What to do when you got stuck in a situation
2017, September 1st
Are you still stuck or does something move already? Or maybe there is moving a lot and you still get always the similar undesired results?
In the 1st part of this article series Got stuck - Part 1 I introduced you to couple of methods of the integral way of life, e.g. meditation, good/healthy nutrition, movement/sports, nature walks and enough sleep. Now I’m curious: How did the immediate measures work for you?
They also serve as a good base for further steps. Today I would like to come back to the 2nd case of my examples:
- Did you get stuck somewhere in your life?! You are fighting for the (re)solution of a situation or you find yourself running around in circles because of the same old patterns.
Like Albert Einstein said “We can't solve our problems by using the same kind of thinking we used to create them.“
Now you may ask yourself: „Currently everything feels like being too tight, how do I get to a different way of thinking?“
Today I would like to present you 3 fundamental approaches, which are also very well combinable: You explore how you can use your inner wisdom extensively. You investigate the situation with good and alert friends or you seek for professional support, e.g. through Coaching, Consulting or Mentoring.
You are bigger than your problem1
Uplift your mind and connect with your huge potential of your brain respectively with your higher unlimited consciousness. This might sound spooky for some of the readers, but no worries I come to the scientific part in a few paragraphs.
A first helpful step might be to visualize that you uplift yourself above your „problem-soup“ and to look at your situation or problem from the eagle perspective. It can also help to really climb a mountain.
This already changes the perspective and helps us regard the playing figures of life with a bit more favor, get a humorous note and first solutions arise.
Additionally we can enter the tremendous and often unused potential of our brain:
Depending on which frequencies our brain waves mainly oscillate, we can generate different conditions and effects (e.g. awake, relaxed, sleeping). During our normal daily consciousness we are primarily in the beta state with our ability to concentrated work and the access to logical-analytical solutions. Within the alpha and theta state we get access to creative-intuitive solutions.
From beta to alpha and theta – the creative kick for your brain2,3,4
The different frequency bands of the brain waves can be measured with the electroencephalo-graphy (EEG).
The beta state (14-40 Hz) is the regular awake state of the daily consciousness of an adult person. This is the cognitive-conscious area, in which you do concentrated work. In states of stress and anxiety beta waves over 25 Hz are generated.
The alpha state (8-14 Hz) is a relaxed, meditative state with closed eyes or also a state shortly after awakening from sleep or just before falling asleep. The trick is about entering the state also with open eyes and achieve a clear relaxed presence and a refined perception. So that we reach the following:
- Increased remembrance and uptake of information
- Mental tranquility (low or no involuntary thinking activity)
- Physical relaxation with a pleasant muscular tonicity
The alpha state is the bridge between the inner (theta) and the outer world (beta).
In theta (4-8 Hz) we reach a state of deep relaxation and meditation. We enter this state also during dream phases, which are accompanied with rapid eye movements (REM). Theta gives us access to our subconsciousness and our creativity.
In summary, brain waves between alpha and theta have the following effects:
- relieve stress and anxiety,
- relieve pain and provide regeneration,
- promote mental clarity and refined perception,
- synchronize left and right hemispheres of the brain
- activate imaginary, spontaneous images and vivid, creative thinking
- promote euphoric states
It’s important to note that these states don’t appear selectively in a pure form without the activity of other frequencies. It is the interplay of the different frequency bands, which characterize the quality of our consciousness and perception.
How can you promote such creative states?
- Intuitive and discursive creativity techniques are methods that encourage creativity and target the generation of new ideas, in order to develop visions or solve problems. Therefore specific innovation workshops and projects are conducted in the fields of business, economy, politics, education etc.
- I already described the positive effects of crossover exercises in the 1st part of this article series Got stuck - Part 1
- Meditation and visualizations especially shortly after awakening from sleep or just before falling asleep.
- You can also learn to specifically activate the alpha spot (Alpha Skills) or to trigger the theta state with a specific swinging movement of the eyes relating to the REM phase (Theta Floating).
- What I experienced as very effective, is to participate in a trance dance with a specific question. Dancing, breathing and the rhythm of the music help you to open a new solution space.
Let yourself be surprised about the answers and be open for the solutions your mind will produce. They might look completely different to what your intellect has suggested so far.
A friend, a good friend…
Have you got in your professional or private environment a good friend or a smart colleague, who can ask you good, alert questions? A person, who challenges you and promotes you without falling in the „vale of tears“? That’s worth gold and broadens the perspective.
Particularly useful is to meet a couple of alert, big thinking friends or colleagues for a short brainstorming. Everyone expresses what solution he/she can think of regarding that specific topic or situation. Thus completely new solutions can be generated co-creatively.
Clarity on the spiral of life5
Along with the increasing speed and complexity in our business and living world also the demand of professional support for the personal development is growing: for setting and reaching goals as well as sorting and structuring thoughts and emotions. Coaching and Mentoring support to gain clarity on your own situation and find ways, to create your professional and private life, so that you are successful and happy.
According to “spiral dynamics” model of Prof. Graves we are on an upwards open spiral of consciousness and value systems. Each level of the spiral has its own perspective, which shape your self-conception, your ideas of the “meaning of life”, work, values and community. No level is better or worse than another. Each level brings up new challenges and new solutions.
The 9 Levels of Value Systems and the 9 Levels Analysis Tools are rooted in the research of Prof. Graves and help you to understand, where you are on your personal evolution spiral and how the next step might look like. Thus you can view your current challenges as phenomena of evolution and integrate them rather than to fight against them. By this means you become more open, flexible, attentive and free. You begin to understand deeper and more complex and realize: “Now I have grown!” You can now master other and bigger challenges. What still bothered you yesterday, you have released or IT has released you today. Congratulations!
Enjoy the condition until the next round! ;-)
I’m curious: What were your experiences on your personal way of evolution? What has helped you?
You can look forward for my next article, there I will in specific solution, when a project got stuck.
Wishing you clear impulses for your next steps,
Annette Freund
FREUND INSPIRED MOVE
Annette Freund is Founder and Managing Director of the consulting company FREUND INSPIRED MOVE in Switzerland. She is inspired by change processes: Strong Individuals! Reforming Teams! Transforming Organizations!
She provides her services in German and English speaking environments.
1 Veit Lindau, No Prblem
2 www.wikipedia.org
3 Ruth Wenger, Alpha Skills
4 Esther Kochte, Thetafloating
5 9Levels of Value Systems
Picture: © Sergey Nivens / fotolia.com