Walk and Talk

I was reading an article in livehappy magazine while awaiting an appointment. Here are some great reminders when you are feeling a little down:

1. Do a couple of minutes of jumping jacks. Aerobic exercise boosts one’s positive mood.
2. Call a friend or a family member. A conversation with a friend can have a lasting positive effect, increasing your energy and cultivating motivation.
3. Write down three things that you are grateful for. The effects of this five- minute activity can last up to 6 months!
4. Imagine the best-case outcome for your near future. Think positively (and realistically), and positive emotions will be delivered!
5. Set an intention for the day. This will give you a sense of purpose for the day, and an opportunity to be consistent in the way you interact with the world.

As Jeff Olson says in The Slight Edge, “easy to do, easy not to do.” How do you choose to live your life?

I have been reading Susan Jeffers’ book, Feel The Fear…And Do It Anyway. It is an excellent read. Here are a couple of gems:

“At the bottom of every one of your fears is simply the fear that you can’t handle whatever life may bring you.”

And the truth is that you can, in fact, handle whatever comes your way. It may not be comfortable, but you can handle it.

Your brain is set up for safety, and there is comfort in safety. If something is in the realm of the unknown, which are all challenges, there will be discomfort and your subconscious brain will try and get you to put on the brakes and seek safety/comfort. What your subconscious brain does not know, which Jeffers articulates well in her book, is that “people who refuse to take risks live with a feeling of dread that is far more severe than what they would feel if they took the risks necessary to make them less helpless.”  True helplessness is in fact a safety alert that will send your brain into survival mode. So the message is, feel the fear (which is not true danger but simply your feelings of helplessness), and do it anyway!

Jeffers’ Five Truths about Fear

1. The fear will never go away as long as I continue to grow.
2. The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and do it.
3. The only way to feel better about myself is to go out…and do it.
4. Not only am I going to experience fear whenever I’m on unfamiliar territory, so is everyone else.
5. Pushing through fear is less frightening than living with the underlying fear that comes from a feeling of helplessness.