Learning to meditate
This is the third in a series of blogs and newsletters about the different wellbeing courses I’ve attended over the last thirteen years. I’ve picked the courses, teachers and books that have had the most profound impact on the way that I perceive the world. One of the most transformational courses was a ten day Vipassana meditation retreat in the Rocky mountains four years ago.
As I left Vancouver on a rainy Summers day I was filled with uncertainty about the challenge ahead. As the bus snaked through the foothills I was reluctant to leave the misty Pacific and I reflected on the rules that I had agreed to abide by for the next 10 days:
- No communication with anyone on the course. This included verbal and non verbal communication. For example eye contact with fellow participants was to be avoided.
- No communication with the outside world
- No ipods, no music, no books or magazines. Nothing to hear or read or watch for 10 days
- A simple vegetarian diet with no alcohol, no tobacco or drugs of any kind and just two small meals per day
- Complete emersion in the practice. They were to teach us a form of meditation and we were to practice this style only
- Each day started at 5am and lasted until 10pm. 90% of this time was to be spent in a shaded room sitting cross legged on the floor practicing the Vipassana meditation technique. The rest of the time was to be spent taking silent walks alone in the forest or receiving meditation instructions.
So you can understand my concern! This was serious spiritual bootcamp. Why endure this when there was so much to see outside – the beautiful snow capped Rocky Mountains. Why spend time looking inside alone with my hopes and fears for 10 days. Where would the love be, the touch of another, the smile and the loving support that we all need?
The taxi drive from Merritt greyhound station up to the retreat in the mountains only took about 20 minutes. What surprised me most was the electric fence surrounding the centre to keep Grizzlies at bay. Throughout the early part of the course my thoughts kept returning to whether, in the event of a power cut, they had a good backup generator. I didn’t want to be eaten by a bear just as I was on the threshold of enlightenment.
Before dinner on day -1 we met the people on the course and as usual on such things there were people from all walks of life. On this course there were four senior members of Obamas election campaign team. After dinner we received the first of our instructions and from then on we agreed to engage in the practice and not communicate.
We spent the first three days practicing a breathing technique to help make the mind sharp. Over three days we focussed our attention on the sensation of the breath entering and leaving the nose – how warm it felt as it left the body, how cold it felt as it entered the body, which nostril it came in through more strongly etc. 3 days focussing on the sensations felt at the tip of the nose!
After that we were taught to focus our attention at the top of the head and enquire, without thought, what the sensation of observing felt like. As we observed the body did we feel heat, cold, joy, pain, light etc ?
From here we learnt to scan the body from top to toe and back up constantly remaining present to the observation of sensation. Perhaps each scan took an hour to complete. Sometimes it felt excruciatingly painful in my back and knees. Part of the process was to learn to become dispassionate about this discomfort. Sometimes harrowing thoughts and sadness kept intruding. Sometimes the boredom felt crushing and sometimes when you were able to be truly in the moment you felt utter bliss and pleasure.
At the end of each day we received video instruction on how to improve our practice. Many of the key messages that came through during the 10 days have stayed with me:
- The mind is lively and excitable. It’s obvious that we have a brain to think and create with but it’s also clear that having periods in each day where we train ourselves not to think can be extremely relaxing. It also gives you a sense of calm and understanding that you don’t have to clutter your mind with thoughts and clutter your life with so much stuff
- Practicing not thinking helps us become more dispassionate. This does not mean that we loose passion. During the 10 days observing the body mind relationship you realise that pain and pleasure are often self created mind constructs. They ebb and flow. You learn to accept that sometimes there is pleasure, sometimes pain. That’s not to say that there is no real pain in the world. The pain of loss and suffering is real but the scanning practice that I’ve talked about here illustrates to us that pain and pleasure are certain throughout life but that these states are not constant.
- The practice teaches us to be empathetic and sympathetic to the pain of others but not to allow that pain and suffering to affect the balance and equanimity of our own mind. This might sound cold hearted but a loss of hope and negative emotions can be contagious if you let them. You can only be a source for positive change in yourself, loved ones and the world if you engage with the pain of others but not allow it to affect your underlying state. A daily meditation practice helps you do this by reminding you that pain and pleasure states flow.
- Similarly you appreciate that the bliss, joy and ecstasy of deep relaxation is also illusory, ie enjoy it whilst it lasts but don’t crave positive feelings. Craving and desire inexorably leads to pain and suffering because inevitably at some stage in life you wont be able to get what you once had nor do what you once did. The practice teaches you to stay open to new possibilities and not overly attach to one type of pleasure sensation again and again. Pleasure can lead to habits, minor addictions, major addictions and suffering for you and others. Not overly attaching to one pleasure allows the full world of possible sensations to be experienced. As you focus your attention on one thing with your eyes closed it enables you to be present to a stream of endless beautiful possibilities when your eyes are open.
- Lastly towards the end of the 10 days we were instructed in the practice of a loving kindness meditation. This practice teaches us to harness the good will and positive energy that has been accumulated during the previous 10 days and communicate it to all beings. We are reminded that the practice of mindfulness and meditation is meaningless without positive intention. Many people use spiritual practices as a means of withdrawing from the outer world and suppressing emotions. Practicing meditation without developing kindness and compassion has been described as bare attention ( as opposed to bear attention). You do these practices not to become isolated from but to become an active, engaged, positive member of society.
On day 10 we opened our eyes and I felt as though I knew my fellow participants in a very deep way. I felt re wired, buzzing, energised and fully alive. The next 3 weeks were spent with my family camping in the Rocky Mountains with my eyes wide open. The world is so beautiful. Enjoy all it has to offer.
Find out more about Vipassana mediation centres all over the world . This is the one in British Columbia that I went to http://www.dhamma.org/en/schedules/schsurabhi.shtml
Kahuna philosophy
Continuing the theme of last weeks newsletter I’m going to introduce some of the important wellbeing courses that I’ve been on over the last thirteen years.
This week I’m going to introduce Kahuna philosophy and bodywork. Kahuna was one of the first types of bodywork that I learnt back in Sydney (some 13 years ago). The course was run by an amazing Irish woman, Nemara Hennigan and the training venue was in the beautiful South National park in Sydney. As we were taught we could see the Pacific glinting, the sandy beaches and hear cockatoos and kookaburras playing.
Ka huna literally means light and wisdom. It is the beautiful marriage of positive intention and knowledge and echoes the core teaching of Buddhism and Hinduism – that at our core, each of us is already perfect and all we need to do is develop practices that allow this beauty and radiance to shine through.
On day one of our training we spent many hours sitting on a beach doing a mindfulness exercise which involved brushing sand into piles and then brushing the sand apart. We learnt to focus our attention and made our hands move with the action of a wave and gentle caress. This brought to mind some key aspects of kahuna which have proved valuable in all areas of my life:
- When you do something put all your energy and attention into it at that moment
- Healing is soft and gentle – it should cleanse and caress you like a wave
- As you brush the sand you stay connected at all times, your hands move in one direction and then turn without loosing contact. This taught me many things. In bodywork I approach the person gently and stay connected. In positive psychology coaching and in my friendships I try to engage, listen and be dependable and supportive
The Kahuna centre in Sydney has explained the philosophies seven key principals in a beautiful way. Over the years I’ve tried to bring each of these into my own life and into the way that work at Breathe London. They also formed part of the basis of my interest in Positive Psychology. Take a look at each of these and see if you can build these principals into your relationships and work.
IKE (ee-kay) - The world is what you think it is
Our thoughts make us who and what we are. If you want to change your situation, all you have to do is change your thoughts! Your body and your life will follow! Alter the way you see reality and you WILL alter reality.
KALA (kah-lah) - There are no limits - Be Free
Following on from Ike – ensure that when you think, you think without limitation! Don’t think about the things that you are “allowed” to have, or the things you believe are “just possible”. The most successful people think without limitations. Be free in your thinking! Whatever the mind of a person can conceive and believe, it can achieve! So THINK BIG.
MAKIA (mah-kee-ah) - Energy flows where attention goes - Be Focused
Have you ever noticed that the more interested you are in something the more likely you are to do something about it? Whatever holds your interest will also tend to attract your emotional and physical energy. The more successful a person is, the more you will find that they direct and hold their energy on something by conscious choice. They don’t wait for something to catch their attention; they go out and catch something with their attention. A person at all times has a choice as what to focus their attention on – so be focused on what you want at all times.
MANAWA (mah-nah-wah) - Now is the moment of power - Be Here
The past or future does not have any power because you can’t touch it, taste it, smell it, feel it or react to it in any way. For all practical purposes it doesn’t even exist! All we have right now is the memory of things, skills, pains, and experiences. It’s the memories that we respond to now – not the past itself. The memories exist in the present moment and you can alter your relationship to them – change your thinking about them and thereby change the effect on your life.
