Strengthen Weakness to Maximise Strength

AMBIDEXTROUS TRAINING

Being right handed has meant that certain tasks, repeated so many times over the years, have become automatic - ingrained in me as my second nature. This repetitive usage has also worn joints, strained ligaments and created imbalances in my body. 

Playing To Our Strengths?

It's easy to continue doing the long established and therefore most effective ways of doing things. But by doing so, we neglect other methods and ways of performing and the parts of us being unused will become even more ineffective if they are not given any opportunity to improve.

Some will say playing to their strengths is where we need to focus our efforts. However, I truly believe that strengthening our weaknesses will maximise our overall strengths. This thinking can be applied to all areas of our life. This is particularly true of the transactional interplay in the workplace. 

I am currently in a position where I can observe the working practices from another perspective. Being the hired resource, whereas previously, I was the management, I now find it very interesting seeing how other people deal with similar situations I was facing up until just recently. I can see the frustration a poor manager faced by reading the confessions on his blog post. Trying to improve obvious weaknesses in his case, caused distress for him and the others he worked with and it's brave for him to admit his failings.

True - I may have required far more patience than I had on tap and there were times when I could have used better/alternative methods for dealing with tricky people and situations - but ultimately, learning these skills would have helped me get the best out of people. So I will continue to observe these skills in others and strengthen my weaknesses.

Switch Things Around

Today, I am typing this post from my iPhone with my left hand whilst using my weaker right eye to read and check everything is being written/spelt correctly. It's not as fast or as accurate as the dominant hand/eye but in just the time it's taken to compose this short post, the right eye has switched on, becoming more focussed, plus the left hand is already gaining speed/dexterity with every line typed. 

It's worth trying to switch round other tasks that we do a lot of, like using a knife and fork or a computer mouse and see if we can strengthen the weaker sides. Giving the other half a chance to improve at the same time as giving the dominant side a break, can help re-align our bodies and reduce the chances of getting RSI. 

Chanting for health

THE POWER OF WORDS

Words have power. And certain types of words, spoken or sung in chants while meditating, have immense power for creating change. The sounds and vibrations emanated from chanting or listening to these mantras, can evoke strong feelings in us for positive change, plus promote greater health & harmony within the body and mind.

There are many mantras used by Yogis, spoken in the ancient dialect of Sanskrit. The special words selected for Sanskrit mantras, have a particular resonance that helps to target the points in the body relating to the chakras/energy centres and also have the power to balance the body, by bringing out the positive meanings of the mantra through sound.

Mantras
Mantras are words or phrases chanted in meditations, which promote feelings of harmony and well-being, which are derived from ancient Sanskrit texts passed on for millennia.

The following Mantras have been shown to me by The Radiant Hand. This was part of my Yoga 1 course. This link gives a further list of mantras to try, along with their meanings.

OM Nama Shivaya (Aum nah-mah Shee-vah-yah)
OM and salutations - May the elements of this creation abide in me in full manifestations
The Sidha Mantra above will help both males and females purify their masculine aspect. It is said that if one uses this as a main spiritual discipline for many years, one will eventually accumulate knowledge and spiritual clarity of the deepest type.

OM Shanti OM
OM is the seed sound for the brow centre, the third eye chakra, which is where the masculine and feminine energies meet. Shanti means in a dynamic sense: not just an empty shell, but also a powerful and active peace that radiates outwards.

OM Ram Ramaya Namaha (Aum rahm rahm-eye-yah nahm-ah-ha)
Ram has a two-fold meaning and application in Sanskrit. First, it is the seed sound for the solar plexus chakra. Tremendous healing energy lies dormant in this chakra. Mantra can and will give you the energy by awakening the chakra; it prepares the chakra to be able to handle the flow of Kundalini energy that gives the chakra its power.

The second application involves dividing the Rama into 2 syllables. Ra and Ma. Ra is associated with the solar current that runs down the left side of the body. By just repeating Rama Rama Rama over and over again, you begin balancing the two currents and their activity so that they can work with the higher stages of energy that will eventually come up the spine. This simple mantra, Rama, qualifies as a healing mantra in its own right.

Good Vibrations

ENERGY FIELDS

We are all made up of energy. And depending on how we are feeling in regards to our physical, mental and spiritual health, our energy will be vibrating at different levels. 

Japanese scientists have recently proved the existence of an energy field around all living things. This field is called an Aura. We will all be giving off an 'aura' of energy which will be picked up subconsciously by others. 

