organic growth.

“Business happens over years and years. Value is measured in the total upside of a business relationship, not by how much you squeezed out in any one deal.”

Don’t settle for ordinary employees.

Hire people who are passionate and inspired to move the company forward, not just get paid, do average work, and go home.

If your team doesn’t love what your company does, they will struggle to do all the hard work that is upon them.

Don’t concern yourself about cashing out on your passion too early.

“The sport of business is the ultimate competition. It’s 7 × 24 × 365 × forever.”

Follow the opportunities

Solve problems first, you can revisit your passions later.

Don’t take on new battles until you win the battles you are in right now.

Focus on ONE thing only. Don’t drown in opportunity.

“You only have to be right once.”

The worst day of your life is the day you decide to borrow money.

Great companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and dell started without investors.

Venture investors aka vulture investors – when you sell a portion of your business to them, they gain control of it, thus taking control of you.

Investors could care less about your goals. They love that you have ambitions and are motivated by them. But the reality is, Investors only care about how they are going to get a return on their investment.

Investors care about making money but your family cares about your dreams.

“It would have been easy to judge effort by how many hours a day passed while I was at work. That’s the worst way to measure effort. Effort is measured by setting goals and getting results.”

Your customers own your business – without them, your business wouldn’t exist.

Even when he was already a billionaire, Mark Cuban still kept responding to customer feedback and complaints personally,

You foresee your future by inventing it.

Your customers are a great resource for feedback. Listen to them, they have the answers.

“Your biggest enemies are your bills, the more you owe the more you stress”

Convenience is what pays the bills. Create a product or service is simple and easily accessible. Customers want the path of least resistance.

Don’t sell your service or product. Educate instead and solve their problems.

Majority of people won’t put in the effort or time to acquire a knowledge advantage.

“Relaxing is for the other guy. I may be sitting in front of the TV, but I’m not watching it unless I think there is something I can learn from it. I’m thinking about things I can use in my business and the TV is just there.”

If you want to get your first customer, deliver your product or service for free at first – mark calls this the “no money down approach” to starting a business.

Master the art of selling. In business and life, you’re always selling – to your prospects, employees, investors, friends, & associates.

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes.

Customers want to see that you have other customers.

“As I would learn later in life, money makes you extremely handsome.”

Invest in yourself. Become an expert in whatever you’re doing. It will give you a major advantage because most people neglect this.

Don’t get caught up in how many hours you work. The only thing that matters is your results. You could “work” but not have anything to show for it.

Like this book — How to Win at the Sport of Business?

Get it here: Print | eBook | Audiobook

https://mobrains.com/how-to-win-at-the-sport-of-business/

My notes are informal and often contain quotes, key nuggets, and personalized thoughts from the book. When I come across an interesting idea or concept while reading, I save it in my notes for future reference and reflection. If you find a book’s notes appealing, I highly recommend reading the whole book to get much more context and insight. My notes are not meant to substitute the book. 

Fixed mindset: I can’t do it.

Growth mindset: I can’t do it… yet.

Parents should teach their children to embrace challenges, make mistakes, and enjoy learning.

A sociologist named Benjamin Barber said “I don’t divide the world into the weak and the strong, or the successes and the failures…. I divide the world into the learners and non-learners.”

More and more research is showing that much of personality is bendable, dynamic, and evolves over the lifespan and is molded by the experience.

“Why waste time proving over and over how great you are, when you could be getting better? Why hide deficiencies instead of overcoming them? Why look for friends or partners who will just shore up your self-esteem instead of ones who will also challenge you to grow? And why seek out the tried and true, instead of experiences that will stretch you? The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that

Teaching is an incredible way to learn.

Seeking challenges & trials is a part of the growth mindset.

When you have a fixed mindset, you’re concerned about how you’ll be judged.

An individual with a fixed mindset believes common characteristics such as personality, talent, creativity, and intellect, are qualities that are carved in stone, they can’t be developed.

Fixed mindset: Who you are is who you are.

Fixed mindset: Only smart or talented people prosper.

Growth mindset: I can become smarter. I can stretch myself to learn something new.

When you have a growth mindset, the only thing you’re worried about is improving.

“Becoming is better than being”

With the fixed mindset, everything is about the outcome; If you fail, it’s means you wasted your time.

“Picture your brain forming new connections as you meet the challenge and learn. Keep on going.” –

At the University of Hong Kong, where courses are taught in English, some students were asked if they would be interested in taking a free course to improve their English skills if the school provided one. Those with a fixed mindset weren’t interested, but those with a growth mindset were totally interested.

If you or your company cannot self-correct, you cannot succeed.

Does your mindset have any effect on significant life decisions? Ex. marriage, health, career, education

People with the growth mindset know that they need to play the long game; it takes time for potential to blossom.

In one of Carol’s studies, they offered four-year-old kids a choice: They could reassemble an easy jigsaw puzzle they’ve already assembled once or they could try a harder one. Kids with the fixed mindset chose the safe route and wanted to redo the puzzle.
The kids with the growth mindset welcomed the harder puzzle; they found the safer puzzle to be boring. The fixed-mindset kids believed those who are born smart “don’t make mistakes.”

