I recently read a New York Times report on (Phys Ed: Why Exercise Makes You Less Anxious By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS). While interesting, the article supports what has already been studied elsewhere in other areas including Positive Psychology or the study of Flow. We are just beginning to understand the relationship between physical health and emotional well-being in many respects. So, while I understand the need for simplification in studies to produce solid data and exploring new areas of science, I am convinced that it is essential for you and I proactively try to do our own “hypothetical research” in order to find what makes us less stressed out and anxious. Specifically, I’m interested in ways to design and implement creative solutions for reducing and controlling the inevitable anxiety and stress we encounter in life. Moreover, I would go one step further and suggest that you look to other areas of scientific study specifically the areas of:
- Positive Psychology; the study of optimal experience / flow
- Expert Performance
- Intelligent Training (i.e. functional training: training focused on improving how you move.)
- Play
Optimal Experience
In the early 1990’s, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, released a book titled Flow based upon his studies of over two decades. In this profound and thoughtful work, the ideas and basis for much of what will become the positive psychology field are revealed and examined. And even though many other popular titles have since been made available, I believe that Flow is still the most revolutionary and provocative. Perhaps the most important questions that this book discusses is: “What are the inner experiences that make life worthwhile?”
Since then you can find numerous titles that share more specific insights and methods to create the proper environment in your life for optimal experience to thrive. One such title is: The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky. Starting on page 244., she describes in great detail how to take care of your body and why physical activity makes people happier. In the one of the most revealing and important parts to this chapter she describes how each person must customize and select what makes them feel best. Simply running or engaging in aerobic exercise for some is not enough. In fact some people feel worse doing this.
The implications for this are profoundly more important than suggested here. While it’s great to find scientists suggesting we all should exercise more to improve our happiness, what they seem to fail at is taking it to the next level.
Positive Psychologist and other scientists should leave the “how to exercise” in the hands of people who know how to help people functioning optimally and ultimately with you. What is right for you based upon what brings a sense of play, joy and challenge may be significantly different from others. Moreover, research has shown that generic exercise prescription is less effective than customized and personalized programming. Specifically, any exercise prescription needs to address variations from individual to individual in all both aerobic vs anaerobic systems as well as kinesthetic skills (I include proprioception in my definition of kinesthesia here for a more detailed debate about the differences between these two terms look here: Proprioception vs. kinesthesia.
What should be apparent is that simply moving more but not in a thoughtful or intelligent way is not ideal. Given the demands of modern life and the complex decisions you are asked to make every day, you need better information and advice on how to move better that is connected to who you are, what you love and ultimately gives you the best that science can offer. If I had an objective for this blog I can honestly say it would be fulfill this mission for you:
to be your source for information on fitness, play and improving your experiences using the best science available.
A short note on the idea behind this blog
I hope you find the material authentic and transparent in purpose. I am committed to teaching and not simply marketing. I am also very dedicated and passionate and open to new ideas. I continually search for information, ideas and methods enable us to make better decisions and create positive experiences. While I am a firm believer in the idea that you learn more from mistakes, I don’t believe that we all have to make the same ones but rather can learn from others.
This is why I started writing a blog in the first place and my intention is to live up to this ideal:
If you are new to this blog you might think that this blog is about surfing or skateboarding or some other “extreme sport”. It’s not. What it is about is about training to play better. And it just so happens that surfers, snowboarders and skaters (among others) know something about Play and optimal experience that many others don’t. The purpose of this post is to demystify and hopefully inspire you to take a second look a these pursuits no matter how old you may be. You may find that they offer you a unique way to experience the pure joy and playfulness of your youth you never could have imagined.
You have probably thought like many others that Snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing and other alternative ways of having fun are “extreme sports”: Dangerous, for crazy people, or adrenaline junkies.
This could not be farther from the truth. People of all ages and skill levels practice these sports year round and the incidents of serious injuries is lower than most team sports. I would argue that these activities are not really sports at all.
Surfing, for many is considered a more of a religion than sport. Why? Because there’s so much more surfing than simply catching a wave. Many Zen Buddhists are also practicing surfers. Surfing is about being in the moment and connecting to nature. There’s so much more than simply the physical demands.
Using myself as a simple example: I train for it intensely but not for the reasons that you might think. But rather because it allows me to experience more of the ocean, for longer periods of time and insures that I will not run the risk of injuring myself.
For years I played team oriented sports exclusively. This was a mistake. I see a lot of unhappy, ex-football, basketball, soccer and other team sport athletes, who are out of shape and who do not enjoy moving any more. In contrast, most of the “extreme sports” parents continue to work hard to stay connected to their sport and the communities that support these activities. Overall they also seem to be in better shape and just as passionate about their experience of playing these sports.
It is never too late to try.
