If you were to decide today that you want to run a marathon for the first time, would you buy running shoes and run this marathon two days later? Of course not. We all know that it takes training - a lot of training.
Same for any new sport or activity: golf, tennis, football, playing the piano, driving a car, and so on.
We all know that we need to learn first and that the more we practice, the better we get.
We all want to live our best possible life: to thrive, to be happy, to love, to feel successful on our own terms, to live a purposeful life, to support others and serve the world the best we can….
Our brain plays an essential role in this since it is where all the human magic happens - the rational mind, the control of the body, the emotions and the spirituality…
However, here we are, with the most complex and fascinating organ, our brain… and we just assume that it will work without exercise or training… We all understand the importance of our brain but most of us do not know how to maximize its potential.
We have developed a great physical fitness culture… but what about our mental fitness? There is not much there.
This needs to change. The world becomes a better place when human beings connect to their full potential and use the positive power of their brain.
Each of us deserve to live their best life... and the world deserves to have us at our best.
It is why your mental fitness is essential. It is the foundation of a thriving life!
For most of us fear, stress, guilt, shame, anger, resentment, self-doubt, frustration are constantly in our way. We self-sabotage over and over again.
Mental fitness supports us in reducing self-sabotage and in developing the positive power of our mind.
When you fully activate the potential of your mind, you become the first version of yourself and live your best life.
This not only about outcomes like professional success or wealth, this about the way you are going to experience your life: with happiness, peace of mind, satisfaction.
With a consistent practice of mental fitness, you will develop the mindset and the emotional regulation that will support you in addressing anything you face in your life in a positive way, a way that serves you and others the best.
What are the benefits of mental fitness?
Your brain becomes your best friend and ally to create the life you want. You are able to access and develop your full potential.
Developing mental fitness will result in:
Less stress: it improves mental health and well-being that lead to better stress management and decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Strengthened relationships: you communicate more effectively and manage your emotions in relationships. This can lead to stronger, more fulfilling relationships with family, friends, and partners.
Better performances and productivity in all areas of life, including work, studying, and sports. By increasing focus, concentration, and mental clarity, you can perform at your best and achieve your goals more effectively.
Increased resilience: you become more resilient and better equipped to handle life's challenges. By strengthening your mental resilience, you can bounce back from setbacks and maintain a positive mindset in the face of adversity.
In conclusion mental fitness gives you both success and happiness.
How does it work?
With mental fitness, you are going to:
Develop the mental self-command “muscles” that help you take control of your brain and shift from self-sabotaging to activating the wisest part of your brain, your Sage.
Identify the root causes and triggers of your self-defeating and self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors, most of them being unconscious habits you have developed in your childhood.
Develop the mindset that serves you the best and grow the wisest part of your brain, your Sage: respond in alignment with your values and true intentions
The first step is to develop your ability to take control.
It comes with the practice of mindfulness in a very practical and simple way.
Shutting down the “monkey” mind and connecting to our body through very simple exercises: breathing, using your senses of touch or hearing or sight.
This way you activate your parasympathetic nervous system (aka “Rest and Digest”) and access the wiser parts of your brain.
The practice is at its best when consistent during the day with some longer practices to build your brain muscles.
Each time you feel triggered and stressed, you can use the practice to recenter and ground yourself.
The more you practice, the stronger your self-command “muscles” become. It is a lifelong practice, same as physical fitness to grow and stay strong.
The second step is to develop your self-awareness
We self-sabotage in many different ways that create stress, put our nervous system out of whack and cut us from our best internal resources.
Harsh self-judgment, procrastination, over control, pleasing others, hyper-vigilance, perfectionism, hyper-rationality, hyper-achieving, restlessness, victimization…
You need to develop your self-awareness on your Judge and your Saboteurs and catch yourself when you are sabotaging.
You first need to reflect on situations in the past where you were sabotaging yourself, so you can identify your triggers. This practice helps you to grow your muscles to intercept them. At the beginning you catch yourself doing this later. Soon enough, with practice, you recognize the triggers and identify the saboteurs hijacking you as they happen.
The third step is to develop your Sage powers and your strengths.
All our saboteurs actually have positive intentions for us. They usually are one of our strengths that we are overusing to a point that it is not serving us anymore.
With mental fitness, you disempower the saboteur and keep the strength behind it to create new behaviors, mindsets and habits that serve you.
You use the Sage part of your brain and its positive powers: compassion, curiosity, creativity, passion and clear-headed action.
You create your own ideal balance in your life by embracing the power of “and” instead of "or":
You support others and you make sure you meet your own needs
You aim at great quality in everything you do and you adjust your effort to what is at stake
You pay attention to what could be a danger with discernment and expect the best
You prioritize harmony and you embrace difficult emotions, projects and conversations
You take pride in taking your projects to completion and you prioritize your relationships and self-care
You take decisive actions in your life and embrace the uncertainty of the outcome
You value rational data and facts and you embrace your emotions
You are open to new adventures and you are fully present in the moment
You are deeply connected to your emotions and you do let them define who you are
Thanks to your mental fitness practice, you do from reacting to responding.
You are empowered. You are in control of your life. You walk your own authentic path, in alignment with your values.
And now what?
Now is the time to take action!
I invite you to invest in yourself and develop your mental fitness to live your happiest and most successful life, at your full potential. This investment serves not only you but benefits everyone around you.
You deserve to be the best version of yourself!
Start building the foundations of your mental fitness now.
I am facilitating a mental fitness program developed by Shirzad Chamine, based on Positive Intelligence. It is simple, efficient and science based. It creates long lasting changes because it:
· addresses the root cause of the problem
· relies on consistent practice that creates new habits
· gives you the support of a community to motivate you
Join my next Positive Intelligence program, starting on April 8th.
I am here to support you in this quest and will give you the safe space, guidance, compassion, encouragement, and accountability you need to change your own life.
You can attend my virtual Mental Fitness Lunch & Learn on April 3rd at 11:30am CDT to get more information on the program.
Check out my website: www.gaellechaponcoaching.com
My contact: gaelle@gaellechaponcoaching.com
