The unexpected benefits of working out your mind

As the winter blues meets COVID-19 induced cabin fever and zoom fatigue, I sometimes find it hard to maintain a positive outlook. Looking around, a lot of my friends and colleagues feel the same.

Surrendering to negative thinking and behavior patterns can be as tempting as choosing to stay on the couch and surfing the web over going out for a much-needed walk. As appealing as the couch may be, this temptation can become a problem when the mind falls into a cycle of feeding negative thoughts and behaviors, because of a phenomenon called neuroplasticity, which is the way that our brains form habits. Neuroplasticity means our brain’s neural pathways are not fixed, but that we can create, strengthen and weaken pathways, just like we do with our muscles.

This is where the concept of mental fitness comes in. It has been coined relatively recently, and rather than referring to training the brain by solving crossword puzzles or sudoku, it describes mental exercise routines to build new neural pathways that foster positive thinking. The key to mental fitness is becoming aware of what those familiar, unwanted patterns feel like, so that you can name them, intercept them and detach.Practicing mental fitness enough can allow the mind to shift to a different interpretation through exploration, curiosity, and empathy. It could also help us spot mind traps, such as our desire to agree, control or be right that stand in the way of our personal growth.

I recently partnered with Stanford lecturer and Founder of Positive Intelligence Inc., Shirzad Chamine, who has introduced me to a powerful approach to mental fitness based on research in cognitive behavioral therapy and neuroscience. He developed a PQ training program which teaches to tap into the sources of balance and calm that are always present but not always easily accessed. It is centered around techniques that can be learned and applied in the very moment that the mind gets triggered and negative emotions arise.

When I first learned about Chamine’s work, it sounded fascinating, but I needed to know – does it really work, and if so, how? His theory goes that each personality is related to a few well disguised mental “saboteurs” which stand in the way of personal growth and performance, such as the controller, the avoider, hypervigilant or pleaser.

Chamine has worked with Fortune 100 CEOs, performance athletes and 400.000 participants from 50 countries to identify these saboteurs, understand them and learn to overcome or overwrite their negative influence on behaviour.

To learn more, I took the free psychometric assessment, at Positive Intelligence Assessment which asks behavioral questions to identify every person’s top saboteurs that cause negative emotions such as stress, disappointment, self-doubt, regret or guilt. Comparing my results to some of my colleagues and friends, I felt like I was discovering a new layer to the mind’s mysteries. I completed the program which teaches how to intercept these saboteurs and develop new brain “muscles” through embodied techniques and went on to train as a PQ coach. The experience has significantly impacted the way I think and coach.

Negative emotions can serve a purpose as they signal to us what is unpleasant and possibly dangerous. But there is no purpose in dwelling in them. When we do, we often end up beating ourselves up, or blaming others, developing anger or contempt, or becoming resentful of our circumstances. We are allowing our saboteurs to wield too much power in our lives. The astonishing realization for me was that with a few tricks and a bit of practice, we can counter our saboteurs to activate positive emotions instead, such as empathy, gratitude, curiosity, creativity and self-confidence. This helps to let go of negative feelings in the moment and get unstuck by opening up to alternative assessments.

Like everything, though, achieving this level of self-control takes attention and dedication. Practicing a few minutes several times a day for over a month is necessary to perceive change, for example in the way we handle stress, impact others or deal with difficult people. That’s why being a part of the app and the small group pod is really key to achieve proficiency. Once established, the practice will likely become an integral part of daily routines.

My partnership with Chamine marked my journey to help my clients mastering change. I am a strong believer that the ability to better control the mind can be life changing.

“What is new and life changing is the ‘mind control,’ the ability to ‘let go’ when any negative feelings take over. This program has given me the ability to be in the driver seat of my life.”

• Nathalie Brys, General Counsel at Philips.

Starting in March, I will be rolling out a 7-week program combining weekly video sessions and experiential exercises, weekly small group coaching sessions, daily app- guided practices and one hour of individual coaching per week.

Based on my own experience with clients and other practitioners, I have been amazed to see how in just seven weeks we can learn tools and practices to manage conflict more easily, build resilience and become more productive and content with what we do. This has been truly inspiring for me, and I am excited to share what I learned with you.

If you are interested in learning more about positive intelligence practices, please contact me at verawilhelm@corteacc.com or through my website at www.corteacc.com.

I’m happy to share more about my experience, answer any questions, or help start you out on your journey to a fitter and more resilient mind.