As for the future, no one knows what is going to happen. We can make logical or intuitive guesses but we don’t really know. However if we think of the future as a blank slate (rather than fixed or predestined) then we give ourselves permission to try anything.
ALOHA (ah-lo-hah) – Be Happy
Aloha means many things, but in one word perhaps it’s best described as “love”. Love is happiness. Aloha is a caring for others as well as or as much as for your own self. Australians say, “no worries” – the Hawaiians use the idea of Aloha to define their society, their relationship with each other and their philosophy of life. It is with “aloha spirit” that all things are done. Not meant to harm and not meant to cause unhappiness to others.
MANA (mah-nah) - All power comes from within - Be Confident
Mana is power or energy. All power comes from within. Hawaiian belief is that Mana is the name for the one source of all the power that exists in the universe. This power is universal and flows through not only us, but through animals and plants, the foundation of the earth, the skies and planets, and everything that we know exists. It’s a life energy so to speak. This Mana flows through us and gives us the power to do what we believe we can do. The power to do anything that we decide to do and that we take action towards.
PONO (poh-noh) - Effectiveness is the measure of truth - Be Positive
Effectiveness is the measure of truth. A method, a plan, certain actions, when put in motion may work. If they work, that is all you need to be concerned with. There are many ways to do most things. Don’t pigeon-hole yourself into thinking that you can only accomplish something in one way or that there is only one truth. For instance, how many ways are there that someone could find happiness? A million? How many ways could someone cook a fish? Create a pyramid? Make money to buy a car? Because you see someone accomplish something using one method, do not believe that there is just that one method. There are likely many more ways to go about it. That there are always alternatives to what you’re doing is the crux of “Pono” – do what feels right for you.
I hope you found this useful
Love Andy
Thank you Nemara for being such a wonderful inspiration . For anyone going on holiday check out her centre in Paddington http://www.sydneykahuna.com.au/
Our next relaxation and energy course is Sat 28th January http://breathe-london.com/relaxationworkshop
Transformation
Over the course of the next 12 weeks I’m going to talk about transformation. Eight years ago I was a chartered accountant working in corporate finance. Now I run Breathe London, teach yoga, massage, do personal development coaching and run positive psychology workshops.
In order to understand how I created the job that I love I’m going to introduce the key tipping points, courses I’ve studied, inspirational teachers I’ve met and books that have changed the way I think and feel.
The courses include Emotional intelligence psychometric testing and coaching, a masters in positive psychology, life coaching, Reiki mastery, Sivananda yoga, Hawaiian massage and Polynesian philosophy, deep tissue massage, vipassana mediation, mindfulness coaching, Iyengar yoga, Tai chi, scuba diving and many more
Each week I’ll explore each area to give you an insight into how each of these courses has improved the quality of my life. I’ll also provide details on courses that you can attend and teachers that I recommend.
Transformation of the mind can never be pinpointed, it’s an ongoing process. However there are often key moments which feel like tectonic plate movements. One of the first that I felt was on a glorious Summers day walking across the Domain in Sydney in 1999. It was a Friday and I was stressed about a deal that I was involved on. As I looked into the distance I suddenly noticed how green the trees were in the botanical gardens. They seemed to shimmer and vibrate. Next I caught the sun glinting on the harbour and felt it also warm my cheeks. Overhead a Qantas jet banked over the harbour bridge. I felt my body and mind fill with light and burst with pleasure. I felt connected with everything around me. My experience merged completely with my environment. It was as though for the first time I was in tune with my surroundings. I felt a burst of energy which felt like the whole world was powering me. I wept and life has never been the same since.
Now whether this event occurred because of the people who implanted ideas or because of the books I read or the courses I attended or because of predetermination I shall never know. All I know is that every so often when I stop and observe the world I feel fully energised and blessed to be alive.
Have a happy and transformational new year
Love Andy
Loving what you do
One of my clients said to me recently that it was a very special thing to love what you do. In all sincerity I can truly say that I love the job that I’ve created over the last eight years. I love teaching yoga and helping people feel much better with massage. I love the rich conversations that develop during positive psychology coaching sessions. I cherish the team of therapists that work at Breathe London and the wonderful support we get from staff at the Colombo centre. And I love to see our clients, many of whom have become good friends.
Eight years ago when we set up this business we were looking for a fresh challenge. I also wanted to experience what the Buddhists call Right Livelihood ie that my job not only supports me financially and enables me to grow as a person but also enable me to give back to society. I left the world of corporate finance at KPMG eight years ago. Prior to that I had spent some very happy years in Australia. It was in Australia that I first became interested in massage, yoga and psychology and over the last twelve years I’ve explored these areas in order to better understand myself and enable me to become a better therapist.
Three years after we started the business we came across the Colombo centre, a not for profit sports and community centre which uses its surplus to fund community programs in South London. I thought it was a good idea to build a business in a place that promoted wellbeing to those in society that could least afford it. It also enabled me to feel that I contributed to my local community. Having the Breathe business at Colombo means that we bring affluent people into a community centre . Many of our clients value us because we offer a great personal service and because we have this strong ethical element. Some of my city hedge fund managers now practice yoga with people who have lived in the local community all their lives. I like this mixing.
Breathe has developed as an integrated mind body practice. We recognise that physical and emotional issues often go hand in hand and we therefore have nutrition therapy, life coaching and hypnotherapy to compliment our physical therapies. The idea was to create a business that provided our clients with empowering tools to help our clients help themselves.
My challenge for 2012 is to get more people interested in Breathe London and understand more about our ethics and values, where we came from and how we are building an integrated wellbeing practice
Have a wonderful Christmas break and fabulous 2012
Lots of love
Andy
Science playing catch up to the benefits of meditation and yoga
The stress response mechanism is way more complex than we previously thought
A number of recent studies on the stress response system have shown individual differences in the way we respond to stressors are much more varied than previously thought. Many factors have been shown not only to influence what makes us stressed, but also to influence both physical and psychological reaction and coping mechanisms. Influencing factors include the environment we grew up in as a child, social status, gender and the genes we inherit.
The human stress response system, which has often been over-simplified in both academic and popular literature to describe the ‘fight or flight’ response, is now being recognised as encompassing a much larger physical and psychological realm than previously thought. The fight or flight response has deep roots in our evolutionary past. It occurs when activity in the parasympathetic nervous system increases (activating muscles needed to run or fight) whilst the sympathetic nervous system decreases (keeping our internal organs switched on, but in a kind of standby mode).
Other stress-response behaviours recently identified include the “tend/befriend” response (seen significantly more in women) associated with turning to social networks of support when confronted with stressors, and social withdrawal and/or anti-social behaviour (seen significantly more in men). Both these phenomena have been shown to operate at the same time (in some people) or instead of (in others) the fight/flight response. The deciding factor, and the new buzzword in stress literature and indeed in other walks of life where “social” goals and activities have been thrust into the spotlight) is “context”.
We can now demonstrate that meditation and yoga have huge benefits to mind and body
A new and holistic scientific approach is emerging that broadens the scope of the stress response system to acknowledge the social world, both from an evolutionary perspective, and in its current context. This means for example, that the production and transmission of sex hormones and neurotransmitters actively used in our brain’s reward, motivation and control circuits (almost always unconsciously), are now often measured alongside more common metrics such as heart-rate or blood-pressure in experimental psychology and social neuroscience studies.
One of the consequences of this new science of what makes us stressed and how we respond to our environmental pressures, is that more complex patterns are beginning to emerge that challenge classical psychology/psychiatry diagnoses and provide testable hypotheses to determine previously unproven benefits of alternative therapies or holistic practises such as yoga and meditation. These are increasingly shown to mediate the effects of stress through what are known in neuroscience as interoceptive pathways. These are pathways used (usually unconsciously) by the body’s physiological systems to inform other body and brain functions of their relative fitness or functionality. Yoga and meditation practice has long been thought of by its practitioners to be the embodiment of a conscious exercise in interoception. We now we have the scientific techniques to prove the mental value of what sceptics have in the past regarded as simply a set of physical exercises.
“Stressed” people can be high performing happy individuals in many areas of their lives
But these physiological mechanisms only go part of the way towards building our unique stress response profile. One of the more interesting findings, that stress response profiles (phenotypes) are more varied than previously thought and are highly correlated with activations in other physical systems has been labelled our “biological sensitivity to context” – and it means many more of our biological systems that have been previously disregarded when building psychological profiles are now seen as key determinants of the strategies we choose when faced with environmental stress. In a recently published theory (Del Guidice, et al. 2011) four behavioural patterns emerge that are based in evolutionary life-history theory and are used to describe common stress-response patterns. These don’t correspond so well to classical psychology’s stereotypical introverted/extroverted, high/low-stress-responsivity models, but they do correspond to findings that were previously seen as paradoxes, such as why people with very high stress-responsivity can be found performing very well in highly uncertain environments, but very poorly in low-stress environments. Its all about context, and what we’ve become used to. Also, the physiological and developmental changes we all undergo throughout our lives such as childhood growth, puberty, adulthood, menopause, etc., correspond to periods of high neural plasticity, when we literally carve out our future responses to stress from the biological and environmental tools we’re given (or create for ourselves).
