1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,001 mental health is not the mystery that it once was 2 00:00:03,001 --> 00:00:06,791 although there's a lot of things we don't know about how the brain works 3 00:00:06,791 --> 00:00:09,480 or why people feel certain things or what makes it better, 4 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:12,350 there also is a lot that we have figured out since the days 5 00:00:12,350 --> 00:00:16,408 of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung and those early pioneers of psychology. 6 00:00:16,767 --> 00:00:19,808 There are many things that we can definitively say: 7 00:00:19,808 --> 00:00:24,373 "If you do this thing you will see some amount of improvement ." 8 00:00:24,851 --> 00:00:27,720 The problem is that a lot of these proven strategies 9 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:30,225 for improving mental health are difficult, 10 00:00:30,225 --> 00:00:32,669 uncomfortable or unpleasant to implement; 11 00:00:33,016 --> 00:00:37,540 and a trap I see people get sucked into all the time is they keep looking 12 00:00:37,540 --> 00:00:40,934 for new solutions, new answers, new ideas, 13 00:00:40,934 --> 00:00:43,735 not because they don't have any solutions 14 00:00:44,005 --> 00:00:46,821 but because they don't like the solutions they have. 15 00:00:46,922 --> 00:00:50,167 They don't want to implement the things that they already know 16 00:00:50,167 --> 00:00:54,886 and so they spend hours and hours reading books listening to podcasts 17 00:00:54,886 --> 00:01:00,320 watching YouTube videos to try to find an easier faster or more convenient way 18 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,680 to make the changes they already know they should be making. 19 00:01:03,829 --> 00:01:07,366 The thing about this is it's at best this is procrastination 20 00:01:07,366 --> 00:01:09,075 at worst it's avoidance. 21 00:01:09,220 --> 00:01:14,203 Sometimes we need to stop acquiring new information and focus 22 00:01:14,203 --> 00:01:17,052 on applying the information we already have. 23 00:01:17,052 --> 00:01:19,825 And rather than looking for that magic bullet, so to speak, 24 00:01:19,825 --> 00:01:24,609 work on creating a foundation combined with all of the things 25 00:01:24,609 --> 00:01:28,500 we already know are definitely going to help us if we could get them going. 26 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:32,595 When I hear somebody in therapy say: "I've tried everything", 27 00:01:33,140 --> 00:01:37,314 what they usually mean is: I've tried everything that I want to try". 28 00:01:37,684 --> 00:01:41,292 So that's why today instead of presenting a new concept, 29 00:01:41,292 --> 00:01:45,149 I'm going to review some things that you probably already know, 30 00:01:45,489 --> 00:01:51,118 but what I am hoping to do is maybe present them in a new or novel way 31 00:01:51,118 --> 00:01:55,411 that will make them feel more accessible, more attainable 32 00:01:55,805 --> 00:01:58,433 or more applicable than they previously did. 33 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:01,880 So, without further ado here are seven things 34 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,569 that you probably already know you should be doing 35 00:02:04,836 --> 00:02:07,316 but might be struggling to implement into your life. 36 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,034 And the first is doing things that you are scared to do, 37 00:02:11,034 --> 00:02:14,095 in other words exposure therapy, facing your fears. 38 00:02:14,525 --> 00:02:19,548 Your comfort zone only grows when you are not in it. 39 00:02:19,879 --> 00:02:23,120 This is critical for you to understand. 40 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:27,927 And engaging in activities that cause you anxiety or that cause you discomfort 41 00:02:27,927 --> 00:02:31,985 is a lot ... it's kind of like stretching your emotional range 42 00:02:31,985 --> 00:02:35,345 in the same way that something like yoga or calisthenics 43 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:37,615 is like stretching your movement range. 44 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,900 It doesn't necessarily feel great while you are doing it. 45 00:02:41,900 --> 00:02:45,291 In fact it can often be an unpleasant experience while you're doing it. 46 00:02:45,291 --> 00:02:49,808 But if you do it regularly, navigating the world 47 00:02:49,808 --> 00:02:52,691 becomes more enjoyable and less painful. 