Vicki Garcia asked me hey Alan what is your emotional state? Change it

Ever have one of those days where you just feel like crap?  You're unmotivated, tired and generally lacking in enthusiasm?  What do you do when you feel like that?  Do you just go with it and drag yourself through your day?  You don't have to.

Tool #8: Change Your Emotional State

Did you know you can change your emotional state at any moment you choose?  Even when you feel at your lowest you can change it on a dime.  You just need to know how.

All behavior is a result of the emotional state we are in.  Movement is the key to changing that state.  Emotion is created by motion (the way you move).  Movements such as running, clapping or jumping alter your body chemistry.

When you want to change your emotional state, simply alter your body posture.  Sometimes something as simple as holding your head up and shoulders back is all it takes to change your state.  Other times you might want to stand up and stretch or do a few jumping jacks.  My favorite is to put on music and dance for a few minutes.  This will completely alter my emotional state.

You do not have to be at the whim of your emotions.  If you recall, your thoughts lead to your emotions.  Once you have an emotion, your physical state follows.  The opposite is true also.  If you don't like what you're feeling (and can't take effective action because of it), just change your physical posture and/or get up and move!  Yell!  Smile!  Dance!  Any of these will work to change your state immediately.

Give it a try.  Once your emotional state is changed, take a moment to look back at what you were thinking that brought it on.  How was your physical posture following your thoughts and contributing to the negative emotion?

As you know, practice is the key to getting this down.  Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.

Get moving!

Vicki