Mindful in 5 Episode 121. Leverage These Simple Words (get transcript)
Keywords
mindful, foster, mindset, today, breathing, word, book, peacefulness, peaceful, growth mindset, enhances, new year's resolutions, stressed, concept, body, manageable steps, encourages
0:00 Hello and welcome to Mindful in 5, helping you discover your peaceful path. I'm your host Spiwe Jefferson, author of the Mindful in 5 book series.
0:14 Stop what you're doing. No really, stop what you're doing. Mindful ninjas take a deep breath in. Hold it. Now release. Take another deep breath in a belly breath. Hold it, and release. Hopefully you feel just a little bit more relaxed in this moment. Today, the title of our episode is leverage these simple words, we are diving into the influence of short, powerful words that can make all the difference in your attitude and behavior for success and the scientific basis behind their power. Let's start with our first word. Small word three letters, “yet”. It is a powerful tool in fostering a growth mindset. A concept studied by psychologist Carol Dweck. Let's say there's something you're struggling with that you just feel like you haven't mastered. Rather than saying, I can't do this, saying instead, I can't do this yet acknowledges potential for growth and future success. This simple shift encourages persistence and resilience, essential qualities for overcoming challenges.
2:01 Another powerful word is “today”. It focuses our energy on the present, aligning with mindfulness principles. Research in positive psychology shows that focusing on immediate, achievable goals enhances motivation and satisfaction. It's about taking small manageable steps toward our goals, fostering a sense of achievement and progress. So for example, if you are embarking on a change that you want to make in your life, let's say you're one of those people who was ambitious enough to create new year's resolutions. Rather than saying, I'm going to go to the gym every day this year, or three times a week, every week this year. Simply saying, I am going to go to the gym today focuses your energy not only on what you need to do today, but reduces the overwhelm of the just the sheer measure of the commitment of committing to do something every day for the next year. If you missed it, I invite you to have a listen to our New Years podcast episode. And I think it was called Happy New Year just today that digs much deeper into this concept of just doing something today. Our third, powerful word is more than just a word. It is a mindset that activates physiological responses beneficial for clarity and confidence. Neuroscience studies reveal that a peaceful state peaceful as our word reduces stress hormones and boosts endorphins, enhancing problem solving and decision making capabilities. What about that to cultivate this peacefulness practice box breathing. Inhale for the count of four. Hold for the counter for exhale for the counter for and hold again for four counts. This technique can help stabilize your mood and sharpen your focus.
4:33 Let's try it. Inhale 234 Hold it 234 exhale 234 Again, inhale 234 Hold it 234 exhale two Three, four. Box breathing is especially useful when you are feeling stressed. Partly because if you think about it, right, if you have to focus your mind on counting while you inhale and exhale, it's really hard for your mind to continue to race. And also slowing down your breathing slows down your metabolism, it slows down the process of getting into fight flight and freeze mode, that is often triggered when you are stressed and your body releases hormones like adrenaline, and cortisol, which are your body's way of getting you ready for a stressful event. So if you just lying in your bed, thinking about things your body can't tell the difference between is the lion really coming? Or are we just thinking about the lion? Is the difficult challenge that we are worried about that might be happening at work tomorrow? Is that here right now? Or are we just laying in bed worrying about it, your brain can't tell the difference. So when you're worried, it releases those hormones to help you battle the lion battle, the challenge, address whatever the difficulty is, even if you're just lying in bed. So box breathing is a great way to persuade your brain to get out of that fight flight freeze mode that is surely going to stop you from sleeping because you are supposed to be alert. And that's what happens when we get stressed. And so try box breathing as a way to invoke that peaceful state of mind, especially when you are stressed.
6:46 Lastly, “okay” teaches us self compassion, which is linked to greater emotional resilience. Recognizing, for example, that it's okay to make mistakes, or face setbacks encourages a learning mindset and that learning mindset and that learning mindset is critical for personal growth. Research by Dr. Kristin Neff, has shown that self compassion leads to lower levels of anxiety and depression and enhances self improvement motivation.
7:30 So in conclusion, incorporating “yet”, “today”, “okay”, and the concept of peacefulness into your daily vocabulary can significantly influence your mindset and behavior towards success. How do you add peacefulness? We talked about box breathing? Well, you can simply say, in this moment, I am at peace. Or you can say in this moment, my heart is peaceful. These are examples of words that can shift your perspective, encourage growth, and foster a supportive, resilient attitude. So this week, be kind to yourself, foster that growth mindset and be okay with the ups and downs, even where you feel like you did not show up as your best self. Thank you for joining us on this episode of mindful in five. By embracing these words, you foster a peaceful, clear and confident attitude that paves the way for success. Linked in the notes for this podcast is the episode where we talked about what it means to have a growth mindset. Remember, your mindset truly matters. Until next time, this is Spiwe saying be mindful and be well.
James@DiscovertheVoice
9:07 Thank you for listening to Mindful in 5. If you enjoyed it, share it with a friend. Follow and rate it on your favorite podcast platform. Pick up your signed copy of the book in journal from SpiweJefferson.com or unsigned copies from Amazon, Barnes and Noble or wherever you get your books. Visit SpiweJefferson.com to download sample chapters of the book, watch videos and become a mindful ninja. Join us on the LinkedIn Mindful in 5 group and share your thoughts. Until next time, be mindful and be well.