My top 17 Mind Body and Spirit hacks! That’s what I’m talking about today! As a Los Angeles based Wellness Coach, Personal Trainer and Breathwork Coach for many high-level clients, my goal is to help them align all their realms mind, body and spirit/soul as fast as possible.
My job as a wellness consultant (which is basically what my job boils down to) is to help them get the most out of their life every single day whether I help them do it via their mental, physical or spiritual state. And when there is balance in all three, well this is the secret sauce!
I think it’s human nature, at least for most high-performance peeps or type A’s, or basically, just anyone striving to be the best version of themselves in work and personal lives, when we identify an area where we’re not performing at our best, we want to level up as fast as possible!
So for these clients and any of you high achievers or as we are often called “over-achievers” (it’s ok, I’m guilty as well) out there go ahead and take a deep dive with me into 17 of my best hacks for Mind, Body Spirit!
I actually call these three areas Booty, Body, and Breath! If you aren’t familiar with my explanation of this, be sure to check out the blog where I explain what the 3 B’s mean to me here!
So let’s get right to it, especially since the whole idea of “hacking” anything really is to save time in getting to the end results.
5 MIND HACKS
1.Improve Spatial Memory
You will create what’s called a memory palace. Spatial memory is one of our brains strongest abilities, so you will tap into it when using this hack.
Using a grocery list you want to remember as an example, you want to think of an area you know well, like your school, your workplace or your neighborhood.
Use identifying spots found in that well-known place and visualize the first item on your list, such as apples, all over your neighbors’ front porch, then imagine bunches of broccoli in the windows of the front of your neighbors’ house.
Maybe visualize eggs in your own driveway. This is just a fun way to keep your brain doing its job and expanding your ability to remember long lists. Continue placing all the things on the list throughout familiar spots in the neighborhood.
Do this exercise once or twice a week to help improve this area of the brain.
2. Create New Habits Easily
All you do is tag the new habit on to an existing ritual/habit already in place. For example, let’s say you want to start spending 10 -15 minutes every night doing abs/core and stretching exercises before bed but you can’t seem to get in the habit of it or always get into bed and then remember but are already WAY too cozy to jump out and do this.
So to help remind you, lay out your pajamas on your yoga mat, and when you go to change into them every night, you will be triggered to do your abs/core and stretching. This hack actually falls into the Body Hacks list also!
3. Eat Mind/Brain Empowering Food
Start adding in more blueberries, green vegetables, protein-based foods, foods with B vitamins and even B Vitamin supplements, brain foods with fish oils like cold water fish and also Omega-3 supplements, fruits, vegetables, fiber, etc.
A fueled up brain is a more efficient and creative brain! So fuel up and watch yourself go from average performance to peak performance more often.
4. Play Brain Training Games
Apps Like luminosity and Elevate Brain Training are my two favorites.
With brain teasers and mind training games like the memory matrix, word bubbles, the train of thought, etc. you will challenge the brains various abilities like critical thinking, memory and problem-solving and core cognitive skills.
It’s also a better way to spend 10 – 15 minutes than trolling some random Instagram crush. Just sayin’…
5. Instant Mood or Energy Booster (M.A.T.)
Movement Affirmation Therapy®
This is a system I created and practice with my clients and students. When done in sequence for 10 minutes or more, this ritual will literally shift your state, mood and energy levels instantly!
Here’s how to get it done!
- You must be outdoors. In daylight is best. Also best if you are in Nature and preferably around trees, greenery and/or ocean. If this isn’t available to you, just being outdoors in the light will suffice. Try to find some “backdrop” that is good to look at other than just concrete buildings if in the city.
- You must be moving. Think running, hiking, brisk walking, biking etc.
- You will need a list of your top 5-10 affirmations and they must be written in the “I AM” phrasing or alternatively you can start with “Thank you for…”. Put them in your notes on your iPhone so you can just read them easily instead of carrying around paper. Or even better, work on your memorization brain skills and memorize them!:)
Affirmations like this “Thank you formy beautiful amazing life”. Or, “I am so grateful for all the love flowing freely to me”.
“I am so grateful for the abundance in my financial realm”. And so on.
Now as you are moving with the sunshine or just simply the light and air on your face, feeling the earth under your feet (I usually do this in the soft sand barefoot on my favorite beach in Santa Monica, California) whether with shoes on or off, taking in the beauty all around you visually and listening for all the sounds as they surround you…now begin to say out loud your list of affirmations one by one!
Say them with energy and passion, believe them, mean them and continue moving for up to 10 minutes as you repeat them over and over. This works even faster when you do short spurts of movement, like a 20 second faster run, then slow down to recover. Do this several times.
Rinse and repeat for the entire 10 minutes. Usually, once you’re 10 minutes in, you will most often want to keep going for up to 30 minutes or more because your energy levels and mental state will quickly shift and you will be inspired to keep moving!
BODY (Fitness & Diets Hacks)
6. Gym Bag At The Ready
ALWAYS, always, always (this one is gold) keep a gym bag in your car that has a workout outfit, your running shoes, ipod, earbuds, water bottle and towel in it, this way you are always ready to go!
You never know when the mood may strike, or you change your mind about going out for drinks with friends and decide a good cardio blast or boxing, or Yoga session might be more beneficial. This one has been so helpful to me over the past 24 years in the fitness industry! Always Be Ready!
7. Music | Podcasts Stimulate & Inspire
Download some great podcasts, Ted Talks or just your favorite “move your body badass playlist” to listen to while doing your cardio. Spotify is my favorite for creating playlists.