Auras have been shown to exist through a type of photography that picks up these different coloured energy fields. How we are feeling, what our health status is and if we have blocks - will be not only felt in the body and mind but picked up by those sensitive enough to pick up on these things. 

We all give off this energy via vibrations - and these subtle frequencies can be affected by other frequencies around us. Hence we can pick up on another's good or bad 'vibes' and even sense when we're in a bad place or situation. Mobile phones and other electronic devices can also potentially interfere with our delicate energy systems, so we should aim to switch them off, disconnect and remove ourselves from the technologies that could likely interfere with brain waves and put our body's equilibrium out of balance. 

Listen to your body

WARNING SIGNALS

Our bodies are finely tuned machines that are working 24/7 to retain homeostasis. In order to remain in an optimum state for functioning at our best, we have to take good care of ourselves through quality nutrition and regular rest. We need to listen carefully to our bodies, because sometimes, the signals are being sent and we're not aware, because we're not listening.

Our body has to adjust to certain states that we put ourselves through. Our conditions are constantly being measured and assessed through our central nervous system. Our nerve receptors pick up information relayed from our five senses to determine how our body systems are functioning within our environment and our brains interpret these signals to then motivate us to act appropriately. This is how we know if we are getting damaged - because we feel pain - which are the brain's warning signals. And this is how we know to avoid doing whatever it is that is causing the pain receptors to fire off these warning signals. Being constantly exposed to stressful situations, or by not getting enough sleep, rest or good nutrition, we may be so exhausted and therefore missing these important signals. Over time we may even become entirely de-sensitised to them and we later wonder why our looks and functionality have deteriorated so much.

Working at a tough level of intensity over long periods could set our pain thresholds at higher peaks and change our acceptable non-harmful state. This is how injuries creep up on us. This is also why it's important to have regular breaks throughout the day, relaxing evenings, weekends and planned holidays. It's in these moments, we can then use meditation, breathing techniques or yoga practise to help us identify these potential areas which are giving off warning signals. If we listen and act upon these signals, the chances of having any lasting damage done to our bodies will be greatly reduced.

The Robot Human

MANAGING THE MACHINE

We are biological robots. We start off in this world with basic programming which we learn to master with the help of our parents. We then have other children and teachers at school to top-up the learning process and eventually we are set free to take this programmed human being out into the wider world where we bolt on our own extra software enhancements to make us capable of functioning in society. 

The Robot v Human

Knowing how and when to operate in the rational, logical programme mode is essential to getting on with other people in every day situations. We have been programmed to act a certain way from a very young age. Being polite, patient and considerate to others has been instilled - hard-coded in. It is not a natural trait to be unselfish and hence why we engage our practised mind to make us act correctly for better coping around others - especially in a work environment. We become like a programmed robot.

The problem with always having a pre-thought programme running, is that we never really get to enjoy the moment we're in. Allowing the times for us to be in a more 'child-like' curious, adventurous and creative state will enable us to have a freedom to be with others in a much more free state of being. And if we've given enough time to develop the robot, or rational side of our brains, we can be assured that the underline robot mind will stop us from coming too far out of our playful state to cause any harm to ourselves or others. It's essentially having the robot/parent state set up in a way that allows us to live as humans - playful, inquisitive and fun beings that we are.

Imbalance

BECOMING WELL BALANCED

A strange thing occurred to me the other day. I have been dealing with a set of injuries that stubbornly refuse to go away. Yoga, regular stretching, a long break from being sat in front of a computer all day long and general lifestyle improvements have all helped to significantly reduce the symptoms...but they are still there. 

While laying on my back after a particularly tough (yes guys it can be very physically challenging) yoga session, I quietly focussed on my body and the benefits of my practice. What I noticed, was a tendency for my right foot to roll out to the right. I traced the muscles up my right leg and realised my hip was touching the mat. Over to the left foot and up the leg, I discovered my left buttock was engaged - hence the tilt in my hip and splayed right foot. I was twisted! Suddenly it dawned on me...the tightness in my left hip-flexor & glutes was causing an imbalance in my movements (increased flexibility on one side more than on the other) - why was this?

Little things have big consequences

I'd heard about the knock-on effects of having injuries on one side of the body consequently affecting the other. A good friend of mine had recently confirmed this fact when he went to a physio with a chronic back issue that he'd been informed required surgery by his doctor. 

Desperate to avoid the knife, he went back to someone he'd seen two years prior. He'd disregarded her advice back then. The physio had taken one look as he entered the room and before he'd properly explained his symptoms, she'd already identified the root of his problems - a limp caused by a badly healed broken leg from 10 years before!

