It's so easy to react to stressful situations and make decisions that you regret later. So how can you widen that gap between stimulus and response? How can you get more time to choose your state, more time to assess what's happening and choose a course of action that you won't regret?

In the spirit of a new 'Do it Different' campaign we're launching, here's a five step 'Total Reframe' process, a powerful way to completely reassess an unpleasant or stressful situation and operate from a deeper level of consciousness. Learn how to put yourself in a temporary time warp and completely shift your perspective. Now I've stretched the rhyming thing a little.. but I think you'll agree it helps make it easier to remember!!!

1. Name. This means assessing the situation and giving it some sort of name or handle. It might be as simple as 'I'm angry right now' or 'I'm confused' or 'I'm overwhelmed'. It's catching the feeling that you're having about the situation in hand. Naming it takes some of the stress out of it. The brain likes to know what's going on, so naming a situation actually helps you calm down.

2. Tame: By this I mean normalize, let your mind know that it's normal and natural, given the circumstances, to feel what you're feeling. This also helps take some of the sting out of it. Basically you're not making yourself wrong for having the feeling. For example, 'It's understandable that I'd feel fear/confusion (fill in the blank) in this situation'. This gives you breathing space. Not resisting or judging the emotion allows it to move through.

3. Frame: This is all about remembering what really matters. We put a frame around a picture we love and value. In the same way, here, we're putting a frame around an aspect of your life that's most important right now. For example, let's say you're stressing about a campaign that's having technical glitches. It's easy to get myopic and critical and lose the big picture - and go hunting for bear. But what if you could pan back for a moment, and remember what's really important? What's the most important - a few lost sales or your longterm relationship with your technical support people? Your answer will determine your response.

4. Same: This is about putting yourself in another's shoes so you can see the situation from their perspective. How can you be the 'same' as that person for a moment (OK, I know I'm stretching the rhyming thing here!). What are they dealing with? Perhaps that person is stressed, afraid, confused or overwhelmed. Or perhaps they just don't understand what you're trying to tell them. There's always another way to view any situation.

5. Claim: There's always something to learn about yourself from any uncomfortable situation. I subscribe to the view that whatever's going on outside of me is in some way a mirror of what's going on within. If I'm surrounded by angry people, where in my life am I angry? If I feel let down by others, where in my life am I letting myself down? I know this can be a hard one. But it's very empowering if you can truly take it on board.

And if none of that works, then there's always one more thing you can do. Find someone to blame!! :-) (just kidding)
For more on this topic, listen to the radio show http://thewinonline.com/episode/total-reframe and also check out the new campaign www.doitdifferentnow.com

Are you ready for an attitude makeover? After a frustrating few days, I certainly was...

We all experience set backs, hitting the wall, speed bumps in life, things that don't go according to 'plan' (of course there's always a bigger plan!) and at times, it's easy to get trapped in a vortex of fear, scarcity and frustration. These and any number of other 'high cost' emotions drain your energy and rob you of clarity. It's impossible to be clear and inspired in that state. So how can you shift into a space of joyful inspiration? It's not as hard as it might seem.

I had experienced some set backs of my own and was swirling in a current of anxiety and stress, and intense confusion about the next steps to take for the business. However, in the space of an afternoon, with pen in hand and blank sheet in front of me, I shifted my experience into one of peaceful, inspired, joyful expression. I came away with a magnificent new project, a course outline, a clear set of strategies to implement it, and the names of the team players I would approach. What did I do in those 2-3 hours? I'll share with you my journey and how you can do the same.

Here are some simple steps..

Step 1: Breathe. Slow down. Remember that your brain isn't at its best when adrenaline and other stress hormones are coursing through your system. Your mind won't be clear enough to strategize smartly.

Step 2: Get back into the present moment. Stop letting the subconscious run the show. Time to reprogram.  Be here and now and get connected with direct experience through the senses. Calm clarity is soon restored.

Step 3: Take a walk in nature, or to a new place, (or, if weather doesn't permit, move to a different space to help gain a new perspective - stand up, stretch out, do something different). Reconnect with your true dreams and aspirations on life (in other words, remember what really matters to you). Notice where your attention is drawn as you're walking. Within moments you'll find yourself seeing differently, feeling more present, grounded and clear.

Step 4: Be open to new insights. Don't try to fix the problem. In fact, don't think about the problem. Just be interested in your surrounds and enjoy the new thoughts and insights that land when you are present in the moment. You'll be amazed at what you notice when you are present to your senses instead of being caught up in your stress.

Step 5: When you get back inside (or back to your desk) take out a blank piece of paper and some colored pens and do some mind-mapping (brainstorming on paper). All ideas are valid no matter how wild or left field. Be solution-oriented, not problem-oriented. You'll be amazed at what new ideas come when you allow them. And new ideas make your brain happy. There's a dopamine 'fix' that feels great.

Step 6: Pat yourself on the back. You just shifted your attitude and found some previously unimaginable solutions!! Now go treat yourself :-)

To listen to the radio show on this topic visit: http://thewinonline.com/episode/attitude-makeover

Rachel Flower is an author, speaker and the founder of The Senssoma Institute www.senssoma.com providing transformation programs for individuals and organizations. Drawing decades of training, practice and research into the nature of consciousness, meditation, and brain fitness she delivers her uniquely experiential workshops, retreats and training programs. Rachel is also the lead facilitator for The Peaceful Woman Corp. and is a founding certified trainer for the Nine Point Brain Tune Up ™system. Check out the special course www.activateyourDNAforsuccess.com

 

' Vision - The Power of Perspective' (another podcast on www.energyofthespirit.com)

 

When Rusty Schweikert made his space walk from Apollo 9 and saw the earth as a whole, it changed him forever: ‘Frames and boundaries over which we fight are not real from the perspective of space. Individual responsibility comes out of that direct experience of seeing the planet as a whole … there is no longer room on the planet for a concept that is so fundamentally “them and us” … we are all interconnected.’

January 24th, 2007

"Leaders need to go through [taking stock] every few years to replenish their energy, creativity and commitment - and rediscover their passion for work and for life. [They] cannot keep achieving new goals and inspiring the people around them without understanding their own dreams."
Boyatzis, McKee and Goleman (Harvard Business Review)

July 20th, 2007

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
- Harold Whitman

January 24th, 2008

According to tests carried out since the 60's* our sensitivity to stimuli is decreasing by 1% per year. Delicate sensations are being filtered out of our consciousness. Enjoyment and aesthetic levels have dropped dramatically. 15 years ago people could distinguish 3 million sounds, today many children can't go beyond 1 million sounds. The average is 180k. 20 years ago the average subject could detect 350 different shades of a particular color. Today the number is 130.

February 20th, 2008

We've all heard how important it is to eat right and exercise right. Greens, fiber, fresh stuff, power walks. All fabulous. But how many of us are aware that what goes on in our heads is just as important, if not more so? Bones, for example, are directly affected by anxiety.

April 9th, 2009

My oh my, I had no idea what I was in for when I signed up for the 'Brain Tune Up' certification program with Dr. Bresky last week. My brain is so full of information I'll explode if I don't share it with someone.

April 17th, 2009

You can't teach an old dog new tricks they say. But that's not actually true. Our brains are way more adaptable than we thought. We can reverse many of the signs of aging as new studies in brain health reveal. Believe it or not, we can actually reverse some of the signs of dementia and Alzheimers. With a few simple tools, we can become more vibrant, more creative and actively prevent these awful diseases.

April 20th, 2009

Why do so many people struggle with attracting what they wish into their lives? Well there are a couple of things they fail to understand about the law of attraction works which put a spanner in the whole thing.