It’s all about Attitude

One of the key steps in building your best life is to build a better attitude. This can seem difficult to achieve when we feel dragged down by the stress of everyday living. There’s work stress, family stress, bills, managing your household, getting the kids to their activities on time – juggling it all can leave you feeling frazzled.

It is important to remember that despite your busy schedule and external stressors, you don’t have to feel frazzled. That feeling is not who you are. You are strong and you are powerful.

It all comes down to your attitude.

So how do you gain a blissful attitude in the middle of chaotic everyday living?

You remember that your body, brains and bliss are all connected!  You can use the same tool that you use to get your body healthy, to get your mind and your spirit healthy!

Bliss Out with Exercise

Yoga has been around for thousands of years, keeping people in the East healthy, whip smart and blissful – and there’s a reason for that!  Yoga uses exercise and breathwork to stimulate your body and your brain. One of the positives, for instance, is that it increases blood and oxygen flow to the brain, which increases alertness, mental focus and memory.

But you don’t have to twist yourself into a pretzel or chant to get these benefits. When done correctly, any form of exercise provides these brain boosters.

Many runners love to run in the early morning to super-charge their mind so that they are primed to attack their day. Others run in the evening to “run-off” the stress of the day. Others take long walks – something that is often known as “walking meditations.” It’s not about getting metaphysical, it’s about getting mentally fit through physical exercise!

You, no doubt, know all about endorphins and what they can do to boost your mood. Intense physical exercise increases endorphin production, making you feel euphoric.  Plus, exercise releases other feel-good chemicals like adrenaline, serotonin, dopamine, and endocannabinoids.

All of these effects combine to improve your overall mental health by reducing symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression.

Boost Your Brain Volume

We don’t believe that you lose vitality as you age, but after you turn 40, you start to lose brain volume. It continues to decrease at the rate of about 5 percent each decade!  Plus, as we get older, it becomes harder for our brains to create new brain cells.

Sounds a bit bleak, doesn’t it?

It doesn’t have to be.

You can build back that brain volume with exercise.

When you exercise, you release brain-derived neurotrophins (BDNF). These weren’t discovered until the 1950s and studies on BDNFs continue to this day, but current studies show that they stimulate the growth of new nerve cells.  Even just one intense workout will produce BDNF!

This means that it is within your power to prevent brain loss, just like you can prevent bone loss and muscle weakness.

So put your body, brains and bliss to work and get moving!

However you choose to exercise, you’ll be burning off more than calories and amping up more than your physique. You’ll be shedding stress and fueling your brain to help you live your best, blissed out life!

For more fascinating info on the body, brains, and bliss connection, read my second book, Guide to Thrive!