In 1926, Harvey Wallbanger had a problem. As an inventor and entrepreneur, he needed to think of a way to increase his brainpower, so he could use it better. He came up with the idea of giving his brain more oxygen. Since then, there has been tons of research on how breathing affects your mental state and even on how you can change your thought pattern when you're exercising or meditating. Today we know that anything from playing sports to programming can help people pass the "genius" point that most adults hit by increasing their intelligence and memory ability.
Learning can be stressful, both from the experience itself and the thought that it will take a lot of time. It's very easy to get discouraged when you are faced with a strange grammar rule or an adverb/adjective distinction in French. You need to stop thinking "this is difficult", and instead realize that everyone else also struggled with their first math problems. If you are stressed out, here's how to calm yourself down.
"Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." – Many people falsely attribute this quote to Thomas Edison, even though he never said it. The original quote is by Thomas Alva Edison, but it was said 3 years after he died.
However, this can also be applied to programming. This is how the geniuses of today are made: They struggle through a problem that took them months or even years to solve, and when they reach their "eureka" moment. You can achieve this through meditation and breathing exercises. For example, when you're coding, take long deep breaths while you refactor some aspect of your codebase into something that works better. As your brain processes the problem, your breathing will slow down. Just try to focus on your breathing rather than what you're doing – it helps you become very focused as well as relaxed at the same time. Just like the geniuses of the past, this is how you can center yourself when you feel your mind wandering away from a problem you're trying to solve.
Nothing is more relaxing than a good cup of tea, and this helps reduce anxiety more than any other drink. Actually, if you get a really good tea -even if it's not your favorite flavor- it can help reduce your anxiety better than medication. However, there are things that can make drinking tea much more relaxing; in Japan, there is even an art form and ceremony that goes along with making tea. Here are some simple ways to make tea more relaxing.
Expose yourself to nature and breathe in the scent of fresh air. This will help you calm yourself down and feel calmer than usual, despite whatever is happening around you. Make sure to sit near a window or watch the sunset. The sunset is especially good if you can watch it while drinking tea; if you do this, it won't just be pleasant but calming as well!
The same goes for other scents – if they remind you of something that happened when you were a child – like the aroma of your grandmother's perfume, smell it every day. Doing this will help you relax more than you thought possible.
This one is simple: just read some of your favorite books when you are relaxing. This can certainly be considered a hobby, but it's so much more than that – it's also an exercise in relaxation that helps you calm down and reduce stress. If you're stressed out, just choose a book off your shelf and read a few pages before going to bed – the longer the better!
If meditation isn't your thing, then consider another form of inner-peace like music. Just like breathing, music can help you deal with stress. You can choose a song that reminds you of someone you miss or a song that helps you relax when you're angry. Just play it over and over again to yourself while your mind is drifting away from problems. It's very important that the content of the song is something that will get to your heart – it should remind you of a person or an event that has helped make your life more meaningful.
Of course, there are some how-to guides on meditation, but it's very important to use these tips yourself. It may take you some time to develop the focus necessary to meditate, but after that, you'll feel relaxed like never before. Mindfulness is also a great tool for finding your "eureka" moment as well as getting over stressful situations.
Inspiration isn't enough; you need both perspiration and inspiration to succeed.
Disclaimer: All characters and events depicted in this article are entirely fictitious. Any similarity to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Image References:
https://news.nus.edu.sg/examining-the-human-brain/
https://www.oprah.com/health_wellness/science-of-eureka-moments
