MINDover MATTER
BRING ZEN AND PRODUCTIVITY TO YOUR WORKING DAY WITH A FEW SIMPLE EXERCISES
From quarantine to life after lockdown, this year has required people to adapt to change in their working lives like never before. And those challenges can bring a fair amount of stress. But by using a little mind over matter, clinical hypnotherapist Claire Aristides says it’s possible to develop tools that can help you stay calm, achieve career goals, and find new joy in your working day.
“Business leaders, musicians, surgeons and professional athletes all use visualisation to create a picture in their mind of how they want to perform,” Aristides says. “It works because the brain can’t distinguish between something that you have actually done and something that you have imagined yourself doing.”
Next time you start to feel those creeping signs of tension, take a moment and picture yourself in a more relaxed and Zen state of being. “Simply by imagining yourself in a calm state you are decreasing the physical symptoms of stress, such as an increased heart rate and the release of stress hormones,” explains Aristides.
“By visualising yourself achieving your goals and being in the state you want, you are training the brain. The mental imagery you create impacts your brain’s cognitive processes including motor control, attention, planning and memory.”
Try these simple exercises to beat stress and add productivity to your working day!
FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU
Everyone is different, so be creative to find which visualisations suit you best. One exercise you can try is to imagine that all your stressful thoughts are balloons which are floating through the air. “In your imagination
release them and see them disappear, floating away,” Aristides suggests. “Or take a breath and imagine you are on a beautiful beach, swimming somewhere peaceful in nature.”
BE SPECIFIC ABOUT GOALS
“Sometimes the unknown can cause stress, so take time to be clear on what’s important to you,” Aristides says.
“Be clear and specific about your aspirations and what you would like to achieve. Focus on positive goals for yourself. Simply managing your stress is a great goal for yourself. Chronic long term stress is not healthy.”
WRITE IT DOWN
“Putting pen to paper can clarify your goals and what you want for yourself,” she says. “You can use a timer when writing down your thoughts to help with focus and clarity.”
BE SPECIFIC ABOUT DETAILS
“Create a scene in your mind of how you want your day to unfold,” Aristides says. “Include what you see, who’s with you and what you might hear. Make it as vivid as you can. Whether it’s a promotion or working with an exciting new client or project, use your imagination to visualise your dreams.”
BE CONSISTENT
While Aristides says the visualisation process may seem a little silly at first, you should persist by doing it every day.
“Repetition is so important when building new habits,” she says. “Be patient as you learn this new and empowering technique. Remember, you are learning a new way to cope, and building resilience.”