Developing a more tailored approach to stress management
Another consequence of joint research in psychology and the physiology of the brain in the context of social stressors is that emphasis on our biological sensitivity to context will provide more nuanced mechanisms for treating mental health problems related to stress such as ‘internalised’ symptoms of depression or low self-esteem, and ‘externalised’ symptoms like anti-social behaviour. “Context”, encompasses a rather old-fashioned idea that’s suddenly been given a new lease of life and when taken together with the new data-rich environments currently being studied in social neuroscience (the study of how the brain works in conditions with a social context) provides a real opportunity to produce meaningful and coherent theories that explain common patterns of observed responses/strategies to stressful situations in a way that is consistent with cultural evolution and medical science – something that must surely be regarded as something of a holy grail to psychologists – and opens the way for tailored programmes of intervention through various means, such as life coaching, social engagement, nutritional change, in addition to medical and pharmaceutical help in resolving stress disorders.
Today’s blog was produced by Tom TeWhaiti, co founder of Breathe London and Breathe Australia
Del Guidice, M., Ellis, B.J. & Shirtcliff, E. (2011) The Adaptive Calibration Model of stress responsivity, Neuroscience and Biobehavioural Reviews, 35, pp 1562-1592
Positive Psychology and Touch
When we started our business seven years ago we had a notion that human touch played a vital role in wellbeing. We took the unusual step of building a business which combined massage with psychology and coaching.
It turns out that we may have been onto something. Recent research suggests that human touch, especially during childhood, has a crucial interaction with neural plasticity. Neural plasticity is the emerging field of study which suggests that our brain chemistry is influenced by our experiences in life. With tenacity we can learn to use our brains in extremely complex ways, learn new skills and re-learn lost skills. For example stroke victims with real, permanent physical damage to parts of their brains can re-learn old skills by using parts of their brains not commonly associated with a particular activity.
Up until fairly recently, it was thought that the various regions of the brain were exclusively responsible for different activities such as; touch, sight, sound, smell and balance etc. It turns out that with training we can learn to adapt and compensate for perceived or real deficiencies. Amazingly parts of the brain commonly associated with vision can be adapted to handle information from the hearing system. Previously held beliefs that the adult brain does not grow new cells have been refuted. New cells in the brain can grow and new connections can be made between neurons. To give you an example of how complex the brain is there are 30 billion neurons in the human cortex alone, the part of the brain used mainly for complex pattern formation and decision making, capable of making 1000 trillion connections (10 followed by 14 zeros). There are an estimated 1000 billion neurons in the entire nervous sytem. Think of these connections as new possibilities and then consider that the number of all possible neural circuits is 10 followed by a million zeros (there are an estimated 10 followed by 79 zeros, particles in the known universe). The ability to learn, think and represent the world in new ways is probably infinitely adaptable.
The brain is malleable, particularly during childhood, and with training can change and develop. The degree to which personality and intelligence can be adjusted through training is still under heated discussion but it is becoming apparent that with the correct tools we can learn to re-tune the way we think, learn and perceive the world.
Studies suggest that our ability to learn and stay open to new experiences depends upon the brain remaining fluid and that openness is enhanced through human touch. The mechanism by which touch assists this process is little understood but there are suggestions that a neurotransmitter called oxytocin may play a vital role. People may become closed and set in their ways without the vital ingredient of touch. The implications of these findings are stark. In a world where many of us are touched less, including children at vital stages of brain development, more of us communicate through digital media and live alone, there may be an increased prevalence of people becoming fixed in their style of thinking.
There is a Polynesian tribe who take turns to massage, for 24 hours, the adolescent heir to the chief of the tribe. This may have similar benefits to communal grooming but perhaps it also ensures that the future chief has the plasticity of his brain supercharged so that he remains open to new experience.
At Breathe London we believe that touch is a cornerstone of wellbeing. To learn more about our physical therapies go to www.breathe-london.com/massage
To learn more about neural plasticity got to Norman Doidge’s site www.normandoidge.com/normandoidge
See how people are using free hugs to spread love around the world
www.freehugscampaign.org
Breathe is a London based wellbeing business specialising in the fusion of ideas from Positive Psychology, Yoga and Massage Therapies. Our physical therapy centre is based on the London’s South Bank and we run Business Psychology and Personal Development courses throughout the UK and online.
Other lifestyle benefits at www.bprlondon.com
Can Stress Affect Fertility?
We spend most our life taking steps to not get pregnant but when the day comes that we want to become parents how much do we really prepare our bodies both mentally and physically?
According to the HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority ) an estimated 1 in 7 couples are having some sort of fertility problem – approximately 1,750,000 across the UK.
There are a number of factors that can affect fertility in couple’s attempts to have a successful pregnancy. If all health factors have been successfully been ruled out, stress can be the main contributor to an inability to conceive and have a successful birth.
GP and hypnotherapist Dr Leslie Brann says: “Women are putting their careers first and delaying pregnancy, and fertility does decline as you get older. I get a lot of women who have mental blocks to getting pregnant or who have convinced themselves they cannot conceive. They often tell me under hypnosis that they don’t see any eggs in their ovaries or that their tubes are too small for the egg to go through. I then try to get them to overcome this ‘block’.
“Mary Coates, a hypnotherapist who treats both women undergoing IVF and childless women who have no medical reason not to conceive, believes women in their thirties are particularly prone to “mental blocks” towards pregnancy.”
“They feel the clock is against them, so panic sets in, which affects their fertility. It’s a vicious circle. Almost every woman who comes to me is in that bracket. If you think that stress can stop your periods, just think what else it can do.”
There is no medical proof that hypnotherapy can cure infertility, which now affects one couple in six. However, it does lower stress and anxiety, which can affect hormone levels and create a mental block to conception. Tests have shown that hypnotherapy can lower a woman’s levels of a hormone called prolactin which suppresses ovulation.
For more information, read the full article at The Independent, “Hypnosis can help you get pregnant” by Sophie Goodchild: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/hypnosis-can-help-you-get-pregnant-1173568.html
Stress is caused by a situation that a person either consciously or unconsciously perceives as threatening; this creates the fight or flight response. Whilst the body is under stress it releases a number of hormones, including Cortisol, which can affect the delicate hormonal balance needed for ovulation, fertilization, implantation and even the health of the fetus. Stress can not only affect the woman’s fertility but also the man’s sperm count and mobility.
Hypnosis can help you to prepare your body for pregnancy, helping you to remove any mental blocks that you have towards becoming pregnant and stay calm throught the pregnancy, giving your body the best chance to conceive and produce a healthy baby.
By Erika Keat
Erika Keat is part of the Breathe London team, she offers Hypnotherapy, CBT & NLP at Breathe on a Wednesday between 2.30pm and 9pm. For more information or to arrange a consultation please contact Erika.
How to be happy and have a growth mindset
This week we continue our posts contributed by guest editors who are also wellbeing professionals. Charlotte Style, author of “Brilliant Positive Psychology” reminds us of the common-sense fact that kindness and happiness go hand-in-hand and suggests ways to become both kinder, and happier!
Research is showing that having a growth mindset rather than being fixed in how we see the world is an important distinction between people who thrive and those who don’t.
In her book, Mindset: The new psychology of success, Carol Dweck explains how having an open mind to both our abilities and the world we live in allows us to grow and develop, and that holding fixed ideas reduces and limits not only our potential, but our potential for happiness. She also says that as a culture we don’t praise enough the effort and struggle people make, especially the young, when facing and overcoming setbacks.
- Are open to new ideas.
- Are always learning (especially from setbacks).
- Enjoy challenges.
- Believe that abilities develop.
- Believe that lives and relationships and other people develop.
- Work at relationships
People with a Fixed Mindset
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Believe that ability and intelligence are innate.
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Are Judgemental.
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Limit achievement (crumbles in the face of challenge and adversity).
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Believe that if relationships need work they must be wrong.
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Believe that that if they have to work at things they must be stupid – it should come naturally
If you are most comfortable with statements 1 and 3, try thinking about what it means to you to believe that people cannot change, and, more importantly, what would change in your life if you chose statements 2 and 4. Then: Make a quick list of where you have opportunities to learn more.
Chatlotte is a member of the Breathe London wellbeing team. To book a coaching session with Charlotte go to http://breathe-london.com/positivepsychology-lifecoaching-directory
What does a thriving life mean to you ?
Feeling secure and confident
I feel secure, confident and loved. Whilst I know that my family and community partly shaped my destiny, the knowledge of where I have come from has helped me develop independent views and instil trust in my own judgement. I know how to occasionally challenge my beliefs so that I don’t get set in my ways.
