relaxation techniques How To Be Fitter, Happier, And More Successful - Stop Daydreaming and Start Getting Real

CLICK HERE http://www.positivepanicattacks.com/

In 2011, the New York University psychologist Gabriele Oettingen published the results of a study, in which participants were deprived of water. Some of the parched volunteers were then taken through a guided visualisation exercise, in which they were asked to picture an icy glass of water, the very thing they craved. Afterwards, by measuring everyone’s blood pressure, Oettingen discovered that the exercise had drained people’s energy levels, and made them relax. The implication is startling: picturing an imaginary glass of water might make people less motivated to get up and head to the watercooler or the tap in order to quench their thirst.




This conclusion is precisely the reverse of what mainstream psychology teaches: the idea that picturing the future you desire makes it more likely you’ll attain it. Again and again, in her research, Oettingen has shown that making a fantasy of something you want can make it harder to achieve in reality. Imagine yourself having a productive week, and you’ll accomplish less. Imagine receiving a windfall of cash, and you’ll be less motivated to engage in the kinds of activities that might bring you money.




Fist-pumping motivational gurus have long claimed that your brain “can’t distinguish between reality and imagination”. Ironically, Oettingen’s experiments show they’re right about that – but also that the conclusion they draw is spectacularly wrong. Attempting to “experience your success as if it had already materialized” is a fast-track to disappointment.




Thankfully, not all kinds of thinking about the future are quite so self-sabotaging. In Oettingen’s new book, Rethinking Positive Thinking, she makes the case for “mental contrasting”, a technique that involves methodically combining positive and negative thoughts about your own future, in a way that seems to work strikingly well if you’re trying to replace bad habits or mindsets with good ones. Over the last decade, in studies conducted by Oettingen and other researchers, mental contrasting has been shown to double the amount of exercise people engage in; to increase their fruit and vegetable intake by 30%; and to help people suffering from chronic pain become more physically active. When low-income schoolchildren in Germany and the US were trained briefly in the method, it led to increased school attendance and better academic performance.




The technique’s full formal name is less than catchy – “mental contrasting with implementation intentions” – so in her book, Oettingen rebrands it as “Woop”, for “wish, outcome, obstacle, plan”. The acronym sets out the four stages of the process. First, spend a minute or two thinking in detail about something you wish to accomplish; second, vividly imagine the best thing you associate with having achieved that outcome. (That “best thing” might be an emotion, a promotion, praise – anything, really.) Third, ask yourself what internal obstacle’s most likely to get in the way. (This isn’t about your boss, or your spouse, so much as that weakness inside you that holds you back from better pay or a better relationship.) Finally, formulate an “if-then” plan for what you’ll do when that obstacle arises.




There’s nothing wrong with a bit of positive daydreaming if it makes you feel good, so long as you don’t expect anything more than feeling good. Oettingen states “Daydreaming can be great!”. “It’s only when it comes to actually realizing these dreams that positive dreaming is problematic, because it pretends that you’ve already attained these desired futures. You relax, your energy goes down. It’s a question of: ‘Why face the hardships of the bumpy road to achieving these things in real life, if you can float away on dreams?’”




Mental contrasting retains the most useful part of positive fantasies: it clarifies what you want, and reminds you how good it can feel to attain, say, a pay increase, a new job, a smaller waistline or a happier relationship. But then it exploits the motivating power of knowing what you have not yet attained – that there’s serious ground you’ll have to cover. (Getting fit, improving a marriage, making more money – it all takes work.) Finally, the Wooping technique nudges you to plan in advance for what you’ll do once, inevitably, your own flawed personality gets in the way.




And so mental contrasting pushes back against one of the great, disempowering lies of positive thinking: that transformative change, personal or societal, can be made effortless. It can’t. In fact, Oettingen’s research suggests, convincing yourself that life’s meant to be easy just makes it appreciably harder. The best way to quench your thirst for change, it seems, is to remind yourself that the glass is still half empty.

relaxation techniques How To Be Fitter, Happier, And More Successful - Stop Daydreaming and Start Getting Real
16 Likes	16 Dislikes
1,156 views views	331K followers
People & Blogs	Upload TimePublished on 17 Jul 2015

