9 Ways to Change your Physiology and Change your thinking
“Every man is enthusiastic at times. One man has enthusiasm for thirty minutes, another man has it for thirty days. But it is the man who has it for thirty years who makes a success in life.”
I have just finished four days of filling my energy tanks with the amazing Anthony Robbins. I have been to many self-development seminars and spiritual retreats, and I can say that this has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.
He introduced himself by saying: “I don’t believe in positive psychology or spirituality but only in energy.” I thought that line alone captured the whole 4- day experience.
I, on the other hand, very much believe in positive psychology, and my definition of being spiritual–we are spirits having a human experience rather than being human and having a few spiritual experiences.
However, I found his seminar and his energy in the four days to be captivating and practical. As finally there was something that you could take home and put into down-to-earth use and better your life almost immediately.
I have always known that energy or aliveness is the elixir of life and everything that I have done to remodel my life in last seven years has been a pilgrimage to arrive at that feeling of aliveness.
I was also aware of the idea I can intentionally get myself into a positive state using my physiology as a trigger. However, I had never experienced it till this seminar. He managed to, not only teach me at a mental level but to also make me experience doing so with six thousand people around me. The amount of energy created that day would have lit up a whole city for days on end.
Here was a man not only talking the talk but also walking his talk as he managed to keep six thousand people engaged, aroused and able to have fun for four consecutive days. On one of the days, he even went non-stop for eight hours as we started at 10am, and we took a break at 6pm. He pumped us so much that we all walked on hot burning coal without feeling any pain or any one of us burning their feet. The walking on fire was clearly a metaphor to show us that we can put ourselves in any state we wanted and in so doing, achieve everything we wanted to.
I learnt simple techniques that could re-engineer your emotions and redirect your thoughts and so act as triggers for you to get into action.
Here are several ways to change your physiology and so change your thinking:
Breathing
Breathing for ten minutes every day, when you get up in the morning. You inhale for 4 seconds while pushing your stomach out, hold for 16 seconds and then exhale for 8 seconds while pulling your stomach in. We need good breathing to allow a lot of oxygen in, to fuel our cells and to force carbon dioxide out
Lymphasizing
The lymphatic system plays an important role in removing the toxins from the body. However, unlike with the blood system where the heart acts as the pump, the lymphatic system has no pump and so movement is essential to create an efficient detoxification process. Using a rebounder to jump up and down for 15minutes a day or simply doing 50 jumping jacks or even dancing energetically would do the trick.
Declaration/Incantation/Affirmation
These are words or a mantra that you could repeat to yourself for several minutes with great passion and gusto.
Say Yes to defying the odds,
Say Yes to having an outstanding day,
Say Yes to being Your Voice,
Say Yes to Leading and not following,
Say Yes to Believing, not doubting,
Say yes to Creating, not destroying,
Say yes to being the force in your life,
Say yes To Setting a new standard,
Say yes to Stepping up.
Step up.
Step up.
Step up.
Cold showers
As silly as this sounds, going under a cold shower shocks your nervous system, and you suddenly feel alive and awakened. You can do this first thing in the morning or before you want to get into action.
Exercise
A minimum of 4 days a week of walking or jogging for more than 30 minutes will usually suffice. I often add strength training for its added benefits to health and some stretching either Yoga or Pilates. There have been so many widespread studies and well-written books on the positive effects of exercise that there is little for me to add to this point. Just to say, that it remains a mystery to me why doesn’t everyone exercise.
Music
Listening to music that you like for some time during the day can lift your mood and put you in a great state. Also very often singing along with a song will create a stronger positive effect.
Regular Stretching
It’s especially important when you have a sedentary job, and you spend a lot of time sitting. Take regular breaks like every hour and stretch for a few minutes. Also, you can spend some time standing up or walking around instead of sitting.
Praise yourself
Whenever you accomplish a task or goal, or you feel you have done something great then pat yourself on the back. Studies have shown that the happiest people are those who regularly praise themselves
Gratitude
Being grateful for all things in your life whether big or small can have a profound effect on your happiness and your state. It allows you to focus on what is working in your life and not on the things that are not. This way you don’t take your life for granted and appreciate it much more. It keeps you in an emotional state of wonder and hunger for life itself. It can be done daily when you choose three things to be grateful about and when describing them, then use the full range of emotions felt when you had that feeling of gratitude. Also when showing gratitude to another person, be heartfelt with your words to explain how you feel.
I recognise that the different ways to change your state that I’ve described will not change your life in any way when done alone without overcoming your limiting beliefs or without setting any goals in your life. However putting yourself in a positive state is a tool that you can use to kick-start any action you intend to take towards changing your life.
I’m not saying that you must do each and every technique but the more you put yourself in a positive state then, you are more likely to create that magic in your life.
As is often said that action is the language of the universe and what better way to start getting into action then by getting yourself in the right state.