48 00:02:52,819 --> 00:02:54,512 And you're less likely to get hurt: 49 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,952 if you stretch regularly, you are less likely to hurt your body 50 00:02:57,952 --> 00:02:59,800 when you're out and about moving around 51 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,470 and there's fewer situations that you're unable to physically navigate, right? 52 00:03:03,548 --> 00:03:07,108 When you practice regular exposure therapy and work on 53 00:03:07,108 --> 00:03:09,375 in a sort of a planned strategic manner 54 00:03:09,375 --> 00:03:13,647 facing, and hopefully eventually conquering the things you are afraid of, 55 00:03:13,647 --> 00:03:16,545 the world starts to open up to you. 56 00:03:16,545 --> 00:03:21,344 It becomes more accessible and less scary because there are fewer situations 57 00:03:21,344 --> 00:03:26,035 you can imagine that you would find yourself in that overwhelm your anxiety. 58 00:03:26,233 --> 00:03:30,505 This is a huge part of why I used to be so isolated when I was younger, 59 00:03:30,505 --> 00:03:33,751 it's because I was terrified of doing literally everything 60 00:03:33,751 --> 00:03:36,848 other than playing video games in my room, to be honest with you. 61 00:03:37,183 --> 00:03:41,536 And so I avoided people I avoided opportunity, I avoided school, 62 00:03:41,536 --> 00:03:45,723 I avoided work because I felt like I had so few skills 63 00:03:45,723 --> 00:03:48,769 and so little coping ability that it was only a matter of time 64 00:03:48,769 --> 00:03:51,993 before I'd encounter a situation that would completely overwhelm me, 65 00:03:51,993 --> 00:03:54,670 so I didn't enter situations like literally I just didn't 66 00:03:55,026 --> 00:03:59,509 The more confidence you have about your ability to navigate 67 00:03:59,509 --> 00:04:02,915 these stressful situations the less scary life becomes 68 00:04:02,915 --> 00:04:04,983 and the more opportunities you have. 69 00:04:04,983 --> 00:04:08,163 The second thing that you probably already know you should be doing 70 00:04:08,163 --> 00:04:12,500 but might be struggling to do is taking good care of your living space. 71 00:04:12,500 --> 00:04:16,051 Unless you are an absurdly wealthy person, you are going to spend 72 00:04:16,051 --> 00:04:19,091 the vast majority of your life in two environments: 73 00:04:19,091 --> 00:04:21,581 the place that you work and the place that you live. 74 00:04:21,581 --> 00:04:24,156 Now the place you live: you might own your entire home, 75 00:04:24,156 --> 00:04:25,930 you might rent, you might have a room 76 00:04:25,930 --> 00:04:26,650 you might have a condo. 77 00:04:26,650 --> 00:04:29,681 Whatever you have you have an environment that you call home. 78 00:04:29,970 --> 00:04:32,587 And so these two environments, your work and your home, 79 00:04:32,587 --> 00:04:36,333 they have a tremendous impact on your mental health 80 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:40,100 if for no reason, no other reason, I should say, than volume. 81 00:04:40,100 --> 00:04:42,556 They're where you spend the majority of your time 82 00:04:42,556 --> 00:04:45,765 and so the way they look, the way they feel, the way they function, 83 00:04:45,765 --> 00:04:49,058 is critical to your emotional well-being- 84 00:04:49,058 --> 00:04:52,807 We know that the environments that you spend your time in 85 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:55,807 have a huge impact on your mental health. 86 00:04:56,199 --> 00:04:59,154 And basically, what it comes down to for me, my phrasing is, 87 00:04:59,154 --> 00:05:02,317 if you're your home doesn't feel comfortable to you, 88 00:05:02,539 --> 00:05:06,680 you basically never feel like your home, it's like you don't have a home, 89 00:05:06,996 --> 00:05:09,394 you don't have a space: you have a home 90 00:05:09,681 --> 00:05:14,340 but what you don't have is a space in this world that feels right to you: 91 00:05:14,549 --> 00:05:17,067 that's what you're missing and we all need that 92 00:05:17,067 --> 00:05:19,033 and I believe we all deserve that. 93 00:05:19,033 --> 00:05:22,115 But you will not have one unless you make one 94 00:05:22,115 --> 00:05:24,965 you're the one that has to create and maintain it; 95 00:05:24,965 --> 00:05:27,975 and I don't always like that either but I don't make the rules, 96 00:05:27,975 --> 00:05:30,442 I just report on them and this is the way we work 97 00:05:30,442 --> 00:05:35,133 Taking good care of your environment can be a very time-consuming task 98 00:05:35,133 --> 00:05:37,941 especially if you've neglected it for a long time 99 00:05:37,993 --> 00:05:40,894 but remember that you don't have to do it all at once, right? 