Podcast Episode #63
===
[00:00:00] Welcome to the Extraordinary Life Podcast from the creator of the Extraordinary Life Tribe, Crystal Obregon, the Self-Development Podcast propelling you forward toward your goals, using science backed high performance habits. Reach the next level in your physical and mental health. See new heights in your relationships.
[00:00:18] Gain clarity on your purpose and live your extraordinary life. Welcome your host, writer, speaker and coach, Crystal Obregon.
[00:00:29] Hi there. This is Crystal of Crystal Obregon Coaching with Episode Number 63 of the Extraordinary Life Podcast. Last week I talked about how to turn your negative thoughts to positive because the thoughts that move through your head really do matter.
[00:00:50] This week I'd really like to talk about how to set up your internal environment for those positive thoughts to grow. [00:01:00] In other words, what can you do so that your brain is more receptive to the positive messages you're sending it? Studies show that you can prime your brain to be more open to feeling confident, positive, and to making healthier choices both for your body and your mind.
[00:01:22] You can actually physically alter your brain circuitry in a way that promotes more positive responses. I'm gonna share three different ways that you can do that. Of course there are more, but I'll focus on these three. So the first thing to try is meditation. If you haven't tried it, please do. Even if you feel like you are a person that can't sit still or could never do that. I promise that if you think that you're that person,
[00:01:58] you will probably see an [00:02:00] even greater benefit than someone who feels meditation comes easy. If you do have experience with meditating, but haven't been doing it lately, get that practice started again. I just started my practice up again. I'm not sure why it fell away the past few months, but I certainly noticed a difference being away from it.
[00:02:24] It wasn't good. And now that I'm back to it, it feels like putting a warm, cozy sweater back on in the fall. Meditation helps to train your mind to focus and to redirect your thoughts. There are many ways to meditate from simply sitting quietly for a period of time, focusing on your breath to more of a guided meditation, which is my favorite.
[00:02:49] Mindfulness meditation can improve your self image and lead to a more positive outlook on life in addition to other benefits [00:03:00] and some forms of meditation can teach you to recognize thoughts that may be self-defeating or harmful. And as you gain greater awareness of your thought patterns, you can steer them toward more constructive patterns.
[00:03:16] And just remember, awareness of what you're doing right or doing supposedly wrong is always the first step to making any changes. I've been experimenting with, steering my thoughts towards more constructive patterns lately, being a peri- menopausal woman. I sometimes have the dreaded 3:00 AM sleeplessness.
[00:03:41] I don't know what it is about 3:00 AM but if I'm going to think about something that will cause me stress, it will be during that 3:00 AM period. And that stress often also results in a tension headache. So I've been working on focusing on my [00:04:00] breath when that happens instead of my what if thoughts. I can often feel the headache lessen the more that I focus on taking deep breaths, and it also helps me fall back asleep much more quickly.
[00:04:19] For my morning meditations, I really like the guided meditations on the Chopra app. I think that's because they have different positive themes, so I can choose something that I really wanna work on, whether it's abundance or gratitude, or my belief systems. They have all kinds of different themes. Morning is the best time for me to meditate, but you might find evening is better for you, or even taking a break in the middle of the day might be your best time.
[00:04:54] Back when my kids were younger, I sometimes would listen to a meditation when I laid down [00:05:00] with them to put them to bed, so they fell asleep and I got a meditation in Win-win. Other apps that are available are Headspace or the Calm App, and you can also find meditations on YouTube that are free as well.
[00:05:17] The important thing is to experiment and find what works for you. You can experience a benefit from daily meditation in as little as two weeks, and you can just do it in 15 minutes a day. Everyone has time for that. I'll put a link to an article in the show notes with more benefits of meditation. That's what's great about it, is that it helps with so many things.
[00:05:45] The second strategy is to explore why the positive messages you want to send your brain are meaningful. Last week I talked about affirmations and aforemations, so definitely go back [00:06:00] to the podcast or the blog, if you wanna do a review of that. Think about the questions: why do you want to be more successful or more productive?
[00:06:12] Why is your health or your body confidence important to you? Why does it even matter? Think about why a particular positive message will serve you, your family, or your community. What will the positive message help you do, be, achieve, or have? Some of my clients have wanted better health so that they can be more active with their kids or their grandkids.
[00:06:36] Others want to be financially successful so that they can put their kids through college, donate money to make a difference in their favorite causes, or maybe they wanna live in a nicer home or travel when they want to. It's okay to want things just for yourself. But sometimes it can add extra motivation if you're helping [00:07:00] others.
[00:07:01] You may wanna be more productive so that you have more time for what you find meaningful, whether it's family time, exercise, or fun hobbies. Whatever that meaningful connection is for you, is what's important. Making that meaningful connection turns on the part of your brain that responds to health, lifestyle, or personal development information or advice. That, in turn, can help you feel more proactive about taking action.
[00:07:33] In other words, if you feel positive about the action making a difference, you're more likely to take the action. If you think the negative thoughts such as that won't work for me. Or it's not working, then you're never gonna take the action in the first place. So really look at that meaning for you, like your why.
[00:07:57] And then last but not least, and I'll just talk [00:08:00] about this for a little bit because I have several longer podcasts on it, is of course gratitude practice. I can't let that one go. Like I said, you can go back to one of my other podcasts or blog posts for more details. I'll put the link in the show notes, but it's really pretty easy.
[00:08:19] You'll start to notice and experience the benefits pretty quickly. Simply write down five things you're grateful for every day, and I do think it's important to write them down, not just think them in your head, whatever works for you. I do think writing them down helps. It works by helping you become more aware of what's right in your life instead of focusing on what's wrong.
[00:08:45] Gratitude helps you to have more positive thoughts about yourself, your environment, and the people in your life. One of the main reasons I love it is because it can change your relationships with your loved ones [00:09:00] without asking them to change anything. So it really puts you in a position of power over your life.
[00:09:08] So try all three of these: meditation, find out what the meaning is, what your why is, work on your gratitude practice, and you'll see how much easier the shift in negative to positive self-talk is. Negativity won't stand a chance against these practices. If you want more help in becoming aware of what will help you and what might be stopping you from achieving your goals, make an appointment for free consultation to learn more about working together.
[00:09:45] I have a proven process that works. I also have a few one-on-one coaching spots available, and will also be starting a new group coaching program this November. There'll be a link to make an appointment in the [00:10:00] show notes, or you're welcome to DM me and I'll get it to you. And that's it for now. Have a great rest of your week, and I will see you in here next week.
[00:10:10] Bye for now. Thank you for listening to the Extraordinary Life Podcast with writer and coach Crystal Obregon. We'd love to connect with you outside of the podcast too, to find more helpful insights, show notes, and more about Crystal. Go to Crystal Obregon.com. That's O B R E G O N, where you'll also find info for the Design Your Decade workshop.
[00:10:31] This workshop will help you to stop drifting and start creating. Until next time, Be Extraordinary.
