Small Consistent Change, Big Positive Result: How these easy habits change your stress response FAST.

Small changes over time will have a measurable impact on your life; good or bad.

I attended a business summit recently where one of my friends, Mike Mooney - author of "Reputation Shift" and Keynote of "Your E.P.I.C. Pursuit" - shared a NASCAR story that struck home. The message was solidified in my reading of James Clear's book, "Atomic Habits:"

"Healthy] Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement."

In Mike Mooney's story, he talks about how a racing team went from always getting last place to turning around and winning. In "Atomic Habits", James Clear describes a story about how Dave Brailsford took the professional cyclist of Great Britain from never winning a gold medal in over 100 years to dominating the 2008 Olympic games; breaking cycling records for 10 straight years.

The common denominator?

"The aggregation of marginal gains - the philosophy of searching for a tiny marginal improvement in everything you do."

In Mike's story, the NASCAR team found all the tiny insignificant "1%" things they could change on the car to make it more aerodynamic and faster. They took those small things and made a 1% improvement with it, like turning these tiny hood pins 180 degrees which would create less drag.

For the cyclist, it was anything from making the seats more comfortable to painting the vans that would transport their bikes white so that they could see any dust that was missed when cleaning because the dust would impact the performance of the bike.

These are two examples where the accumulation of small changes can add up to significant wins in your life.

The call to action:

What small things are you doing daily that are keeping you from losing that weight?

What small things are you doing that are adding to your stress?

What small changes can you make TODAY that overtime, will contribute to a better attitude, better health, and a better life?

When it comes to stress, we have to consider our perspective and response to the situation. Stress is personalized experience.

For example: I love public speaking and while I get a little adrenaline and excitement before my talks, its not going to push me into a panic. Many people can't say the same thing. In fact, public speaking is one of the most stressful situations you can put people in. For someone afraid of flying, the shear thought of a plane can send them into a spiral of panic, whereas someone else loves the adventure and doesn't give the plane two thoughts.

The point is, when it comes to stress and your health, how can you start shifting your perspective and change your response from something that is detrimental to your health into a calm, more collective state of being?

You have to change your subconscious mind through small, daily practices.

Resource: Dr. Joe Dispenza's "Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself"

The two small changes I have found to make the biggest impact are easy and take zero time to do:

AFFIRMATIONS

GRATITUDE

Yep! These two extremely easy practices will re-wire your brain over time to respond differently to stress and even make things that used to seem like mountains, seem more like tiny mole hills.

Try being angry at the same time as being grateful. Try feeling resentful at the same time as looking through the lens of gratitude.

As Dr. Wayne Dyer says, "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change."

Gratitude immediately shifts the mind into a perspective of hope, empowerment, and peace.

Affirmations are things you need to say daily in order to experience the full power of tapping into divine manifestation.

To better understand this concept, check out "Law of Attraction," "Think and Grow Rich," or "Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself."

In all these books, you will see how affirmations, our self-talk, and the words we use can begin to attract more of whatever energy you are putting out into the world.

You keep telling yourself you are fat. Well, you'll more than likely continue to struggle in losing weight.

You keep telling yourself that you are stressed to the max. You'll keep creating a life that is stressful and overwhelming.

I like to think of affirmations as the sound and thought frequency we send out into the universe that the universe in turn, gives back exactly as we sent it.

So, you want to feel better, have more energy, and feel less stressed? Here are some affirmations to consider:

1. I am exhausted. ----> I choose to honor my need for rest. I give myself permission to say, "No."

2. I am stressed. ---> I observe that I am currently at my max and choose to pause in this moment, breathe, and honor what it is I need right now.

3. I am overwhelmed --> Even though a part of me is overwhelmed, I CAN do hard things.

I AM Resilient.

I AM Strong.

I AM Healthy.

I AM Healing.

I LOVE taking care of myself.

I Desire to feel well.

I AM good at setting boundaries.

Whatever your "I AM" statement is, let it be truthful and on point with the thing you are currently facing.

ADVICE: Pick 3 affirmations to say and focus on just those for 21 days.

You can say these affirmations and be in gratitude anytime, anywhere, and any circumstance.

I promise, it will shift your world in astounding, amazing ways.

Then guess what happens? Your blood pressure goes down, you motivation and mental well-being go up, your hormones feel safe to be in balance, you sleep better, etc... Decrease your stress, Increase your health, and it starts within your mind.

Need help in finding your affirmations?

Schedule a Stress Assessment and Emotional Freedom Tapping Session today!

https://calendly.com/drlexilain/stress-management-session-emotional-freedom-tapping

Need guidance in getting starting but prefer to go at your own pace? Check out my 5-Daily Mindfulness Experience. Each day you will be given a small task to put into practice. It will help you to look at life differently in small, baby steps.

https://e10academy.thinkific.com/courses/5-day-daily

In good health,

Dr. Lexi