Chill Pill Brain Prep for Focus

Do you need to take a chill pill to calm down, focus, get clarity? Well, you're in the right place. Welcome to the Mind Body Space Podcast. I'm Dr. Juna Bobby MD. I'm a board-certified physician specializing in mind-body medicine. This is the Rx Chill Pill part of the podcast where I guide you through a meditation to elicit your relaxation response. This is a powerful, research-backed physiologic state that is the opposite of your stress response. A regular practice will boost your focus and resilience for peak performance and wellness. Science-backed self-help is one of the key solutions to thrive and stay healthy in our increasingly complex world. The few minutes you put in here will save you a ton of time in the real world. So please support this important message by pressing the share, subscribe, and rate buttons. Hi there! Are you feeling overwhelmed? Too much to do, not enough time, maybe a bit resentful of not having enough time. Maybe you know what to do, but you can't seem to get started. If this sounds familiar to you, you're listening to the right audio to prep your brain into the optimal state for learning or practicing or listening attentively to someone you're talking to or even cleaning your room, whatever you need to be focusing on in the moment. Why does this matter? Because when you can focus on what you're doing when you're doing it, you're not only going to save time, but you're going to feel a lot more satisfaction after that task is done. You're also going to feel even a bit happier, calmer, and even more confident. So how do we access this focus state? In this audio, we're going to use key phrases to access that dopamine, the feel-good neurotransmitter that motivates us and increases our ability to think clearly, plan and memorize and learn. In this way, we're going to train our brain to feel the reward and access that dopamine while we're doing the actual hard work. So this is very different from doing the work while thinking of some future goal or reward. If we focus on that future goal, like winning a tournament or performing challenging repertoire or getting into our reach school, then the work that's going to actually get us there feels harder and even more painful for us. So the key is to access our dopamine with curiosity and with these phrases that's going to remind our brain what we're going to focus on now in itself is gratifying and that it's really interesting in itself. So the first step is to get curious about this exercise we're doing and choose to keep an open mind. Yes, it's a choice. If your mind starts judging or doubting this exercise or anything else, just notice that and label it. Judging, doubting, because that's what our brains automatically do. So just notice it and come back to focus on what we're actually doing. So that's the first step. Got it? Next, say the sentence quietly to yourself or write it out: Pressure is a privilege. This is a quote from Billie Jean King, a tennis legend. She said, "Usually if you have tremendous pressure, it's because an opportunity comes along. Most of the time, if you really think about it, usually it's a privilege." Can you relate to that? Sometimes it can be hard to relate it to some everyday thing like studying or practicing or cleaning your room. But let's think about that. If you're putting effort in, the fact that you have something to study or practice means that you have an opportunity to try to excel. How does that relate to cleaning up a messy room? Well, you have an opportunity to create a welcoming space for yourself, and that's a privilege too. So if you're working toward a high-pressure situation, for example, getting into your reach school, being recruited for sports competitions and performances, then you have an opportunity to apply yourself. And whether you get what you're ultimately going for or not, you've improved your skills in the process. Because what's the opposite of pressure? If you don't have any pressure to achieve something, that means that there's no opportunity, there's no excitement, no expectations on you, no awards, no audience, and no goals to meet. And most importantly, nothing to improve or learn. So that's your first mantra. Pressure is a privilege. Got it? Memorize that and say it a few times to yourself right now. The next phrase helps you shift into a positive mindset and boosts your brain's neurochemistry for focus and internal motivation, which of course will help you to do anything better. Say quietly to yourself or write out the phrase: I get to do this. I get to do this. Because even when we're working towards something that we want the most for ourselves, we often say to ourselves, I have to do this, or I should be doing this now. Or maybe someone's even yelling at you to do something because you've been procrastinating on it. Well, that ruins your focus because at that point, we all feel powerless And for our brain, that can feel like what scientists call learned helplessness. And this mind state makes us much less likely to do what we need to do to get us where we want to go. It keeps us kind of trapped and not looking for better ways to do things. So a powerful shift in neurochemistry in just one word. Instead of "I have to," we say, "I get to." I get to do this. I get to practice. I get to study. I get to clean my room. I get to pay attention to a friend, a loved one, a teacher, this audio, you fill in the blank. You get to do this because as you remember from the first mantra, pressure is a privilege. It means opportunities for you. See how this shifts your situation. And if you're having a hard time with it still, take a few deep breaths and relax the tension in your face and neck and shoulders and breathe into your belly. So let's practice and memorize this. Your brain reset to focus your mind on what you're doing by enjoying and feeling grateful towards what you're doing in the moment. That's what's gonna put you on the path to where you wanna go. Now let's do it together 3 more times. Take a deep breath in. Focus on relaxing your face, neck, shoulders as you exhale. Pressure is a privilege. Take a deep breath in whenever that is for you and exhale, focusing on relaxing your muscles. Pressure is a privilege. There is an opportunity. Taking a deep breath in, relaxing your muscles, and on the exhale, I get to do this. Now let's put it all together. Taking a deep breath in. And on the exhale, focus on relaxing your face, neck, shoulders, as you say silently to yourself, "Pressure is a privilege, an opportunity. I get to do this." Now try it one more time on your own. You are now ready to use this brain prep anywhere, anytime. And in just 3 breaths and 3 phrases, you can boost your focus, productivity, and even happiness. So use this dopamine prep often and get curious about how it affects you whenever you use it. Does it change your experience of overwhelm? Does it ease that time crunch a little bit? Is getting started a bit easier for you? Whatever the answers are to these questions, Just keep trying. It's just a breath and you have it with you. Just like anything else, practice makes it better. And you may notice that just one of the phrases really resonate with you, and just in one breath and one phrase, that might shift your neurochemistry for you. Check in with yourself before doing this practice, then during your work, and after you do your work, and see how you feel. I hope you tap into this powerful exercise often and really make it your own. It's important to thank yourself for taking this time to shift your brain and body into the relaxation response. We all need to counter the wear and tear of stressors in our everyday lives. This not only helps our productivity and focus, but it also benefits all the people we interact with during our day because, let's face it, the calmer we are, the more positivity we can bring into the world. Did you like this chill pill? Well, then go to mindbodyspace.com and opt in to the newsletter, and you'll get special tips from my neuroscience-based planner and course, which was developed from over 10 years of experience teaching high-performance students of all ages at Juilliard, NYU, Columbia, Achievement First Charter Schools, and many other organizations. As always, I really appreciate you joining me here, and until next time, this is Dr. Juna wishing you and your family wellness.