Weekly Mental Fitness Workouts
August 27th - September 3rd
Happy Sunday Folks,
This weeks training will focus on Meaning and Values.
Meaning is associated with belonging or serving something that is greater than ourselves. This can take many forms: a social cause you feel strongly about, a creative endeavor you are pursuing, or a community that you belong to. The purpose that we draw from being a part of these spaces helps us focus on what is truly important. This has been shown to enhance life satisfaction & fewer overall health problems.
Values are closely connected to meaning. Once we identify our purpose, the next step becomes establishing our value. Much like a lighthouse, values help us navigate tricky waters. We will never achieve our values similar to how a boat will never actually reach a lighthouse. Rather, we let values guide our behaviors to take us closer to who we want to be, understanding that they serve as the desired qualities of our actions.
Mental Fitness Workouts:
Focus Training: Can you feel your feet?
For 5 minutes, feel the bottom of your feet as you walk slowly.
Notice everything about the steps you are taking: can you notice the muscles that you are using to make that step happen?
Repeat 2-3 times this week
We rarely take the time to slow down and notice how we truly walk.
Extra credit: notice every time you change plains and take it just a little bit slower acknowledging your change —> sitting to standing, laying to sitting
Meaning: The Daily 3
Each day this week, make intentional steps to complete the following:
A activity that you do on your own that is enjoyable (Ex: reading a book, listening to music)
A activity that you can do with the company of others (Ex: sharing a meal, playing a game)
A activity that is meaningful or significant (Ex: writing a letter to a friend or family member that you have not connected with in awhile)
REFLECT: What did your activities teach you about meaning/purpose in your life?
The meaning we attribute to our lives is derived in great part through meaningful activities and research suggests that a state of happiness is attainable only through activates that are consistent with noble and meaningful purposes. (Seligman, 2002)
Weekly Poll:
Back to the workouts:
Stress Training: Shorter inhale, Longer exhale
Practice 4 days x 3 minutes
breathe slowly in through your nose (3-4 seconds)
breathe out through your mouth like you are breathing through a straw (5-6 seconds)
repeat for 3 minutes
Reflect: what changes are you noticing after you complete this exercise?
Values: Your Ideal World
Either reflect in your journal or take a creative approach like drawing or vision boarding spend some time identifying your ideal self. Sometimes its easier to think, what does my life look like in 10 years:
Reflect: what do you consider most important to you in life?
Examine the following categories in detail:
Leisure and fun: How do you want to spend your down time?
what kind of activities do you want to invest time into?
Friends and family: what do you consider an important social life?
what kind of family member do you want to be?
Personal development and growth: what growth are you seeking?
what is your approach to learning/trying new things?
Health & Well being: what activities are you doing to reach your ideal state of health and wellness?
how does your daily routine incorporate your desired activities?
Career path/job: what career goals matter to you?
what strengths do you aspire to have as a worker?
Next: identify one value that connects to each of the bullets that you reflected on
BONUS EXERCISE: Values Card Sort
If you are looking for some extra credit work on values, check out this prompted activity where you sort values into different categories. It can help you identify what is truly at your core.
As always, feel free to contact me with any questions, comments or feedback. I am happy to support you along your journey towards authentic happiness.
Be Easy,
Ryan
Thanks for reading The Mind Gym by RGF Performance! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.