Time is a fantastic marvel. We measure it in years, days, hours, and by the moments we remember. Einstein called it spacetime. Einstein’s research proved that time is relative, and gravity and acceleration are the two factors that slow downtime. Intuitively we have all felt the speeding up of time as we age.

The measurement of time by a clock and our perception of time are quite different. Psychologists have documented this speeding up of time with age for a while. The cause for this slowing down of time is still vastly unknown. There are many theories about it.

One of the explanations is that when you are younger, the years of life occupy more of the children’s conscious memory than an older adult’s memory. For an adult who is 50 years old, one year represents 2-3% of their life memories. That’s why we remember those days in school and the long summer breaks.

Another fascinating hypothesis comes from the biological processes. Children’s heart rates are faster than adult heart rates. Scientists believe their brains’ electrophysical waves and rhythms may be more rapid too. That’s probably why children keep asking if it’s time to go, although you just told them a few minutes ago precisely when you’ll leave home. Similarly, when you request a kid sit quietly for a minute, they say the minute is up after 30-40 seconds. Children’s brains register the time faster than adult brains, and they can have more conscious experience in a set amount of time. This leads to the subjective passage of time moving more slowly for children.

A recent theory by Professor Adrian Bejan hypothesizes that the perception of time is based on the changes in our visual field. We know something happened because we see it with our eyes. He hypothesizes that as we grow older, the rate at which we process visual information slows down, making the time go faster for adults.

Our perception of time is always a backward-looking process, reliant on memory. Although there are a lot of other components that contribute to the relativity of time, memories are at the forefront. Our visual field is like a camera. Like the movie, the fewer frames per second, the faster the movie frame seems to move. This causes the perception of time to pass more rapidly as we age.

Suppose you want to get geeky about how this occurs neurologically. According to Bejan, “as we age, the complexity of our brain’s neural networks increases. This means electrochemical signals must traverse greater distances and span more pathways, thus slowing signal processing. Moreover, aging causes nerves to accumulate damage that creates greater resistance to the flow of signals, further slowing processing time.”

The feeling of time flying is real and has its basis in quantum physics. Suppose you can do certain exercises to strengthen your neural connections, like learning new languages, taking up a new physical hobby, or playing a musical instrument. In that case, you can slow down this relative perception of time moving fast. I try to set a milestone for every quarter of the year, which has helped me keep track of the passing of time better than before.

I say you can slow down time; it’s in your control.

The post Where Did the Time Go? 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

This year, I have decided to focus on three big goals and then divide them into smaller chunks. My big goals are to improve my Marathon race time, scale my business by networking with other wellness professionals, and organize my home. These goals involve many smaller resolutions like better nutrition, meal planning, better sleep, decluttering the home, donating items I don’t use, scheduling time for weekly networking, and growing Tone and Strengthens team of coaches and instructors, to name a few.

You can fill your resolution list with easy, good-for-you goals. Keep them simple and focused on a particular area of your life. These help you destress, organize the crazy in your life, and be more productive at the same time. So, try to put these easy ‘new year new you’ goals on your list this year.

Cook at Home- Cooking at home can even take less time than eating out. There are plenty of quick, simple, and less time-consuming recipes. When you prepare your meals, you have more control over the ingredients. You can ensure that you and your family eat fresh, wholesome meals by cooking for yourself. 

Feed the Bookworm in You- Try to get more reading done this year. Books are knowledge, and who knows where that knowledge will take you. Try Goodreads App to keep track of the books you have read. Don’t discount the audiobooks. I love listening to books while working out. You can get two things done at once, and you’ll look forward to your workouts.

Delegate Chores- Delegate the chores that have been on your to-do list for a while to another person. You can hire someone to do the chores. If money is tight, try exchanging chores for those you enjoy doing with a close friend.

Use Your Lunch Break- You can get a lot done in 60 minutes. Take a lunch break and use it for a hobby or workout. You will return fresh to your desk and be more productive. Need any ideas for things you can do while on lunch? Read Gone for Lunch by Laura Archer.

