How to defeat stress and improve your memory

To achieve greatness, you need to first take care of yourself   Hi , Did you know that stress affects your memory in different and sometimes unexpected ways? On one hand, stressful events are hard to forget. For example, patients with PTSD seem to be stuck with a painful memory for too long against their will. On the other hand, chronic stress makes it harder to focus and retain information. Your ability to grasp complex subjects can diminish under stress. As well as your ability to memorize information. I've learned all that the hard way back in 2013 when I was building Lifehack from the ground up. In fact, that was the period of our rapid growth. I was juggling many things at once. Everything from hiring and onboarding new employees to managing cash flow and marketing campaigns. The problem was, I had no idea how to do most of that. So I had to work long hours and burn the midnight oil several times a week. But even though I was spending more time reading and learning, I haven't seen as much progress as I expected. Instead, I had to go back and remind myself of basic concepts. And it happened constantly... I'd learn something today, but forget it tomorrow. No matter how hard I tried and how many repetitions I got, things just wouldn't get any better. I felt like this was maybe too big of a challenge for me. Maybe I've bitten more than I could chew? Around that time, my wife gave birth to our first son, which made me happy and nervous at the same time. And a couple of months after my son was born, I started developing chronic back pain. I didn't know it then, but my back pain and brain fog had a common cause. Stress. One day, I woke up with a sharp pain in my back and couldn't get out of bed. My body has pulled the brake. I ended up in the hospital. The doctor said my back was seized up from chronic stress I was exposed to. At that point, I started looking for a solution. I've changed my lifestyle, rearranged priorities, and adopted several techniques to help me cope with the challenges of parenthood and entrepreneurship. Among other things, I started meditating. And, to help me stay calm during sessions, I was listening to various sounds of nature. Things like wind, rain, birdsong, ocean waves, and so on... Day after day, I felt better, more relaxed, and eventually, the back pain was gone. I could go back to working full time. My schedule was a bit different compared to before, and I had fewer things on my plate as I didn't want to risk back pain once again. But still, I was quite busy, probably busier than the average person. I still found myself working long hours during the week. Reading and planning on weekends. One thing has improved, however... After several months of struggle, I was finally able to retain crucial information from the book I read the day before. It was like my memory became sticky again. When I look back, it's obvious how I got rid of brain fog and back pain at one go. Simply put, I won the battle against chronic stress. Now, if you're going through the same, I have a couple of tips to help you manage stress and improve your mental and physical well-being. 1. Identify the sources of stress. Maybe it's your job, your social circle, or some particular issue you're dealing with right now. 2. Try to avoid sources of stress if possible. If not, try altering situations that regularly get you stressed. If that's not possible either, adapt to those situations, or simply accept them if there's nothing else to do. 3. Add some exercise to your daily routine. It doesn't have to be demanding. Just walking for 30 minutes a day can do wonders! 4. Spend more time with your family and friends. Take part in activities that bring you joy, such as watching movies or having dinner with someone. 5. Schedule your days in advance. That way, you'll have more control and be less likely to end up in a hurry. 6. Take care of your diet and get enough sleep. 7. Find ways to relieve stress. For many people, pleasurable sensory experiences can help them relieve stress at the moment. Smelling a specific scent or listening to soothing sounds of nature are scientifically proven to help with this. [You can get a free collection of sounds for learning and meditation if you buy Learn Anything Fast handbook](. Cheers, Leon [Is this email helpful? Let us know.]( [Share this email with a friend](      Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Lifehack, Unit 33554, PO Box 6945,, London, W1A 6US, United Kingdom