I feel grounded but understand that things change quickly and I need to be flexible. Being grounded doesn’t make me heavy. I move with a light purposeful stride.
When I look back at my life I cherish the achievements and good times. Although I have faced many challenges and some painful times, these experiences have also taught me how to lead a full and vibrant life.
Feeling energised
I have a good awareness of the things in life that increase or deplete my energy. This includes what I eat, how I exercise, how I move as well as how I connect to people and how I choose to think. In particular I understand the relationship between my thoughts, emotions and how my body feels. I know that my emotions, energy and thoughts are influenced by my environment and I’m confident that I can modify my environment to help me perform well.
I know when to push hard and when to kick back and rest. I feel at my best when I’m playing to my strengths but I also understand that my striving has an impact on those around me. I’ve found the right balance in my life between having fun, being playful and where I get meaning from.
Cultivating positive intent
My experiences have taught me that it’s easier to move towards my goals through hard work combined with kindness and compassion for others. I realise that in striving to achieve my own goals it’s important to share the effort with people who have similar passions. I feel like I am part of something bigger than just myself.
I’ve brought into balance my own needs whilst also enabling those around me to fulfil their potential. I am grateful for the things that I have achieved in my life and the kindness of others.
I’m confident in expressing my views but get the most out of conversations when listening to the wisdom of others. I know the difference between dialogue and debate. I’m good at picking up emotional signals from other people and the environment. I know that my moods affect the way I think and I’m able to solve problems by listening to what my heart and head are telling me and blending the information.
Having a sense of direction
My dreams about the future are positive. I’ve identified goals which balance my need for financial security alongside optimising my health and the wellbeing of those I love.
As I move toward my goals I have the presence of mind to appreciate the joy and pleasures of the journey. Sometimes my goals are clearly defined and at others they are vague. Whichever is the case, I feel confident that I am moving in the right direction. Sometimes I push myself hard but am secure and confident enough to know when to pull back and enjoy letting others reach the summit first. I reappraise my goals often and know that you don’t have to climb all the highest peaks.
I’m confident that either I can learn new skills to help me move towards my goals or I can count on close friends to help me.
Being focused
Making the most of my time means that I can focus on detail whilst remaining alert to the big picture and the possibility of wonderful new experiences. Being present to experience brings richness and colour to my life.
I understand that joy is an essential part of life. I savour new experiences but don’t grasp them. I’ve learnt to enjoy and then let go. I occasionally examine my habits and routines to check whether they still bring me meaning and joy. When life gets too complex I go back to basics and stop investing in things I no longer value.
London riots and Positive Psychology
I find myself having strong, conflicting emotions about the riots. On the one hand I feel anger sorrow and fear about the actions of these young people and on the other hand have some understanding of their frustrations.
I feel anger at the young people for their lack of moral fibre and responsibility and anger towards their parents for not giving them guidance and nurturing them. I feel sorrow for the shopkeepers and older generation who have seen their beloved community ripped apart. And fear of the unknown. Fear of the paradigm shift. Fear that social networking is a powerful ally of violent crime.
It’s easy to understand why people want a harsh crackdown and long sentences for those caught. Before doing this it’s worth taking a long deep breath and reflecting on the things we love and cherish; the freedom of our political system, the strength of our still free press, our diverse multicultural society and our legal system. All these pillars of our community have been battered and undermined in the last four years but it is still a fair, open and kind place to live for most of us. As has been shown by the mass mop cleanup in Clapham and Hackney our communities are strong. Most people in London are kind, honest and generous.
Many commentators have claimed that the riots have simply been about mass violent crime, organised using smart phones. David Cameron has said that it’s a simple issue and that “pockets of our society are not only broken but frankly sick”. He is so wrong, on so many levels. Violence does not have a single cause, it has an infinite amount. We need to explore the factors in a calm, dispassionate manner. For example:
- Britain has one of the largest computer gaming industries in the word, earning hundreds of millions for UK PLC. Playing Violent computer games teaches malleable young minds to sever the link between action and consequences
- We have drastically cut training budgets for young people. My charity, Yourstory has seen a 70% decline in its funding from local authorities. They mentor and educate some of the most troubled, disengaged young people in Lambeth and Southwark.
- We have trebled university fees partly because the older generation has lived the high life for the last 20 years. We spent beyond our means and now we tell young people that they should pay for their own education. It’s normally the role of older generations to invest in their young.
- Positive intentions can have unintended consequences. We decided over the last 30 years that it was wrong for parents and teachers to hit children. As this positive development occurred we have not found ways to replace harsh discipline with strong, nurturing alternatives
- David Cameron said that these “thugs were allowed to feel that the world owes them something”. However many of us feel a sense of deep injustice about the way the financial service industry has ripped us all off. Their risky practices and bumper bonuses fuelled materialism and division. When the asset bubble burst the squeezed middle in the UK paid the price through higher taxes and the young people had their education and training budgets frozen. Within twelve months of the bailout the bankers were back into mega bonuses.
- There are a number of studies suggesting that more time on social media like facebook leads to less actual human contact, a reduction in empathy for other people and a feeling that we need to out do each other. Perhaps being in a riot provides the excitement, human contact and engagement lacking in every day experiences
- We assume that all rioters are bad people. However the psychologist, Philip Zimbardo has investigated pack behaviour in simulated prison environments and has shown that even the most mild and gentle people can demonstrate cruelty and extreme behaviours when acting in a group and when given a sense of power. Power in a group is intoxicating and we need to explore how social networking fuels this pack behaviour
These are just a few ideas about possible contributing factors. There are billions of others. They cannot and should not excuse appalling behaviour but we should remember that when something as powerful as group violence erupts nothing is simple.
We all need to look into our hearts and examine our behaviours . We all shape the world we live in through our intentions, thoughts and behaviours. It is the young people in this country who will provide the dynamism and energy to create a positive future for all of us. We need to invest in them and believe in their potential.
Andy
Positive Psychology, religion and ancient traditions – Maori sayings
Positive psychology is the relatively new area of social science that investigates factors which contribute to thriving people, organizations and communities. This is the first of a series of blogs examining the link between Positive Psychology and ancient traditions and religions. In the weeks to come we will look at Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism and Polynesian traditions . We are keen to get here your ideas so let us know what you think.
In this newsletter we share with you some New Zealand Māori proverbs and their English translations drawn from an inspirational book called Earth, Sea, Sky written by Patricia and Waiariki Grace and (Craig Potton Publishers) . These sayings developed through people being in tune with their surroundings over millennia. They reflect a respect for the environment that many traditional cultures share. They speak of what it means to be human. Their beautiful interpretations have been assorted by us into “Positive Psychology” categories.
We hope you enjoy these and use the wisdom in the proverbs to navigate and rejoice in life.
1. Appreciate life’s beauty and magnificence
Korihi ake ngā manu
Tākiri mai te ata
Ka ao, ka ao. Ka awatea
Tīhei mauri ora
The birds call
The day begins
I am alive
2. Be resilient
He taru kahika
Walk on, as it is only summer rain falling
3. Be optimistic about the future
He iti hau marangai e tū te pāhokahoka
First comes the light wind carrying the rain,
Then comes the rainbow
4. Be confident in yourself
Kimihia te kahurangi;
ki te piko tōu matenga, ki te maunga teitei.
If you bow your head,
Let it be only
To a great mountain
5. Everything is interdependent
Tangi kau ana te hau
Ki runga o marae nui
O Hinemoana
The wind sails across the vast ocean plaza of Hinemoana
(Hinemoana is the ocean spirit that carries the messages of the universe)
6. Play to your strengths
He toka tū moana, arā he toa rongonui
Your strength is like a rock that stands in raging waters
7. Make plans for the future – a cautionary tale
I hea koe i te ao o te kōwhai
Where were you when the kowhai was in bud?
(The Kowhai tree flowers in the Spring and this is a warning that you need to work hard and sow in the Spring to reap the benefits before the Winter comes)
8. Strive to be the best you can
Te tāpaepae o te rangi
See there, to the place where the sky reaches down
9. Connect to your traditions
Piki atu au ki te taumata o tōku maunga,
Ka kite au i te mana, it e ihi o te whenua nei nō ōku tipuna
I climb to the summit of my mountain to see the land of my ancestors
10. Use your difficulties
He ua ki te pō, he paewai ki te ao
When it rains at night, eels may be caught in the morning
11. Listen to your emotions and act
Tangi ana ngā tai
Rū ana te whenua
Listen to the raw of the sea
Feel the land tremble
12. Be prepared for change – life is uncertain
Ka whaimata te tapuae o Tangoroa.
