Three Techniques to Be Your Best Self

I’m wrestling with work and family challenges this week that are putting my PQ skills to the test.

Nothing huge, just the unexpected things that pop up now and then on top of everything else I have to get done. I’m sure you know the feeling.

But how are you doing?

Stressed? Irritated? Frustrated? Anxious?

If you feel stressed at any point, consider trying this technique and and the other two in my video (link below):

• Rub two fingertips together for 10 seconds with such attention that you can feel the fingertip ridges. Then rub all of the fingertips of one hand against the fingertips and palm of your other hand.

Or

• Hear the farthest away sound you can hear for at least 10 or 20 seconds. Then hear the closest sound you can hear for 10-20 seconds. Then listen to the sound of your own breathing, in and out.

Focusing attention on sensory input helps drop a person out of the negative emotions and stress caused by activation of the survival region of the brain. It instead activates a more positive, thriving region of the brain.

Any sensory stimulation can do this if you can put your attention on it for 10 seconds. Longer practice builds up a sort of “charge” that can carry you for a while, but this "PQ Rep" technique (for Positive Intelligence mental muscle repetitions) is very effective for most people (neurodivergent folks included).

If you'd like to know more about how you can use this, here are two resources. Check these out and then get curious! Contact me to learn more.

• ​"Three Techniques to Be Your Best Self," by Steve Semler (https://youtu.be/h-VopQ5UGtc)
• ​"Know Your Inner Saboteurs: Shirzad Chamine at TEDxStandford," (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zdJ1ubvoXs)

I hope you can beat your stress. In fact, I know you can if you use these techniques!

Positively,
–Steve

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