How you view yourself is how you lead your life.

The growth mindset allows people to relish what they’re doing —regardless of difficulties and setbacks.

“The whole point of marriage is to encourage your partner’s development and have them encourage yours.”

“Choosing a partner is choosing a set of problems. There are no problem-free candidates.”

Praise kids for their effort. Don’t praise them for their intelligence. It damages their motivation and makes them question themselves. They begin to fear difficulty because they begin associating failure with stupidity.

“In a growth mindset, challenges are exciting rather than threatening. So rather than thinking, oh, I’m going to reveal my weaknesses, you say, wow, here’s a chance to grow.” – Carol S. Dweck

Don’t seek out the tried and true, instead seek out the uncomfortable and the unfamiliar.

Test scores don’t tell you where a student will end up… They only indicate what a student’s current aptitudes and skills are

Test Scores don’t tell the whole story, they can’t test for resilience, experience, character, effort, and emotional intelligence

“For twenty years, my research has shown that the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value.” – Carol S. Dweck

Putting in the effort at the end of the day is what matters. It means you care about improving. As long as you’re willing to work for it, you have a growth mindset.

Everyone can mature and develop their talents, interests, & aptitudes by learning and applying that knowledge.

You control your mind. You can manifest your destiny by using your brain in the right way.

“Did I win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is: Did I make my best effort?” If so, he says, “You may be outscored but you will never lose.” – Carol S. Dweck

With the growth mindset, you value process and effort, regardless of the outcome.

Buy the Book: Mindset by Carol Dweck

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Relentless by Tim Grover

My notes are informal and often contain quotes, key nuggets, and personalized thoughts from the book. When I come across an interesting idea or concept while reading, I save it in my notes for future reference and reflection. If you find a book’s notes appealing, I highly recommend reading the whole book to get much more context and insight. My notes are not meant to substitute the book.

Tim Grover, the author of Relentless, trained Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade to get to the top of their game – and most importantly, stay at the top.

Three types of competitors—Coolers, Closers, and Cleaners

The cooler = Good

The closer = Great

The cleaner = Unstoppable

Coolers let others dictate whether they’ve done well; they do the job and await your approval.

Closers feel successful and celebrate when they get the job done.

Cleaners don’t celebrate their achievements and never feel as if they’ve attained success because they know there’s always more to learn and do.

When a Cooler makes a mistake, he’ll make a list of excuses.

When a Closer makes a mistake, he finds ways to blame other people.

When a Cleaner makes a mistake, he has no problem admitting he screwed up and will look you directly in the eye and say, ‘I fucked up.’”

While the other guy is sleeping, the cleaner is working.

While the other guy is eating, the cleaner is working.

While the other guy is taking a break, the cleaner is working.

While the other guy is working, the cleaner is working.

There’s no such thing as competition. You only compete with yourself.

Find your opponent’s weaknesses and attack.

There’s no such thing as failure; you learned what not to do because you know there’s more than one way to get what you want.

The relentless feel no pressure when they screw up and have no problem admitting when they’re wrong.

Society has molded us and trained us to act like a bunch of 5-year-olds.

The relentless make decisions, not suggestions; while everyone is still asking questions, you already know the answer.

Know exactly who you are.

Demand more of yourself than anyone else could ever demand of you

The relentless are not intimidated by pressure, they thrive on it.

Know that every time you stop, you can still do more.

“After every game, I used to ask Michael one question: Five, six, or seven? As in, what time are we hitting the gym tomorrow morning?”

We’ve become soft as a society. Anything that demands a bit of work and discipline is too hard for most these days.

“The minute your mind thinks, “Done,” your instincts say, “Next.”

Self-awareness is the single most important skill to possess.

There’s no such thing as “offseason.”

“Believe me, if you really want to know what someone is made of, watch them go through sugar detox. This isn’t a ‘low carb’ diet or Atkins knockoff; we’re talking zero sugars. And since most people have no idea how much sugar is hiding in most foods, I give them a written guideline of what they can and can’t eat, with a warning that says, You’ll know the program is working when you get a headache right behind one eye and you want to throw up.’ Within the first two days, they twitch, get hot and cold sweats, terrible gas, crazy thirst, and then they get shakes that only heroin and cocaine addicts can understand. I’m taking every ounce of sugar out of your body for ten days. After two horrible days, it starts getting better. And if you cheat, I’ll know.”

You don’t have to love you do. You just need to have faith that everything will pan out in the end.

Showing up is half the battle.

Push yourself harder when everyone else has had enough.

Fuck “try.”

Most of the people who ask for advice are not really looking for the truth. They’re looking for the easy answer – not the blunt advice that goes against what they want.

“Think, don’t overthink. Prepare, don’t over-analyze. Trust your intuition, Instinctive, not impulsive. Quick, not hurried.”

