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Do you, really?

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The reason I ask is that there are certain things which are known to make us feel better almost instantly : laughing, dancing, eating chocolate and watching videos of dolphins are up there for a lot of people.

So when you’re feeling a negative emotion, whether it’s the discomfort of stress, anger, loneliness, apathy, inadequacy or failure — all which can be pretty debilitating — the real question is not whether you can change how you feel — it’s knowing exactly how to. 

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The good news is that how we feel is influenced by a number of things — amongst these our biology, physiology, mental state and what we think about.

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I say this is good news, because consciously affecting any one of these has the potential to instantly change how we feel in any moment.

There’s been a lot of emphasis recently on the importance of our mindset — consisting of our overall outlook (positive or negative), how much we apply ourselves to thinking (as opposed to letting our minds run wild) and what we choose to think about. All of this contributes massively to our well-being, and even if you do the bare minimum by simply deciding to really think about something joyous, or recalling an experience which made you feel great (ideally reliving it with all your senses) for a whole minute, there’s no doubt that it will alter your mood and how you’re feeling.

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Beyond this, the fascinating discoveries in neuroscience — the science of the brain — also reveal that it’s possible, over time, to affect your very biology with the power of thought. That’s pretty incredible.

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But there are also simple, effective and often faster ways to change how you feel besides using your mind. I’m talking about the things which affect you instantly, physically. We often forget this because it’s not something we need to think about  . . . and we do love to think about everything ! In fact, many of us are so wrapped up in our minds sometimes it seems that if we can’t rationalise or comprehend something, then it’s not worth our time and energy.

Yet this is so far from the truth. 

The truth is that we are entirely made up of energy, which is constantly flowing and changing form. Even our thoughts are energetic — but they are just a smallpart of our energetic whole. Just as our body is designed to be mobile, every single system within it relies on movement. 

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Quite simply, movement is a vital key to changing our state and therefore how we feel.

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When you move, all sorts of things can happen. Blood begins to flow to different areas, life-giving oxygen gets transported around your body, hormones which make you feel excited, happy and even euphoric get released.

We can therefore use it as a powerful tool. Different types of exercise cause different reactions in our bodies, and certain types of movement are more powerful than others, depending what state you want to achieve. But if you simply move yourself around a bit and get the energy moving, flowing and changing within you — you guessed it, you’re going to feel different. 

What’s the hitch? Well, you’d be right in thinking that lasting change is not just about the quick fix, because this can work both ways : if it’s possible to feel more positive so rapidly, it follows that we can just as well feel bad again, just as fast.  Certainly most of us would like to feel more happy, abundant, peaceful and fulfilled in a more general, lasting way.

However, firstly I’d suggest that spending just a minute or two in order to snap out of feeling overwhelmed or crippled by negative emotion can only be a good thing, can’t it? 

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And secondly, creating more self-awareness and taking control of your emotions more regularly does lead to improved well-being long-term. 

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We do well to remember that change has to begin somewhere — and it’s much easier, more effective and sustainable to start small. 

So start with 60 seconds. 

Those 60 seconds might just affect your whole day. And over time, your life.

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If you’re interested in a mini video series of rapid tools and techniques to help beat stress and overwhelm or create more positive states of improved confidence, motivation or focus — sign up to find out more at  www.bit.ly/energy-hacks-optin-1  or follow updates on Instagram or Facebook. 

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Whilst scientifically based, these suggestions are not intended as a replacement for the treatment of the likes of chronic stress, anxiety or depression. If you suffer from these, I would encourage you to seek professional advice.

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