One day in my class as a student of spiritual psychology at USM, a teacher asked if anyone in the room of about 300 people was feeling tired or depressed. A surprising number of people raised their hands.
One of them, a young woman, shared that she had felt depressed for a long time and had very little energy. She agreed to participate in an experiment that could help her feel better.
Our teachers asked her to walk around the large room very fast, which she did. After the first time around her energy was noticeably better, and by the time she had been around a few times she reported that her mood had shifted. She felt more energized and positive than she had in a long time.
Could feeling good be that simple?
Yes, it can. One of the principles of NLP (neuro linguistic programming) is that changing your physiology can change how you feel. If you don’t believe me, try it out.
1: Sit for a minute slouched in a chair with your shoulders slumped, head down, frowning and and sighing. How do you feel?
2: Now stand up, straight and tall, reach or jump for the ceiling with a big smile on your face. Can you feel the difference? Does it feel better?
Changing your physiology is a totally free way to shift how you feel. When you change your state, you can change your mind.
When you want to feel more positive or energetic:
- Move your body
- Take a brisk walk
- Dance to upbeat music
- Jump up and down
- Smile and/or laugh
When you want to feel confident:
- Stand tall with good posture
- Wear shoes with heels that make you feel taller
- Keep your head up, looking straight ahead
- Walk purposefully
When you want to feel more relaxed:
- Move slowly
- Take deep breaths
- Do gentle stretches or yoga
- Meditate or focus on the details of the present moment
Can you see how this works? If the feeling you want to create is not listed here, just think of someone who has the characteristics you want to bring forward and emulate their body language.
You have all of these aspects already residing within you, like songs on a jukebox. Changing your physical state is like pushing a button to choose which song you want to play.
So, what are you going to choose today? Slumpy sad songs or something that is energetic and makes you feel better?
If you would like the assistance of a professional coach so that you can live in a more positive way, I would love to talk to you. You can reach me here, or email: lifecoachlinda@gmail.com
Related Posts:
6 Simple Steps to Self-Confidence and Self-Trust
6 Proven Ways to Reduce Anxiety
Hmmm….great points! I definitely feel more confident on days I wear my little bootie heels to work….and on days I go to the gym, I may not want to go at first (usually, lol) but after I work out and do the sauna, I feel so much better and it helps my mental health dramatically.
You are already working it. Good for you!
These totally make sense! I sit at a desk all day and it’s not the happiest 8 hours of my life! So I do make it a point to stand, walk around, stretch and I do immediately feel refreshed. And yes, dancing! 🙂
It’s even more important when we spend a lot of time sitting.
i love this!! and yes, it can be that easy. as you pointed out, posture can be a big influence as well. how we posture ourselves affects how we breathe and how we breathe affects how we think. great post!
Thanks for the reminder about breathing Jessica. That is an important part of feeling better.
Great post and good reminder! I do believe that your body motions can send signals that can affect your emotions. I sometimes make myself smile when I am in a bad mood just to see my emotions transform to feeling better.
Hi Kristin: There have even been studies showing that smiling, even if you don’t feel like it, can improve your mood and your health. It’s strange that we forget to do these things more often.
Breathing are a good point that you have mentioned in your post. On some days i can feel a little stressed and then i try to focus on my breathing, since it also play havoc with my digestive system when i’m stressed.
A good couple of years ago i was very depressed like totally didn’t even care to dress for the day have stayed the whole day in bed with pj’s luckily i’m over that and it have taken a long time to overcome it, that’s why i try to focus on the little good things instead of the things that i have no control over.
Leanie: Thank you for reminding us of how valuable breathing and focusing on good little things can be. I’m so glad you are feeling better.
I am currently slouching in my chair and after sitting up straight I feel a lot better. 🙂 Amazing tips! I will save these for when I’m feeling extra tired. 🙂
Woohoo! Way to go, Jerneja!