Everyone has the ability to be unstoppable.

You can’t be concerned about what others think of you if you want to be the best.

Failure is never an option even if it takes forever to reach your ultimate goal.

“In order to have what you really want, you must first be who you really are.”

Clutch (Closer) is about the last minute.

Relentless (Cleaner) is about every minute.

“Anyone can start something; very few people can finish.”

There are no shortcuts. No tricks. No hacks. No secrets.

“Do. The. Work. Every day, you have to do something you don’t want to do. Every day. Challenge yourself to be uncomfortable, push past the apathy and laziness and fear. Otherwise, the next day you’re going to have two things you don’t want to do, then three and four and five, and pretty soon, you can’t even get back to the first thing. And then all you can do is beat yourself up for the mess you’ve created, and now you’ve got a mental barrier to go along with the physical barriers.”

Every time you believe you can’t, you now must.

Without intense laser-like focus, you’ll fail every time.

You don’t have to love the work, but you do it anyway because you’re addicted to the results.

Wanting it is not enough.

Tell me your limit and I will show you how much more you can do!!

No test too great, too nerve-wracking, too risky, because you don’t fear failure.

No days off.

“When you’re great you trust your instincts. When you are unstoppable, your instincts trust you.”

Filling the gap between near-perfect and perfect is the difference between great and unstoppable.

Unsuccessful people always blame others, make excuses, and never get past limitations.

When you’re relentless you’re never on the defensive, you’re always looking to thrive, attack, and conquer.

Every minute is a high-pressure situation so always be alert and on your toes, as everything is always on the line.

Stop overthinking.

Anyone can start something. Only a few can finish.

“Get comfortable being uncomfortable.”

Don’t just “wing it” through life.

It’s better to be feared than liked.

Being buried under great pressure and stress is a good thing. Not everyone gets the opportunity to achieve extraordinary things.

Seek ways to compensate for your weaknesses.

From a coaching perspective – If I allow you to go at your own pace, you are never to going to get there.

Buy the Book: Relentless by Tim Grover

Print | eBook | Audiobook

The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss

My notes are informal and often contain quotes, key nuggets, and personalized thoughts from the book. When I come across an interesting idea or concept while reading, I save it in my notes for future reference and reflection. If you find a book’s notes appealing, I highly recommend reading the whole book to get much more context and insight. My notes are not meant to substitute the book. 

“Timing is never right: Conditions are never perfect, someday is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. “

“If it is important to you and you want to do it eventually just do it and correct course along the way.”

“The opposite of happiness is boredom.”

Ask for forgiveness, not permission.

What would you do if there was no way you could fail?

Realistic goals are lifeless.

Doing the unrealistic is easier than doing the realistic.

It’s lonely at the top.

99% of people in this the world are convinced they are incapable of achieving the impossible, so they aim for mediocre.

So, competition is fiercest for “realistic” goals.

Easier to raise $10M than $1M and easier to pick up the one “perfect 10” at the bar, than the 5 “8”s.

“There’s no difference between a pessimist who says — Oh it’s hopeless don’t bother doing anything — and an optimist who says — Everything’s fine – don’t bother doing anything. Either way, nothing happens.”

Don’t lose sight of your goals and fall into work for work’s sake.

“Fun things happen when you earn dollars, live on pesos, and compensate in rupees”

Speak slowly, makes you look dependable

Never check email first thing in the morning.

There are tons of things of which a man might wish to be ignorant.

“Am I inventing things to do, to avoid the important?”

Practice saying no to interruptions that don’t further your cause. Do not lie or make up excuses. Say, “I can’t, sorry, I have too much on my plate right now.”

Define a to-do list and a not-to-do list. Ask two major questions related to the 80/20 rule: What 20% of sources are triggering 80% of my problems? What 20% of sources are eliciting 80% of my happiness?

Compose your to-do list for the day the night before.

“If you wait until the last minute, it only takes a minute to do.”

“A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.”

Learning to ignore things is the key to inner harmony.

“Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.”

“Wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”

“Perfection is not when there is no more to add, but no more to take away.”

“People will choose unhappiness over uncertainty.”

Focus on results, not dedication.

“One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase, but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity.” – Bruce Lee

What 3 activities do you use to occupy time and create the feeling as though you have been productive?

Efficient – performing task, whether important or unimportant in the most thrifty way possible.

Effective – doing the things that matter and get you closer to your goals

Never automate something that can be eliminated and never delegate something that can be automated.

The 4-Hour Workweek — elimination first, automation second, delegation third.

Remote management and communication are the most critical skills.

If someone else can do it 80% as well as you, outsource it.

You can always do something cheaper yourself – that doesn’t mean you want to spend your time doing it.

“I am not a tollbooth through which anything needs to pass. I am more like a police officer on the side of the road, who can step in if need be, and I use detailed reports from outsourcers to ensure the cogs are moving as intended. I check bank accounts online twice a month to look for odd deductions.”