If you have never had the opportunity to ride on a board down a wave, a mountain, or a skateboard down a sunset stained hill: simply do it. The wave can be tiny, the mountain small and the hill gentle. You will feel deep change inside and hopefully a moment of timeless flow where all of your conscious thoughts are gone and all you feel is the wind, water, snow, air and sun on your face.
Take an interest in learning how to ride a board you will laugh and marvel at how such a simple thing could bring you so much joy.
balancing risks and rewards is simply difficult.
Each of us has a different threshold for risk. I remember as a kid, I had a friend who was fearless on a skateboard, would jump off anything without thinking. I was a more calculating as a child and it was actually much later in life where I took on more risk. I even got ahead of myself a few times and came close to paying for it in the worst possible way, by almost dying. This taught me to measure my abilities in terms of my physical and mental strengths but also through my experiences and ultimately to trust my feelings. I also learned that making mistakes, ideally not huge ones or at least not life threatening ones, teach me more than any success I may have. The unfortunate thing is that I spent a good deal of my life being afraid of making mistakes because I was too focused on what people thought of me. I was focused externally and not really paying attention to what was going on inside.
It’s the complex, confusing and repetitive nature of modern life, that often lulls us to sleep and makes the path to taking appropriate risk so unclear. We all can get lost. I believe that this is where most of us fail: in the everyday challenges of life. We go about our days without reaching, challenging and connecting to ourselves and the important people around us. This separates us from our strengths and keeps our minds filled with doubts, and fears about ourselves, our lives, our purpose and disconnects us from all we could achieve. To clear away the clouds, we must take risks everyday! Extend ourselves beyond what is comfortable physically and emotionally in every moment.
Simply put. You must try to push yourself physically, intellectually and emotionally everyday. The rewards will come.
A telling example of how far it can take to truly appreciate life and all that you have comes from a true survivor, Beck Weathers. Beck Weathers was a part of the ill fated 1996 Everest Climbing Expedition that ended with the deaths of many climbers and for Beck, the loss of both hands, parts of his face and other parts of his body. Upon his return, he was asked a question which seemed simple and obvious. The question was: “If you knew what was going to happen to you, would you do it again?”
His initial response was : “what a dumb question! I mean take a look a me, I’m a train wreck!”
But with the passage of time he revisited that question more than any other and came to know the real answer: He would do it again in a heartbeat.
But not for the reasons that you might think. He describes how by going through those horrible events and dragging himself literally back to life he ultimately learned how to live again. He salvaged relationships he had destroyed and for the first time in his life he was at peace. I admire Beck Weathers more than any other person on that expedition because of his honesty and the obvious transformation that he experienced and shares now with us.
For a detailed and poignant version of the 1996 Everest Expedition see David Breashears film Storm Over Everest appearing on PBS Frontline. You can purchase it on iTunes as well.
Here’s a brief transcript of that story that I find incredibly interesting and provides real insight into the Why it matters that we take risks
DAVID BREASHEARS: By dawn, the teams were just below the southeast ridge at 27,600 feet. It’d been five weeks since they’d first arrived at Base Camp. Each team was its own small world. The clients were paying their way, and the professional guides like Rob and Scott promised access to a dream.
HELEN WILTON, Base Camp Manager, Rob’s Team: I felt like a part of something great. I really- I really think that to do something with people for a common purpose is a wonderful thing, and to help people to achieve their dreams is something that caught me, as well. So much emotion and experiences and demands of you happen in such a short space of time, six weeks of intensive living. I never thought I’d ever do this in my life.
NEAL BEIDLEMAN: I think everybody has a place in themselves that mountains can fill. Mountains carry great respect with people around the world, so it doesn’t surprise me at all that many people use mountains to find this. That’s what I did myself.
BECK WEATHERS: I’d spent most of my adult life in profound depression, and I John Wayne’d it, so that I never let anybody know about it. And I discovered that if you drove your body hard, when you did that, you couldn’t think. And that lack of thinking, as you punished your body and drove yourself, was amazingly pleasant.
SANDY HILL: Other people, when they have- when their life is at a difficult spot, turn to drugs or drink or credit cards. I go to the mountains. That’s always worked for me.
LENE GAMMELGAARD: As long as I, or human beings, believe that by doing something, the world is going to change – by doing this, I’m going to be more happy, by doing that, I’m going to be more successful, by doing this, people are going to love me more – then I think there will be this fantastic drive behind it.
how do you get the life you want?
If you know me or train with me, then you know that I’m obsessed with the idea that you can transform you life thru fitness and play. In the last year, I’ve been enthusiastically reading the works by numerous scientists who are leaders in their fields and whose research supports the idea that feeling great physically supports and creates the kind of emotional and intellectual confidence that will enable you to live a happier, healthier and more meaningful life.