Write to Yourself- Reflecting on your day and acknowledging emotions is calming. Try being kind to yourself and quiet that inner critic when you write to yourself. When you’re stressed, keeping a journal can help you recognize the cause of stress. Once you know the cause of stress, you create a plan to resolve the problems and reduce your stress. Journaling can improve your mental health.

Create a Power Phrase- Mind is a powerful tool, but we don’t use it to our advantage often. Negative thoughts and self-talk primarily consume us. Create or find positive mantras for yourself and repeat them throughout the day.

Create a Calming Space- Declutter one or two chaotic areas of your home. It’s important to make the space around you as peaceful and calm as possible, even if it’s just your desk or a corner of the room. By consciously making your home decluttered, your daily life will be easier and elicit a sense of calm and relaxation. You won’t have to add non-essentials to your to-do list. A clear and clean space will help you have more clarity in your life and take action towards your goals.

Be Mindful- Pledge to be present by staying in the moment. Do some small exercises to pay attention to your current experiences and accept them without judgment? Practicing mindfulness promotes empathy, love, compassion, and joy. 

Join a Club- Joining a club will help you meet new people who have the same interests as you. Maybe it’s a new hobby you have wanted to take up or a current interest you want to get better at. Clubs help you find new friends and learn something new.

Volunteer- This year, challenge yourself to try something new and practice using your current skills while making a difference by volunteering. Volunteer work may become more valuable than your regular work! You’ll notice a slight shift in yourself as you volunteer. You’ll feel more connected to others and become less absorbed in the everyday stresses of daily life.

These are some ideas for your new year’s goals that come with social, emotional, physical, and professional perks.

The post Ten Simple New Year’s Resolutions 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

I like to include the accomplishments, wins, and losses that served as a learning experience. All the events have an impact on us. 

• First, I like to be grateful for where I am. 
• Second, I look back on the past year’s events in wonder and awe. It’s hard to believe how far I have come this year with my running and business goals. 
• Third, I look to see how I can improve my future by taking unnecessary things from my schedule and improving my current activities. 

Why Reflect on Last Year?

Last year is gone. Right! It is past now. You cannot bring this time back and can’t use an eraser to undo the mistakes.

At the most basic definition, reflection is a careful thought. But the valuable kind of reflection involves the deliberate analysis of one’s beliefs and actions for learning. Reflection allows us to slow down, pause and sort through past experiences.

Reflecting on last year, you can learn important lessons and recognize behavior patterns. Listing previous year’s events allow us to identify the patterns in our reactions and will help us to enhance performance in the new year. Reflections serve as self-feedback for the last year. I recommend reflecting on the past year because it acts as a tool to improve your performance in the new year radically.

There is a paradox in life for faster improvement. To have a more significant impact in the future, we need to slow down and reflect on the past.

Reflect and Plan

Select your own reflection process. I like to write in a journal. If you don’t like journaling, that’s okay. Consider talking to a close friend, and going over the last year is a great way to reflect. You can use your friend’s feedback as well.

To help you reflect on your year, I have put together some questions and resources that can help you.

I like to put my last year’s events into three categories:

Successful – had a tremendous impact

Redundant –can be left behind

Developing – needs improvement

Questions to Ask

Here are some of my favorite questions for reflecting on last year:

• What accomplishments are you proud of this year?
• What significant life events or transitions did you go through this year?
• How did you take care of yourself this year? Mentally, physically, financially, and emotionally.
• What disappointed you this past year?
• What have you overcome this year?
• What are you most grateful for in the last year? 
• What mistakes are you still holding onto from the past year?
• What challenges do you still need to conquer?
• If you could change one thing in the last year, what would it be?
• What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of the past year?

So, grab a warm cup of tea and a paper to look at last year’s reflections, so that next year’s image projection is bright.

The post Looking in Last Year’s Mirror 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.