Tangaroa. Ka haruru
He strides to and fro, Tangaroa
Hear him roar
(Tangaroa is the god of the sea)
13. Be vigilant for ignorance and intolerance
Ka parangia nei te aotūroa
I te pō kerekere
Intense night envelopes the world
14. Learn from those with experience and be respectful
Tirohia ki a Aorangi
Ka kākahutia e te huka rere
Look at Aorangi clothed in snow
(Aorangi is New Zealand’s highest mountain. This refers to appreciation of the achievements of others and of the time and tenacity it takes to achieve our highest goals)
15. Be aware of your limitations
He manga wai koia
Kia kore e whitikia
It is a big river indeed that cannot be crossed
16. Important changes happen suddenly
Tīhore ana te rangi
i te uira
Lightening splits the heavens
17. We leave you with our favourite!
Whakataka te hau ki te uru
Whakataka te hau ki te tonga
Kia mākinakina i uta
Kia mātaratara i tai
Kia hī ake ana te atakura
He tio, he huka, he hauhunga
Tīhei mauri ora!
Let the cold winds from the west and from the south, that assail the lands and the seas, desist.
Let the red tipped dawn come with a touch of frost, a sharpened air, the promise of a glorious day.
Behold we are alive!
If you are interested in learning more about Positive Psychology, visit our website: www.breathe-london.com/positive-psychology.
We also offer a 30 day Wellbeing plan available to download now in which you will gain awareness of habits and routines that may nourish or drain your energy, and practice using new tools that enable you to build a more positive life. www.breathe-london.com/positive-connections.
Positive psychology and colour
Is the sky blue? If it is, do you see the same blue that I do? Can my cat see blue or does he select from a range of options for how to perceive the world depending on his needs, like mouse hunting mode, infra-red mode, spooky mode?
Philosophers have discussed these sorts of issues for millennia. Over the last few decades there has been a growing body of research suggesting that how we interpret what we see is subjective and contextual, with many influencing factors such as social context we’re faced with, and our prior learning and habits. For example there are a number of languages in Africa and in Europe (such as old Welsh) that have only a small handful of words differentiating colours. One African tribe had just five words to describe colours and used these words to group colours in ways which Western eyes could not comprehend. The tribe lived on the red dusty savannah and had developed a unique and useful way of perceiving their environment in order to extract the maximum nutritional value and beauty from their environment. Their language developed as their perception developed and may have helped shape how they experience the world. When faced with a range of similar colours and asked to choose the odd one out, Westerners typically found it easy to pick the odd one out whereas tribe members struggled. Tribe members however, were able to pick out different shades of the same colour which were imperceptible to the Western eye.
Recent research suggests that in addition to the construction of language and social preferences, our emotional state also has an influence on colour perception. People feeling more in control of their lives, confident and upbeat about the future can perceive a greater range of colours with a greater degree of accuracy compared to people feeling they have little control over their lives and the future. They are also better at identifying solutions or opportunities when faced with complex problems or decisions. Positive Psychology suggests that we can use these influences to alter not only our perceptions of the physical world such as colour perception, but the construction of our mental world – attitudes, biases and ways of representing information. When we experience a healthy balance of positive to negative emotions we are able to process information in a more accurate manner than people who have a lower ratio of positive to negative emotions.
Far from the Dr Pangloss school of rose-coloured spectacles and naive optimism, positive emotions help us observe the world in a more accurate balanced way. With more joy and laughter we are able to face life’s ups and downs with tenacity and optimism. It’s a relatively new area of research, and creates useful data to explore questions that reach beyond the scope of its origins in cognitive psychology, such as positive psychology (as joy evaporates does colour and vibrancy leave our lives? Does joy return when we are surrounded by colour?), developmental neuroscience (how and when does the brain change in response to changing habits or new social contexts?), decision science/economics (imagine going shopping on a Saturday morning without the mood-influencing music!), sociology/education (what social outcomes might be influenced by the level of negative v. positive news stories?).
On a day to day basis life can seem tough but the world is full of new opportunities and beauty. Most of us in the West have opportunities to educate ourselves, have sex with who we want, vote for who we want, protest when we want, eat what we want and travel where we want. Most of us will cram our lives with amazing things and live into our 80’s . And when we have gone the world will still be a beautiful vibrant place full of colour and light.
Applied Positive Psychology is a useful field because it has developed many interventions designed to improve the ratio of positive to negative emotions. These cognitive games help us to reflect on the good stuff in our lives. This helps us remain aware of the bigger picture and not to get bogged down in the daily dramas of life.
Our last blog was about Maori proverbs. One of these that is still my favourite speaks of the wonder of life and how reflecting on this wonder helps us feel full of life, energised, in the moment and ready for a great adventure.
Whakataka te hau ki te uru
Whakataka te hau ki te tonga
Kia mākinakina i uta
Kia mātaratara i tai
Kia hī ake ana te atakura
He tio, he huka, he hauhunga
Tīhei mauri ora!
Let the cold winds from the west and from the south, that assail the lands and the seas, desist.
Let the red tipped dawn come
with a touch of frost, a sharpened air, the promise of a glorious day.
Behold we are alive!
Thinking yourself better – placebo explained
According to a recent article in the Economist the alternative health industry is worth in excess of $60 Billion a year. However there is little quantitative evidence to support many of the treatments and therapies in the field. So why do people spend so much money without supporting evidence? Are vulnerable people taken in by the therapy business? This is of course an important issue for us at Breathe London. We have massage, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, life coaching, yoga, mediation and many other therapies.
My own background is mathematical. I studied economics and chartered accountancy before becoming a yoga teacher, massage therapist and coach and setting up Breathe London. As a natural sceptic I avoided yoga and therapies throughout my 20s. In my early 30s living in Sydney the combination of corporate finance work, stress and lots of gym work meant that my back often hurt. I began to take yoga and pilates classes and get regular massages and this combination seemed to reduce my stress levels, improve the balance of my hips and shoulders and lengthen my hamstrings.
This seems to be the experience of a lot of people. Although the hard evidence base is not necessarily there to support many alternative therapies, people have a gut feel that pain and suffering goes hand in hand with stress. When we find therapists and therapies which help us tap into relaxation the body and mind can recover.
There are lots of reasons why it’s difficult to measure a positive effect for alternative therapies. For example finding adequate test and control groups for research may be difficult. People who turn up for treatment are obviously a self selecting group who are seeking help and want to feel better. Cold double blind studies lack this positive intention. Similarly it’s hard to quantify pain and discomfort because pain assessment is very arbitrary.
One of the many reasons why people who go to therapists feel better is the placebo effect. As soon as I bring this up many people will then doubt the validity of the therapy. You shouldn’t. The placebo effect is real, powerful and little understood. Irving Kirsch, a professor at Harvard medical school has demonstrated that giving sugar coated pills in a placebo trial for depression was almost as powerful as taking antidepressants. Belief and trust in the treatment is almost as powerful as the treatment. If you tell someone you are dosing them with morphine compared to aspirin, but both are placebo, neuro imaging shows that the deception stimulates naturally occurring pain killers. Those people told they are receiving morphine produce more of these naturally occurring pain killers.
The research suggests that the more trust the patient has of the doctor prescribing the treatment and the more elaborate the ceremony around the treatment, the more effective the treatment is. For example injecting a placebo is more powerful than taking a placebo pill. To further illustrate the power of placebo Ted Kaptchuk at Harvard medical school conducted a study where participants with IBS were told by a doctor about the placebo effect and how it was almost as effective as real pills. They were told they were taking part in a study to demonstrate this effect and were then told to take sugar the coated pills – and it was again emphasised that they were placebo. The study found that even though participants were aware that it was a placebo study, the overall effect was almost as powerful as conventional placebo studies. What was important was the trust that participants had in what the doctor was saying about the placebo effect.
Karin Meissner of Ludwig Maximillians University, Cologne demonstrated that the placebo effect was able to effect autonomic nervous system, ie heartbeat , blood pressure etc.
So it seems that when it comes down to treatment it has a lot to do with trust and belief. In the fields of coaching and counselling research suggests that it is the quality of the relationship between the practitioner and client rather than the type of the therapy which is the most important factor.
In addition to the placebo effect there are lots of reasons why therapies such as massage have a strong positive impact. Human touch has a powerful physiological and neurological effect. For example Oxytocin production is stimulated, which has a positive impact on trust, empathy, confidence and wellbeing.
Maybe it’s just about being around good people. They make us feel good, stimulate us, help us feel relaxed and confident. If the therapist has positive intention towards you, believes in what they are doing and experience tells you they help you tap into good feelings then go with it and listen to your own intuition. Your own observations of your own wellbeing are often as valid as cold research on participants with no interest in the process or the outcomes.
Positive Psychology research about being happy and living in the present
Living in the present
The teachings of Buddhism, Taoists, Polynesian Ka Huna, Confucianism and many other ancient traditions teach that happiness comes by living and experiencing the present moment as it arises. Humans may be almost unique among animals in that they have the mental ability to plan, plot and dream about the future. We also have the ability to fondly remember the past, replay events and imagine different outcomes as well as beat ourselves up for lost opportunities, lost loves and lost dreams.
