Motivation
For as long as I can remember, my motivation has ebbed and flowed, often leaving me frustrated and disappointed when I ultimately give up on goals or activities. The constant cycle of enthusiasm followed by self-criticism has been a barrier to living my best life. In my search for a way to break free from this emotional roller coaster, I discovered a podcast that transformed my mindset. It introduced me to the idea of approaching each day with awareness and the empowering realization that I have control over my mind.
To do or not.
For as long as I can remember, my motivation has ebbed and flowed, often leaving me frustrated and disappointed when I ultimately give up on goals or activities. The constant cycle of enthusiasm followed by self-criticism has been a barrier to living my best life. In my search for a way to break free from this emotional roller coaster, I discovered a podcast that transformed my mindset. It introduced me to the idea of approaching each day with awareness and the empowering realization that I have control over my mind.
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After listening to this life-changing podcast, I gained several key insights that have reshaped how I approach each day:
1. **Understand How Your Mind Works**
It's essential to recognize that your mind is constantly at work, processing emotions, desires, and fears. By understanding these processes, you can start to take control rather than letting your mind control you.
2. **Focus on the Action, Not the Outcome**
Instead of obsessing over results, I’ve learned to direct my energy towards the actions I take. This shift in focus has made the journey itself more fulfilling and reduced the pressure of achieving specific outcomes.
3. **Divorce Your Mind from the Difficulty or Pleasure of the Action**
Whether an action feels easy or hard, pleasurable or painful, I’ve found that detaching my mind from these judgments allows me to stay consistent and avoid getting caught up in emotional highs and lows.
4. **Vent Obstacles from Your Mind**
Whenever obstacles arise, instead of letting them fester in my mind, I address them head-on or find ways to release them. This helps to clear mental space and maintain focus on what truly matters.
5. **Don’t Obsess About Fixing Things**
Perfectionism can be paralyzing. I’ve realized that not everything needs to be fixed or perfected immediately. Sometimes, it's okay to let things be and focus on progress rather than perfection.
6. **Live in the Moment**
Being present in the here and now has been a game-changer. It keeps me grounded and helps me appreciate the process of life, rather than constantly worrying about the past or future.
7. **Avoid Framing Yourself Through Media Images**
Lastly, I’ve become more mindful of how media can distort self-image. Comparing myself to curated images and narratives can lead to unnecessary dissatisfaction. I’m …
Free to be my best
June Duck, MD
Make stress your friend and not your foe
Stress is all around us and we are wired to respond to stress by increasing the mechanisms that allow us to flight, flee or freeze. Our stress response is necessary for our survival. Our heart rate increases so that we can run faster;
Stress is all around us and we are wired to respond to stress by increasing the mechanisms that allow us to flight, flee or freeze. Our stress response is necessary for our survival. Our heart rate increases so that we can run faster; our pupils dilate so that we can see danger; our digestion stops and blood is shunted to our muscles. From the time we are conceived, the stress response has allowed us to survive and build resiliency. With stress that is not excessive or severe, we become stronger. The problem arises when there is excessive or chronic stress. With repeated stress, the response becomes more robust and lasts longer setting the milieu for chronic diseases such as hypertension, metabolic syndrome, depression and diabetes to name a few.
The good news is that we can reduce and control our stress response to make it less dangerous by eliciting the relaxation response. One of the best and easiest ways is by using our breath. We normally do not think about breathing. It is controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which is the involuntary part of out nervous system.It controls all aspects of our bodies without us having to think about what is happening. But although the ANS is involuntary, we can still exert some control on it.
The ANS has two arms, the sympathetic nervous system - fight or flight - and the parasympathetic nervous system - rest and relax. When these two arms are in balance, our organs are functioning normally and our brains are creative and engaged. One of the best and simplest ways to balance the ANS, which usually means increasing the parasympathetic arm, is by using our breath. When we consciously breathe is certain ways, the vagus nerve is activation and the parasympathetic nervous system is engaged. You can start practicing breath work by using the 4-7-8 breath. It takes less than a minute and can be done any time you want to slow down or center yourself. It is easy! Take in a breath through your nose and count to 4. Hold for a count of 7. Exhale through your mouth with the tongue being your front teeth for a count of 8. Repeat several times. You can practice this with Dr. Weil:
Vivian Kominos, MD, FACC, ABOIM
Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Arizona School of Medicine, Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine