Oct 24 - Spooky Vibes

Spooky Vibes 👻

October 25, 2024

Workouts for the MYND

Halloween is just around the corner, and it’s got me thinking about ghosts. They’re invisible, sneaky and can go from cute to scary…. fast.

We, as humans, have a tendency to give form to the formless; when we can’t see something, we tend to dress it up and give it a personality, feeling, or vibe. For example: What’s the difference between Casper the Friendly Ghost or creepy ghosts in the movie, The 6th Sense? They’re all ghosts…So, why is it that we feel compelled to visualize the invisible?

The answer lies in our cognitive wiring: it’s because we struggle to grasp, react, and plan for things that we can’t see. Daniel Kahneman, the famous economist and psychologist says that our brain operates with a “What You See is All There Is” rule: “You build the best possible story from the information available to you, and if it is a good story, you believe it. Paradoxically, it is easier to construct a coherent story when you know little, when there are fewer pieces to fit into the puzzle.”

So, I’m constantly thinking of the invisible things in our world—or the ghosts—that we need to make visible, understandable, and clear so that our brains can deal with them. What are some of these real-world “ghosts” you may ask?

Communication: You can't see it unless you give it shape in words, on paper, or in a photo. It tends to not be something you acknowledge until something spooky happens — like misunderstandings and miscommunications.
Feelings: We often don’t work to shape them unless they are negative, challenging, or interfere with our lives—like feeling overwhelmed or lonely. We also can have a hard time sitting with the good ones too…positive feedback, anyone!?
Thoughts: We can’t see them, but we often become them. WHAT? We tend to experience our thoughts without acknowledging them as separate from our consciousness. Michael Singer, a famous author, journalist, and motivational speaker, says that “you are not your thoughts. You are simply aware of your thoughts.” Boom.

What I’ve learned in all these years of working with myself, individuals, my family, friends, and clients is that if you don’t give these invisible “ghosts” a conscious shape, they can end up haunting your days.

So how can Mental Fitness help with making the invisible, visible?

Stop: Spending time to stop and build awareness of these ghosts on a regular basis and map them against your most important relationships (personal and work) is key. Sometimes, we don’t even notice these ghosts, so to bring awareness to them we can:Write down how things are going for 1-2 minutes a day, take walks without headphones to process the day, and use voice-to-text to debrief your interactions with others.
Slow: Making sure that as these invisible things come up for you, you work to pause and expand your perspective on them. For example:If you’re feeling upset, you can visualize your current state and how you’d prefer to feel or draw a picture of how you feel and how you’d like to feel. You can also talk to a friend, coach, or therapist, and have them help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself and/or a situation.
Go: Setting specific goals to focus on how you’d like to communicate, feel, and think. Then, recognizing your progress against them is essential.To get started, join us here at MYNDY.

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Remember, when our brains can’t see things, we tend to make up a story about them, and it tends to be scarier than reality. Making the invisible visible, is the key to tackling these ghosts with gusto!

Happy (almost) Halloween all.

With Heart,

Lissy and The MYNDY Team

INSPIRATION

(Why we share this: This is a spark of info + research that gets you excited to practice Mental Fitness)

“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”

— Franklin D. Roosevelt

PERSPIRATION (Why we share this: These are fun + small exercises to work out your MYND for impact)

Let’s play the Reflective Emoji Game!

Pull up your keyboard and select the top three emojis you frequently use —these might feel random but would most likely represent your current thoughts, feelings, and/or communication style.
Write a short sentence for each about how and why they resonate with you.

CELEBRATION

(Why we share this: This is a way to celebrate your MYND and the MYNDY community)

On October 10th, we celebrated the World Mental Health Day!

It was indeed a fabulous day and a perfect reminder of the progress we’ve made in raising awareness and expanding our understanding of mental health. As stigma diminishes, we’re witnessing a shift toward prioritizing Mental Fitness in our community. Check-out these amazing Mental Fitness conversations in our Modern Mind Interview series:

Hope you enjoy listening to these chats as much as we love having them. From increased access to tools, resources, and support systems to more open discussions about emotions, we’re making real strides here to change the world!

Excited to have you on our team.

How was the newsletter this week? We’d love quick your thoughts:

Loved it 🤩 | So-so 🙃 | Not for me 🥴