Related keywords

how to be a shop fitter,home remedies for lice,negative thinking and depression,natural cures for arthritis,beauty secrets horsham,health benefits of jackfruit,healthy life years eurostat,beauty secrets goulburn,power health breda,power health travel joy,how to be more successful in school,natural cures for cancer,power health costing,health benefits of garlic,negative thinking patterns,power health green tea,power health collagen,positive thinking company paris,beauty secrets dip kit,healthy lifestyle application,positive thinking company,happier ukulele chords,natural health remedies for dogs,healthy lifestyle podcasts,healthy lifestyle products,natural health remedies for stds,happier marshmello lyrics,powerhealth.gr,how to be more successful on tinder,wellness shot,natural cures for ed,positive thinking book,how to be fitter faster stronger,positive thinking speech,natural health remedies book pdf,power health castor oil,negative thinking leads to depression,natural health remedies for bell's palsy,how to become more successful at work,relaxation sounds,relaxation breathing,positive thinking youtube,relaxation exercises,relaxation synonym,how to be a carpet fitter,happier lyrics ed sheeran,healthy life vitamins,negative thinking is good,relaxation quotes,negative thinking definition,home remedies for headache,positive thinking company wikipedia,how to be a more successful student,negative thinking disorder,wellness connection,negative thinking causes depression,negative thinking person quotes,positive thinking pdf,power health hemp cream,how to be more successful on instagram,how to be a more successful language learner pdf,natural cures they don't want you to know about pdf,negative thinking quotes in hindi,wellness cat food,home remedies for migraine,wellness puppy food,beauty secrets godalming,how to be more successful at work,how to be more successful in business,wellness dog food,happier karaoke,power health uk,how to be mechanical fitter,happier music video,positive thinking quotes of the day,healthy lifestyle ideas,natural health remedies for parkinson's,beauty secrets academy,beauty secrets cocoa butter,health benefits of fruit tin,natural cures for constipation,how to become a more successful student,how to be a sprinkler fitter,happier bastille,health benefits of mango,natural cures for diabetes,home remedies for toothache,negative thinking ka ilaj,how to be more successful in college,how to be fitter happier and more successful,relaxation meditation,natural cures they don't want you to know about,natural cures for headaches,natural cures for eczema,negative thinking quotes,beauty secrets salon,power health free nose spray,how to be pipe fitter,health benefits of coffee,home remedies for flu,relaxation gifts,natural cures for heartburn,natural health remedies book,natural cures for uti,wellness spa,healthy lifestyle essay,negative thinking examples,natural health remedies for high blood pressure,power health cbd oil review,wellness check,healthy lifestyle article,home remedies for gastritis,wellness core dog food,natural cures for depression,beauty secrets rugby,positive thinking company bruxelles,relaxation video,happier camper,how to be a fitter engineer,positive thinking company avis,how to become a more successful person,relaxation response,healthy lifestyle apps,positive thinking images,how to be a good fitter and turner,beauty secrets vogue,happier roblox id,healthy lifestyle slides,natural health remedies for erectile dysfunction,how to become more successful in school,home remedies for cough,how to be more successful on poshmark,wellness core,home remedies for heartburn,how to be a more successful salesperson,natural health remedies for fibromyalgia,positive thinking tips,how to become more successful than others,how to become more successful reddit,relaxation spa,health benefits of turmeric,how to be more successful on match.com,happier ed sheeran,health benefits of ginger,happier living nyc,how to be more successful in sales,relaxation day,happier chords,beauty secrets prague,how do i become more successful in life,power health hydrolytes,home remedies for pink eye,wellness mama,happier podcast,health benefits of guava,how do i become more successful,wellness wheel,how to be fitter and healthier,negative thinking patterns worksheet,beauty secrets radlett,healthy lifestyle blog,power health hellas sa,natural health remedies for psoriasis,health benefits of hibiscus tea,negative thinking quote,power health cool day,relaxation therapy,happier lyrics,wellness formula,natural cures for acid reflux,healthy lifestyle quotes,health benefits of green tea,happier 1 hour,positive thinking company adneom,home remedies for burns,how to be more successful on depop,how to be a kitchen fitter,natural cures for gout,power health products ltd,natural cures for anxiety,natural health remedies for depression,beauty secrets nail polish thinner,how to be a more successful leader,wellness coach,how to be more successful than your ex,home remedies for acne,happier camper for sale,power health york,positive thinking app,natural health remedies for acid reflux,beauty secrets kiel,natural health remedies for thyroid,home remedies sena,wellness center near me,natural health remedies for anxiety,health benefits of honey,natural health remedies for high cholesterol,healthy life years,healthy life expectancy eurostat,relaxation music for kids,how to be fitter and stronger,home remedies for fever,positive thinking company glassdoor,negative thinking worksheets,happier video,healthy lifestyle programme,health benefits of dates,health benefits of almonds,health benefits of lemon,how to be more financially successful,how to be a tyre fitter,how to become a more successful salesperson,positive thinking exercises,how to be a more successful person,health benefits of onion,relaxation dentistry,how to be fitter healthier and happier,positive thinking meditation,how to be a more successful deer hunter,how can i become more successful,how to be a bike fitter,home remedies for constipation,natural health remedies for menopause,home remedies for uti,healthy life expectancy scotland,positive thinking quotes,natural health remedies pdf,how to be a window fitter,health benefits of oats,healthy lifestyle gym,happier camper hc1,how to be more successful than others,power health,beauty secrets waterloo,beauty secrets norwood,relaxation station,how to be more successful at online dating,happier bastille lyrics,healthy lifestyle,home remedies for ear infection,natural cures for psoriasis,how to be a more successful investor,how to be a fitter cyclist,wellness mart,how to be more successful than your friends,healthy lifestyle tips,natural cures for yeast infection,wellness definition,power health mens-x now,natural health remedies for arthritis,negative thinking meaning,how to be a more successful language learner,negative thinking traps,beauty secrets косметика,power health hellas,negative thinking patterns cbt,how to be a fitter and turner,beauty secrets for face,happier to give,health benefits of pineapple,negative thinking styles,how to become more successful at streaming,relaxation music youtube,positive thinking company app,wellness quotes,positive thinking company luxembourg,relaxation music,how to be more successful in life,wellness retreat,how to be more successful reddit,health benefits of chia seeds,beauty secrets day spa,natural cures for diarrhea,how to be a bathroom fitter,home remedies for dandruff,relaxation massage,beauty secrets from around the world,negative thinking synonym,beauty secrets hove,wellness center,natural cures for strep throat,relaxation apps,wellness living,home remedies for sunburn,home remedies for cold sores,power health nederland,healthy lifestyle and food,health benefits of banana,home remedies for stomach ache,how to become more successful in college,natural health remedies for asthma,how to be a gas fitter,health benefits of dragon fruit,natural cures for high blood pressure,happier piano,natural health remedies website,