The ancient teachings inform us that time and energy spent in such states of conjecture lead us away from happiness potentially trapping us in a state of false imagining. All these other states are merely our interpretation of how our experience once was or how it may be one day. A few months back Harvard psychologists Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert published research indicating that not living in the present was indeed detrimental to wellbeing.
They used a special “track your happiness” iPhone app which gathered 250,000 data points on subjects’ thoughts, feelings, and actions as they went about their lives. They found that we spend at least half our time thinking about something other than our immediate surroundings and most of this daydreaming doesn’t make us happy.
Killingsworth and Gilbert found that on average, people spend 46.9 percent of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they’re doing, and this mind-wandering typically makes them unhappy. “A human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind. The ability to think about what is not happening is a cognitive achievement that comes at an emotional cost.”
The Harvard study
Unlike other animals, humans spend a lot of time thinking about what isn’t going on around them. Contemplating events that happened in the past, might happen in the future, or may never happen at all. Indeed, mind-wandering appears to be the human brain’s default mode of operation.
To track this behavior, Killingsworth developed an iPhone app that contacted 2,250 volunteers at random intervals to ask how happy they were, what they were currently doing, and whether they were thinking about their current activity or about something else that was pleasant, neutral, or unpleasant.
Subjects could choose from 22 general activities, such as walking, eating, shopping, and watching television. On average, respondents reported that their minds were wandering 46.9 percent of time, and no less than 30 percent of the time during every activity except making love.
“Mind-wandering appears ubiquitous across all activities,” says Killingsworth, “This study shows that our mental lives are pervaded, to a remarkable degree, by the nonpresent.” Killingsworth and Gilbert found that people were happiest when making love, exercising, or engaging in conversation. They were least happy when resting, working, or using a home computer.
“Mind-wandering is an excellent predictor of people’s happiness,” Killingsworth says. “In fact, how often our minds leave the present and where they tend to go is a better predictor of our happiness than the activities in which we are engaged.”
The researchers estimated that only 4.6 percent of a person’s happiness in a given moment was attributable to the specific activity he or she was doing, whereas a person’s mind-wandering status accounted for about 10.8 percent of his or her happiness.
Complex time-lag analyses conducted by the researchers suggested that their subjects’ mind-wandering was generally the cause, not the consequence, of their unhappiness. The implications of this study are profound. I can immediately think of two; how the study findings relate to career choice and the impact of social networking.
Choosing a career
Although it’s only a small study, the Harvard research may have profound implications for the type of careers we should recommend our children to pursue. If spending time away from the present leads to unhappiness and we want to be happy and healthy what type of job keeps us in the present?
For example there are certain careers, such as being an auditor, where you spend your career thinking and examining the past and giving opinions about whether financial statements were once true. There are other careers, such as project management, where you spend your time thinking, analysing and planning for a future.
Our last newsletter highlighted the recent study from Warwick University which once again provided an evidence base for the assertion that happy employees are productive, engaged and creative people. If this is true then perhaps HR departments need to start thinking about how to get their staff to live in the here and now; encouraging face to face communication, taking breaks and doing exercises to focus their attention.
The research indicated that we tend to be unhappy using a personal computer. What is not clear however is the types of usage of the computer. For example, are we unhappy spending time observing other people’s lives as presented on Facebook? Is the observation of other people’s pictures, pokes, movies and formation of groups a vicarious observation of other peoples experience?
The study found we are at our happiest communicating face to face with other humans, experiencing nature first hand, having sex (rather than looking at someone else having sex on a screen) and exercising. I recently heard about a fashion amongst teenage girls at a Cheshire school to be obsessed with posting picture albums of themselves entitled “Me”. These are close up pictures often taken in the bathroom from various angles – Is this strange? Facebook often seems to be a place where people showcase their lives and show off their achievements. Whilst it enables loved ones to keep in touch from all over the world it may also has the effect of making people feel like their lives are lived in the glare of publicity cast by the yellow glow of a screen. When I meet friends I like to be surprised and delighted by them telling me about their experiences. I like to watch faces light up as they tell me about what they have been doing. I don’t feel this flow of positive experience as much when it comes through a screen. Maybe other people really do. There is a description of people like me as People 1.0 and people like Mark Zuckerberg as People 2.0.
Do you think human beings have changed so much in the last few years?
How emotions spread at work
Emotions at work
In a recent study by Andrew Oswald at Warwick Business School it was concluded that there was a positive link between workers happiness and productivity. The team conducted a range of exercises in their research. In one, students were asked to add a series of two digit numbers in ten minutes. The subjects were paid an attendance fee, and a performance fee based on how they performed. Some were then shown a ten minute film based on comedy routines. The film apparently led to an increase in the self reported happiness levels of participants compared to those who did not see it or who watched placebo film clips.
For those that reported higher levels of happiness, after seeing the film, productivity in a subsequent test was significantly higher. They noted, “happier workers were 12% more productive”. They also noted that those participants who watched the film but did not feel any happier did not demonstrate improved productivity. They also concluded that if happiness in the workplace was associated with increased productivity then the human resource departments would need to consider these implications.
This was reported in the media as groundbreaking research, however it merely adds to the body of findings from the field of Positive Psychology, which has a far more nuanced understanding of the role of emotions in the workplace. Emotions, both “negative” and “positive” have a vital role at work. They are a call to action to help change behaviours. There is a danger in that this type of research might suggest that positive emotions are appropriate in all workplace settings. One of the major points of Emotional intelligence training is to impress on people that different situations, tasks at work and types of thinking require different types of emotions to be generated. For example, research indicates that where fine attention to detail is required, eg when studying the findings of a report, it’s more useful to foster serious, almost downbeat emotions. Where creative, blue sky thinking is required it’s more useful to engender a fun, light hearted approach. So clearly before HR departments rush out and hire comedians its worthwhile understanding that context and task are at least as important as creating a fun place to work.
However most of the research to date suggests that happier, more engaged staff perform better overall. We need to learn skills to help us switch between emotions in a calm manner and have the ability to return to the default position, within the organization, of happy and upbeat.
Contagious emotions
I am fascinated by the research about how we transfer emotions between each other. For example Ebling & Levenson, in their 2003 study, suggest that people have a simplistic system of attract vs. repulse and these prime directives are expressed in signals on our faces. When one group of individuals are asked to remember a stressful event they produce identifiable, common facial patterns. When a second group is asked to mimic some of these expressions, without being asked to consider a stressful event, both groups suffer similar physiological effects. This implies that the face not only mimics inner thoughts and feelings but also drives these processes. The face may be both display cabinet and creator of authentic emotions.
In Mullen’s 1986 study of the influential effects of Newscaster expressions on presidential elections, the conclusion is that, micro facial expressions have a significant impact on peoples attract/repulse mechanism. A newscaster’s clear positive favouritism towards one candidate was shown to influence voting patterns. The study noted that this was in spite of the tendency of the news channel in question to run negative stories about the candidate. The positive micro expressions seemed to be more influential than the negative words expressed. As far back as 1980 Wells & Petty illustrated how facial impression and movement of the head (nodding agreement) can be influenced by “senders” of energy and this in turn influences decision making and mood. Positive and negative emotions are as much an outside in as an inside out mechanism.
In 2005 Losada studied a number of management teams formulating business plans. He observed the relationship between the volume of positive expressions to negative expressions between team members (both verbal and non verbal). He then looked at the performance of the teams in the following period and found that the transmission of positive and negative energy, through words and non verbal expression, was shown to lead to a state of flourishing, if the ratio was greater than 2.9. In that study flourishing was defined as the profitability of the team as well as customer and staff satisfaction. In a 2004 study Shelly found that when there is a supportive network of people, to share positive events with, it is the sharing and rejoicing of an event that leads to greater wellbeing than the event itself. The degree to which positive, affirming words and body language are used in relation to sharing an event predicts the level to which wellbeing is raised.
Barbara Fredrickson has spent many years investigating the effects of positive emotions such as joy, interest, contentment and love and has concluded the following:
- They allow us to think in a broad expansive manner
- They undo the effects of negative emotions on physiology, the way you think and the way you act
- They build intellectual, physical, social and psychological resources; and
- They create a virtuous spiral of emotions leading to increasing levels of wellbeing.
