The last couple weeks we’ve been talking about biohacking – those small adjustments in lifestyle changes that can utilize science and technology to support your goals and, over time, change the chemistry in the body. We started with biohacking sleep, moved to biohacking movement and this week is about biohacking mindset.
Some people feel that biohacking in and of itself is a mindset, and that’s true when you remove the support of science and technology. Our brains are very powerful and we can use them as a tool to help us achieve the results we want.
UNLOCKING BRAIN POWER:
Meditate
Exercise
Creativity (write, music)
Sleep
Laughing
Healthy Diet
If you are constantly talking down to yourself, your brain holds on to that negativity and can take a while to reprogram change. You’ll want to start shifting the negative self-talk and start feeding your brain positive thoughts instead. A great way to do this is with affirmations.
Affirmations are simple – you repeat a supportive phrase that encourages you to think and/or feel a specific, positive way. Just like a muscle that gets stronger as it gets worked, our brains being feed positive affirmations is “working it out” and will eventually become your reality. Although you’re not utilizing technology here, you are tapping into the power of science. Our brains don’t always differentiate between our reality and our imaginations, so by utilizing a positive affirmation you’ll feel more x, y, z (relaxed, confident, successful, happy, etc.).
Women often struggle with our appearance and body. Wanting to lose weight, gain weight, have straight hair, curly hair, big booty, tiny tush, different color eyes or hair, plump lips, something lifted, you name it we're all different and want different things. Those that can focus on loving themselves as a whole will experience reduced anxiety and depression. Being body positive doesn't mean that you don't want to or can't change things, but it does mean that you focus on accepting your body regardless of your weight, size, shape, and even your physical abilities.
If you find this to be an area of concern for you and you want to work on appreciating your body you can do a few things, including using body positive affirmations. I recommend that you say these out loud to yourself while looking in the mirror. Other small steps you can take are to consider your source of “pain” – is it the scale or an article of clothing? Get rid of those things that are setting you back.
My body is a gift
I am full of energy, passion and vitality
My body is truly beautiful I choose self-love
I am strong in mind, body and spirit
My body is amazing, powerful and strong
I treat my body with love and compassion
Setting daily intentions, mini goals if you will, is a practice that I’m a firm believer in. When you wake up in the morning give yourself a few minutes to sit in the stillness of the new day, collect your thoughts and lay out your intentions for the day. You want to make sure you're doing this before your day gets overrun with life. Find a cozy chair, go outside, hide in the bathroom, whatever you gotta do. 😉
I read somewhere that, on average, we make about 35,000 decisions each day, and the large majority of them take place in our subconscious mind. And our subconscious mind pulls from stored memories to assist the decision-making process. So, if we can use a biohacking tool like setting intentions then really what we're doing is assisting and giving our minds the direction to make the best decisions for us based off the goal or purpose you've already set to achieve.
WAYS TO SET DAILY INTENTIONS:
create a daily routine/practice
use a fun journal/paper/pen
be clear and precise
keep them positive
write them down (or verbalize them aloud)
tap into how it will make you feel
Meditation, this is a practice used by even the most seasoned biohackers. It’s been proven to have profound impacts on your mental and emotional health as well as your overall happiness. There are two sides to our brain: analytical and intuitive - we need both to make decisions. We also have a part of the brain known as the pre-frontal cortex, which is where our decision making, personalities, reasoning and cognitive behaviors are developed and processed. Research shows that meditation thickens our pre-frontal cortex, a bonus because it increases our concentration, awareness, and overall decision making.
MEDITATION BENEFITS:
reduce anxiousness and stress
encourages mindfulness
decrease sadness
increased empathy
boost happiness
I know you’ve heard me talk about it all the time but keeping a gratitude journal is a fantastic practice. The easiest way to get started is to write down one thing you are thankful for each day. Try not to over think it, keep it simple and literally write down whatever pops into your head – a relationship, technology, outcome, feeling, product, there are no right or wrong’s here. It’s simply how you feel in that moment.
I love to incorporate essential oils into all of these areas. The oils that I use with affirmations and setting intentions varies, but my meditation practice always starts the same. Before I begin, I roll doTERRA Balance® Grounding Blend on my feet just before I start. If you're looking for a good blend to use with your gratitude practice try, this Gratitude Blend - 8 drops Bergamot, 5 drops each: Ylang Ylang, Wild Orange & Hawaiian Sandalwood, and 3 drops Clary Sage. Roll on your pulse points, specifically your wrists, over heart and on neck, then begin journaling your gratitude.
As a shameless plug, I just wrote a journal called
The Self-Care Method™, this is a great way for you to track your gratitude along with another technique I use called a thank you statement. These together are powerful in your endeavors and quick wins in biohacking your mindset and day.
xoDanette