Managing Our States for Peak Performance

The notion of changing our physical body to change our states is
not new. All the gurus who teach yoga, meditation, Qi gong and tai
chi are masters at changing the physical body to effect a complete
change of state.

Unfortunately, many people use external stimuli to change their
physical bodies and states, which is good in the long term. For
example, people use junk food, coffee, drugs, alcohol or
cigarettes, all of which alter their biochemistry changing how they
feel temporarily. (Unfortunately there are long term negative
effects of addictive foods and drugs on their physical body)

Some people smoke to change their states, to calm their nerves from
stress and anxiety. Why does smoking change your state? The main
factor is not only attributed to the chemicals. In fact, by
inhaling, you are taking deep slow breaths. This is the reason
smokers feel calmer and relaxed after a cigarette break.

A useful and beneficial strategy people use to change their states
is exercise. I am sure you have experienced a time when you felt
frustrated, depressed or stressed. What happens if you were to go
running or play a game of tennis?

You would immediately forget that you were depressed! This is
because exercising massively changes our entire physiology,
preventing our brain from accessing the depressed state any more.

What happened when you stopped exercising? You gradually got
depressed again, didn't you? However, this means that you do have
the ability to shift completely out of negative states in an
instant. By consciously taking charge of our physiology, we do not
require external devices to change our states

Now, unless you change your physiology totally, it is impossible
for you to change your state, In other words, if you remain in a
physiology of procrastination, it is not possible for you feel
motivated!

It is ironic when people say that no matter what they do, they
cannot seem to get motivated. It is because they say it
(unconsciously) with the most boring physiology and tonality
possible. First and foremost, 'Change your physiology! Move faster!
Breathe faster! Speak louder, faster and with more enthusiasm!"

The moment you know how to manage your states, it doesn't mean that
external events can never affect you anymore. It doesn't mean that
you will never get upset or lazy anymore! Most of us have our fair
share of lazy states we get into.

The only difference is that by consciously choosing to be in
control, shifting ourselves into resourceful states, will we be
able to perform at our peak all of the time.