I’ve been absent from the blogosphere for the past five months. The main reason is because my wife and I were in the throes of assisting our fathers navigate the final chapters of their respective lives. I didn’t have the energy, focus or inclination to blog or do much of anything else, for that matter. But that’s a subject for future musings.
In my previous post, Performance Anxiety: Understanding the Root of the Problem – Part One, I shared my perspective on the root cause of the problem and introduced the concepts of the “Voice Inside Your Head” (VIYH) as the problem and becoming the dispassionate observer or witness as the solution (read Part One to get up to speed). In Part Two, I will share some specific things you can do, techniques, if you will, to help you achieve a quiet mind and overcome performance anxiety. Here we go…
Stream of Consciousness Journaling: This is the ultimate “to do” list. With pen and paper in hand, write down every thought (voice) in your head. Include everything you need to get done, everything that is bothering you, fears and worries, regrets, hopes and wishes—everything. Dump the entire contents of your head onto the paper. Keep journaling until you can’t think of anything else (now there’s a concept). This has the effect of clearing out your mental closet, allowing you to intuitively connect to your natural gifts and creativity.
Brain Gym Exercises: These exercises will help you get mentally “unstuck” and change the habitual patterns by which your brain tends to function. They are designed to assist the development of your whole brain.
- “Cross Crawl” Stand or sit in a comfortable position. Put the right hand across the body to the left knee as you raise it, and then do the same thing for the left hand on the right knee as if you were marching. Do this for at least 2 minutes at a time.
- “Hook Ups” Stand or sit. Cross the right leg over the left at the ankles. Take your right wrist and cross it over the left wrist and link up the fingers so that the right wrist is on top. Bend the elbows out and gently turn the fingers in towards the body until they rest on the sternum (breast bone) in the center of the chest. Stay in this position. Keep the ankles crossed and the wrists crossed and then breathe evenly in this position for a few minutes. You will be noticeably calmer after that time. This video may provide a visual aide.
- “Lazy 8’s” With a pen and paper, using first your dominant, then your non-dominant hand, draw the infinity sign (the number eight lying on its side) for 1-2 minutes daily.
- “Rhythmic Eights” An alternative to #3 that doesn’t require pen and paper is Rhythmic Eights. Also derived from kinesiology principles of rhythmic movement, Rhythmic Eights consists of clasping your hands together, fingers and thumbs interlaced, then “drawing” figures of eights in the air for up to a minute each day or whenever needed to quiet the mind.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT): Utilizing the meridians on which Chinese Acupuncture is based (without the needles), EFT addresses issues such as performance anxiety at the emotional level by stimulating specific meridian points by tapping on them with our fingertips, often in conjunction with self-affirming proclamations. Check out this introductory video:
I suggest you also check out this EFT technique for clearing the Chakras, a techique that can be especially effective when done prior to a performance or speaking engagement.
So now you have some specific techniques for eliminating your performance anxiety. I hope you will take the time to try them out to see which ones are the best fit for you in your daily practice. I also hope you will share your personal experiences, feedback and success stories with me via your comments to this post. Perhaps you have discovered some other techniques that have worked for you. Please share them here as well.
Until next time… Get it real and keep it real.
Cheerio!
Richard
Filed under Ad Hoc, Health Realization, Music by on Apr 15th, 2010. Comment. 
In my previous post I shared my recent discovery of the 3 Principles of Understanding as a means of connecting to the core health that is innate in all of us. Today I’d like to share 5 ways to calm your mind that have proven successful for me and many others. I find it beneficial to vary my routine to prevent getting bored, which can lead to lack of motivation. The key is to create time and space for these activities, however it may best integrate into your daily life.
1. Meditate: This doesn’t have to involve anything formal, though a mantra is a very useful meditation tool. Really, any form of deep, rhythmical relaxation breathing from the diaphragm will do the trick. Make sure you can visualize (literally and figuratively) the outward expansion of your diaphragm on the inhalation and the opposite deflation of the diaphragm on the exhalation—like an accordion. You shouldn’t need a dedicated physical space for your meditation, but it certainly is helpful to have a quiet, comfortable spot. With practice, you will be able to effectively quiet your mind no matter where your body is.
2. Take a Nature Break: Get outside and breathe some fresh air for at least 20 minutes. I mean, really suck that stuff into your lungs and let it out slowly. I know it can be hard to motivate yourself—call a friend or family member if it helps (keep the conversation light and breezy or you’re defeating the purpose). For me, I get the greatest benefit from walking or biking in the woods or near water. I’m fortunate to live in an area with hundreds of acres of heavily-wooded county parkland within a stone’s throw. Be resourceful. Google nature trails and parks in your local area and try to break up your routine by going to different spots to keep it fresh. As with any of these activities, with practice, you’ll find it’s like a walk in the park.
3. Play or Listen to Music: This is one that many of us do subconsciously to relax as part of our social conditioning. If you don’t play an instrument but would like to incorporate one into your practice, I recommend getting a hand drum (some form of ethnic percussion like a Djembe or Dumbek). Remove any jewelry from your hands and arms, take several deep breaths and begin to slap, stroke, shake or beat. Try starting out at a slow tempo and tune-in to your center. It will dictate the pattern it needs you to play to synchronize your mind and body. Once you feel you have the hang of it, you can explore participating in a drum circle as an option.
You need not play an instrument at all. Most people appreciate the way just listening to relaxing music with eyes closed can induce a deep state of calm. Go online or to your favorite retail store and invest some time previewing what’s available in the “Relaxation” genre. There’s some truly wonderful stuff out there. Here’s a couple of sources to get you going: brucekurnow.com (requires iTunes) innerpeacemusic.com
4. Apply Shiatsu Self-Massage: If you’re unfamiliar with Shiatsu, very briefly, Shiatsu is an ancient Japanese healing method based on the pressure point and energy meridian philosophy of Chinese Acupuncture. Shiatsu helps to balance a persons energy flow, and strengthen the vital organs. It’s especially suitable for self-application and can be practiced literally anywhere. For example, there are specific pressure points on the bottom of the feet that correspond to tension. Applying the correct Shiatsu technique to these points causes a feeling of relaxation and calm that is often quite dramatic. If you haven’t already done so, give it a try. You can experience immediate results if done correctly. 
Shiatsu Self-Massage - Source: pedagonet.com
5. Journal: The key to journalling in order to calm the mind is to write whatever comes into your mind—literally in stream-of-conscious fashion. I have found it ineffective and counter to the purpose when I try to analyze the content while I’m writing it. Amazingly, when I just let it flow onto the paper, I come away from the exercise with a profound feeling of ease and lightness. It’s as if I’ve transfered all the thoughts from my head to the paper, which, come to think of it, is essentially what the exercise entails. Get out your paper and pen, take a few deep breaths, connect with your right brain and just let it go until the words stop on their own.
That’s my list of top 5 ways to calm your mind and bring more light in to your daily life. I’d love to hear your thoughts and personal experiences related to the subject as well as suggestions to add to the list.
Remember, practice makes perfect—or at least perfect imperfection! It’s not about getting it right, it’s about getting and keeping it REAL. Until next time…
Cheerio!
Richard
Filed under Health Realization, Music by on Jun 13th, 2009. 2 Comments.
