Are you on the verge of presenting something important to your board or to your colleagues? Are you experiencing stage fright before a speech? Are you stressed and fearful of not achieving your goals? Are you fearful of not being qualified enough to get this position? Are you afraid of not getting any support from your boss for this new project of yours?
Yes? Then, try this in that order (it will only require 10 minutes of your time).
STEP 1
If you can, go outside and look for the Sun. Expose yourself to sunlight. When sunlight reaches our skin, we produce vitamin D which in turn helps produce serotonin, a “ Feel good “ hormone. This explains why being outdoors, makes people happier.
STEP 2
Imagine your goal or your project or whatever it is, you are working on right now. Now, imagine pursuing your goal, project… and working on it. How does it feel? Breathe in and out and just be an observer… Fear probably starts to creep in…
STEP 3
Ask yourself this simple question. What will you do if the absolute WORST thing happens? Allow the feeling to emerge whatever it is…and stay there…
STEP 4
Then ask yourself this question. What will it FEEL like if the absolute best thing happens? Allow the feeling to emerge whatever it is…and stay there…
STEP 5
Spend 3 to 5 minutes, eyes closed, visualizing that the best thing DOES happen. Take note of how you feel, what you see — make it feel real. Imagine the details of the situation. Imagine every single sensation in your body and keep breathing.
You will have to, actually spend 3 to 5 minutes and that timing is needed to feel the shift. After that, you will be ready to climb the Mount Everest.
Doing this exercise is a powerful way to accomplish your biggest goals, and it is often used by some of the biggest athletes. The rationale is quite simple:
The brain does not know the difference between an actual event and something produced or imagined, so if you focus your thoughts long enough on a positive expected outcome, this will trigger ‘‘feel good or happy’‘ hormones (neurotransmitters) such as serotonin* or dopamine** and trick the brain into seeing that positive outcome as a reality.
Enjoy and feel free to share below how it worked out for you.
* Serotonin boosts our mood and makes us more agreeable and sociable. When we choose to remember happy events in the past, or focus on what we’re grateful for in the present, our brains seem to produce more serotonin.
**Dopamine is a “pleasure” hormone and is stimulated when we strive towards a goal. It helps motivate us to take action to achieve the goal so we can experience the pleasure of the reward.