SEVEN QUICK FIXES – to clear your head and lift your mood

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:44:39 +0000

Laugh……….stand in front of a mirror every morning (and as often as you like through the day) and just start grinning at yourself and then laugh out loud for at least two minutes ……laughter is infectious and after a little while it will soon spread…….and if it feels ridiculous then it is working and if helps things along just think of jokes or funny things you have experienced or heard about or what you would look like if you just could not stop smiling all the time. The brain cannot tell the difference between “forced” and “real laughter so you get the feel good chemical release and other benefits that comes from laughing anyway.
And laugh some more…..watch funny programmes on tv, listen to radio comedies, read funny books and comics/magazines (e.g Viz), see movies that make you laugh, go to comedy shows, be with people who are fun to be with …..take a light hearted look at the world….just refuse to tune in to anything that does not amuse and make you smile
If you are emotionally stuck……….Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth for three minutes, making the out breathy slightly longer than the in breath (count to 7 In and out to 10 or 11) b. Ask you unconscious for a solution to, or relief from, your problem, and then move your eyes in large circles, clockwise then counter-clockwise while counting out loud form 50 to one c. Shift your position
If you are depressed ……….some kinds of depression are related to functional brain asymmetry meaning the right and left hemispheres are not functioning coherently. Since physical movements on one side of your body activate the opposite side of your brain, add such movements to anything else you are doing to deal with your condition…..some suggestions for you…… a. Throw a tennis ball form hand to hand and gradually widen the gap. Practice doing it with your eyes shut. b. March with knees lifted high. Touch opposite hand to opposite knee with each step. c. Fold your arms quickly and notice how you do this (right arm first over left or the reverse) …then do it the exactly the opposite.. Practice until you can do it as quickly and easily as your normal way and then progress to alternating between each way. d. Practice writing with your other hand (in fact practice doing anything you normally do with your dominant hand or foot)
To change your mood from down to up a. Simply recall the details of a happy experience in as much detail as possible. b. Pay attention to all the sensory details….. especially the pictures that come to mind and the sounds, the sensations you experienced, even the tastes and smells of that time. ..be there again and intensify. Make the picture bigger, more colourful, vibrant and juicy….. c. When you feel things strongly…..”anchor” the response by pinching the web in between your thumb and finger and let those feelings stay strong or get stronger still hold as you hold it for 15-30 secs d. And if want to access that response again instantly, just use that anchor signal. Since we tend to remember sad or depressing experiences when we are down, also practice making a list of positive memories when you are in a good mood, to refer to when you are not.
Build a happy mindset in 30 seconds…just spend 15 seconds twice a day recalling in detail a pleasant experience from the day before. This can give a 15% instant boost in cheerfulness.
And if you need a quick boost…….Sit up. Body posture directly influences mood so sit with your back erect, eyes up and front, head high, and chest pushed out….it instantly lifts your mood and makes you feel more confident.

What to do when you have a dilemma....

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:48:33 +0000

There are some times when you have no doubt about which way to go. But usually you get a feeling of doubt. It’s what some people call The Niggle. It’s telling you something important. I find that when I get The Niggle, it is a sign for me to pause and reflect and ask the question, ‘What am I being told here?’

Once you have a sense of what ‘The Niggle’ is, you can use it to great effect to alert you as to which way to go (or not).

Often the water for making decisions is muddied by what we want to happen, what we think ‘should’ happen and what everyone else thinks we should do. So in order to get a stronger sense of which way to go I have a little exercise that I think you will like.

EXERCISE

This is a great exercise when you have a number of options to decide upon. 1. Find somewhere comfy to relax, turn off your phone and focus on your breathing. 2. Just imagine it is a sunny day and you are walking through a field of long grass. Get a sense of peace as you walk through the field and breathe in the sweet fresh air. 3. As you walk through the field you happen upon three wooden gates. Each gate has a blank sign on it. Imagine writing a word to represent an option on each gate. 4. By the way, you can have as many gates as you wish but I usually find most choices come down to three main contenders. 5. Focus on the first gate, open the gate and walk through and get a sense of what it feels like if you choose this option. 6. Do the same with the others. 7. Does one of them feel stronger than the others? Does one option make you feel nervous or unsettled? Take time to focus on all three. 8. Doing this will give you a sense of what feels right, and which course is the right one to follow. I have used this technique with clients to help them decide anything - from which job to take, which car to buy, to which person to date. Try it yourself, and find out how it works for you!

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SEVEN QUICK FIXES – to clear your head and lift your mood

What to do when you have a dilemma....