Tell your virtual employees: “Keep the customer happy. If it’s a problem that takes less than $100 to fix, use your judgment and fix it yourself. Fix these problems without contacting me. I am no longer your customer; my customers are your customer. Don’t ask me for permission. Do what you think is right, and we’ll make adjustments as we go along.”

“Things to outsource: cooking, cleaning, sending flowers or cards to wife, web research, all business time consuming tasks, travel & hotel options & cheap flights, weather forecast and analysis, stock market research, bookkeeping, accounting, website maintenance, updating database, analytics, seo, recruiting, invoices, payments, niche and industry analysis, new trends, news, online purchases, ordering groceries, monitoring or editing or publishing comments, scheduling, proofreading, editing, social media management, (design, content writing are few things that might be hard for a VA)”

“People can’t believe that most of the ultra-successful companies in the world do not manufacture their own products, answer their own phones, ship their own products, or service their own customers.”

Break the rules but don’t break the law.

When you completely define your fears, you’ll frequently find that they’re not nearly as bad as you thought. Rather, the likely “bad” outcomes would have a small effect on your life, but the “good” outcomes could massively benefit you (see Antifragile).

“The rest of the world is just as insecure as you are.”

People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.

Being busy is a form of laziness. Busyness does not equal Business.

“Being overwhelmed is as unproductive as doing nothing, and far more unpleasant.”

Don’t work where you live, relax, or sleep. Separate your environments.

If you can’t govern, then confuse.

Create your ventures alone if you must, but don’t live your life alone. We are social creatures.

Surround yourself with positive people who have nothing to do with your work.

Many problems eventually disappear when ignored.

To make your life easier, charge a premium. You’ll end up attracting hassle-free clients.

Always validate your business ideas. Presell using A/B testing.

Buy the Book: The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss

Print | eBook | Audiobook

Most people deal with adrenal fatigue at one point in their lives.

Prolonged periods of high stress put a lot of strain on our adrenal glands, and after a period of time, they may get worn out and they won’t perform as well as they should.

Adrenal fatigue is, in fact, the body’s inability to recuperate from mental, physical, or emotional stress.

The adrenals have a vast influence on our bodies, so adrenal fatigue can mimic a lot of separate disorders, which makes it very difficult to recognize.

Some of the most common symptoms of adrenal fatigue include brain fog, weight gain, increased blood pressure and heart rate, reduced immune function, and extreme fatigue.

Because these symptoms are common to many different disorders, they are often overlooked even by experienced doctors.

However, a combination of these symptoms can indicate the onset of adrenal fatigue.

The following 11 signs can indicate you’re experiencing adrenal fatigue, but luckily, there are 3 steps to overcome it naturally.

 

1. Insomnia

Experts agree we should sleep at least 6 hours every night to allow our body to rest and recover.

But instead of catching up on our sleep, we prefer to work more or to spend time watching videos online.

However, when losing sleep becomes a habit, it turns into insomnia, and suddenly we can’t even fall asleep, even if we want to.

We experience constant fatigue, we have dark circles under our eyes, and we increase our caffeine intake just because it helps us stay awake.

Our adrenal system is coordinated by our sleep patterns.

The human body has a natural circadian rhythm that controls the release of certain hormones.

These hormones coordinate most of our body functions, so it’s very important to have a constant circadian rhythm we respect. (1)

 

2. Anxiety or Depression

We don’t get stressed for no reason.

Sometimes we have a tight deadline, other times we have a hard time organizing an event that means a lot to us.

But we eventually get lost in our busy schedules and forget to take a moment to unwind.

Experiencing high levels of stress over a long period of time can lead to various complications, both for our physical and for our mental health.

When we’re stressed out, we might have mood swings, and we might experience a poor cognitive function.

But the worst part is, these symptoms can aggravate over time, and they can lead to anxiety and depression.

Anxiety and depression are determined by high cortisol levels, and these high levels can either be determined directly by the adrenal fatigue or they can be increased by it. (2)

 

3. Chronic Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue is often associated with chronic fatigue disease because they have similar symptoms.

Sometimes these conditions go hand in hand, and it’s very difficult to differentiate them.

People who suffer from chronic and adrenal fatigue may feel exhausted even after they get a good night’s sleep.

Sometimes, they experience headaches, muscle and joint pain, and they get sick more often.

It’s not uncommon for people suffering from these conditions to experience digestive symptoms like cramps or constipation. (3)

 

4. Feeling Overwhelmed

Sometimes we get so caught up in our busy schedules we don’t have a realistic view of what’s really happening in our lives.

We set unrealistic goals for ourselves both in our professional and our personal lives, and we often find ourselves feeling overwhelmed because we can’t achieve those goals no matter how hard we try.

High levels of physical and emotional stress can lead to an unrelenting feeling of being overwhelmed.

Our bodies rely on our adrenal response to deal with stress.

In a stressful situation, our adrenals release adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol to deal with it.

When the adrenals are fatigued, they have a hard time releasing exactly the amount of hormones you need.

