Lessons From Ugly Pants

Lessons From Releasing Ugly Pants from Stella Grizont on Vimeo.

At WOOPAAH we actually break stuff to ceremonialize (not a word, but I like it) the release of nasty beliefs, behaviors, patterns that no longer serve you. I had a real deal experience of this earlier this week as I was shifting from my winter to summer clothes (oh, small nyc closets). So I made this quick spontaneous video inspired by the ugly pants I chose to throw away. Granted, beauty is in the eye of the beholder - but I didn't like them. This small moment reveals how when we get too comfortable with tolerating something that doesn't work we end up settling for something that is less-than. If it's not serving you and causing you angst - time to say ciao. This means your clothes, your relationships, your files, your beliefs. Ta ta tie dye!

Best,

Stella

How to have a positive rage

We're all about positivity at WOOPAAH. But occassionally shit hits the fan. Here are some positive techniques for honoring a melt-down or rage attack. 

1. Don't push it away. Look at it. It's ugly. But it's your truth right now. 

2. If you're boiling and going to burst, may we suggest a temporary quarantine. 1) Your negative vibes are contagious. 2) At the height of your experience you may cause harm. No need to let it spread - even though you're ready to kill everything in sight.

3. Find a safe target. May we suggest a pillow or wet dish rag. The wet dish rag is especially satisfying when it hits a counter top (free of items or glassware, please). Proceed to hit the pillow or swing it against a couch (avoid break-able objects). Avoid expensive objects, technology, or anything that shatters.

4. You should be feeling some relief at this point. Continue to move your body. May we suggest a little dance or a tantrum. Shake everything and anything that feels like it needs shaking. Use your voice, too. Scream if you have the luxury of solitude. Or not.

5. Don't be ashamed to look a little crazy. Continue to move and shake and scream and cry. Don't judge yourself. Let it out. Don't mind the visual below - it's to emphasize the absurd - and to embrace it.

Lastly, once you've cooled off you are now more available to seek support. Go to someone who accepts you for who you are no matter what you do. Ask this person for permission to just download. "I'm having a crazy time and feeling _______, do you mind listening while I work it out in words?"

Remember, being positive is not the oppositive of negative. It's about keeping the right balance. If you've been moved to experience such potent rage. Ask the rage, "what can I learn from you?" "What message are you sending me?" 

Paying attention to our negative emotion is the best way to move through it. Then carry on with your tool-kit of pick-me-up's to maintain more positive experiences (at a ratio of 3:1) from there. 3 positive feelings for every one negative is the tipping point to flourishing. To learn more about that read Positivity by Barbara Fredrickson.

Hope this helps! Happy mental health.

Stella

Fever miracle

It's time to get a little personal on this blogeroo. Although I'm sure you've been enjoying our straight-up science based insight - I thought I'd share how I practice what we preach...

On Sunday night I awoke to the clinking and rattling of my teeth. My muscles were clenched. I was all soaked and freezing. I had a huge fever. Even my fingers were all pruney because they were resting on my sweat-drentched t-shirt all night. This officially sucked. I hadn't felt this bad for almost 10 years.  

Unfortunately, one of our biggest WOOPAAH experiences was the next day. So add to the delight of feeling like crap, I also began to freak about work. Do I call the client and ask them for another day? But they're all flying in around the country. SHIT!!! 

Then my good friend and fellow positivity player, Ben Hoffman called. Ben owns a company called CityHunt (we love them - they do team scavenger hunts and they're awesome). And here's all Ben said: "Stella. I know you can do this. I'm already seeing your event and it's a huge success. Your body is going to heal and perform for you. It's going to be great. I KNOW this."

Ben's certainty transformed my doubts in an instant. "YES!" I said. "YES! I can do this. And we will do this!"

Fast forward just 24 hours later and my body is 1,000 times better. I still have a raspy voice (but it's kinda sexy) and I still stashed tissues, but we did it! It was a huge success.  Above is a picture of the event we had this week. My body did perform. Phew.

What I'd like to stress here is the power of the mind. Until Ben's call I was wavering. I didn't know if I could do it. But Ben envisioned a possibility with such certainty that I believed him. And once I believed in that possibility I transformed.  

Our body, our relationships, our performance, our everything is directly related to our beliefs. Sometimes those beliefs are positive, sometimes they're not. If you want to change your beliefs,  the trick is to be CERTAIN. No one could tell Ben any different - he B E L I E V E D. And that was contagious. I then did, too. 

It's hard to switch from uncertainty to certainty on your own by just thinking different.

