Live Stronger, Happier: Get your Feet wet March 4, 2016 Live Stronger, Happier: Get your Feet wet Ronelle Langley, Ph.D.

Objectives Focus on two modes of the brain in our quest for mindfulness. Learn that we have choices in terms of: What we pay attention to > Our thinking > Our feelings > Our reactions in our body. Understand how mindfulness in these choices can affect stress and happiness. Learn how resilience can help us develop inner strength.

Our Brain’s Two Modes Is something interesting? yes Focused mode no Default mode

How Attention Black Hole Develops Imagination Thought umin Fear/Pain Imagination Thought Suppression Rumination

Where Do We Focus Our Mind? A. Pain of the Past B. Present in the Moment C. Fear of the Future

Two Primary Emotions “There are only two emotions: love and fear. All positive emotions come from love, all negative emotions from fear. From love flows happiness, contentment, peace, and joy. From fear comes anger, hate, anxiety and guilt. It's true that there are only two primary emotions, love and fear. But it's more accurate to say that there is only love or fear, for we cannot feel these two emotions together, at exactly the same time. They're opposites. If we're in fear, we are not in a place of love. When we're in a place of love, we cannot be in a place of fear.” ― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Swiss-American Psychiatrist Author On Death and Dying

Two Choices: Love or Fear Paying attention Thinking Feelings Reactions in body

Two Fundamental, Opposing Hormonal Responses: Fear or Love Body-Mind-Spirit teachings: Fear or Love fear Stress: adrenaline & cortisol love Anti-stress feeling of calm & closeness: oxytocin

Paul Zak’s Top 10 Ways to Boost Oxytocin #10: Listen with your eyes #9: Give a gift #8: Share a meal #7: Meditate #6: Soak in hot tub #5: Use social media #4: Ride a roller coaster/jump out of plane #3: Pet a dog #2: Use the ‘L’ word (Love) #1: Share 8 hugs a day

Contribution from Team Brazil on the Power of Hugs Let's go down cause I need to work. Yes, me too. See you later?  Of course.

Resilience What is Resilience? Spiritual Relationships Deeper meaning Gratitude Compassion Acceptance Self-awareness Authentic presence Can-do attitude Resilience

Four Domains of Resilience Physical Maintaining best possible health Cognitive Maintaining focus amid stress Emotional Approaching life’s challenges with realistic and balanced predisposition Spiritual Finding an anchor in higher meaning and a selfless perspective

DQ1: Brain’s Focused and Default Modes What do you enjoy doing when you are in the focused mode? What feelings do you experience when your mind is in focused mode? What % of a day is our mind wandering in default mode? What feelings do we experience when we are in default mode? Where would you choose to spend most of your waking time: focused or default mode?

DQ2: Cortisol or Oxytocin Do you prefer your body to experience more cortisol or oxytocin responses? Which of Body, Mind or Spiritual teachings do you find most helpful in making your choice between Fear or Love as a fundamental response?

DQ3: Top 10 Activities As a coaching circle, put your own list of Top 10 activities together that will help to increase your oxytocin levels. Post that on Facebook in our closed group: Global Community Wellness.

DQ4: Resilience Discuss ideas how we can increase our: Physical resilience Cognitive resilience Emotional resilience Spiritual resilience Share with others about a person whose resilience is inspiring to you.

Resources Articles: Happiness Chemicals Books: Top 10 ways to Boost Good Feelings Happiness Chemicals Books: The Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness: A 4-Step Plan for Resilient Living (Sood, 2015) (pp. 9 – 40) The Moral Molecule (Zak, 2013) Videos: Paul Zak How to Make Stress Your Friend Dogs and Oxytocin Research: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11682-015-9411-7#/page-1 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006322314007951 https://www.gatewaypsychiatric.com/oxytocin-in-humans/