This friend, finally accepting something in the area of his left ankle was the cause of a prolapsed disk, then chose to alleviate the symptoms by following a course of physiotherapy to first fix the limp. 

The Impact of time

Injuries can cause imbalances. But also, repeating the same action over and over, sitting in the same position, doing the same movements - these will all cause slight changes in our body that become more major over time. Muscles on one side become stronger or lengthen on the other and the body holds it's imbalanced position, causing tension and problems down the line. 

So what had dawned on me the other day was simple - and it was such a simple thing to fix that I was dumbstruck how I'd allowed this to happen in the first place. 

I'd had a wallet in my back right pocket for the whole of my adult life. This is why my right buttock muscle is relaxed - it's because when I'm sitting down on the wallet, only the left side needs to switch on the muscles to stay straight. 

Since I removed the wallet and now have another possible solution for where to keep my valuables, I've noticed a massive change in lower back tightness over night. Yet again I'm astounded in discovering something that's been so glaringly obvious - yet taken me so long to discover in myself or so long to acknowledge and do something about. It's also confirmed to me that the small things really can make a difference in making a change for the better and for keeping a balance.

Work & Life Balance

THREE DAY WEEK

Life is short. Five days out of seven at work is a lot - especially when the days are long. A third of our time is spent sleeping and it only leaves a couple of hours in the evening when we're already spent with just the weekend to recover and fit in some enjoyment around the other life chores. Wouldn't it be better if we had double the weekend?

I always liked the idea of not working on a Monday. It's a terrible day in work terms. The first day back after a great weekend can be a real downer - and if you've had a lot of fun, chances are the battery could have done with a longer recharge... Not much gets done on a Monday in real work terms. So, a small sleep-in followed by a relaxing day means that Tuesday will be very productive. And if we could work to deadlines rather than hours a day, I reckon the majority of people could get their work done a lot faster - especially if we all got to do shorter weeks. That means Tuesday to Thursday would be a lot more productive, potentially leaving Friday free to enjoy too. Think how many long weekends we could have travelling to different countries, or how much more of our families and loved ones we could see and share good times with. Life would still be short - but richer on a three day work week for sure.

Re-Doubled Effort

MAKE THEM GO THE EXTRA MILE

When the you've been promised the earth and been let down - don't get angry. Suck it in. Because you'll get a lot more out of someone if you are calm, smile and say nothing. You'll get nothing if you have an argument. Things don't always go to plan. There's always factors out of our control and things we're completely unaware of that could jeopardise a venture we've set our heart on.

I've learned that as soon as there's a problem with a service or a facility, especially if premium money has been paid for it, it's a given that that there'll be something given out to compensate for what seems to be a shoddy delivery. It could damage their reputation, especially in this day and age with such fierce competition and feedback being posted on the internet. Not only will being decent when you want to shout at someone in frustration make everyone feel better, but often, the effort put in to appease a disgruntled customer can prove to be worth more to us in the end than what we originally aimed for in the first place as they go the extra mile to appease us.

Supplements - Protein

MUSCLE ENHANCERS

Protein Powder
Naturally occurring protein derived from food sources like poultry, fish and beef is a key nutrient in promoting overall health and improving fitness. When we train, the components found in protein, like essential amino acids, help to repair the body and strengthen muscle. According to various sources, for a leaner and athletic body composition we should be taking in between 1.5-2x our body weight in kilograms in grams of protein per day. ie. I weigh 80kg and should be taking on between 120-160 grams of protein. If you consider the average sized chicken breast contains 25-31grams of protein - that's a lot of protein to make up in the diet. That's where the protein shakes come in handy.

Just as an example, here's what my diet is like on a day when I'm training:

Breakfast:
Smoked Salmon  – 16g
2x eggs – 14g
Avocado – 1g
Tomatoes handful – 2g
Slice rye bread – 2g
Total protein = 35g

Lunch:
Smoked Haddock – 30g
Brocoli – 4g
New Potatoes – 3g
Peas – 3g
Total protein = 40g

Dinner:
Chicken Breast – 30g
Mushrooms – 2g
Asparagus – 1.5g
Swede Mash – 1.5g
Total protein = 35g

So, if I wanted to top up on my protein intake for improving muscle mass/recovery, I should look at potentially taking on board a couple of protein shakes with 20g protein in each serving along with some semi-skimmed milk to add another total 40-50g of protein to my diet.