 

5. Craving For Sugar And Salt

The adrenal glands are responsible for the regulation of our fluid and mineral excretion.

When our adrenals are fatigued, our bodies eliminate more minerals in our urine, and we might even urinate more frequently.

Since our bodies excrete more minerals, the balance of magnesium, sodium, and potassium in our bloodstream is affected.

This makes us crave for foods that will replenish the sodium we lost.

The brain is the largest glucose consumer in our body.

If you’re feeling tired, the brain will look for a quick way to find fuel, so you might crave for sweets or sugary drinks.

However, we can consume an adequate amount of sugar without eating foods that contain added sugar. (5)

 

6. Knee or Back Pain

Muscle weakness can be another sign of adrenal fatigue.

When we’re experiencing muscle weakness, we might feel unexplained pains in our back and knees.

If this pain is not associated with any structural defect, it might indicate adrenal fatigue.

Lower back pain can be determined by chronic stress.

The muscles supporting the pelvis can be weakened by chronic adrenal stress, which can make them more unstable.

 

7. Poor Digestion

Stress can profoundly affect our digestive systems.

Stress can decrease the nutrient intake in our gut, can cause microbial disruptions, and it can lead to a poor digestion.

Not to mention the fact that we’re more likely to give up any diet when we’re stressed out.

When we’re stressed and our adrenals are not working as they should, the food we eat might need more time to transit our digestive tract.

This can be problematic because when food stagnates somewhere in our gut, it can ferment and it can eventually putrefy.

If the food stagnates, it’s invaded by more bacteria and yeast than usual, which will determine our immune system to attack it.

The result is an inflammation of the lining of our gut wall, which can eventually spread to other areas as well.

Carb heavy foods and those that contain gluten can make the inflammation worse.

Furthermore, this inflammation can lead to discomfort, cramps, constipation or diarrhea. (7)

 

8. Getting Sick Often

People suffering from adrenal fatigue get sick more often than others.

Our adrenals coordinate our immune system, so when they’re not working as it should, our immune system is less successful in stopping the bacteria and viruses that are constantly assaulting our bodies.

Cortisol plays an important role in mediating our immune responses.

When an inflammation occurs, our body is really fighting an infection.

Cortisol is the hormone that stops the inflammation from getting out of hand.

However, our cortisol levels are very important for our immune system.

When we’re stressed, our cortisol levels are elevated, so instead of stopping the inflammatory response from getting out of control, the cortisol will actually stop it from working as it should.

This weakens our bodies’ response to the stressful agents and lowers our immunity.

That’s why people who are stressed are more vulnerable to different diseases.

They tend to get the common cold more often than others, but they might even contact the flu more often. (8)

 

9. Exhaustion After Exercise

Moderate exercises should stimulate our bodies, but when we suffer from adrenal fatigue, the physical stress might seem too overwhelming for our bodies to deal with.

Instead of feeling energized after exercising, we feel exhausted.

That’s why some people give up exercising in periods of high stress.

Their bodies give them messages of how tired they feel, and they give up without even wondering why. (9)

 

10. Major Hormonal Imbalances

Sometimes, when we’re suffering from adrenal fatigue we might experience major hormonal imbalances.

One of these imbalances affects a lot of people worldwide, and it’s called hypothyroidism.

People who have signs of hypothyroidism often have a poor circulation, they gain in weight, and they have dry skin and dry hair. (10)

 

11. Brain Fog Or Memory Problems

Some people really believe that they work better when they’re stressed out, but science contradicts them.

When we’re stressed for a long period of time, we can experience memory problems or brain fog.

Sometimes we can’t even remember small things like where we put our car keys, or we end up forgetting to take an umbrella with us on a rainy day. (11)

 

How To Overcome Adrenal Fatigue Naturally

Adrenal fatigue has a lot of symptoms, but thankfully, it has a lot of natural remedies as well. I compiled the best ways to naturally overcome adrenal fatigue in the following 3 steps.

 

1. Try The Adrenal Fatigue Diet

Since the things we eat deeply affect our bodies, we should pay more attention to them.

The adrenal fatigue diet is designed to allow your adrenals to regenerate and produce hormones as they should.

One of the first things you should do to help your adrenals regenerate is to avoid eating foods with an inflammatory potential.

Gluten – Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and triticale.

Even if avoiding gluten is trendy nowadays, you should avoid eating it for serious reasons.

Eating gluten can lead to a gut inflammation even if you’re not allergic to it.

Chronic gut inflammation can lead to a leaky gut syndrome, a condition you should really avoid (12)

Dairy – Dairy contains lactose, a sugar that can cause an intolerance.

However, you should avoid eating dairy products even if you’re not lactose intolerant.

Lactose is harder to digest, and it accumulates in our small intestine where it attracts water and electrolytes.

This can lead bloating and diarrhea.

Carbohydrates – Carbohydrates are not necessarily bad for you, but they can cause a gut inflammation that can be problematic when you’re suffering from adrenal fatigue.

Even though eating carbs can increase your mood for a short while when you’re stressed out, it will strain your adrenals even more.