Music and information stimulate the brain, so stay stimulated as you move and your cardio will fly by! As an ex-fitness competitor who used to have to do hours of cardio per week, trust me on this, music and podcasts saved me!
8. Get Social | Community
Join a community like Spark People or Fitocracy where there are fit challenges and like-minded people to find inspiration, good healthy competition and/or camaraderie! Try a couple of different apps to see which one suits you best and then go for it.
9. Get Creative With Movement
If you’re that person that can’t seem to “find the time to exercise” but are complaining about this very thing as you watch the latest episode of “World of Dance” or “The Voice”. Freeze, right there. I call B.S.
Start squeezing in some exercise during the commercials!
Set a timer for 5 minutes and do five different exercises every minute. For example, 1 min pushup 1 min squats, 1 min lunges, 1 min jacks, 1 min full body crunches. Make it challenging and fun.
I recently did something like this on a road trip. It was a 10-hour drive and every 2 hours I stopped for 10 minutes and did what I call the “RK FIT Booster Shot”
Made the ride so much more fun and by the end of it, I had done an hour workout. If you don’t have a full 30-60 minutes all at once to workout – do 10 minutes in the AM before work and 10 on your lunch break and another 10 after work before bed.
At least that will give you a total of 30 minutes of movement for the day. As Tony Robbins always says, “if you don’t have 10 minutes for YOU, you don’t have a life!” Boom, thanks TR!
10. Mood Lighting For Calorie Cutting
Dine by candlelight and put on mellow music, research shows that eating this way you will reduce calorie intake by 175 calories on average.
11. Re-plate That Food
Change out your dish sizes and use smaller bowls, smaller plates even smaller glasses if you are struggling with drinking sugary beverages! But hopefully, you are working on cutting those out altogether very, very soon.
Don’t make me come find you! This one is an instant game changer as it makes the portion seem bigger thereby satisfying your belly quicker.
12. Last Meal Cutoff
Stop eating 2-3 hours before bed – consistently and watch your stomach shrink. This one is huge and I always notice a difference when I really stick to this one.
I know it’s hard sometimes with our crazy schedules these days especially if you travel a lot for work, but try it for one week and see if you notice the benefit!
Proven results always make sticking it out easier.
SPIRIT HACKS
13. Social Media FAST
We all could use this one. Do a social media fast and watch how much time you find to do more uplifting things like reading a good spiritual book, or spend more quality time with the family OR even better connect, with nature or your own creative genius more frequently.
Maybe start with a full week off from all social and if that feels ok, stretch it out to a month. If that’s too much of an ask, maybe start with going a couple of days at a time. Or during work hours to start!
It’s crazy how all these different little stimulation “widgets” have taken up so much space in our lives in exchange for connected living to the world around us!
If my business didn’t require me to be active on Social, I would do this.
Even so, I have started taking days off without worrying about posting or trolling.
14. Spirit Board aka Vision Board
Create a spirit board. Instead of a vision board or a dream board, this board should have images of all the things you want to “get your spirit dancing” as I like to say. This could be images of your favorite item in nature – like the ocean, trees, waterfalls, snow, mountains, etc. Your favorite quotes, images of vacation spots that will make your spirit happy like Bali, Fiji or Italy etc.
What you focus on truly does expand, so surround yourself with the life you want to live!
15. Morning Tuneup OR “Priming“
I call this a morning tuneup and again, Tony Robbins refers to it as “Priming” but no matter what you want to call it – this step is a MUST for starting your day from an empowered place. Feeling alive, connected and inspired!
Since this hack is good for the spirit, mind, and body it’s a triple threat as it covers all three realms Mind, Body & Spirit.
This morning routine can be from 10 – 60 minutes depending on your schedule.
Here’s how it rolls out:
10+ Minutes of morning mindfulness. This could be meditation, Breathwork, gratitude journaling, affirmations OR a combo of all of them.
5- 10+ Minutes of the RK FIT Booster Shot. This is just you moving your body in a vigorous way to get the blood flowing, heart pumping and endorphins beginning to flow.
This can be achieved by taking a brisk walk, yoga, doing 10 minutes of HIIT, jumping rope, taking a short jog with short bursts, etc.
It’s just something to warm the body up and get the juices flowing.
5-10+ Set 3 intentions for a mindful and successful day.
16. Take spirit breaks throughout the day.
Set a timer for every 3-4 hours and then for 5 -10 minutes do something that feeds your soul and spirit like read something uplifting, close your eyes and visualize some of your life’s goals, or breathe deep during that 5 minutes.
Or do something creative like draw or write a poem or practice a few riffs on your guitar.
17. Free Your Creativity
Take up a new art or skill like painting, playing an instrument, dancing, singing etc. Being creative fills the spirit and soul faster than anything else besides love and connection with another human being.
When your creativity flows your spirit starts to dance again and life feels full and meaningful. Set aside weekly creativity appointments with yourself.
And remember you are the most important person in your calendar. Because if you aren’t feeling lit up and alive, you have nothing to give those around you!
So there you have it, my favorite Mind, Body and Spirit hacks! We can always use a leg up on everything in our lives, so dive in, test drive a few of these and leave some comments below about which are your favorites!
Also, please share a few of your favorite MBS hacks with me!
Want to work with me one on one for a deep dive into all the ways to balance all the realms mind, body, and spirit? Let’s connect here!
In the meantime, remember to breathe deep!