100 00:05:40,894 --> 00:05:44,958 Start small do a little bit each day and before you know it 101 00:05:45,308 --> 00:05:47,322 maybe your heart will have a home again 102 00:05:47,482 --> 00:05:51,738 and that's something that can be invaluable for our mental health journey. 103 00:05:51,988 --> 00:05:54,871 The third thing you probably already know you should be doing 104 00:05:54,871 --> 00:05:56,320 but might be struggling to do 105 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:59,387 is to actually Implement sleep hygiene techniques. 106 00:05:59,639 --> 00:06:01,662 There are two types of insomnia: 107 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:04,955 there's clinical insomnia and there's behavioral insomnia. 108 00:06:05,681 --> 00:06:07,847 Clinical insomnia is when, for the most part, 109 00:06:07,847 --> 00:06:09,350 you are doing things right: 110 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:13,068 your day is structured in a way that should allow you to fall asleep 111 00:06:13,068 --> 00:06:16,155 and stay asleep reasonably well but you are unable to do so 112 00:06:16,155 --> 00:06:17,870 and it takes hours to fall asleep. 113 00:06:17,870 --> 00:06:21,752 Behavioral insomnia is when you have a double shot at 300 p.m., 114 00:06:22,027 --> 00:06:25,647 you get into bed at 11:00 p.m., you scroll on your phone till midnight, 115 00:06:25,647 --> 00:06:27,918 then you toss and turn until 3 in the morning. 116 00:06:28,150 --> 00:06:31,840 In other words, you have insomnia but it's because of choices you're making, 117 00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:34,848 it's not because your brain doesn't know how to go to sleep, 118 00:06:34,848 --> 00:06:37,051 it's because you're not letting it go to sleep 119 00:06:37,051 --> 00:06:40,440 and you've set up your life in a way that simply does not support sleep. 120 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:42,168 Most people who struggle with sleep 121 00:06:42,168 --> 00:06:45,749 have behavioral insomnia, not clinical insomnia 122 00:06:45,990 --> 00:06:50,035 Clinical insomnia is actually relatively rare and it's usually a matter 123 00:06:50,035 --> 00:06:53,191 of lifestyle and habits that are primarily facilitating 124 00:06:53,191 --> 00:06:55,682 the experience of insomnia. 125 00:06:55,682 --> 00:06:57,319 So my question to you would be: 126 00:06:57,633 --> 00:07:00,541 "Are you actually practicing sleep hygiene 127 00:07:00,541 --> 00:07:03,614 and suffering clinical insomnia as a result 128 00:07:03,614 --> 00:07:06,499 or are you self-sabotaging and then complaining about it?" 129 00:07:06,788 --> 00:07:09,352 Because -- not to put too fine a point on it -- 130 00:07:09,352 --> 00:07:12,421 but that's basically what behavioral insomnia is: 131 00:07:12,421 --> 00:07:16,754 you are -- unintentionally I know, I'm oversimplifying things a little bit -- 132 00:07:17,081 --> 00:07:20,418 you're making it as difficult as possible for your brain to fall asleep 133 00:07:20,418 --> 00:07:23,190 and then being, like: "Brain, why didn't you fall asleep?" 134 00:07:23,190 --> 00:07:26,460 I mean you're you're kind of gaslighting your sleep cycle in a sense. 135 00:07:26,460 --> 00:07:29,880 It's a weird way to think of it. I know, but that's kind of what you're doing. 136 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:33,833 If you struggle with insomnia, take a real honest inventory 137 00:07:33,833 --> 00:07:36,921 of your nighttime routine and ask yourself: 138 00:07:36,921 --> 00:07:41,387 "Do I think it's reasonable that I should be able to fall asleep pretty quickly 139 00:07:41,387 --> 00:07:44,159 or am I basically taking everything I know about sleep, 140 00:07:44,159 --> 00:07:45,449 throwing it out the window 141 00:07:45,449 --> 00:07:47,199 and thinking that's still going to work?" 142 00:07:47,199 --> 00:07:48,242 Because it won't. 143 00:07:48,242 --> 00:07:50,874 You're -- you have a brain and you have a nervous system 144 00:07:50,874 --> 00:07:55,833 and we know a lot about how these factors affect our ability to fall asleep 145 00:07:55,833 --> 00:07:57,120 and stay asleep. 