26. |
Get in Motion |
I learned one of the best phrases for making myself feel better at a Tony Robbins seminar more than two decades ago: “Motion equals emotion.”
If you are feeling down or mildly depressed, the quickest way to change how you feel is to start moving. Of course, it goes without saying that if you are feeling depressed for a period of time you should seek professional medical help. It is not my intention to make light of a serious condition; however, what most of us experience from time to time is a feeling of “less-than-great,” not clinical depression.
You’ve probably heard of the mind-body connection and may know about the emerging field of mind-body medicine. Science has been discovering just how big a part our mind plays in our physical health. Psychoneuroimmunology (the study of the interaction between psychological processes and the immune system) is one of the most exciting fields in medicine today and offers new insights into ways we can stay healthy.
Here is an exercise that demonstrates this principle of motion equaling emotion. Pretend for a moment that you are depressed. Sit the way you would if you were feeling down. Tell yourself what you might say if you were depressed. Hold your head the way you would if you were depressed. What would your facial expression look like?
How do you feel? I’m guessing you’re starting to feel pretty lousy. Your mental and emotional states are now in sync with your physiology. The way you are holding your body and what you are saying to yourself are causing you to feel depressed.
Fortunately, the opposite is also true. Sit the way you would if you felt fantastic, if everything in your life were ideal, and you were having an amazing day. You’re probably sitting up straight and tall, with a big grin on your face, right?
The next time you’re out in public, look at the people around you. Take note of how they are carrying themselves. You can usually tell how they’re feeling just by observing their posture and facial expressions.
The next time you’re feeling a little low, get up and start moving. Go for a walk, even if it’s just around your office or the building you work in. Imagine you are feeling unstoppable. What would your self-talk be? How would you be carrying yourself? What would your facial expression be?
I realize this may sound simple but, believe me, it works. Studies have been done with depressed people in mental hospitals that found that something as simple as having people walk around smiling for a while lowered incidents of mood swings and lessened the need for medication.
Our minds and bodies are inextricably linked. You cannot alter one without affecting the other. Knowing this and developing ways to use this dynamic to your benefit puts you more in control of how you feel.
It’s interesting to note that one of the indicators of mental wellness is how much control we feel we have over our lives and our environment. Learning ways to improve how you feel goes a long way toward feeling more in control of your life.