You should avoid all starchy carbs when you’re trying the adrenal fatigue diet. (13)

Sugar And Sweeteners – Sugar can nowadays be found in most types of products.

Most manufacturers add sugar to their products because it’s a very good preservative, so you shouldn’t be surprised if you find it in certain types of bread, dressings, or even condiments.

Instead of using sugar, you can replace it with raw honey or even stevia.

Limit Caffeine Intake – Caffeine is a powerful stimulant, and it can interfere with your circadian rhythm.

Caffeine can actually be good for you if you don’t consume too much of it daily.

You should avoid drinking caffeinated beverages after noon to make sure you’ll get a good night’s sleep. (14)

Processed Foods – Processed foods contain a lot of preservatives and fillers that can be very difficult to digest.

If you want to try the adrenal fatigue diet, you should sugary and processed foods, and you should try to prepare your own food using fresh natural ingredients whenever possible.

Hydrogenated Oils – Hydrogenated oils like corn oil, soybean, and canola can produce a powerful inflammation in your gut, and they can determine an adrenal inflammation.

You should use good fats such as coconut oil, organic butter, or olive oil instead.

Since the adrenal fatigue diet limits our access to certain types of foods, let’s see what we should actually eat

Cruciferous Veggies – Vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower are very good for us.

Eating cruciferous veggies can reduce inflammatory processes, and it can even have an antidepressant effect. (15)

Avocados – Avocados are a very important source of monounsaturated fat.

When we eat avocados, we consume the type of fat that reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Avocados are also nutrient-rich, and they represent a good source of vitamin C, B vitamins, copper, and potassium. (16)

High-Quality Fish & Chicken – Fish is one of the healthiest foods out there.

High-quality fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and it also represents an important protein and vitamin D source.

High-quality chicken meat is a great source of low-fat protein, and it can be very useful when you plan to eat a clean diet.

Chicken meat is very versatile, and you can use it to prepare a large variety of tasty dishes. (17)

 

2. Herbs And Supplements You Should Try For Adrenal Fatigue

There are a lot of herbs and supplements that can naturally minimize stress and increase the rate of our adrenals’ regeneration.

Rhodiola Rosea, Ashwagandha, Holy Basil, Schisandra – Adaptogenic herbs can lower our cortisol levels and improve the way our bodies react to stress.

Using these herbs can lower the strain on our adrenals.

Vitamin C – Vitamin C can minimize the effects stress has on our bodies, and it can also boost our immune system.

Taking vitamin C supplements can reduce the time our adrenals need to recover after a stressful period. (18)

Aromatherapy – Lavender oil can be used alone or alongside rosemary oil to reduce stress and decrease our cortisol concentrations.

When inhaled, these essential oils can also reduce the oxidative stress our cells are exposed to. (19)

Selenium – Taking selenium supplements can be very beneficial for everyone who suffers from adrenal fatigue.

Selenium deficiency has a negative impact on our adrenal function.

B Vitamins – We can usually take all the B vitamins we need from our food.

However, taking B vitamins is recommended for people who limit or eliminate meat from their diets.

Vitamin B5 deficiency is usually encountered in people who suffer from adrenal stress, so supplementing it can be beneficial.

 

3. Reduce Your Adrenal Fatigue Stress

 Eating right and taking the necessary supplements and herbs will help us, but unfortunately, they won’t repair our adrenals on their own.

We should also follow the next steps to ensure your adrenals will regenerate faster.

Get Plenty Of Sleep – We should sleep 8 – 10 hours a night.

Even if this looks like a waste of time, we’ll actually increase our productivity, focus, motivation, and energy levels.

Have A Constant Circadian Rhythm – Getting a lot of sleep is not helpful if we don’t respect our bodies’ natural rhythm.

We should make sure we don’t stay up late and that we wake early. (20)

Laugh – Laughing is a great way to lower our stress levels, and it’s also one of the most pleasurable ways to do it. (21)

Exercise – Moderate exercise can be very beneficial for our stress levels, and it can improve the quality of our lives.

Yoga exercises can reduce stress responses, and they can improve many aspects of our lives.

Listen To Music – Listening to music can be very relaxing, and it can lower our stress levels.

And the best thing is, we don’t even have to listen to a certain type of music to achieve the same results.

Some people might find 80s dance music relaxing, while others might find it relaxing to listen to heavy metal.

It doesn’t really matter, the results will be the same. (22)

Most people often misunderstand creativity.

Sure, most of us believe creativity is helpful, but we don’t consider ourselves as “creative types”.

Instead, we believe creativity is helpful for people who work in graphic design, musicians, painters, or sculptors.

But this is a wrong way to think about creativity.

Creativity helps us in our day-to-day lives more than you’d think.

Chances are, most of the times we make a surprising decision, that decision is highly influenced by our creativity.

Simply put, creativity is the cognitive process that lets us know that jumping over a fence is a solution when we discover that the gate is closed, and the one that lets us improvise when we’re short of certain supplies or tools.

