If you had a choice of sitting in a bubble bath or an acid bath, which would you choose?
We don’t always have control of the situations we are faced in, but we do have control over how we manage ourselves and our decision to react positively or negatively. By choosing to think positively we are naturally choosing a bubble bath – a bath filled with endorphins which are our body’s natural chemicals that help us to relax, and help to anaesthetise against pain and induce the sensations of pleasure.
We know that when we operate from a relaxed physical state we encourage more creativity, more informed decision making, better problem solving and all-round effective communication. Stressful situations stimulate our ‘fight, flight, freeze and appease’ response that releases adrenaline and cortisol into our body, the acid chemicals, which get us out of a tight spot but then leave us exhausted and emotionally shut down. In times of stress the simple act of ‘thinking about’ something positive will naturally stimulate the ‘physical sensation’ of being relaxed, happy and in control. Research shows us that the process of recollection can stimulate our natural endorphins. Most of us know the power of the placebo and the mere act of believing something will work, it often does. We now know, that even realising something is a placebo our bodies can be duped into responding positively.
Preparation is the key to creating your Bubble Bath Moment. Whether you prefer paper or electronic, take the next 10 minutes to begin capturing a list of positive moments under the headings of: – People and Pets – Places – Peak moments from your life (when you felt happy, loved, proud, alive!) – Pleasures (tastes, scents, sounds, touch) Keep adding to them and even gather images or items that anchor some of these moments, to remind you of your list.
The next time you are an need of a bubble bath instead of an acid bath, recall your list, look at your anchor object and allow your body to breathe in the memory, filling your senses and washing away the stress. If you’d like to explore more ways of dealing with stress or fulfilment, why not ask us for a free 30 minute coaching consultation.