“It is not primarily our physical selves that limit us but rather our mindset about our physical limits.”
― Ellen J. Langer
& tune into life!!
Remember Legends
How you perceive the world (& yourself) shapes your experience.
One aspect of mental fitness is the practice of seeing stress, challenges & obstacles as opportunities.
When you do this consistently you are much more able to accept situations as they are & orient to what is possible, positive & purposeful rather than being stuck in resistance.
One practice that is super helpful in reminding us that we are more than our initial reactions to a situation is to STOP-ing.
Next time you notice you're stressed or facing a challenge take a moment to …….
S - stop -or at least pause for long to enough to ....
T - take a deep breath (or 3)- this can help down regulate your stress response (even just a little bit)
O -open to/ observe you experience - what are you thinking? how are you feeling? how are you experiencing your body? what impulses are present? what does the situation require of you?
P -proceed purposefully. How would the best version of you respond to this situation? What attitude would best serve you? What action would best serve you?
STOP-ing becomes much more available if we practice each of its components on there own.
Stopping, slowing down, taking moments to pause throughout the day can help us break autopilot & notice the state we are in.
Taking a deep breath- as a meditative practice for 3 - 30 minutes daily can be powerful tool for training attention and shifting your state
Observing your body via body-scans can deepen you relationship with your body and help you "get out of your head".
P - doing the deep work of knowing your purpose & priorities, who you want to be, how you want to live - will empower you with a guiding light you can orient to as you move through your day**. TRY THIS
1. make time for a 3- 30 minute meditation on the breath &/or a body-scan meditation (guided practices here)
2. Take time to pause throughout the day and tune it with your experience - notice thoughts, feelings, the body & the world around you.
From this space of observation choose a skillful response.
3. notice how you perceive certain situations and ask yourself if there's a "better" way of framing it that you can orient to.
