On the weekends, The Gorgeous One and I will sit quietly and read for a few hours together with 70’s greatest hits playing the in the background. Every once in a while, a song comes on that triggers a fond memory of my childhood. I never realized how many of those songs I know quite well and certainly never appreciated to the degree I do now.
Back before most of you were born, I used to be a certified hypnotherapist (I saw a lot of headache patients and thought it would help) which is probably why I find meditation such a powerful tool in your personal toolbox. One of the techniques I would use were called anchors. This could be a touch to a point on the body, often your sternum (close to your heart and key area related to the mechanics of breathing), that, much like a hit from the 70’s, would trigger a reminder or a specific thought to bring you into the present moment. When dealing with behavior change or pain, it can separate you from the self-limiting thoughts that you may perceive as a barrier to the new behavior.
I still use anchors to get my head in the right space for a particular activity (it’s all about the rituals). Before I study, I listen to a particular song, Teardrop by Massive Attack. I borrowed this idea from my friend, Eric. It was the theme song from the TV show, House. We both enjoyed the TV character Dr. House (based on Sherlock Holmes) and work toward developing a broad knowledge base (House always had an answer) to make better decisions in our work. No one is smarter than Dr. House except maybe The Batman (House + Batman = The Goal).
My point is that you can use an anchor anytime during the day to bring you back to reality, to recognize the moment, to regain control of your emotions or make a better decision to support your fitness goals or change your behavior for the better.
The obstacle is just perception standing in your way. Maybe it’s a song, a phrase, or a simple tap on your sternum. You control your reaction to every situation. Just remind yourself.
Your comeback starts today.