3622: Shifting Perspective as a Wellness Strategy by Kathy Robinson of Athena Wellness on How to Reduce Stress

[00:00:01] [SPEAKER_03] Wenn jemand Charles und Melanie gesagt hätte, dass sie nach ihrem Tinder-Match gemeinsam einen Channel mit Crazy-Aufgaben starten, also wirklich crazy, fünf Tage auf einer einsamen Insel verbringen, eine Zipline an einem Gurt runterrasen, eine Million Views knacken, eine Wand mit Saugnöpfen hochklettern und Falschirm springen in Ägypten? Das hätten die beiden niemals geglaubt. Aber das ist das Ding mit Tinder. Es führt dich an Orte, die du nie erwartet hättest. Wohin es dich auch führt. It starts with a swipe. Tinder.

[00:00:29] [SPEAKER_01] Kennt ihr auch diesen einen Freund, der morgens einfach so ruckzuck aus dem Bett und danach aus dem Grinsen gar nicht mehr rauskommt? Der sogar noch vor dem ersten Kaffee unverschämt gut gelaunt ist und mit der Morgensonne um die Wette strahlt? Furchtbar. Ekelhaft. Wie kann man nur so...

[00:00:45] [SPEAKER_02] Ausgeruht sein? Ganz einfach. Trainiere deinen Schlaf und werde auch du zum Morgenmenschen. Mit der Galaxy Watch 7 oder dem Galaxy Ring und der Samsung Health App.

[00:00:55] [SPEAKER_00] This is Optimal Living Daily. Shifting Perspective as a Wellness Strategy. By Kathy Robinson of AthenaWellness.com. And I'm Justin Mollick, your very own personal narrator. Hello old friend, and that's not me calling you old. Old stands for Optimal Living Daily. And this is where I read articles to you, the best I can find and get permission from, so that you can have a little dose of positivity, inspiration, motivation, or happiness each and every day.

[00:01:22] [SPEAKER_00] So with that, let's get right to another post and start optimizing your life. Shifting Perspective as a Wellness Strategy. By Kathy Robinson of AthenaWellness.com. The warm days have arrived in the Northern Hemisphere bringing a sense of joy. Simple pleasures abound, like spending time with family and friends and enjoying the outdoors. The mood feels uplifting.

[00:01:52] [SPEAKER_00] But we don't need to wait until the conditions are perfect to experience contentment. In fact, the natural world provides limitless opportunities to shift perspective whenever we're feeling stuck, anxious, or unsure. For example, take a look at your current surroundings, your everyday life. Now zoom all the way out. Imagine looking at an endless sky. Consider this.

[00:02:17] [SPEAKER_00] The sun is one of 100 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way galaxy is one of several hundred billion galaxies in the universe. The universe is 13 billion years old, ever expanding since the Big Bang and made of matter and energy. But only 5% of the universe is made of atoms, meaning stars and galaxies. The rest is dark matter and dark energy. It's a mystery.

[00:02:45] [SPEAKER_00] Now zoom all the way in. Imagine you're on an endless beach. Consider this. Everything is made of tiny atoms. One grain of sand contains 1 million trillion atoms. Atoms are made of subatomic particles, tiny bits of energy that behave unpredictably. They're here, then they're not.

[00:03:09] [SPEAKER_00] This is the realm of quantum physics that tells us what appears to be solid is not. It's a mystery. From the Milky Way to a grain of sand, there's so much awe, so much we don't know. Yet we tend to forget this and its impact as we live our day-to-day lives in between this wonder. But you can learn to tap into this place of awe and curiosity whenever you'd like if you're open to it.