146 00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:59,870 And so sleep is not really a mystery, 147 00:07:59,870 --> 00:08:03,396 it's just that most people aren't doing it right and that's really 148 00:08:03,396 --> 00:08:06,360 what I want you to consider if you're struggling with insomnia: 149 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:09,770 "Am I am I doing it right or am I just gaslighting my own sleep cycle?" 150 00:08:09,770 --> 00:08:12,780 The 4th thing that you probably already know you should be doing 151 00:08:12,780 --> 00:08:14,337 but might be having trouble with 152 00:08:14,337 --> 00:08:17,561 is minimizing or eliminating drug and alcohol use 153 00:08:17,711 --> 00:08:21,602 Now this one's a little bit different, I know, because this one is harder 154 00:08:21,602 --> 00:08:24,673 for a person to control directly than some of the other topics 155 00:08:24,673 --> 00:08:28,036 we're going to discuss here and believe me, I am understanding of that. 156 00:08:28,268 --> 00:08:32,140 Most people who use drugs and alcohol use them because they want to feel 157 00:08:32,140 --> 00:08:35,100 anything other than what it is like to be themselves 158 00:08:35,510 --> 00:08:39,199 and it seems like nothing could possibly worse than just waking up today 159 00:08:39,199 --> 00:08:42,708 and feeling like me -- and frankly I know what that feeling is like. 160 00:08:43,143 --> 00:08:46,533 Substances put you on a physical and mental roller coaster, though, 161 00:08:46,717 --> 00:08:49,800 where instead of changing what it feels like to be you, 162 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:53,252 which is ultimately the reality that you are struggling with 163 00:08:53,252 --> 00:08:57,357 you are temporarily escaping what it feels like to be you 164 00:08:57,357 --> 00:09:02,396 and when the escape wears up off you often feel even worse than before 165 00:09:02,396 --> 00:09:07,200 and therefore you feel an even stronger desire to escape from yourself, 166 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:09,750 which manifests as increased substance use 167 00:09:09,750 --> 00:09:12,589 and creates a downward spiral that the longer it goes on 168 00:09:12,589 --> 00:09:16,300 becomes harder and harder to extricate yourself from. 169 00:09:16,434 --> 00:09:20,023 So if this is you, and I have a little bit of a different idea for you here, 170 00:09:20,023 --> 00:09:23,480 because everything else in this video has been about "here's what you can do". 171 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:25,640 If you're struggling with drug and alcohol use 172 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:28,379 and the pattern I just described kind of sounds like you, 173 00:09:28,379 --> 00:09:31,060 maybe it's time to admit that you cannot do this alone 174 00:09:31,060 --> 00:09:33,190 and that you need some help with this problem 175 00:09:33,190 --> 00:09:38,267 Substance misuse is probably the hardest mental health condition 176 00:09:38,267 --> 00:09:41,882 to treat without support, maybe tied with eating disorders 177 00:09:41,882 --> 00:09:43,913 because they're very similar neurologically 178 00:09:43,913 --> 00:09:47,349 and I think that's mainly because it's so easy to lie to yourself. 179 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,485 And, you know, most people aren't deceiving themselves 180 00:09:50,485 --> 00:09:54,017 about their depression or their anxiety so, like, well, it's not that bad. 181 00:09:54,470 --> 00:09:56,533 Usually you face those things pretty head on 182 00:09:56,533 --> 00:09:58,600 you're like no this is awful and I need help 183 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,934 but when it comes to things that produce a momentary sense of reward 184 00:10:01,934 --> 00:10:04,628 like eating disorders and substance misuse 185 00:10:05,225 --> 00:10:07,881 you tend to rationalize, you tend to explain, 186 00:10:07,881 --> 00:10:10,799 you tend to minimize, you tend to make excuses. 187 00:10:10,799 --> 00:10:15,756 And if you've had several unsuccessful attempts at changing those habits 188 00:10:15,756 --> 00:10:20,351 for yourself, maybe it's time to stop putting so much pressure on yourself, 189 00:10:20,351 --> 00:10:23,955 to accept some help and to accept some support in this domain. 