Mindset – Respond or React?

This is an excerpt from the Sleep talk we did on March 30, 2019. I thought it’d be fitting for the new Mindset Challenge we have just started.

When faced with a stressful situation, we have two choices. The first is to react. The Limbic System perceives a threat and prepares the body for Fight or Flight. If unchecked, the thoughts that enter our minds are fear-based, irrational and unconducive to solving the problem at hand. The second is to respond. Certainly the physiological systems will kick in adrenaline, cortisol and a quickened heart-rate, but with the proper mindset we can buy a moment, acknowledge the thought in our minds and respond in a less dramatic manner.

To improve my fitness I need to take a muscle group or an energy system and expose it to controlled stress. Then rest. The muscle and energy system will grow and improve. Having this optimized Fitness prepares me for most physical situations that I might face in the future: physical work, sprinting for a bus, skiing in my 70s, travelling in my 80s.

Just as I need to practice my muscle and energy systems it is equally….no it’s more important that I improve my mindset muscle. This doesn’t call for hours a day in the lotus position. Consistently setting aside 5 to 10 minutes a day to turn it all off, practice disengaging from the thoughts that enter my mind, and focus on my breathing.

There is still a chance to join the Mindset Challenge.