The Impact of Physiology in Business and Personal Success
Tony Robbins’ Unleash the Power Within
I have recently attended a Tony Robbins: Unleash the Power Within Virtual Experience. It was filled with an insane amount of moving and dancing. During the 4 days of UPW I have racked up a total of 46 679 steps! All within the confined space of less than 1m2! The point of these exercises was to get yourself into a positive state. The hypothesis is that the more you move, the more positive your emotions become amongst other benefits.
It comes as no surprise that my family thought this was some voodoo mumbo jumbo, so I decided to investigate this hypothesis outside of the UPW experience.
The Simplified Neuro Science of Emotion
Our emotions are a vital driving force in our business and personal life’s success or failure. The state of our emotions is directly linked to whether our day will be productive with lots of momentum or whether we are going to slump down into a sea of doubt, frustration, and limiting beliefs.
In its simplest form, emotion is the experience of energy moving through your body. The Latin word for emotion is ’emotere’ which translates to energy in motion. Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, is the Kenan Distinguished Professor of Psychology and the principal investigator of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Lab at the University of South Carolina. Her seriously impressive studies have found the direct link between motion to emotion which in turn leads to improved physiology. A full circle benefit. In addition, positive emotions don’t just make us feel good, explains Barbara Fredrickson. They transform our minds, our bodies, and our ability to bounce back from hard times.
The Feel-Good Hormones
Endorphins help regulate our bodies and play a major part in mood-boosting. The number one way to release endorphins is consistent exercise. Whether it’s walking, running or dancing, simply moving the body is the best way to boost your mood and release those hormones. Endorphins also reduce pain and promote social connection. They also alleviate depression, reduce stress, and improve self-esteem.
Serotonin:
Serotonin plays a central role in our emotions and mood. It stabilizes mood and promotes feelings of happiness. Diet plays a large part in serotonin release because it’s made from amino acids. Exercise is another great way to release serotonin in the body.
Mental Health Benefits
Most people are aware of the immense benefits that exercise plays on our mental health. These include, but are not limited to the management of:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Stress
- ADHD
- PTSD & Trauma
In addition, exercise helps us to have a sharper memory and cognitive function, higher self-esteem, better sleep, more energy, and stronger resilience to bounce back.
Posture and our Emotions
Something that we don’t always realize is the massive effect that our posture has on our emotions. Various studies have been done over the years on this subject that all come down to the same conclusion. “Emotions are manifested in our posture. For instance, when people are brooding over a negative event, chances are that their back will become more arched, their heads bowed down and their eyes looking to the ground. This is because negative emotional states are associated with a stooped body posture (e.g. Michalak et al., 2009; Oosterwijk, Rotteveel, Fischer, & Hess, 2009; Riskind & Gotay, 1982). When people are metaphorically feeling down, their body posture is prone to be literally oriented downwards.”
In comparison to this, we immediately feel more upbeat when we stand up straight. Ready for action. When you run, you immediately experience higher energy levels if you fix your posture. Try it for yourself. It works every time!
The Rhythm is Gonna Get You
If you are still not convinced why you should get out of your chair and start moving around, I suggest you do just that. On my recent Unleash the Power Within Experience, I was amazed at how they can get you going literally for hours on end. Just by jumping up every half an hour or so to dance your heart out. The advantage is that nobody cares whether you are on the beat or not. And even if you are completely beat deaf, you can try to do a couple of jumping jacks or a push-up or two and you will be back into that glorious positive state. Anything that is going to zoosh your heart rate up.
Not feeling like exercise?
I am pretty sure there are a bunch of men who will be relieved to know that the world human behavioral expert, Dr. John Demartini, believes that making love falls very much within the boundaries of exercise. In the end, whatever you do to get your heart pumping faster should do the trick to get you into that beautiful positive state. But I suppose this is a debate for another day.
Go forth and be active
Whether you are a Tony Robbins fan or not, there is no denying that motion is the backbone of emotion. Just as much as that emotion can heal our body of a myriad of ailments and conditions. We all have the same amount of time in the day. If you commit to taking your business or personal life to the next level, you will find a way to get some exercise in. You’d be surprised how many people are running and walking at 5 o’clock in the morning to get their daily dose of exercise in. You might even want to do a couple of push-ups while the kettle is boiling or run in one spot while you are running the bath. (Trust me, that works like a charm!)
If a positive emotion is a must, you will find a way to get into motion.
PS: This article is a simplified version of a highly scientific field. If you want more detail, visit the links highlighted in the article. The videos and information on Dr. Barbara Fredrickson’s studies for example are highly insightful. So are the studies on emotion and
