I always had a bit of a scattered mind. Wanting to do a million things at once. Both in workouts and work tasks.
Inevitably meaning training and work days would lack good clarity and most importantly, focus.
I would see workouts as…
“I HAVE to workout.”
Rather than
“I GET to workout!”
The first sounds like a painful task and the second sounds like an awesome enjoyment that I’m super grateful for.
Inevitably this lack of clarity and focus would lead down the path of inefficiency.
However, once I started paying attention to clearing my mind, grounding my energy, and beginning the day with gratitude and journaling. My workouts, results and life productivity increased dramatically.
My pre and post-workout mindfulness morning routine is a non-negotiable for me, even on a rest day.
Even if I’m super busy and rushing, I’ll do it all within 5 mins. I’ve created an ‘if-then’ system…
The ‘if’ = If I get up…
The ‘then’ = … then I will do my morning mindfulness routine because it means my whole day will be more energised and focused.
That’s it, that system is a part of my life every single day as a standard…
Step 1. Journaling
Waking up we’re often hit by a millions ‘things to do’ or ‘worries’.
Putting them down on paper and using the FICTION and FACT method to rationalise those thoughts really helps to stop them staying in your head for the day. It’s like a release and it’s highly effective.
In my opinion, this is like getting things off your chest. For example, here’s how I would use it for social anxiety thoughts that may have been playing on my mind:
FICTION:
I haven’t been able to respond or chat much in a WhatsApp group with friends. They all must think I don’t care and that means they won’t like me.
FACT:
There is no evidence at all that my friends in that WhatsApp Group hate me.
There have been many times when they have been very quiet on the WhatsApp group and I don’t hate them for it.
It doesn’t change my feelings at all. Whenever we’re together in person we always have a fantastic time. WhatsApp is just a simple messenger tool, not a real-life in-person friendship.
This can help clear my head and settle my emotions tied to those thoughts. Allowing me to step in Buddha mode.
A structure that I’ve found effective over the years and leaves me mindfully focused, grateful and confident:
Step 2. Gratefulness
Write 3 things I am grateful for. They key thing here isn’t to simply write, but to mentally put yourself in the moment of what you are grateful for.
THIS is the key to true gratitude in my opinion and from what I learned from Tony Robinson.
I look for the smallest things in my life like my slippers (I have dinosaur slippers, mindful reason story for another day) and imagine myself in them and the laugh it brings me looking down on them.
Or I think of a specific moment with a group of friends and the joy we had in that moment.
Step 3. The ONE thing
Write the number 1 thing that if I do, will make today great! And make sure to do it. This can be work related, family, exercise, friends… just aim for bigger goals, think about the ONE thing that will make the biggest impact. For example:
I will meditate for 20 minutes today to focus my mind because I have been feeling scattered lately
or
I will turn off al distractions for 2 hours and focus on the presentation I need to finish because it is playing on my mind.
or
I will finish work at 5:30 no matter what so i can spend the evening with my family because I have been really busy lately and not seen the much.
Adding ‘because’ onto the end grounds the statement and gives your brain a solid reason for why this is important. It kind of cements it.
Step 4. Empowerment statements
Write empowerment statements that are based on past truths or evidenceThis is what really ramps my confidence up to begin the day. They look something like this:
If I am doubting my ability:
I have come so far and achieved so much and I can achieve more. I will never stop helping people achieve a life of fitness freedom to transform their bodies anywhere. I know I have impacted thousands and I will endeavour to help and impact thousands more.
There is no rules here really. I empower myself as much as possible.
Sometimes I’ll draw a mountain with myself as a stickman at the top and an arrow leading up the mountain which says ‘I love process’ then another label pointing to me which says ‘process leads to this:
HELPING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ACHIEVE FITNESS FREEDOM
It’s selfishly focused but it reflects my highest values and love in life of helping people transform their body and mind via suspension training (and resistance bands) delivering Fitness Freedom.
Step 5. Meditation
I lie on a Yantra Mat and meditate. I find the Yantra Matt combined with meditation helps me ease into Buddha Mode very effectively. I meditate for 5-10 mins normally. The focus is either:
- Using the OAK meditation app
- Or visualising the person I want to be
I then take this same mindful meditation focus into my workout.
This means I don’t go into a workout thinking a million different things.
My mind is calm and has been internalised on myself, my breathing, and my empowerment. The mediation continues into the workout with the focus onto the muscles.
I then have my pre-workout nutrition shake (we’ll come onto that in the Nutrition Module) and then into MOVEMENT (TRX workout, cardio or a walk in nature).
Taking the grounded clarity and mindful focus achieved from the pre-workout mindfulness routine into every single workout.
Internalising how every single rep feels, placing the mind inside each muscle. No distractions.
Once my workout (or rest day activity) is complete it’s then time for the post-workout mindfulness routine.
That’s it…
I don’t see this routine as separate to the workout.
I see it as part of the workout. It just as important as the exercises themselves and essentially part of the warm-up.
Allowing us to really transform our body and mind as a whole now.
It isn’t of course a MUST DO.
However, I will always give you exactly what I do and have found effective with transforming my body and mind via my Fitness Freedom TRX Suspension Trainer and Resistance Band Programs.
By the way, each Program comes with the Bonus Awakening Muscle and Mindset Brilliance Course, where I go deeper into topics like this and connecting your mind-muscle connection
We are scientists and the more data we collect, the more we can refine for the better.
Let’s get to it!
Coach Adam
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