Mindset Mondays No. 5
Master your emotions, Week 3 of 3
Today is the last day of taking control of your emotions! Subscribe for future masterclasses, and see the last two weeks for tips #1 & #2.
Physiology dictates your emotions.
Before we get into tip #3, let’s recap quick:
You have the ability to control how you feel using language. How you describe your life becomes your life.
Your focus creates your reality. What you choose to see in a situation is what becomes your reality.
Pretty powerful, right? Both your focus and how you speak change how you see the world.
The last tip, tip #3, is about physiology. Ironically just in time for the most popular resolution of all time, getting in shape ;)
So how does physiology help you master your emotions and help you focus on the important things? When you move, your body releases serotonin and dopamine into your brain1,2. This decreases depression and elevates your mood. Simple as that. This is truly the quickest way to change your emotions.
How long do you need to exercise to realize the benefits? For longer lasting benefits, the recommendation is 20-30 minutes 3 times a week. This could be going for a walk, playing with your dog, riding a bike. This doesn’t have to be hard, but you have to just do it.
That’s 90 minutes out of 10,080 minutes in your week.
If you’re having trouble getting exercise in, do it first thing in the day. I recommend doing the things you find the most challenging first, and if working out is one, knock it out as soon as you roll out of bed.
Pro tip! Keep in mind that you can easily give your emotions a boost by doing 25 jumping jacks, 10 burpees, 20 pushups, anything quick and simple to get you moving. I’ve done this before meetings I need to be ready and on for. If you’re a leader, this is a quick and dirty hack to get you going during your afternoon slump (also, it’s ok to take naps!).
This is the last Mindset Mondays of 2024-- have a great New Year’s, and here’s to 2025 being a great one!
Let me know what you think below! How can this newsletter help you succeed in 2025?
1Young, S. N. (2007, November). How to increase serotonin in the human brain without drugs. Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2077351/
2Pahlavani, H. A. (2023, December 2). Possible role of exercise therapy on depression: Effector neurotransmitters as key players. Behavioural Brain Research. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166432823005090
Wonderful post. I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with high intensity workouts, but once I get going, I always feel that serotonin/dopamine hit. It's just about finding the willpower to get put on those running shoes or get to the gym.