And creative thinking is highly sought after these days, no matter in which field you activate.

Creative people can provide a different perspective on a known problem, and they can come up with new solutions when old approaches are not effective any longer.

Even though most of us don’t consider ourselves creative, there’s no denying that creativity can be very useful.

Luckily, there are 9 scientifically-based ways to boost your creativity.

 

1. Let Go Of Perfection

The first we should understand when we seek to come up with a creative solution for a problem is that we shouldn’t strive for perfection.

Seeking perfection is actually stressful, and stress is known as a creativity killer.

When we’re searching for a creative solution, we should be aware that the solution we come up with won’t fit the template we’re used to.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good solution, it only means it’s new and innovative.

You cannot expect something to be innovative but match your predefined expectations at the same time, that’s nonsense.

If the creative solution you came up with gets the job done, it should be good enough for you.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you should come up with a sloppy solution that will only solve half of the problem.

That won’t do.

Sure, you might come with a better solution in time, or maybe you will upgrade the one you already used, but that doesn’t mean they will be perfect, nor does it mean they won’t be good.

If we stop comparing our work with some old templates, we might discover that we can come up with creative solutions for most of the things we do every day.

 

2. Read A Lot

Reading is one of the most important things you can do to boost your creativity.

When we read, our mind is actually exercising.

Yes, that really sounds like a cliche, but that doesn’t make it less true.

Just like our bodies, our minds also need exercise to perform at their best.

And reading seems to be a great exercise because it allows the mind to fantasize and to think creatively.

We don’t have to read fiction or fantasy to work our “creativity muscles”.

Everything we read will increase our concentration and stimulate our creativity.

Unlike watching TV or Youtube videos, reading is an active process that requires our active engagement and concentration.

You might have noticed that if you’re not paying attention when you read something, your eyes will keep wandering across the page, but your mind won’t process any information.

Instead, when we’re concentrating on the book itself, our minds create opinions, images, and thoughts the whole time.

Reading will exercise your mind, so the more you read, the more creative your mind will become. (2)

 

3. Trying New Things

One of the most common mistakes people make during their lifetimes is being satisfied with what they’ve already experienced and what they already know.

Not only does this limit our ability to think outside the box, but it will also limit our creativity.

If we never try new things, how can we think about something innovative?

Humans are creatures of habits.

All of us like doing things in particular ways.

We like our morning coffee just so, and we like to take the same route on our daily commutes.

All of us have different habits, and the reason behind them is the fact that habits allow our brains to turn their autopilot functions.

Just think about it, when was the last time you tried preparing your morning coffee differently?

Chances are, not in a very long time.

Most of us don’t even change the type of coffee we drink for years on end.

And that’s because we prefer to let the autopilot take the wheel while our brains take a nap in the backseat.

While habits might be useful to save time, they can be very harmful to our creative minds.

Not trying new things limits our brains to a small sum of experiences, so it makes it harder for the brain to think about something new.

Every time we try new things, we step outside our comfort zone.

We might even feel a little bit uncomfortable doing so, but that’s just our brain trying to protect us.

But when we step outside our comfort zone, the brain really becomes active.

Rather than letting the autopilot take the wheel, the conscious mind takes over and tries to make as many connections as it can.

So we’ll smell new things, our eyes will wander and explore different patterns and colors, and different hormones will be released into our bodies, making us a little anxious and perhaps ever fearful.

But that’s just the mind taking in all the new information we’re experiencing.

If we really want to boost our creativity, we should make a habit out of trying new things.

We should connect with other cultures, whether by reading about their ways and customs or by trying their food.

We should avoid drinking and eating our favorite foods every weekend and try something new instead.

We can even work in a new environment once in a while.

You never know where the inspiration will come from.

Consuming content that’s outside our comfort zone is surely a good thing to try.

Sure, you might be more interested in reading work-related stuff, but reading something way outside your industry might provide the necessary spark to get your creativity going.

This will stimulate our minds into making new memories and connections, and it will boost our creativity in the long run. (3)

 

4. Play

One of the problems modern society has nowadays is that people take themselves too seriously.

No matter if they’re at work or at home, people rarely do something to have fun any longer, and if they do, it’s most likely a passive cognitive process, such as watching a television series or a movie.

And the worst thing is, we force our children to be serious from a very fragile age as well.

But that seems to be a terrible idea if we want to stimulate our creativity.

Even though it might seem unproductive, play time is one of the of the most effective ways to stimulate creative thinking.

When we play, our brain pursues different things it’s interested in, and it makes things up to create a story of sorts.

This cognitive process is very important, even though most of the times it fails to accomplish anything specific.

When our brains create different scenarios and make things up on the go for us to have fun, they’re actually accessing the cognitive parts of our minds.

Just like reading, playing can be considered an exercise for our brains, and it can stimulate our creativity.

Moreover, playing can allow our minds to make connections they wouldn’t normally make when we pursue a certain goal.

