Ultimate Mind Control

Making fear your best friend....

Anchor this as a resource state so that you can bring it up at any time. In other words, figure out how to draw upon this state at will by practicing it, and then associating some mental or physical link or cue with it to bring it back when needed. That might be tapping your fingers, holding your arms in a certain way or whatever physical link you can easily and accurately repeat.

For more information on Anchoring see section 5.

If you come under stress in the future, you can then trigger the physical link and the feelings of that experience or experiences will return as soon as you are back in your circle of excellence.

take control of your emotions through deep penetrative relaxation

Deep Breathing, PMR and the Relaxation Response

Physical relaxation techniques are as effective as mental techniques in reducing stress. In fact, the best relaxation is achieved by using physical and mental techniques together.

These three useful physical relaxation techniques can help you reduce muscle tension and manage the effects of the fight-or-flight response on your body. This is particularly important if you need to think clearly and perform precisely when you are under pressure, or think that you are.

The techniques I want to share with your are: Deep Breathing, Progressive Muscular Relaxation and 'The Relaxation Response'.

Deep Breathing

Deep breathing is a simple, but very effective, method of relaxation. It is a core component of everything from the "take ten deep breaths" approach to calming someone down, right through to yoga relaxation and Zen meditation. It works well in conjunction with other relaxation techniques such as Progressive Muscular Relaxation, relaxation imagery, meditation and self-hypnosis to reduce stress.

The Technique of Deep Breathing

To use the technique, take a number of deep breaths and relax your body further with each breath. As you breathe in you should feel a sideways inflation as your lungs fill with air. Allow your stomach muscles to relax and feel the breath low and deep into your abdomen. After each breath you will feel your body relaxing more and more. From head to toe each part will begin to calm and relax. That's all there is to it!

Progressive Muscular Relaxation PMR

Progressive Muscular Relaxation is useful for relaxing your body when your muscles are tense. The idea behind PMR is that you tense up a group of muscles so that they are as tightly contracted as possible. Hold them in a state of extreme tension for a few seconds. Then, relax the muscles normally. Then, consciously relax the muscles even further so that you are as relaxed as possible.

By tensing your muscles first, you will find that you are able to relax your muscles more than would be the case if you tried to relax your muscles directly. Experiment with PMR by forming a fist, and clenching your hand as tight as you can for a few seconds. Relax your hand to its previous tension, and then consciously relax it again so that it is as loose as possible. You should feel deep relaxation in your hand muscles.

This exercise changes the chemical composition in your blood and therefore changes your mental and physical state.