Speaker 1: Hi everyone, Carly Taylor here for this week's Mojo Monday.
Speaker 1: So I'm going to start today with a bit of
Speaker 1: self disclosure about something that happened to me the other morning,
Speaker 1: and I haven't actually told anybody about this, so you
Speaker 1: are the first to know. So I was doing a
Speaker 1: CrossFit workout and it was a really, really tough workout.
Speaker 1: It was very high cardio, and I'd woken up tired anyway,
Speaker 1: so my energy was low. I had actually considered not going,
Speaker 1: but I went because I knew I would feel great afterwards.
Speaker 1: But it felt even It felt even tougher than usual,
Speaker 1: I would say, because I was tired, and in the
Speaker 1: middle of the workout, I started feeling really stressed. So
Speaker 1: my adrenaline was pumping and my heart was pounding, and
Speaker 1: I was breathing really heavily, And while I was jumping
Speaker 1: over a barbell doing barbel facing burpies, I felt like
Speaker 1: it was actually at the beginning of a minor panic attack,
Speaker 1: which is something I've experienced a couple of times before,
Speaker 1: but it's really not a common thing. And then my
Speaker 1: mind piped up telling me that everyone else in the
Speaker 1: gym was bitter and stronger and younger and more capable
Speaker 1: than me, and honestly, I actually felt like bursting into tears.
Speaker 1: And I don't know if anyone listening has experienced this
Speaker 1: in an exercise context, but doing high intensity strain training
Speaker 1: can bring on a stress response because you are putting
Speaker 1: your body under stress. It's you know, the adrenaline is high,
Speaker 1: and your heart rate is up, and your sweating and
Speaker 1: your breathing is fast, and it's actually a good kind
Speaker 1: of situation. That is, or an analogy, that's what can
Speaker 1: happen when you have a panic attack. So I thought
Speaker 1: I would tell you how I responded to it. So
Speaker 1: of course my immediate response was, oh my god, what
Speaker 1: is happening. I don't want this. I need it to stop.
Speaker 1: This is embarrassing. I need to keep going. And then
Speaker 1: I caught myself because I knew through all the work
Speaker 1: that I've done that if I put my attention on
Speaker 1: these sensations I was feeling, or the self defeating thoughts
Speaker 1: that were racing through my mind, I would have a
Speaker 1: panic attack and I would burst into tears. I knew
Speaker 1: that putting my energy, my focus, my attention on trying
Speaker 1: to stop feeling like this would be counterproductive because I
Speaker 1: know that where our attention goes, the energy flows. So
Speaker 1: instead of trying to control or suppress these thoughts and sensations,
Speaker 1: I intentionally shifted my focus. I started to think about
Speaker 1: the purpose of being there. I reminded myself of the
Speaker 1: positive benefits this discomfort has on my health and my
Speaker 1: mental health and the aging process, which are all reasons
Speaker 1: why I work out in the first place. I thought
Speaker 1: about the meaning behind the tough workout, it's my why.
Speaker 1: And as I did that, I wasn't focused on the
Speaker 1: anxious feelings anymore, and they began to dissipate. I was
Speaker 1: able to go back into the workout and I finished it.
Speaker 1: And the truth is I was one of the oldest
Speaker 1: and the slowest in the room that dwelling on that
Speaker 1: thought wasn't helpful to my purpose for being there. And
Speaker 1: that's the takeaway. We will all feel anxious or panicked
Speaker 1: at some point this year. Some will feel it more
Speaker 1: than others, but it's inevitable because it's part of being human.
Speaker 1: We will all feel that racing heart, the clammy hands,
Speaker 1: maybe the stomach pain. We will all have unhelpful, self
Speaker 1: defeating thoughts that if we allow them to can stop
Speaker 1: us from being present with our kids and loved ones,
Speaker 1: stop us from being consistent with our habits, stop us
Speaker 1: from experiencing life and doing the very thing that will
Speaker 1: help us to adapt and grow. And this all takes training.
Speaker 1: It takes training to develop this skill of attention. And
Speaker 1: by using our attention and connecting with our purpose means
Speaker 1: that we can stay engaged in life even when it's tough.
Speaker 1: And this is how we don't miss out on the
Speaker 1: things that are important to us. And each challenge is
Speaker 1: an opportunity for growth rather than a threat to avoid.
Speaker 1: And it's about developing the capacity and the mindset to
Speaker 1: acknowledge and make room for the discomfort while taking purposeful action.
Speaker 1: So with all the goal setting and intentions that we've
Speaker 1: made for twenty twenty five, we need to expect these obstacles,
Speaker 1: Expect the hurdles, especially the hurdles that are in our
Speaker 1: head head. So when they show up, here's some questions
Speaker 1: that you can ask yourself that could be helpful. What
Speaker 1: can I control in this situation? And here's a hint.
Speaker 1: You cannot control your automatic emotions and thoughts. They come
Speaker 1: and they go in their own good time. But trying
Speaker 1: to control them is counterproductive and often makes things worse.
Speaker 1: Next question is what needs to be done right now?
Speaker 1: What do I need to do that's aligned with my purpose,
Speaker 1: with what's truly important to me despite these emotions showing up?
Speaker 1: Another question, how can I stay committed to what matters
Speaker 1: most here? And what are the opportunities for growth that
Speaker 1: this challenge may offer. We have to train ourselves and
Speaker 1: develop the capacity to keep going when things get tough.
Speaker 1: And what happened to me the other day? It seems
Speaker 1: like such a small, kind of insignificant moment during a workout,
Speaker 1: but it was an opportunity for me to practice this
Speaker 1: skill of attention. And these opportunities they show up in
Speaker 1: everyday lives. They are the baby steps or the opportunity
Speaker 1: to take baby steps of training your mindset and that
Speaker 1: muscle of attentional control and control what you can control,
Speaker 1: keep your attention on what matters and keep moving forward.
Speaker 1: And Marisa Shona Marita reminds us accept your feelings, know
Speaker 1: your purpose, and do what needs to be done. And
Speaker 1: this sounds really simple, but often simple doesn't mean it's
Speaker 1: not hard to do. And this is a hard thing
Speaker 1: to do, but with practice. This is how we can
Speaker 1: live well. This is how we can live a rich
Speaker 1: and full life. It's how we get stronger, not just physically,
Speaker 1: but mentally and emotionally. So find those small moments and
Speaker 1: use them to train your attention and therefore training that
Speaker 1: inner resilience. So great week everyone, and I will catch
Speaker 1: you next week. See yup.