| Have you ever felt like your mind was | | | | productive done until you call a time out and |
| spinning on a hamster wheel? You know; you | | | | "re-boot" your system. And just how do you |
| get caught in an endless loop, running over | | | | re-boot your mind? |
| the same old fears again and again, feeling | | | | |
| unable to just stop the ride and get off? | | | | Physical Change = Emotional Change |
| | | | |
| I think we have all felt this way at one time | | | | Our physical state and our mental state are |
| or another, and if you have a history of | | | | very closely linked. For example, I notice |
| anxiety or panic issues, you have surely done | | | | that I always feel calm and centered when I |
| a few laps on the old hamster wheel. I know I | | | | exercise regularly and drink plenty of water. |
| have! | | | | So to change a faulty (but temporary) mental |
| | | | state, like the cognitive loop, I recommend |
| This obsessive re-examining of a fearful or | | | | immediately changing your physical state. |
| worrying situation is what I call a | | | | |
| "cognitive loop." It is uncomfortable at | | | | The easiest way to do this is to just notice |
| best, and at its worse, can have a negative | | | | what you are doing with your body, and then |
| affect on every area of your life, including | | | | do the opposite of that. If you're |
| your actual physical health. | | | | sitting-stand up, or even go for a short |
| | | | walk. If you're slouching, straighten your |
| That's right. Research shows that over time, | | | | posture-chin up, chest out, back straight. |
| mental distress of this type can actually | | | | |
| cause physical distress, quickening the pulse | | | | Notice your breathing. Are you taking short, |
| rate, raising blood pressure, and even | | | | shallow breaths? Take a few slow, deep |
| weakening the immune system. All the more | | | | breaths, breathing out slightly longer than |
| reason to learn how to "jump off the hamster | | | | you breath in. Do a few slow and deliberate |
| wheel." So let's define what this "loop" | | | | stretches with your arms and legs to increase |
| actually is, and how you can put an end to | | | | circulation. |
| this vicious cycle. | | | | |
| | | | Anything you can do to change your physical |
| I think of a cognitive loop like a computer | | | | state will immediately begin to affect your |
| "hang up." Remember the last time your | | | | mental state. And the more extreme the change |
| computer froze on you? It became unresponsive | | | | in your physical state, the more extreme the |
| and all forward progress came to a screeching | | | | change in your mental state will be. That's |
| halt, right? Probably your only alternative | | | | one reason that exercise is so good for your |
| was to "reboot" and start over, because as | | | | mental health-especially as a preventive |
| everyone knows, once that endless loop starts | | | | measure. |
| running, you're not going to get anything | | | | |
| done until you do! | | | | Walking or bike-riding are both good for the |
| | | | nerves, but any physical movement that |
| And that is exactly how you handle a loop in | | | | changes your physical state will have a |
| your thinking! | | | | positive effect. One easy way to remember |
| | | | this: |
| Once the loop of fear or worry begins, all | | | | |
| progress stops. Your mind has basically "hung | | | | "When you change what your body is doing, you |
| up," and you're not getting anything | | | | change what your mind is doing. |