Email UsSome of the rituals I’m sharing here may seem like clichés, but have you actually ever tried them? I do these every single day, and I want others to benefit from the peace of mind they bring.
Right now, we’re in an unprecedented, trying time, and a lot of us are extremely stressed out and worried; our minds are scattered all over the place as we take inventory of our lives and do damage control. I hope that the rituals I’m sharing give you the opportunity to ease your stress and make the transition to this new normal a bit easier.
Today I’ll focus on only the first three rituals that I’ve been using to great effect for several years now, but all six can be remembered by the acronym SAVERS: Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing (or Journaling).
1. Silence. Whether in the form of meditation, prayer, or simple reflection, quiet moments are necessary in our otherwise noisy, hectic lives. Our world is dominated by images, messages, updates, alerts, and just plain noise; silence, therefore, is arguably the most impactful ritual on this list.
I guarantee that if you are intentional about setting aside a time of silence and reflection, you’ll become more self-aware, reduce stress, and increase your reservoir of focus. I personally love my morning meditation ritual. As Tony Robbins says, “You can’t be angry if you’re in a state of gratitude.” Think about the people you’re fortunate to have in your life and all of the things that are still going right.
It may seem weird to conceptualize a state of “nothing” where your mind is completely empty, but this form of meditation is how I achieve a peak level of performance every single day.
2. Affirmations. Yes, I know, you’ve probably heard this one a million times by now, but that doesn’t diminish its inherent value. ‘I am’ statements, chants, or perhaps even a creed recited daily can uplift your mental state. My personal favorite is the Optimist Creed—Google it! The truth is this: Your self-talk is either working for you, or against you, and the choice is yours.
3. Visualization. Right after my daily meditation, I like to visualize my future life, dwell on the victories of the day, and picture how exactly I will conduct each of my daily responsibilities. Even before a game starts, big-name professional athletes will see plays; they will picture unique opportunities; they will imagine themselves operating at an incredibly high level. Visualization isn’t just about picturing the game-winning home run, though. It’s also about focusing on the short-term actions needed to get where you want to be.
The more realistic you make your visualizations, the more they will yield results in your day-to-day life. The more you imagine yourself taking a simple step, the more simple steps you will take; the more simple steps you take, the easier it will become to picture yourself taking large steps.
I’m aware that this is sort of a heavy topic, but let’s be honest—these are heavy times. I truly wanted to share with you something that helps me stay grounded in the hopes that you can benefit from it as well. Stay tuned for part two of this series! In the meantime, reach out with any questions you may have. I’m always here to help.