The Losada research also looked at teams where there was a ratio of positive to negative expressions in excess of 8 to 1 and found that these teams were also languishing rather than flourishing. This points to the obvious conclusion that we need some bite in the workplace as well as nurturing. I think that the key points that HR departments need to draw from this research are as follows:
- Ensure that staff have a clear understanding of how to use emotions at work, in particular how to match the appropriate emotion to the task in hand
- Be aware that because emotions are easily transferable and escalate its easy for the mood of an organization to tilt into a downward spiral (below the magic number of 2.9)
- Get into the habit of celebrating the strengths and achievements of individuals and teams
- Find authentic, fun ways to raise the overall mood of the organization
If you are interested in how we measure happiness and engagement at work, or to find out more about our Emotional Intelligence courses and Positive Psychology at work programs go http://breathe-london.com/wellbeingworkshops
Also use the Mayers Salovey model to measure your emotional intelligence http://breathe-london.com/emotional-intelligence-workplace
Positive Psychology – a little introduction
I was attracted to Positive Psychology by an article in the Sunday Times about six years ago entitled “Can you learn to be happier?” The article was based on an interview with the leading light of the American Positive Psychology movement, Martin Seligman. Running a wellbeing business which deals with physical and mental wellbeing I was enthusiastic and curious about the subject and was lucky to be amongst the first group of people in Europe to study for a masers degree in the subject.
My initial enthusiasm turned slightly to scepticism on day one. Once you start to investigate the practicality of defining happiness/wellbeing and then measuring “it” many logical and practical problems arise.
The most commonly used measure is Ed Dieners Satisfaction with life scale (SWL). This asks people to rate their satisfaction with life on a scale from 1 to 7 . It’s a reasonable wellbeing measurement because it enables values to be included. For example you may consider a happy life to be one which is filled with pleasure with an absence of suffering. If this is what you value and this is what you get then you can claim to be satisfied. If you value meaning in your life and you find your life meaningful then you rate yourself as being satisfied. The scale reflects values and enables hedonists to be compared to those looking for meaning. There are many other ways that researcher’s measure wellbeing but this one has an advantage because it is simple, clear and inclusive.
A typical piece of positive psychology research would seek to ask participants to rate their satisfaction and then get them to do an activity (anything from meditation to Scottish country line dancing). They would then ask the participants to rate themselves using the scale during, after and often some months later. Researchers would also compare groups of people. For example, they would investigate people on different levels of income, country, age etc.
What they found was that the most satisfied (I’m going to change to the word to happy now even though that opens up whole can of worms – I just think satisfied sounds a bit smug).
What they found was that the happiest people were those having a close group of supportive friends, were in a loving relationship, were optimistic about the future and broadly they felt that their career and financial goals were moving in the right direction. Hardly rocket science I know but interestingly what the research tends to suggest is that there is little or no relationship between your level of income and happiness. Once you have enough to cover the basics and a roof over your head happiness levels are fairly consistent across the globe.
However our level of happiness has a lot to do with how much I get paid compared to the people I know (or think I know or think I should know). Some research suggests that, if offered a choice between, earning a high wage but being paid less than most of our work colleagues or being paid less but more than our colleagues we would take the latter option.
All these findings are interesting but are they based on fundamental flakiness? It seems that due to strong heritable factors our self reported level of satisfaction hovers around a set point (Mehls set point). No matter what we do it tends to move back to this point. Our natural wellbeing level may be 50% due to heritable factors, 10% due to our circumstances and 40% down to the choices we make in the present moment. This seems to suggest that on a day to day basis we have a great deal of opportunity to choose to be happy but over the longer term we may have less influence
To me this is an empowering message. Like personality our happiness and wellbeing levels are strongly influenced by our ancestors and its up to us to understand why our parents were influenced by their parents and environment and for us to create new patterns of behaviour. Its a little like the Hindu idea of karma. We are born with predispositions. We have tendencies to behave in certain ways but we have a daily choice as to whether to examine those tendencies and explore whether they serve our long term goals and happiness.
At Breathe London we have put together a 30 day wellbeing plan with many interventions from the field of Positive Psychology – details at http://breathe-london.com/positive-psychology
Training your mind to see the positive
Brains of happy people tuned in to notice positive events
Psychologists Wil Cunningham and Tabitha Kirkland at Ohio state university observed the brain scans of volunteers whilst showing them pictures designed to evoke positive, negative or neutral responses. Positive images included a basket of kittens and negative images included someone being threatened with a gun.
What they found was that those participants who rated their own subjective level of happiness highly had a greater arousal of the amygdala (a region of the brain used to process information about the world around us and our emotional responses to it) when shown positive images, than participants who rated themselves lower on self reported happiness scales.
The scans results showed that all the volunteers responded in similar ways to negative and neutral images. What this may suggest is that people with a rosy outlook on life respond positively to positive stimulus in their environment and are more likely to observe these events, however they are still highly aware of threats around them. They see the world in a balanced way.
When I learnt the vipassana meditation technique I was constantly reminded to keep observing the world afresh. The mantra was to view the world as it is rather than how you think it should be.
That’s one of the great things about positive psychology – its interventions train your mind to focus on what’s good in the world and by doing so you build the tenacity to overcome your challenges and deal with the threats. For all the problems in the world its still a beautiful life
Our next positive psychology course details are at Breathe London
Help you, Help Yourself
How can we start to take the steps to look after our body and mind?
Here are some simple changes that you can make that will have a huge impact on how you feel. Life is a wonderful roller-coaster and we need the ups and downs in order to feel pushed and strive for the next step. But sometimes it can all get on top of us. Hypnotherapy, CBT & NLP can help you to learn techniques to deal with stress and give you tools to cope with and enjoy life in the future.
Try out some of these today and start to take control of how you feel.
Talk about your feelings: talking isn’t a sign of weakness; it is part of looking after your mental health. So often, when we talk to friends or loved ones, we realise that we are not as alone as we felt. So many people are going through the same thing but are scared to talk about it too. By you opening up you suddenly realise that your world is full of people who care for you.
Eat healthy: it has been proven that there are links between what we eat and how we feel. Foods like caffeine and sugar can have an immediate effect on us, but food can also have a long-lasting effect on our mental health. It can affect the nutrition our mind is getting. Think of your body like a machine that needs looking after, what we put in needs to be able to nourish it.
Keep in touch: just as talking isn’t a sign of weakens, keeping in touch with friends and family can make you feel included and cared for. Often people have different views from you and they can help you to look at things from a different perspective. With the world growing and technology progressing we are more connected then we have ever been yet we feel more lonely and isolated than ever. Pick up the phone and talk to people, you will be amazed how much better you feel.
Take a break: take regular breaks, as little as 5 minutes. Get up, change the scene (break the state), walk around, take three deep breaths. By the time you come back you will feel calmer; it is a chance for your mind to unwind.
Accept who you are: you are you and that is a wonderful thing. You are a unique person, even if you are one of a pair of identical twins, you are still you. Good at different things. Accept that, for example, maths may not be your strong point. But where you thrive others struggle and vice versa. Understand your strengths and build on them.
Keep active: exercise is so important for our body and mind. It helps to release chemicals in your mind that eat up the stress hormone and make you feel good. Exercise boosts self-esteem and can help you concentrate, sleep well and look and feel better, helping you have a clear outlook on life. Exercise doesn’t have to be a session in the gym, it can be built into your day, like walking up the escalator or getting off the bus one stop earlier and walking briskly to and from work.
Listen to music: if you are feeling low put an upbeat song on and if possible sing along. Allow the rhythm of the music to flow through you. By the end of the song I am sure you will feel better than when it began. You are breaking the state and changing the rhythm within your body.
Sometimes in life we need a little extra help to let go of stresses and situations that we can’t seem to get past. Ask yourself, how much time do I spend de-stressing in the day? Life is good at putting the stress in, now it is time to learn how to take it out again. To see how Hypnotherapy, CBT & NLP can help you do this, please contact Erika.
By Erika Keat
Erika Keat is part of the Breathe London team, she offers Hypnotherapy, CBT & NLP in London Waterloo. For more information or to arrange a consultation please contact Erika.
Happy New Year!
Welcome to 2012, it is going to be a year full of excitement and opportunities. 2012 is the year the London is hosting the Olympics; it is a fresh start and can be filled with whatever you choose to fill it with.This is the time of year when New Year’s resolutions are made. A lot of people will kick the smoking habit in January. This can be easier to do then you think. Quitting smoking should not be difficult or unpleasant; there is no need for nicotine patches or gum, all you need is your commitment to become smoke free and a one-off Hypnotherapy, CBT & NLP session.
While nicotine is a difficult substance to go without when giving up smoking, the nicotine from your last cigarette will be out of your system within 48 hours. It is that straight forward – a tricky few days and then a lifetime of freedom. So why hasn’t it been that easy when you’ve tried to quit before? Simple – you dealt with the nicotine addiction but didn’t deal with the psychological addiction of smoking. In fact, you probably put cigarettes up on some kind of pedestal. Hypnotherapy, CBT & NLP are ideal for this, the fantastic combination of these therapies deal with the emotional and psychological aspects of giving up smoking, giving you all tools you will need to become a non-smoker.
You are 10 times more likely to remain a non-smoker if you give up using Hypnotherapy, CBT & NLP; this is because during the session we will look at all your smoking triggers and make sure you have the coping mechanisms, motivation and determination to become a non-smoker. You can stop smoking in an easy and positive way.