Understanding what the best protein types are and for what purpose will help to achieve the desired results in your training. Here's 5 good ways to pick the right protein powder. Generally, whey protein appears to have one of the highest protein contents per gram but other alternatives like pea and hemp can be just as good and may be easier on the digestion for some people. Yellow Pea Protein is also good for cooking with and adding to sauces, soups and smoothies - ideal for vegans & vegetarians.

Ultimately, eating well with a balanced and nutritious diet are going to be the best option for health and well-being. But adding a good quality source of protein powder to supplement the diet can be a convenient method for being sure of having enough protein every day.

Doing something

MAKING THE MOST OF PRODUCTIVE TIME

So yesterday was a mostly productive day - quite intense but with a bit of R&R. So I've set aside today as my first chance to do nothing. Doing 'nothing', as I've now realised, just isn't entirely possible. There's always a bit of 'I'll just do that first' and then after that I'll relax.... That's why planning on doing not very much today didn't work out too well...because the 'just do that' got in the way again and again. However, I'm ok with it today as I was being so efficiently productive, that I managed to get a lot done in a relatively short space of time.

That being said, It's a beautiful sunny, warm day here in London and yet I've spent the most part of it in front of a computer in a darkened room. Thing is, there'll be another sunny day but it's not often that I'll get such clarity on my thinking like today and you have to take those opportunities when they come along. I managed to get so much done this morning that I'm now in the sun with the knowledge that tomorrow will be another day of doing something with more breaks factored in rather than spending the whole day in front of a computer screen.

It's all down to balance - which can be said about everything in life. Finding a place of balance in our lives is always subjective and ever changing. Accepting that balance is merely a concept that should be monitored from a place of harmony within our mind body and environment, will help us to stay in tune more. That's the place I want (and need to get to) - where I'm less frantic trying to fit so much in to a day and not feeling so run ragged. If I'm in a more relaxed state, the working moments will be the most productive and rewarding too.

Burnout

PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's not just the armed forces that get affected. I've been reading some articles today about the effects of being subjected to sustained high levels of stress, the infectuous nature of working with trauma sufferers and fallout from being in this kind of environment for too long. Our front line could be the 9-5, the trauma sufferers our colleagues and the fallout can be the consequences from not dealing with something we're not even unaware of being affected by...

Numbness

When exposed to high levels of stress for sustained periods, soldiers have been observed to display behaviour changes in the form of; mood swings, anger outbursts, lack of empathy and numbness. There's also been studies to show how these same traits can be found in the office workplace - indicated by a clear increase in stress-related symptoms being diagnosed over recent years. A friend of mine who worked in the stock market, had to leave his job because it was affecting his marriage so much. He wasn't as aware of the changes to his character as his wife and friends were at the time, because he spent a major portion of his time at work. This kind of work, although well-paid, is known to be a hi-paced and stressful job. Being in media, there are known high-stress factors affecting certain roles, but being in an ever-more competitive market, the acceptable levels of stress have increased significantly across a multitude of roles and certainly not just representative of those with the highest salaries. So it's inevitable that more people are now working in an elevated state of stress which is not healthy for long periods and is likely why I've noticed the behavioural characteristics my friend, a high-earner from the stock market was displaying in more of my colleagues who are merely doing a regular job in lower paid roles. 

The signs that we're over-stressed don't show up as much until we're outside of the toxic environment. Our partners and friends will point out to us the times we're clearly out of balance. These can show up with an unexpected outburst in minor stress situations, for example; when driving a car. Other sure signs are fatigue - being exhausted at the end of the working week with no energy for the weekend's activities or isolation - unusually quiet/withdrawn & feeling flat/numb in what are usually known to be fun and upbeat situations. 

The feeling of numbness is hard to describe. You can be doing something fun or not so much fun and there'll be no great deviation from the line of zero emotion. There's no/little spike of excitement when there should b,e or emotion when something bad/sad has happened. It is interesting that I've been able to witness and observe these feelings in myself and mostly rectify numbness quickly & easily by readily having something on hand to jar the dulled brain back into life. For others, where they've not been made aware of their symptoms until they are close to burnout, it's maybe not been so easy to fix. 