Even though playing might be considered infantile and unproductive, some of the world’s biggest companies, including Google, encourage their employees to spend time playing while they’re at work.

The results – well, let’s call them surprisingly efficient.

Both Google Earth and Gmail were created when employees were enjoying their free time. (4)

 

5. Exercise

When people think about different ways to stimulate their creative minds, they tend to ignore that the body works as a whole, not as a set of different components crammed in a shell.

Exercising regularly is very good for our brain.

Exercising stimulates our blood flow, so our hearts will push more blood every minute.

This increased blood flow doesn’t only reach your muscles, it also reaches your brain.

And thanks to the increased volume of blood it receives, your brain will also receive more nutrients and more oxygen in the process.

Fortunately, our brains are complex organs, so they don’t have to focus only on thing at once.

When we’re exercising, part of our brain is actively controlling our movement, and part of it wanders.

This allows our minds to think of different things and sometimes come up with surprising solutions.

However, our minds will wander while we’re exercising only if the body is used to exercise.

If it’s not, most of our cognitive processes will track our movements, so our creative juices might not start flowing as expected.

That’s why it’s very important to exercise regularly.

If you’re not used to regular exercise, you can simply take long walks to get your creative juices flowing.

When we walk, our brain is stimulated to make new neural connections, allowing our neurons to communicate better with one another.

Scientists now believe that regular exercise acts as a cognitive enhancer, and the best thing is, it’s also inexpensive and beneficial for our bodies.

And recent studies show that you can even boost your creativity just by exercising your eyes.

Most of us might not have heard of eye exercises before, but rest assured, they are real and they’re backed by science.

A simple eye exercise we can practice is moving our eyes left to right and repeating the process.

Apparently, this movement increases the amount of information our brain hemispheres exchange, which helps them collaborate better.

Exercising our eyes will also boost our creativity. (5)

 

6. Relax and Stay Positive

One of the most frequent problems people face when they try to do something creative is staying positive.

Creative processes are often very demanding, and so people often experience creative blocks.

The problem is that once we hit a creative block, we get frustrated and we find it hard to overcome them.

Even though most of us try to force our way around a creative block, that seems to be a bad approach.

The best thing we could do is to relax.

Sure, this might seem easier said than done at first, but we can get there with exercise.

It’s true that after we reach a creative block we feel anything but relaxed, but thankfully, there are scientifically-proven ways that can take the edge off.

• Hot Showers – taking a hot shower can be a very relaxing process. All of us tend to relax when we feel warm, and hot showers are the perfect way to be surrounded by warmth. As a plus, hot showers also relax our muscles, making us feel more at ease.
• Daydreaming – One of the most efficient ways to relax our minds is to let them wander. Daydreaming allows our conscious minds to think about something else, and most often then not, the solution for the problem at hand will show itself right when we’re not focusing on it.
• Laying Down – Most people feel more comfortable when they’re laying down than when they’re standing, so this is an effective way to relax.
• Power Naps – Since we’re supposed to be more comfortable while laying down, we might as well take a short nap. Keep in mind that the nap should be short. Power naps shouldn’t last more than half an hour, or you might wake up groggy instead of refreshed.
• Have A Laugh – Laughing is a great way to relax our minds. We can do anything that makes us laugh, as long as we do. Whether we play or we watch a comedy sketch, laughing engages our brains and makes us feel more relaxed in the process.

Relaxing will help our minds to overcome any creative blocks we might encounter, and that will keep us positive.

Our brains are much more efficient when we’re positive, so we’re more likely to complete any process we’re involved in if we have a positive mindset. (6)

 

7. Solitude

Humans are social creatures, so we need to interact with other people if we want to lead a normal life.

However, most of us don’t need to interact with someone all day long to feel like we belong.

Our creative minds have a difficult time expressing themselves when we’re overwhelmed with information.

So every time we take a break to interact with someone over social media platforms, we’re actually stopping our creative thoughts.

Spending some time in solitude, away from the world, can boost your creativity.

Try to disconnect from your social media accounts when you’re involved in a creative process.

You can even try to shut out all the noise that might distract you from your work.

The world will still be there once you’ve finished your project.

 

8. Get Someone Else’s Opinion

All of us have different ideas and beliefs.

Even though you might think you’re the best person to handle a project, that doesn’t mean that nobody around you can do anything to help.

You can always get someone else’s opinion on your work, and see how it goes.

Even if that person is not involved in the same work field as you, you might still receive valuable ideas from them.

Getting a different perspective on a project can broaden the way you look at things, and it can stimulate your creativity.

You might even change the way to approach the problem altogether.

 

9. Listen To Music

Listening to happy music can boost your creativity.

And the best type of happy music you can listen to when you’re involved in a creative process is classical music, according to science.

People who listened to Mozart or Vivaldi experienced an increase in their creativity.

They came up with solutions that didn’t occur to them while they were trying to perform the task in complete silence.

Scientists believe that listening to happy music might enhance the brain’s flexibility in thinking, allowing us to come up with more creative solutions. (9)