Whilst by the end of the month a lot of New Year’s resolutions have slipped away, this year that doesn’t have to be the case. With a Hypnotherapy, CBT & NLP session you can learn to start working with the power of your mind and help yourself to achieve your goals. You can learn how to manage your stress levels and start to turn around the negative self-talk and realise that you can achieve anything you put your mind to, whilst enjoying the life you have created.
Focus on the positive – 2012 can be your year.
By Erika Keat
Erika Keat is part of the Breathe London team, she offers Hypnotherapy, CBT & NLP in London Waterloo. For more information or to arrange a consultation please contact Erika.
Happy Boxing Day!
This is my 49th blog of the year ( click here to see them all ). I started on the 13th January 2011 and have managed to write a post a week, publishing every Monday at 9am. Writing the blog has made me look more deeply into the wonderful world of hypnosis, looking at how it is portrayed in the news, how people’s perception of it is changing, celebrities that have used hypnosis, different areas where hypnosis can be used, and approaching people with new ideas.
On a personal level it has also made me realise that I can write. Having dyslexia, I never felt that writing was my strong point, but I let go of the fear of failure and started to write.
I feel extremely lucky to do my job. I love the challenges I come across and find myself humbled by the people I meet and the strength they manage to find as they work with me to help themselves. I have worked with wonderful people this year, helping them to see that they can change the way they think and approach a situation to turn their life around. Many times I have walked out of the clinic with the biggest smile on my face, feeling very lucky to have been able to help someone help themselves.
I am looking forward to the clients I will work with in 2012 and to continuing on this wonderful journey.
Thank you! Enjoy the rest of the Christmas break and have a brilliant new year. Make 2012 the year that you start working with the most powerful tool you will ever be given, the power of your mind.
“Erika has helped me more than you can imagine possible. I came to her in the middle of a nervous breakdown suffering from deep grief and traumatised by my loss. She helped me work through all the pain, the complex issues, build on all the positives in my life with a calm gentle manner that has within months enabled me to look forward to Christmas with a smile on my face and genuine happiness. But more than this she has left me not needing her anymore!! – That’s what I call a good therapist!” M, London
“Erika has helped me to regain my positive outlook on life! I’ve gone from being stressed and confused a month ago to now feeling more focused and confident. With Erika’s help I’ve become decisive enough to make some big changes that have set up an exciting future for me. The results of our sessions have been better than I could’ve expected!” A, London
“I haven’t touched a cigarette!! Today is my 16th day as a non-smoker – I’m so proud of myself but don’t want to get complacent. The first few days were really tough, but since then it has got easier and I think about it less and less. I’ve even been out with people at work or pub and have just stood with them whilst they smoked and it’s actually been fine. I’m starting to feel better in myself, have a bit more energy and plan to start jogging next week. So thank you very much! I’m still taking it one day at a time but those days are getting easier.” L, London
“I just wanted to say thank you for all your help and excellent advice. I’m certainly feeling a lot better generally and couldn’thave done it without you. Thank you!” G, London
By Erika Keat
Erika Keat is part of the Breathe London team, she offers Hypnotherapy, CBT & NLP in London Waterloo. For more information or to arrange a consultation please contact Erika.
Stress: Can We Look at it in a Different Way?
The more I work with clients the more I realise that so much of how we feel is down to our perspective. We can be sat in a room and nothing can change and yet we can make ourselves feel stressed as we allow our minds to worry about all the things we have to do. With Christmas round the corner a lot of people feel under an extreme amount of pressure and stress, but if we change the way we view things could we feel less stressed? Christmas is meant to be a time to spend with loved ones and have a few well-earned days off.I came across this description of how to deal with stress and I thought it was worth sharing.
“A young lady confidently walked around the room, explaining stress management to an audience. She raised a glass of water, and everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, ‘half empty or half full?’. …She fooled them all… “How heavy is this glass of water?” she enquired with a smile.
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz.to 20 oz.
She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
She continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.”
“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden – holding stress longer and better each time practiced.
“So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. Pick them up tomorrow.
“Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, put them down for a moment. Relax, pick them up later after you’ve rested. Life is short. Enjoy it, and conquer that stress!”
The power of the mind means that we can create stress from either a perceived threat or a real threat. If we never put down that glass of stress and allow our minds to be free to enjoy the moment we are in, we are never giving our body or mind the chance to unwind. The more we put down the glass of stress and allow our minds to unwind, the lighter the glass will become as it starts to empty, releasing the stress from the day.
It sounds so simple and it can be. I have worked with MDs of companies who seem to be carrying the world on their shoulders and no doubt have stressful jobs; even after one session they begin to see there is a different way, they can feel differently, they can feel calm and enjoy the success of their carriers. You can start helping yourself to manage your stress levels today – with a Hypnotherapy, CBT & NLP session with Erika, you can learn the tools to manage your stress and bring back the feeling of relaxation and happiness in your life. With 2011 nearly at a close it is time to enjoy the festive period and start to put into practice how you want to being 2012. You don’t have to have a life full of stress and anxiety.
Wherever you are and whatever you are doing over the Christmas period, have a wonderful Christmas.
By Erika Keat
Erika Keat is part of the Breathe London team, she offers Hypnotherapy, CBT & NLP at Breathe on a Wednesday between 2.30pm and 9pm. For more information or to arrange a consultation please contact Erika.
40% of Cancers are Due to Lifestyle According to British Journal of Cancer
The BBC reported last Wednesday that over 40% of cancers are due to our lifestyle. As you read this don’t feel down hearted, but realise that you can take control of your life and help yourself to have a healthy future. Even changing a few things can help you to feel fitter and healthier and to give your body the best chance of remaining healthy.
Michelle Roberts, the health reporter for the BBC, wrote a fascinating article. To read it in full please click here.
“Nearly half of cancers diagnosed in the UK each year -over 130,000 in total – are caused by avoidable life choices including smoking, drinking and eating the wrong things, a review reveals.
Tobacco is the biggest culprit, causing 23% of cases in men and 15.6% in women, says the Cancer Research UK report.
Next comes a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in men’s diets,while for women it is being overweight.
The report is published in The British Journal of Cancer.
Its authors claim it is the most comprehensive analysis to date on the subject. Lead author Prof Max Parkin said: “Many people believe cancer is down to fate or ‘in the genes’ and that it is the luck of the draw whether they get it.” “Looking at all the evidence, it’s clear that around 40% of all cancers are caused by things we mostly have the power to change.” For men, the best advice appears to be: stop smoking, eat more fruit and veg and cut down on how much alcohol you drink.
For women, again, the reviews says the best advice is to stop smoking, but also watch your weight.
Prof Parkin said: “We didn’t expect to find that eating fruit and vegetables would prove to be so important in protecting men against cancer. And among women we didn’t expect being overweight to be more of a risk factor than alcohol.”
In total, 14 lifestyle and environmental factors, such as where you live and the job you do, combine to cause 134,000 cancers in the UK each year.
About 100,000 (34%) of the cancers are linked to smoking, diet, alcohol and excess weight.
One in 25 of cancers is linked to a person’s job, such as being exposed to chemicals or asbestos. Some risk factors are well established, such as smoking’s link with lung cancer.
But others are less recognised.
For example, for breast cancer, nearly a 10th of the risk comes from being overweight or obese, far out weighing the impact of whether or not the woman breastfeeds or drinks alcohol.
And for oesophageal or gullet cancer, half of the risk comes from eating too little fruit and veg, while only a fifth of the risk is from alcohol, the report shows. For stomach cancer, a fifth of the risk comes from having too much salt in the diet, data suggests.
Some cancers, like mouth and throat cancer, are caused almost entirely by lifestyle choices. But others, like gall bladder cancer, are largely unrelated to lifestyle.
The researchers base their calculations on predicted numbers of cases for 18 different types of cancer in 2010, using UK incidence figures for the 15-year period from 1993 to 2007.
Dr Rachel Thompson, of the World Cancer Research Fund, said the report added to the “now overwhelmingly strong evidence that our cancer risk is affected by our lifestyles”. Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said leading a healthy lifestyle did not guarantee a person would not get cancer but the study showed “we can significantly stack the odds in our favour”.
“If there are things we can do to reduce our risk of cancer we should do as much as we possibly can,” he said.
Public Health Minister Anne Milton said: “We all know that around 23,000 cases of lung cancer could be stopped each year in England if people didn’t smoke.
By making small changes we can cut our risk of serious health problems – give up smoking, watch what you drink, get more exercise and keep an eye on your weight.”
Whilst not all cancers or any illness are completely preventable some cancers are. Start making the changes today to help your body and mind be as healthy as they can be – book a Hypnotherapy, CBT & NLP session with Erika and begin to take charge of your health.
By Erika Keat
Erika Keat is part of the Breathe London team, she offers Hypnotherapy, CBT & NLP at Breathe on a Wednesday between 2.30pm and 9pm. For more information or to arrange a consultation please contact Erika.
