Top 3 little known self-mastery hacks
“There is nothing wrong with You, that cannot be cured, with what is inside of You.”
The key to self-mastery…
…and mental wellness, are one and the same. Connecting the disconnected. Mainly, when you’re stuck in your head. But here’s what you need to know. Your mind is only “part” of you, and it’s not even the most important “part” of you. You have a mind, just as you have a hand, but it’s not the full You. And the greatest source of Your intelligence (not just your mental intellect), is in your body. And that is why physical health is the gateway to mental wellbeing. By reconnecting You, to all of You.
In the Autumn of 2017….
I was in a proper funk. Hated my job. 10 kilos heavier. Disengaged from my family. Stuck in my head, all the time, trying to figure it out. When I nearly lost my family, it hurt so badly, I had an impulse to distract myself by going for a run. Then I discovered Wim Hof breathing. Then I dropped sugar from my diet. In doing so, I was able to refocus my mind, away from my troubles, and access a powerful part of me, my body, which got me feeling normal again.
For a second I thought that was enough, but I realized that if I was going to really flip the script, and achieve proper self-mastery, I needed to pick a goal, the achievement of which would prove to myself that I was capable of more than I could have ever previously imagined. I decided to run a marathon. And when I asked a friend who was a multi-marathon runner what her best piece of advice was for me to get trained up. “Book it”, was all she said. And so I got it: “commit”, and then execute.
You can’t wait until you “figure it out”, or things “feel” right, to start this journey, because that will never happen. You have to step forward - “commit”.
Top 3 tips…
Sweat
A simple yet powerful way to reconnect with your body is through exercise. How much? Moderate exercise. Enough to sweat. Enough to distract you from your mind, for a sustained (at least 10 minutes) period, on a regular basis. Every 2 to 3 days. Here’s what I would suggest:
Have fun with it! Pick something you love doing! For me it’s running in nature. It’s a double whammy! I get into this meditative zone where I am fully absorbed in the smell and sights of the nature around me. In that zone, it feels like my body is carrying itself around.
Commit to little steps. If you don’t really feel like doing it, some days, go through part of the motions at least. Commit to putting your running gear on, then commit to stepping out of the house, then commit to jogging lightly just 50 meters even, then see how you are doing. Don’t be attached to the outcome. Be committed to each little step in turn.
Set up your environment for success. Pick out your exercise outfit the night before and place it somewhere you will see it first thing in the morning, or throughout your day, if you’re planning to exercise later. Having that constant reminder will help you stay focussed on your mission. Which leads me to my next tip.
Detox
What you eat has a massive influence on how you feel. Firstly because we have a second brain in our guts, and so a sore tummy is going to put you off your mental game. Secondly because you can’t out-exercise a poor diet. I cut out carbs altogether, and the impact was dramatic. I was able to maintain my energy level and focus consistently throughout the day. Plus I melted off 15 kilos in 12 weeks. Bonus! Here’s what i suggest:
Experiment. Everyone’ body type and biochemistry differs so it’s important to have an attitude of exploration and experimentation in order to find what works for You.
Try fasting and cutting out carbs and processed foods (of course alcohol too). You might feel tired or cranky after a few days. Expect it. It’s normal. It’s your body transitioning into a pure fat burning mode. After a while you will notice how you don’t actually feel hungry, but you feel full of energy and you will be super focussed and productive. I trained for a marathon in a state of ketosis. It works.
Don’t see this as a ‘diet’, see it as a lifestyle change. The difference is in the commitment. Don’t make yourself wrong for having cheat days. Perfection is the enemy of consistency and commitment. A cheat day every now and then is fine. But stay committed for the long term, knowing the benefits over time are exponential.
Breath
One area of the human physiology that is connected deeply to mental wellness is the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) which is what signals the body to turn off the fight, flight, freeze response, and so calm down and heal. And one powerful way to hack this process is using the breath. Simply by taking a deep breath in, and then exhaling that breath out slowly, you are signalling the body’s PNS to calm down. And breath can be used in many ways.
Try spending a few minutes sitting still and silent and focussing on your breath. At first it might feel boring, but stick with it anyway. The benefits are incredible. What you are essentially doing is giving your mind a break. A proper break. Watching netflix or even going on holidays still occupies your mind. By thai simple refocus your mind gets the regular break it needs to recharge.
Try the Wim Hof breathing technique. Take about 30 deep in-breaths and exhales then on your last exhale hold your breath on empty for about 30 seconds, a minute or several. You’ll be surprised how long you can hold your breath, because your body is full of oxygen. When you feel the urge to take a breath, inhale fully, and contract your diaphragm upwards, forcing the air towards you upper spine. In this technique you are building up the body’s resilience and it also helps clear the mind.
If it’s more energy and focus you seek, try lying down, and taking in a forceful in-breath, then a forceful exhale, both through your nostrils. Do this 5 times is fast succession, then on your last exhale, simply hold on empty for 10 seconds. Repeat this about 10 times and your body will get the signal to wake up, and you will have much more energy.
Bonus Tip…
Put a simple daily tracker on your wall where you can see it, and write down your commitments, for exercise, diet, breathing and anything else, and tick them off on a daily basis.
Consider...
If you got something from this post, I want to invite you to consider sharing it with someone else, who may relate or benefit from it.
Sharing is caring... 🙂
