The 3 Keys to an Optimum Mind
“The mind and body are not separate. What affects one, affects the other.” Anonymous
I read an article once where a gentleman said and I quote, “Your mind is the machine of your body. When you maintain a healthy mental state, your entire body and life work a whole lot better,” closed quote. When I was in the military I had a chaplain that would often brief us about making sure we always had a strong “three-legged stool.” This stool he was referring to was a metaphorical stool of course. That 3 legged stool of life is the Mind, Body, and Spirit.
All 3 of these are important, but I believe that the mind would have to trump the other two. We’ve all heard the old saying before,” a mind is a terrible thing to waste.” That is so true. As we get older and as life brings the difficulties that come with it, we can sometimes succumb to all those difficulties, knowingly or unknowingly. And that affects our behaviors and thus affects our body. So today I’d like to give 3 keys I personally use and teach all my clients to use in order to focus on psychological fitness training as well.
We as human beings sometimes are so negative towards ourselves and can sometimes put ourselves down. So the very first key to an optimum mind is:
Affirmation:
This involves daily self-talk. Speaking positivity to yourself. Simply stating to yourself certain uplifting messages that improve your self-esteem and well being. For example, if I make a mistake I just remind myself that my mistakes don’t define me and learn from it and keep pushing. Or if I find myself comparing myself to someone else. I will tell myself that there is only one of me and the Creator designed me to be me and not this other person and that I am good enough. I literally will talk out loud to myself. Also, I personally believe that the best talk is self-talk. What you say about yourself is the most important thing anyone else could ever say about you. So daily affirming yourself is the first key.
I have found that if you put “garbage” in your mind, that will also play a huge role in what comes out of you. Meaning if you constantly are watching, listening, and agreeing with things that aren’t good for you, then they too will impact your mind in a negative way. So the second key to an optimum mind is:
Visualization:
This involves putting things before your eyes that will stimulate your mind in a positive way. For example, if one of my clients has a goal to lose weight then I would have he or she hang up a piece of clothing that they’d like to fit into one day. What has helped me personally is imagining myself take certain steps needed to achieve a goal-specific goal.
Last but not least is:
Relaxation:
There are many forms people have to help them relax. Be it positive or negative. Relaxation is important for the mind because it reduces the arousal in your mind, which causes you to sleep better and helps reduce tension throughout the body. Different forms to relax are medication, listening to calming music, coloring, or a massage.
All of these take consistent practice but once it becomes the norm, you will find it easier for your body and life to work a whole lot better.
~Coach Chris
