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Wooing Your Worries This week's exercise is inspired by Amy Morin's research on mental strength. Have you ever found yourself in a constant state of fretfulness? Recent studies have shown that we spend a lot of time worrying - up to 63 full days a year. However, many neuroscientists and mindfulness experts would argue that your mind doesn't have to succumb to excessive worrying. As Eric Barker says, "You're not your brain; you're the CEO of your brain. You can't control everything that goes on in 'Mind, Inc.' But you can decide which projects get funded with your attention and action." Wooing Your Worries Exercise What It Is A 20-minute opportunity to worry about anything and everything. Why We Love It  Sometimes worrying about things can snowball to a point of rumination that you lose your ability to create mental space for other things. This activity helps you determine when fretting about something will be more productive versus destructive. How It Works 1. Set aside 20 minutes per week, or per day, to worry. 2. During this time, write out everything you are worrying about. Then, ask yourself: - Is worrying about this serving me or others in a way that is useful? - Is this concern within my control? If so, what what can I do to move forward? Want to dig deeper into this topic? To learn more about the differences between worrying and anxiety, check this out. To learn more about mental strength from several Buddhist mindfulness experts, check this out. To learn more about the psychology of overthinking things, check out Morin's article. Shout. It. Out. To Jeanie Bartges for her tips on this exercise! Shout. It. Back. To treks@lifetrekkers.me if you have praise or gripes about this trek or random thoughts about Life Trekkers. Here's what your fellow trekkers have to say about past treks: "Last week's What's Your Tutu? exercise couldn't have come at a better time. I've always had a hard time showing emotion in romantic relationships, so it's helpful for me to check in with these questions after a date."  – Beebe Xia, Copywriter and Single Lady Tweet Tweet Email Us Learn More Copyright © 2018 LifeTrekkers, All rights reserved. Want more information? Drop us a line at info@trekkers.me. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list.

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Music Meditation This week's exercise is inspired by John Powell's research on the science of sound. Powell's work has revealed that music can "promote or suppress the release of chemicals" like adrenaline within your body.  Can't get enough of a particular song? Recent studies have shown that music doesn't just have the ability to create shared emotional experiences. It also stimulates brain regions associated with "movement, attention, planning, and memory." Introducing Your Music Meditation What It Is A 10-minute opportunity to submerge yourself in sound. Why We Love It  Music is intimately integrated into our everyday experience but we rarely get opportunities to fully immerse ourselves in all of the sensations associated with sound. How It Works 1. Grab your favorite pair of headphones and find a quiet spot. Even if you totally love your Jambox, trust us and go with headphones on this one. 2. Select a song. Songs like Bohemian Rhapsody, Time, Superstition, and Feeling Good are some of our favs for this exercise! 3. Dedicate a full 3-6 minutes to listen to your song. Take in everything you hear and try to be fully aware of the sounds, sensations and feelings that arise. When the automatic voice in your head says something about the music, acknowledge it and let it go. Try to allow yourself to experience the music without labeling with words. 4. When you’ve completed your sound meditation, ask yourself: How do I feel? What new things did I hear that I never noticed before? Here are a few more resources for further exploration:  To learn more about why people love music so much, check this out from UC Berkeley. To learn about the role music plays in strengthening social bonds, check out this UC Berkeley article. To nerd out on Powell's research on the physics of music, check out this NPR podcast. Shout. It. Out. To Angel Hu and Sanjay Krishnamurthy for their expertise in crafting this exercise.  Shout. It. Back. To treks@lifetrekkers.me if you loved, loathed, or want to chat further about this trek. Here's what your fellow trekkers have to say about past treks: "When I started envy advantage I didn't realize how much envy was sapping positive energy in my life. The easy exercise offered a moment for powerful reflection that would have otherwise been unattended to." - Ian Manheimer, VP Strategy @ TCN Tweet Tweet Email Us Learn More Copyright © 2018 LifeTrekkers, All rights reserved. Want more information? Drop us a line at info@trekkers.me. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list.

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What's Your Tutu? This week's exercise is inspired by Bob and Linda Carey's Tutu Project. When confronted with his wife's cancer diagnosis Bob Carey put himself out there (literally, in a pink tutu) in order to connect with his wife and other women battling cancer. Photo Credit: @ Bob Carey Why is vulnerability so powerful?  University of Houston Social Work Professor, Brené Brown, who focuses on the power of vulnerability, would argue that "in order for [human] connection to happen we have to allow ourselves to be really seen [by others]."  Essentially, vulnerability is the precursor to our ability to deeply connect. Introducing Your Tutu Exercise What It Is A 10 minute opportunity to explore your vulnerability. Why We Love It  As we become more and more seasoned at what we do and how we do it, our ability to succeed can overshadow the fundamental human quality of vulnerability. This exercise creates space to open up and make room for the uncertain parts of our life.  How It Works 1. Take a moment to be inspired by this video about Bob Carey's Tutu project.  2. Ask yourself: What's my tutu and how will I wear it?  We're not saying you really need to wear a tutu (unless, of course, you want to). We are asking you to think about the things that make you feel vulnerable. Once you have identified those things, pick one that you want to explore further and create a situation to try on that vulnerability. For some that might be about signing up for a public speaking course or for others it might be about finding time to talk to your partner about your feelings. 3. After your tutu moment, ask yourself: How do I feel? What kind of connection was I able to make with myself or others? How can I create more space for vulnerability in my life? Here are some on-topic threads to go deeper: To learn more about the incredible success of the Tutu Project, check out its platform that raises awareness and funds for flighting cancer. To learn more about the intimate interplay between vulnerability, courage, connection and compassion watch Brown's TED talk. For a little more inspiration on the power of vulnerability check out this Brain Pickings piece on the brilliant work of Audre Lorde. Shout. It. Out. To Kenny Lao and Lauren Mobyed for their next-level exercise crafting skills! Shout. It. Back. To treks@lifetrekkers.me if you have praise, gripes or random thoughts about this trek. Here's what your fellow trekkers have to say about past treks: "Last week's creative recovery exercise was one of my favorites. This exercise helped me push past my creative blocks. I love using it to clear my mind and reflect by rereading it at the end of the week." - Dama Dipayana, Founder of Be Frank "The mindful meals trek was one of my favorites. It started with one meal, but I've found myself focusing more intently on almost everything I've eaten since." - Ev Boyle, Director @ LA-Tech.org Tweet Tweet Email Us Learn More Copyright © 2018 LifeTrekkers, All rights reserved. Want more information? Drop us a line at info@trekkers.me. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list.