💎 Friday Gems #10 (The RAT Test, A Good Night's Sleep, On Confidence)
Three gems of ideas to unleash your mindset!
Happy Friday!
I hope your week was mentally stimulating and challenged you in new ways. I also hope you had a good night’s sleep which we know is great for creative thinking. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get good sleep at all this week which I think which is why I selected the gems for this week because they have to do with sleep, creativity, and confidence.
Also, if you have a gem you think would be great to share with the readers, please send it to me at rizwan@lowfidelity.io
Let me know in the comments if any of the gems resonate with you. I always love hearing from you.💜
On to the gems!
💎 Remote Associations Test (RAT)
Creative problem-solving helps us solve everyday and complex problems in our work and life. We do this through divergent and convergent thinking. In divergent thinking, we explore as many possibilities to solve the problem as we can. With convergent thinking, we narrow down the possibilities to the best options for solving the problem. We can practice both types of thinking to build up our mental muscles for when we need them the most.
The Remote Associates Test is a good exercise to practice your convergent thinking skills, where you narrow down ideas by connecting different ideas to find what is common between them.
For example, what word connects these three words?
➡️ Sense / Courtesy / Place
How about this one?
➡️ Home / Sea / Bed
See the answers at the bottom of this post ⏬
The link below has a lot more of these questions ranging from easy to hard. Try it out and let me know how it goes!
This is a fun game to play with others, plus you're practicing your convergent thinking skills; how cool is that?
💎 How to get a better night’s sleep
Sleep is critical for better mental health, and this week I have been waking up way too. Maybe it's because of the flu, work stress, or both mixed up. Either way, I needed this reminder of how to promote better sleep.
"We all need to sleep better. If you get it right all the other systems work." - Tom Middleton
Tom Middleton is a pioneer of electronic music and a certified sleep science coach. He creates music for focus, sleep, stress, and anxiety.
Here are the 10 areas he recommends addressing to get a good night's sleep:
1. Routine - Establish a consistent sleep routine
2. Daylight - Walk outside in daylight to reset your body clock
3. Movement - Take lots of breaks if you...ahem...sit a lot during the day
4. Diet and nutrition - Eat 2-3 hours before bedtime and avoid caffine after 12pm.
5. Sleep environment - Bring more plants into your bedroom and invest in quality bedding. Keep the tech out!
6. Sleep kit - Use an eye mask and ear plugs, which would take some getting used to but is worth a try.
7. Light and temperature - Bright white light blocks melatonin. Go for the softer lights and keep the room temperature cooler.
8. Digital detox and dopamine fasting - Avoid screens at least an hour before sleeping.
9. Empty mind = happy head - Remove negative thoughts by writing them down and throwing them away. Write a gratitude list and/or meditate.
10. Breathwork - Try the 4-7-8 breathing method, my personal favorite, or the box method to bring awareness to your breath and the present moment and to help your body relax and prepare for a great night's sleep.
What would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments, I need all the help I can get. :)
10 Tips for a better nights sleep by Tom Middleton
💎 Where do we find confidence?
Each day we face challenges that can move us toward our goals or set us back.
What helps us get back up to try again and again? One word, confidence.
Confidence in knowing ourselves, leaning into our curiosity, resourcefulness, and creativity.
Confidence in trusting ourselves and our abilities, our strengths, and our weaknesses.
But this confidence doesn't come easily. We must put in the work, the reps, and the practice one experience at a time.
One way to practice building our confidence daily is by taking cold showers.
Yes, you heard that right.
A cold shower is the answer! Ok, maybe not “the” answer but an excellent one if I do say so myself.
Hear me out; I used to think the cold shower was a fad, but it turns out that taking them benefits our physical and mental health.
When you're feeling nice and warm on a cold morning and faced with cold water, you face a big challenge. Do you stay in your comfort zone nice and warm, or do you overcome the inner voice and become one with the freezing water?
The biggest benefit I experience is that it helps me overcome resistance to stepping out of my comfort zone. This practice also helps me realize that I am capable of doing much more than I think I can. Plus, overcoming resistance first thing in the morning is a great way to set the tone for the day.
Read the article and be inspired to take the plunge to boost your confidence!
Thanks for reading, and have a fantastic weekend!
Cheers,
Rizwan
Do you have a gem you would like featured in the next 💎 Friday Gems issue? Send it my way!
Answers to the RAT questions:
1. Common
2. Sick
Enlightenment SketchMaster style 🙌😄 Will read it again to make sure I didn’t miss anything!