To be clear here: I’m not talking about trendy self-help, personal coaching and popular fitness. It’s disappointing to read those, although I do anyway, because it’s all just a marketing scheme for the most part or simply another person looking to market themselves as opposed to their ideas. You see for me the world is full of great ideas and the application of those ideas is where true transformation can occur. I shy away from “celebrity” or personality driven books or instruction because I think that everyone knows that collaboration and teamwork is where true genius really shines.
However, there are folks who really lead instead of follow and their leadership is in their work not on the front page of a newspaper of tabloid. These are the folks that keep me thinking, curious and engaged.
Here’s a youtube interview of professor Fredrickson describing her research:
Positivity reveals how to re-structure your thoughts to create a more positive and flourishing life. The book includes a detailed methodology for measuring your your current positivity and a test to help you understand where you are now. In addition, Professor Fredrickson outlines and defines a mathematical ratio for effecting positive change in your life. She calls this the Positivity Ratio. The ratio of positivity to negativity turns out to be 3 to 1. The underlying research in this is fascinating and is based upon the study of evolutionary theory, nonlinear dynamic systems (chaos), and is supported by experiments. I find it particularly fascinating that both evolutionary theory and nonlinear dynamic systems are the basis for this discovery and as you will see in later blog posts these two areas of science will keep popping up in significant ways.
Professor Fredrickson spends a great deal of time describing in detail the foundation for her Positivity Ratio and the “core truths” behind why and how positivity effects our ability to ask good questions and focus outwards, to build resources for ourselves and with others, to bounce back from adversity. The Positivity Ratio (3:1) behaves as a “control parameter”, the key that determines the fate of your happiness, if you can achieve this ratio then you will flourish below this and you will experience cycles of languishing and failure.
So, how do you create a life where you experience a 3:1 positivity ratio?
The second half of the book goes into detail on how to apply the self-test and raise your positivity ratio. Here’s the positivity test:
________________
Positivity Self Test
Have you felt over the past twenty-four hours? (look back over the past day and, using the 0-4 scale below, indicate the greatest amount that you’ve experienced each of the following feelings.
0 = not at all
1 = a little bit
2 = moderately
3 = quite a bit
4 = extremely
1. What is the most amused, fun-loving, or silly you felt? ______
2. What is the most angry, irritated, or annoyed you felt? ______
3. What is the most ashamed, humiliated, or disgraced you felt? _______
4. What is the most awe, wonder, or amazement you felt?_________
5. What is the most contemptuous, scornful, or disdainful you felt? ________
6. What is the most disgust, distaste, or revulsion you felt? _______
7. What is the most embarrassed, self-conscious, or blushing you felt? ______
8. What is the most grateful, appreciative, or thankful you felt? _______
9. What is the most guilty, repentant, or blame-worthy you felt? ______
10. What is the most hate, distrust or suspicion you felt? ______
11. What is the most hopeful, optimistic, or encouraged you felt? _____
12. What is the most inspired, uplifted, or elevated you felt? _____
13. What is the most interested, alert, or curious you felt? ______
14. What is the most joyful, glad, or happy you felt? ______
15. What is the most love, closeness, or trust you felt? ______
16. What is the most proud, confident, or self-assured you felt? ______
17. What is the most sad, downhearted, or unhappy you felt? _______
18. What is the most scared, fearful, or afraid you felt? ______
19. What is the most serene, content, or peaceful you felt? _____
20. What is the most stressed, nervous, or overwhelmed you felt? _______
To compute your positivity ratio for the past day, follow these steps:
1. Go back and circle the ten items that reflect positivity. These are the ones that begin with the words:
- amused
- awe,
- grateful
- hopeful
- inspired
- interested
- joyful
- love
- proud
- serene
2. Go back and underline the ten items that reflect negativity. These begin with the words:
-Angry
- Ashamed
- contemptuous
- disgust
- embarrassed
- guilty
- hate
- sad
-sacred
- stressed
3. Count the number of circled positivity items that you have endorsed as 2 or higher.
4. Count the number of underlined negativity items that you have endorsed as 1 or higher
5. Calculate the ratio by dividing your positivity tally by your negativity tally. If you negativity count is zero for today, consider it instead to be 1, to sidestep the can’t divide by zeros problem. The resulting number represents your positivity ratio for today.
Obviously this is only a snap shot and your emotions are changing all the time. As Professor Fredrickson, admits this poses some difficulty for the science of emotions. One of the solutions to minimize the error is to take this test every day for two weeks at the same time of day preferably in the evening. After two weeks, count up your positive emotions, then calculate your ratio.
Professor Frederickson has also created a website (www.positivityratio.com) to help you compute your positivity ratio. The idea behind the site is to offer more tools and an easier way to track your positivity tests. You can opt in and share your data or not it’s up to you.
