If I needed to get control of my mindset ahead of an important presentation or high-pressure situation like an interview, there’s a counter-intuitive way to improve it and some tips you can use right away to get the benefit.
To control your mindset, you must learn how to control your physiology.
This is why my company is called Vitamin P: P stands for physiology (it also happens to stand for Philip!)
It’s counter-intuitive but your physiology has a massive impact on your mindset.
Your physiology starts with the nervous system you’re spending most time in:
– Sympathetic is survival, fight or flight, in the present, retreat, control, certain etc.
– Parasympathetic is rest, digest, future, growth, possibilities, openness and trust etc.
The gateway to control your physiology is through regulating your breathing: inhale is more sympathetic, exhale is parasympathetic.
If you balance your inhale to exhale rhythm e.g. 4 seconds inhale, 4 seconds exhale, you will become more coherent, balanced and your nervous system will settle.
You will then send a better quality signal from your body to your brain and this improves the quality of your thinking, ability to be present and perform.
So tip one, regulate your breathing!
The next set are quicker to explain but easily forgotten: Increase your water, sunlight and rest!
We’re typically dehydrated and wonder why our energy is low.
Sunlight will help our body understand when it’s awake and when it’s time for sleep so your rest / recovery will improve as your sleep quality does.
You’re rarely overworked, you’re under-recovered.
Getting the right inputs will help you perform and improve your outputs.
If I can help your mindset or leadership, send me a message.