Here are some tips on how to do it:

1. Find yourself a friend or stranger who believes. And have them help convince you until you're certain.  It's amazing how far someone say, "Of course you can do it," can go.

2. Change your physicology. Go jump, run, stand straight, physically dramatically change your outer experience and then repeat your desired beliefs with conviction. 

3. Hypnosis. That's what it's all about it. Find a great therapist and they'll help you rewire your script. 

Here's to you - I know YOU can do ANYTHING you imagine!

Positively,

Stella

Careful what you BELIEVE, you may just get it.

Did you know that a negative mindset about your illness can have a deep effect on how you recover? In some cases, it even has a bigger impact on you than the disease itself!

In their literature review, Keith Petrie and John Weinman examined patients’ perceptions of illnesses and found that if a patient is following the doctor’s recommended course of treatment for their illness and believe it’s not working, they’re more likely to stop treatment. This can obviously have detrimental effects on their health, making the illness last longer or increase in severity.

So what we think shapes our decisions, and our decisions in turn shape our behaviors. And although this has pretty enormous implications within the realm of healthcare, if you think about this on a broader scope, this is huge.

When you approach a project at work that’s been assigned by your boss, and you think the approach dictated by him is silly, you’re going to tackle the project with less gusto and enthusiasm than you would if you loved the idea. This leads to subpar work, which leads to your boss thinking you’re not a strong employee, which leads to…you see where this is going.

All of this ties into the power and importance of positive thinking. When you approach something with a positive attitude and mindset—whether it be a bout of flu, an assignment at the office, or a hiccup in your romantic relationship—envisioning a best-case scenario, rather than a doomsday picture, can actually make that positive outcome a reality in the future because it will affect the way you approach the situation and the decisions that you make. And this can all happen without your even realizing it. So stay positive, and stay healthy and well!

Our best,

Amanda Rhode and Stella Grizont

Wanna Learn More? Resources:

Petrie, Keith J. & John Weinman. “Patients’ Perceptions of Their Illness: The Dynamo of Volition in Health Care” Current Directions in Psychological Science. February 2012 21: 60-65.

Your Stressful Job May Be the Death of You

Just about everyone has had a stressful work experience at least once in his or her life. All sorts of things can lead to job stress. The top five stressors, according to the American Psychological Association, are: low salary, heavy workloads, lack of opportunity for growth and advancement, unrealistic job expectations, and job security. All of this can make you want to pull the covers back over your head rather than haul yourself into the office. But beyond feeling like an exercise in masochism, a stressful workplace can cause very real harm in your life. Consider these frightening facts:

·      Stress makes you tired and careless: According to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association, 53% of all workers reported fatigue due to stress. And the American Institute of Stress notes that stress-related distraction and/or sleepiness accounts for between 60% and 80% of all accidents on the job.

·      Stress makes you more prone to a whole host of (potentially fatal) diseases: A 2004 Luminari Landmark Study found that work stress makes people twice as likely to suffer from heart/cardiovascular problems, depression/anxiety, substance abuse, certain cancers, conflicts injuries, infectious disease, and back pain.

·      Stress makes you fat: In a CareerBuilder.com survey, more than 26% of employees said that they gained 10 pounds on the job. Obesity is a nationwide epidemic that costs more than $13 billion every year in medical costs and lost productivity.

·      Stress makes you depressed: Stress is a cause of depression, a disease that the National Institute of Mental Health says cost $23 billion dollars per year in lost workdays.

·      Stress gives you diabetes: Stress has been shown to increase incidences of diabetes. Last year, diabetes led to 15 million lost workdays and 120 million reduced-productivity workdays across the United States.

As you can see in many of the examples above, stress doesn’t just harm the individual workers. It also can take a severe toll on a company’s bottom line. So it is in an employer’s best interest on every level to take steps to curtail stress. These steps can be simple; one study showed that reducing noise (a common source of stress) in an office setting increases employee’s focus by 48%! And allotting time for moderate exercise, like yoga or walking, during the day can help to lower cortisol levels, which can lead to stress.

What small steps can you take to reduce stress in your job? Whether it be packing a healthy snack rather than relying on the vending machines or taking 10 minutes during your lunch break to do some light cubicle-yoga or meditation, you’ll be glad you did something healthy for yourself. And your boss will be happy to see you increasing both positivity and productivity in the workplace!

Wanna Learn More? Resource:

"Stress in the Workplace: Meeting the Challenge." Health Advocate, 2009. Web. 25 Jan 2012. <http://www.healthadvocate.com/downloads/webinars/stress-workplace.pdf>.