What I think is really interesting is that she suggests the idea of “benchmarking” your positivity. She compares it to weight loss and a scale I would argue that it is more like going through a Functional Movement Screening where you are assessed on multiple levels of fitness: – Flexibility, Balance, Core Strength, Strength, Speed, Agility, Quickness, Power
I will discuss how to do this specifically in future blog posts. The main take-away here is that you need to know “where you are” to chart any course in life: Emotional or Physical. Up until recently, there didn’t exist any science based tools quantify these things in a way that was both useful and efficient.
From Macro to Micro
Professor Frederickson argues further the two week positivity testing gives us a solid big picture view of our day to day positivity. However, we also need a daily view of how our positivity fluctuates throughout our day. To do this:
Divide your day into episodes or blocks lasting anywhere between 10 minutes and 2 hours. You will have to score yourself for each episode so it is recommended that you simplify this process by preparing your positivity test sheets before hand or use the online positivity ratio website (www.positivityratio.com). If you are interested I have created a PNF version of the positivity test for you to use.
Here’s an Example of a morning broken into episodes:
6:00 Get up and dress
6:15 Shower
6:30 Go to everyday athlete small group training class
7:30 Shower and dress for work
8:15 eat breakfast
8:30 leave for work
8:45 get subway
9:30 get to work
11:00 take a break
12:15 eat lunch
1. As before, circle the positivity items and underline the negativity items
2. Across all the episode reports you made, count the number of circled positivity items rated at 2 or higher.
3. Again, across all the episode reports, count the number of underlined negativity items rated 1 or higher.
4. Divide the day’s positive emotions by your day’s negative emotions. The resulting number gives you your positivity ratio.
To compute your positivity ratios by individual episode and locate negativity “land mines” and positivity “wellsprings”:
1. As before, circle the positivity items and underline the negativity items.
2. in each episode, count the number of circled positivity items rated at 2 or higher.
3. In each episode, count the number of underlined negativity items rated 1 or higher.
4. Divide the episode’s positive emotion tally by your episode’s negative emotion tally. (if you have a zero convert it to 1) The result will be your episode positivity ratio.
5. Using the short descriptive labels you gave to each episode, order your episodes from the least to most productive. This will give you insight into which – episodes or activities- are negative for you and will highlight the emotional details of your daily life.
Don’t be concerned if all of your ratios are below 3 to 1. It seems that 80% of the people tested were here. In fact, Professor Fredrickson argues that many people may find that they’re ratios are below 1:1 (essentially implying that they are depressed.) Having a ratio below 3:1 implies that you have a lot of untapped potential. However, if you consistently have a ratio that is less than 1:1 then she suggests that you seek support and help in getting through the challenges you face. She also reiterates that it is very common for people to suffer from some form of depression (1 in 5 people suffer from depression) and encourages you to get help if you need it.
Change your thinking and you will change your emotions
________ To be continued______________ I will continue my thoughts on Barbara Fredrickson’s book in my next post____
(Buy and Read: Barbara Fredrickson’s book: Positivity )
_____________________
Barbara Fredrickson, Professor, and Lead Researcher at University of North Carolina’s Chapel Hill Department of Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Lab.
PEPLab Purpose Statement
You have — within you — the fuel to thrive and to flourish,
and to leave this world in better shape than you found it.
Sometimes you tap into this fuel – other times you don’t.
But the sad fact is that most people have no idea
how to tap into this fuel or even recognize it when they do.
Where is this fuel within you?
You tap into it whenever you feel energized and excited by new ideas.
You tap into it whenever you feel at one with your surroundings, at peace.
You tap into it whenever you feel playful, creative, or silly.
You tap into it whenever you feel your soul stirred by the sheer beauty of existence.
You tap into it whenever you feel connected to others and loved.
In short, you tap into it whenever positive emotions resonate within you.
—–
The Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill exists to answer a single question: ‘What good is it to feel good?’ Our purpose is to understand and to share the full significance of positive emotions.
We have three core ideals:
• To do high-quality science
• To answer questions that matter to humanity, and
• To have fun and feel good about doing it.
Our goal is to uncover the universal recipe for human flourishing and to give this recipe as a gift to the world. Our science to date tells us that genuine positive emotions may in fact be the single most important active ingredient in this recipe for flourishing. When this ingredient is lacking, or in poor supply – people get stuck. They lose their freedom of choice. They become stagnant and painfully predictable. But when this ingredient is in ample supply – people take off. They become generative, creative, resilient, ripe with possibility and beautifully unpredictable.
Our research team is working to show how it is that being moved by positive emotions can move you forward, and not only lift you to your higher ground, but also create a world that is worth giving to our children.
sometimes it’s an event or series of events that shape our lives. for me, it was an illness that changed the course of my life forever. here’s an excerpt from a video interview about this story.
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