Do not confuse visualization with ‘if you can see it, you can achieve it’ jargon propagated by so-called self-help gurus. Visualization is a scientifically proven technique that is used by successful people around the world. In fact, the best athletes use it all the time to achieve tough goals. According to science, our nervous system reacts in a similar fashion to real-world and imaginary situations. For example, when you imagine yourself climbing a hill, or you are actually climbing a hill, in both cases, the same set of neural networks is activated. Moreover, research has also proved that mental workouts excite our sympathetic nervous system. Our sympathetic nervous system is responsible for our flight –or-fight response, and controls our heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure in pressure situations. Thus, when you imagine something happening in great detail, your sympathetic nervous system is activated. When you do it enough times, you can actually train yourself to be calmer in tough real-life situations. In essence, visualization is a method of training your nervous system to handle stress in real-life situations better. Of course, on a psychological level, the technique also helps to keep you motivated, and helps boost your self-confidence. Whether you […]

Being good at math will probably only get you through school or work. You need more than that to get through life. That ‘more’ is what we call life skills. In essence, life skills help you get through the highs and lows of life. They help you manage stress, build better relationships, and improve the overall quality of life. Life, by its very definition, has its shares of ups and downs. You can study the life of any person, and you will invariably find tough times in it. They are inevitable. However, the key to living a good life is learning how to manage tough times. They will come, definitely. However, how you react to them is entirely in your hands. That’s where life skills come in the picture. Different people have different perspectives on essential life skills. However, here is a list of essential life skills that most people will agree upon. The ability to learn Most of us have an erroneous impression of learning as a tool to build a successful life. For that reason, most of us stop learning once we graduate from school or college. Be honest with yourself. If you are above 25, when was […]