190 00:10:24,070 --> 00:10:27,664 There is no shame in that: this is typically not a solo endeavor 191 00:10:27,664 --> 00:10:30,270 and it might be time to think about asking for for help 192 00:10:30,270 --> 00:10:31,967 The fifth thing that you probably already know you should be doing 193 00:10:31,967 --> 00:10:33,804 but might be having a hard time doing 194 00:10:33,804 --> 00:10:35,660 is being physically active every day. 195 00:10:35,660 --> 00:10:37,800 So I mean, this one is no mystery right? 196 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:40,420 You probably had a million people tell you this already, 197 00:10:40,420 --> 00:10:41,881 including your doctor every time you see them 198 00:10:41,881 --> 00:10:44,680 and every other medical professional you interact with. 199 00:10:44,680 --> 00:10:47,240 You've probably heard it so many times that you're sick of hearing it 200 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:49,988 and you have an innate automatic defensive response 201 00:10:49,988 --> 00:10:51,460 when someone says this to you. 202 00:10:51,460 --> 00:10:55,167 So sorry about that, because I probably just triggered it but here's the thing: 203 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:58,751 your brain needs blood your brain does not work very well 204 00:10:58,751 --> 00:11:02,611 if it does not have healthy accessible blood flow. 205 00:11:02,611 --> 00:11:05,230 It's literally one of the resources your brain runs on, 206 00:11:05,230 --> 00:11:09,773 it's like gasoline for your brain and most of us have very sedentary lifestyles 207 00:11:09,773 --> 00:11:12,839 which negatively impact our cardiovascular health. 208 00:11:12,839 --> 00:11:16,008 I mean, that's that's just the way society is, it's not your fault. 209 00:11:16,010 --> 00:11:19,160 That's the way society has gone: most jobs don't use our bodies. 210 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:21,542 If you have a very physically active job 211 00:11:21,542 --> 00:11:23,266 you probably don't need to worry about this because 212 00:11:23,266 --> 00:11:26,369 you are physically active every day, it doesn't have to be extra, 213 00:11:26,369 --> 00:11:28,364 it doesn't have to be prescribed exercise 214 00:11:28,364 --> 00:11:32,394 if you get this in from your job or from your kids or whatever: fine. 215 00:11:32,394 --> 00:11:34,519 But if you're like me 216 00:11:34,519 --> 00:11:37,881 and you literally just sit on your butt for nine hours a day at work, 217 00:11:37,881 --> 00:11:42,742 you need to add this if your predefined life doesn't have enough of it. 218 00:11:42,742 --> 00:11:47,583 I'm not a fan of how society has made us so sedentary 219 00:11:47,583 --> 00:11:51,921 but it is what it is since your brain needs blood to work right. 220 00:11:51,921 --> 00:11:55,060 Cardiovascular health is brain health. 221 00:11:55,060 --> 00:11:58,795 if you constantly feel foggy, forgetful, distracted or moody, 222 00:11:58,979 --> 00:12:01,981 it might be because your brain doesn't have enough blood flow 223 00:12:01,981 --> 00:12:05,020 it might be because your brain doesn't have one of the resources 224 00:12:05,020 --> 00:12:07,757 that it needs to keep your prefrontal cortex powered on. 225 00:12:07,757 --> 00:12:10,556 Because all the things that I just said live there 226 00:12:11,007 --> 00:12:14,251 and when your brain is lacking in any essential resource 227 00:12:14,251 --> 00:12:16,543 -- blood, oxygen, rest or caloric energy -- 228 00:12:16,543 --> 00:12:20,366 it enters a low power mode, much like what's on your phone 229 00:12:20,366 --> 00:12:22,590 or your tablet or your laptop, 230 00:12:22,590 --> 00:12:25,502 and certain processes don't work as well as they normally do. 231 00:12:25,502 --> 00:12:28,685 The first part of the brain that takes the hit 232 00:12:28,685 --> 00:12:31,270 when we're low on resources is the prefrontal cortex: 233 00:12:31,270 --> 00:12:34,159 it's executive functioning, it's emotion regulation 234 00:12:34,159 --> 00:12:35,750 it's social engagement. 235 00:12:35,750 --> 00:12:37,960 So, if those are things you're struggling with, 236 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:40,050 it's probably because your brain doesn't have 237 00:12:40,050 --> 00:12:42,446 all the resources it needs to do its job properly. 