Mind fit
We are all very familiar with the concept of physical fitness and at the same time, we do know the importance of mental fitness and wellbeing. Training physical fitness is a for many a daily or weekly routine, where mental fitness and mental wellbeing is considered a state of mind in a specific moment, something you have, or you do not have. It fluctuates over time and it seems that you have little influence over it. Right? No, this is something you can train and by doing so, you will eventually operate from a higher level of self-command.
I started my journey into physical fitness by exercising. My sports are; squash, crossfit and swimming. The fitter I became, the more I desired a higher level of mental fitness as well. Over the last 15 years, I started drinking less and less and gave it up completely 5 yrs ago. I can tell you this has been the best thing I have done for mental fitness and well-being. People often tell me: “you are so disciplined”, I associate discipline with punishment. In my mindset, this form of punishment does not exist, as I see only benefits and I do not suffer from ‘fear of missing out’. You may wonder, ‘what else do you want?’, I felt I was still getting triggered by self-sabotage and my inner saboteurs and I felt there was still so much more room to improve.
There are many roads to mental fitness; I was looking for a way to train mine. For some it is meditation, a walk in nature, yoga, taking an ice bath, or many other different ways. Of course, research shows that physical training increases your mental resistance and well-being. But what would happen or what would be possible if you would start a training focused on mental fitness?
Meditation and sitting in cold water are part of my weekly or daily routine. However, when I was triggered a couple of hours later, I found it difficult to tap back into that created quietness hours before. In my career and business, being a hyper achiever, tending to perfection, and needing to have done things my way, I was finding it especially hard to not make the same mistake repeatedly. Why is it that I immediately react by jumping on that rollercoaster of emotions and why I do fall into the same trap every time?
I was looking for a tool for those triggering moments, a tool I could use in my personal life and for my clients; who are all struggling with that inner voice and inner judge. I was looking for something that I could apply across my relationships, business, health, clients, and dealing with day-to-day life. In my practice I work with high achievers and self-demanding people.
I am yet to meet a person that does not apply some form of self-sabotage. But at the same time, it is difficult to recognize these patterns in oneself. Some are obvious like forms of numbing, but most are hidden and have been with us from childhood. We created them to deal with life as it came to us.
This inner voice was and is there to protect you. It is always present, but that does not mean it speaks the truth. There is a way to train the mind to quiet down those voices and your response to your triggers. Firstly, it is about recognizing when you are being triggered and then how to react differently. Of course, you start with the small triggers and the moment you start training yourself and your mental fitness, it becomes easier to handle bigger and bigger triggers.
This program is called Positive Intelligence developed by Shirzad Chamine. This method is one of the tools that I use and I have seen tremendous benefits with both my clients and myself. Besides these tools, I focus on creating a new mindset and overcoming limiting beliefs. Positive intelligence can be applied in all areas of your life such as career, relationships, money, health, and purpose. Those that apply it, have better results, perform better, are more creative, and are happier people in their lives, careers, and in sports.
For me, I came to realize that being a hyper achiever, I held myself back from what I wanted to achieve rather than realizing it. The moment I stopped comparing myself to others, it became a lot easier to achieve the goals I was setting myself. For the first time, I started to create goals that truly mattered to me, instead of comparing them to other people’s goals. I stopped falling in my old traps. The inner voice inside my head has become less critical, which allows me to be more experimental, playful, and joyful with my body, health, business, clients, family, friends, sports a whole lot more.
So, in case you question your mental fitness, or you would like to train it. This solution offers an easy and accessible way to deal with your triggers and your inner saboteurs. It enables you to live a sustainable life, in a demanding business and or career. A way out of the overwhelm and hectic, you will be the calm in the storm, standing strong and authentically. This tool is an integrated part of my coaching and I offer it as a stand-alone program to individuals and companies.
