{"id":2186,"date":"2010-04-22T21:42:39","date_gmt":"2010-04-23T05:42:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=2186"},"modified":"2013-08-21T14:01:59","modified_gmt":"2013-08-21T22:01:59","slug":"brain-switch-how-to-creatively-keep-your-fitness-resolutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/brain-switch-how-to-creatively-keep-your-fitness-resolutions\/","title":{"rendered":"Brain Switch: How To Creatively Keep Your Fitness Resolutions"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

<\/strong><\/p>\n

April is about the time New Year\u2019s resolutions dissolve and gyms become less crowded again.\u00a0 It\u2019s not that folks have lost their desire to trim pounds or increase their level of fitness.\u00a0 For some, it\u2019s simply a motivation problem.\u00a0 They want to continue, but just can\u2019t seem to make the time amidst competing demands.\u00a0 But for others, they just don\u2019t enjoy exercise.\u00a0 I once watched a woman jogging whose scrunched up face displayed a combination of irritation and defeat.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t enjoying herself, but felt compelled to continue.\u00a0 So it\u2019s no surprise that keeping our fitness habits going is difficult.\u00a0 Any activity that isn\u2019t innately enjoyable quickly becomes drudgery and nearly impossible to maintain.<\/p>\n

No matter what your current feelings regarding exercise, it turns out there is a way to make the activity more enjoyable.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t involve hiring a personal trainer or signing up for a Zumba class (although those might be nice compliments once you get going).\u00a0 The only thing that\u2019s keeping you from a better exercise regime is your own head.<\/p>\n

Ironically, I discovered this trick while doing something entirely sedentary: writing.\u00a0 One of the more difficult aspects of creative writing, especially for the beginner, is eliciting that dream-like state where the words and ideas flow easily.\u00a0 There\u2019s good reason the myths about waiting for inspiration to strike or reliance on a muse persist\u2014for many, the ability to induce the wellspring of creativity remains elusive. Writers often create elaborate rituals to get themselves into this space: they only write during a certain time of day or they have a \u201clucky pen.\u201d<\/p>\n

What I discovered is that these rituals are all methods for subduing the analytical left brain and letting your more creative right brain take over.\u00a0 With time and dedication, you can actually physically feel the mental switch take place. And once you know what that switch feels like, you can learn to control it.\u00a0 That\u2019s how the best writers are able to crank out pages of good writing while others struggle in front of a blank screen or notepad for hours.\u00a0 Good writers know how to generate the mental switch on command.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the connection to exercise?\u00a0 When I saw that woman jogging who looked so miserable, I wanted to tell her, \u201cIt\u2019s all in your head!\u201d\u00a0 All she needed was to get out of her analytical left brain, which was likely paying attention to the amount of time she\u2019d been running or the number of miles left to go.\u00a0 The left brain is prone to focusing on details and lists, making exercise more of a chore than fun.\u00a0 But given the chance, the right brain can make your aerobic workout take on a timeless quality.\u00a0 You might get to the end of a run and say, \u201cWow.\u00a0 I\u2019m done already?\u201d<\/p>\n

Just as your body has that weightless feeling when you\u2019re under water, your concept of exertion and time disappear while day-dreaming.\u00a0 In your head, there are no limits, there\u2019s nothing that isn\u2019t open to you.\u00a0 In fact, many times when I\u2019ve used this technique I actually feel like my brain is out ahead of me, a tether between us, egging me on. Plus, creativity can create its own adrenaline-like feeling\u2014it generates energy instead of zapping it.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s your step-by-step guide to attaining the left to right brain switch:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) Just like a writer, pick a certain time of day and a certain activity to practice on.<\/em> It doesn\u2019t really matter what activity you pick, but aerobic exercises where you don\u2019t need to count or pay close attention to anything work best.\u00a0 Once you get proficient at the technique, you can expand it to activities like weight lifting.<\/p>\n

2) While exercising, let your mind wander, but try to \u201cthink\u201d in images instead of words.<\/em> Pretend you are watching a movie inside your head: taking the vacation you always wanted or receiving a big award.\u00a0 Do not<\/span> watch TV\u2014this engages your left brain and will hamper your transition.\u00a0 Music is okay as long as it remains a background noise (no singing along!).<\/p>\n

3) Each time you are able to make the switch (that is, you become so engrossed in your dream, you almost lose awareness of your immediate surroundings), try remember what it felt like. <\/em> Note what your body sensation and what ideas or dreams enabled you to enter that trance-like state.<\/p>\n

4) Once you know what it feels like, work on getting to your creative space as soon as possible. <\/em> When you\u2019re proficient, it should only take 5 minutes or less.<\/p>\n

Unlike much advice, which tells you to simply do something a certain number of times until you form a habit, these steps are only necessary until you are able to consistently achieve the brain switch.\u00a0 For those who are more naturally inclined towards creativity, it may only take a couple of weeks of dedicated practice.\u00a0 For others, it may takes a month or more to get it right.\u00a0 The key to making this method work is to remember that positive feeling the next time you\u2019re struggling to get yourself out the door.\u00a0 You\u2019ll not only feel better for having exercised, you\u2019ll soon feel better while doing it too.<\/p>\n

Jennifer Gresham is freelance writer and the founder of EveryDayBright<\/a>, a blog dedicated to her musings on how to live a successful life with Optimism!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

April is about the time New Year\u2019s resolutions dissolve and gyms become less crowded again. It\u2019s not that folks have lost their desire to trim pounds or increase their level of fitness. For some, it\u2019s simply a motivation problem. They want to continue, but just can\u2019t seem to make the time amidst competing demands. But for others, they just don\u2019t enjoy exercise. I once watched a woman jogging whose scrunched up face displayed a combination of irritation and defeat. She wasn\u2019t enjoying herself, but felt compelled to continue. So it\u2019s no surprise that keeping our fitness habits going is difficult. Any activity that isn\u2019t innately enjoyable quickly becomes drudgery and nearly impossible to maintain. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":12899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[24,9,6],"tags":[389,4650,85,4637,4631,66,388,399],"yoast_head":"\nBrain Switch: How To Creatively Keep Your Fitness Resolutions<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"April is about the time New Year\u2019s resolutions dissolve and gyms become less crowded again. It\u2019s not that folks have lost their desire to trim pounds or increase their level of fitness. For some, it\u2019s simply a motivation problem. They want to continue, but just can\u2019t seem to make the time amidst competing demands. But for others, they just don\u2019t enjoy exercise. I once watched a woman jogging whose scrunched up face displayed a combination of irritation and defeat. She wasn\u2019t enjoying herself, but felt compelled to continue. 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