Life Mantra

There's a simple way to keep on top of how you're feeling and that's to write things down. I've been doing this consistently since 2010. Every year I make a list of the things I want to achieve at the beginning and evaluate them at the end of the year. This is great practice as there's a master plan in place. But, you'll have some known truths about yourself that will help or hinder your achievements and this is where your mantra comes in. I write down what things negatively affect me - like being in a stressful work environment, dealing with difficult characters or having to repeatedly do things that irritate me. I'll then have a list of positives that I can also get from being in those environments/situations and have some extra known tasks, activities and tricks that I can draw on to help adjust the balance if the day is particularly tough. Some examples of these easy to obtain positivity enhancers are:

- Doing some exercise at the gym

- Riding my road bike

- Going for a walk

- Eating a nice meal

- Watching or listening to some comedy

- Watching an inspirational TED video

- Listening to music or a pod cast

- Sleep

The not so easy to get immediately but best positivity enhancers are things like; taking quality time out, ie. getting away for a weekend break or longer with partners and friends. These need to be factored-in regularly and there needs to be time for assessment and self-reflection. I now make regular checks every day when writing a blog and it's helped keep track of a number of things - in particular, the life/work balance. 

Get out and move on

Whatever your reasons for remaining in a bad situation/environment/job, when you realise that the positivity enhancers are being over-used and their restorative effects becoming weaker/not as long-lasting...it's time to look at options before burnout takes hold or manifests into something even more serious. 

The work-live balance

This article link gives a bit more info on the topic of working in toxic environments. I believe there's a lot more studies required, especially around having increased connectivity periods - the 24-7 smartphone phenomena means we're spending less time away from thinking about work. Certain firms in Europe like Volkswagen are realising the impact of having a poor work/life balance and are now regulating how much time is spent at work either physically or virtually by restricting hours and connectivity times. 

I have friends that are showing signs of burnout written about in here and I've observed some of these symptoms in myself too. High pressure is ok and can actually produce better, more rewarding results but we need to be more aware of the damaging effects that come from being exposed to sustained high-stress situations in toxic environments. If it's making us ill - It's time to get out. 

Getting In Touch With Your Softer Side

KEEPING A BALANCE

I was talking about beating yourself up yesterday - and how in extreme cases, it can lead to depression. Guys really are finding it tough to express a 'softer' side to their personality, it seems. Talking with a colleague about the role we still mostly play as protector and provider in a family unit (we all know the women are the true leaders in the relationship lol), just yesterday. It's obviously a generalisation - but we agreed men may place high expectations or themselves or have them projected on them by their family and partners. In his case, with two young daughters, he's very much seen (from his perspective) as the strong dad type. He has a lot of pressure to deliver daily in the work place - and he's got pressure from his family and his own inner voice. And apart from those rare 'shed' moments, there's not really a time or a place he can go for reflection and to let it all go. I'm talking about a man retreat. Women have spa days/weekends together, yoga retreats, meet up for coffee/lunch and have magazines that focus on wellbeing - I'm sure there's a whole lot more where they can get support. When I get together with my friends (with a couple of exceptions), it's usually  focussed around alcohol, no food and apart from a courtesy Q: 'how's it going?' A: 'yeah, good, you?' – there's very little discussion on how we're really feeling - the topic's actually frowned upon. I suspect the reason there's not been a successful man retreat is because we are too scared to admit 'weakness'. If you're reading this and know of one - please mail me...

So regarding balance. I picked up Psychologies Magazine yesterday. It was sitting out of place with all the marketing mags and newspapers (typical reads for the type of job I work in). It's very obviously targeted at women (pictures and colours) but the content is sound reading for everyone. The article I read (see link above), re-affirmed at the end what I'm now doing daily - writing everything down. I'm a graphic designer by trade - and I liked the look of the mag. I'm not a fan of gossip mags necessarily but I often flick through Stylist and I work daily on the design & layouts for other mags read predominantly by women. I'm a big fan of the colours pink and yellow and will get a bit of ribbing from my mates about this. What's the big deal? I figure it's the association to more 'feminine' colours and therefore showing a softer side, that puts other guys on edge.

Personality Types
There's nothing wrong with being a well rounded individual. I find that my personality preferences can make me a bit direct at times and I can come across a bit tough. I certainly look a bit menacing anyway, so I try and keep my appearance 'lighter'. I mix it up by wearing colour and going to my emotional and feeling sides of the brain on a regular basis by reading, watching films and generally asking people how they are - taking a bit of time to genuinely listen and emphasise with their feelings. I found it helpful knowing more about different personality types - and how to talk & work with others or adjust your own traits to be more in-tune to others - maybe giving yourself a couple of variants so you're not always going back to the typical behaviours. There's a free test online - well worth doing (find a couple of other tests to double-check the results). It becomes much easier to see the benefits and pitfalls that affect your mood based on your personality preferences – and could help you achieve a more balanced way of thinking...