[00:03:37] [SPEAKER_00] And it can change your whole perspective so much so that this practice can become a useful wellness strategy. Exploring the concept of zooming out and zooming in can be a powerful way to reframe. In photography, when we zoom out, we make our subjects smaller or farther away. And when we zoom in, we make it larger or closer without moving ourselves. We do this optically by moving the barrel of the lens, which manipulates the light coming into the camera,

[00:04:05] [SPEAKER_00] which shifts the perspective of the composition and the viewer. Here's how you can utilize zooming in and out to reframe your life experiences. Number one, zooming out is a great technique when you're mired in the details of your daily routine. It's about broadening your focus to include life outside of your current field of view like a wide-angle lens. It helps you open your awareness to possibility and invites innovation.

[00:04:32] [SPEAKER_00] It gives you permission to be in open mental space, to relax in the abstract, metaphorical, and unknown. It invites the gift of unstructured time to do nothing, even for brief periods of time to reflect on the journey so far. And number two, zooming in is a great technique when you feel scattered or paralyzed by choice. It's about narrowing your focus to include everything that comprises the present moment,

[00:04:59] [SPEAKER_00] including the inspiration you get from big-mind moments like connecting with nature. It puts your current state of life in perspective by seeing your daily routine as a result of life decisions you've made to this point. Zooming in gives you more clarity on a practical next step. Here are some ideas on how you can shift perspective using these techniques. Zooming out for a broader life view.

[00:05:23] [SPEAKER_00] Connect with universal forces through the power of the elements like the night sky or the ocean. See your situation from a zoomed-out vantage point. Will it matter in 10 or 20 years? What have you learned? What can you celebrate? Make time for mental breaks. Walks, cloud-watching, gardening, napping, driving. Let your right brain roam. Look for when you feel most at ease. That's a good sign that you're in alignment with what matters most to you.

[00:05:53] [SPEAKER_00] Seek out new experiences and possibilities. And zooming in for life clarity. Create space. Clear out the old stuff or get it off your chest. Emotional. Review where you're spending your most valuable resources, your time and energy, and determine if it aligns with your values and desires. Adjust as needed. Work with your learning edge, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone just a bit. Write about a prior situation that felt insurmountable.

[00:06:24] [SPEAKER_00] How did you resolve it? How did that experience add to the strength and outlook you have today? Lift your spirit with music, exercise, laughter, or human connection. Celebrate and give yourself credit for a job well done so far. Since everything is connected and in relationship, you may find that the infinite vastness of the sky and the nanoscopic world of the matter and energy can help you adjust your current worldview.

[00:06:51] [SPEAKER_00] This will give you options when you find yourself vulnerable to the unpredictable and relentless waves of life. As a result, you may feel more presence, less emotional tumble, and the power of knowing you can change what you need and let go of everything else. Perspective shifts help us improve our mental outlook, ourselves, and our lives.

[00:07:13] [SPEAKER_00] As situations shift and improve, self-empowerment increases, as does your ability to creatively handle life experiences. You just listened to the post titled, Shifting Perspective as a Wellness Strategy by Kathy Robinson of AthenaWellness.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. If you've shopped online, chances are you've bought from a business powered by Shopify. You know that purple shop pay button you see at checkout?

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[00:09:33] [SPEAKER_00] Go to liquidiv.com and get 20% off your first order with code OLD at checkout. That's 20% off your first order with code OLD at liquidiv.com. Thank you to Kathy. See, anytime I hear some stats about the size of the universe or the size of an atom, feels mind-blowing. And connecting with natural elements does seem to help change my mindset when needed.

[00:09:59] [SPEAKER_00] Just getting outside and looking at the sky or some plants can bring some much-needed perspective. I also like the idea of reviewing where we're spending our time and energy. That's something I've tried to be more mindful of over the years, even tracking what I'm doing in 15-minute blocks for weeks at a time. It's so easy to let our days get filled with things that don't really align with what matters most to us. Just taking that time to step back and evaluate can be really revealing.

[00:10:27] [SPEAKER_00] It's a simple technique that can be truly powerful and worth trying out. But whether or not you do that, hopefully you can try intentionally zooming in or zooming out. I'd love to hear what works for you. But with that, hope you're having a great day. Thank you for being here. And I'll see you tomorrow, where your optimal life awaits.