238 00:12:42,446 --> 00:12:45,563 The one thing I always try to emphasize with physical activity too 239 00:12:45,563 --> 00:12:48,900 is the way you do it really doesn't matter: 240 00:12:49,130 --> 00:12:51,199 if you want to lift weights, lift weights; 241 00:12:51,199 --> 00:12:52,359 if you want to run, run; //// 242 00:12:52,359 --> 00:12:53,600 if you want to do team sports, do team sports; 243 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:55,920 if you hate some certain type of exercise, don't do it. 244 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:59,760 it's not it's not hugely critical how you do it 245 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:05,120 it's just critical that you do it. 246 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:08,279 So find something that you either like ideally. 247 00:13:08,279 --> 00:13:09,800 If there's nothing, like literally nothing, 248 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:11,160 find the thing you hate the least. 249 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:14,399 It can be some weird obscure thing: 250 00:13:14,399 --> 00:13:16,720 maybe you want to get into hobby horsing, 251 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:18,000 and if you don't know what that is, you should look it up on social media. 252 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:21,920 It's a fascinating world if you do know what it is. 253 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:23,880 I appreciate the people who understand my obscure references 254 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:28,600 because there are many of them. 255 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:29,959 Just do something to get that blood going to your brain. 256 00:13:29,959 --> 00:13:32,920 You might be amazed how much it helps, you really might be amazed. 257 00:13:35,959 --> 00:13:38,959 The sixth and final thing that you probably -- asterisk to this one -- 258 00:13:38,959 --> 00:13:40,920 probably know you should be doing but are probably having trouble doing 259 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,320 is to stop beating yourself up about how long it is taking 260 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:47,560 to get your life in order. 261 00:13:47,560 --> 00:13:50,360 Now I realize that you might have been doing that 262 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:54,680 throughout this video already because as I'm saying things 263 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:58,199 that you probably already knew you should be doing, 264 00:13:58,199 --> 00:13:59,399 you might have been beating yourself up, guilt tripping yourself, shaming yourself, 265 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:04,440 and if you were knock it off right now. 266 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:06,880 Sorry I had to say it that way, 267 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:09,279 but seriously you're not doing yourself any favors. 268 00:14:09,279 --> 00:14:12,320 We all have enough pressure on us already, probably more than enough pressure 269 00:14:13,519 --> 00:14:15,079 probably a maladaptive amount of pressure, 270 00:14:15,079 --> 00:14:17,399 and change is hard. 271 00:14:17,399 --> 00:14:19,480 Our brains actively resist it because they're wired for homeostasis 272 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:25,880 We associate familiarity with safety and with security 273 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:27,920 and on a very basic survival level, 274 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:30,440 we fight back against our own attempts to change. 275 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:32,759 Putting too much pressure on yourself tends to keep you stuck 276 00:14:32,759 --> 00:14:35,639 So try patience and gentleness instead and see what happens. 277 00:14:38,279 --> 00:14:41,720 It is amazing what people can do when they finally feel understood 278 00:14:43,759 --> 00:14:46,040 and are treated with respect and compassion. 279 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:48,440 And it is very possible that the person most standing in your way 280 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:51,720 of feeling those things and experiencing those things is you.