My TEDx Talk – What to do when life is spinning out of control
What to do when life is spinning out of control
By Ryan Mazurkivich
Have you ever had that feeling or that moment in your life that something was spinning out of control?
For some people, those are moments at work or at home. Perhaps maybe while driving or right before a big performance.
Usually, those moments trigger emotions like nervousness, stress, anxiety, fear, doubt, and anger. Those emotions are so strong that they can be felt in your body.
What’s 100% true is that when those feelings pop up they are there. They are 100% real. They command your attention. They command your respect. Yet interestingly there is not a surgeon in the world that could cut you open, go to that area in your body and remove those feelings.
So at the same time, those feelings are 100% real and there, they are also 100% not real and not there. So the subjective nature allows you the ability to stretch the mind in a different direction and change the interpretation of the mind of those stressful events to calm those uncomfortable and undesirable feelings.
According to the, co-found of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Richard Bandler feelings such as stress and fear are feelings that circulate throughout our bodies. They are constantly moving in a spinning direction.
So right now:
Think of a moment in your life that you were really stressed.
On a scale of 1-10, how intense is that uncomfortable feeling?
Notice where you feel that feeling strongest in your body
Now as you think of that stress rotate your hand in a clockwise direction
Now as you think of that stress rotate your hand in a counterclockwise direction
Notice which one felt more appropriate for that uncomfortable feeling
Now in your mind focus on that area in your body and keep that uncomfortable feeling spinning in the appropriate direction
Now while keeping that feeling spinning in that direction imagine moving it outside of your body by just a foot or two.
Now slow that spin down
Now reverse the direction of the spin
Once you have to spin the opposite direction make it spin just a little faster in that opposite direction.
Now take a deep breath and as you exhale, bring it new spin back into your body and notice what’s different.
Notice where that number from 1-10 is now.
It’s truly amazing how in just a few seconds you can reduce or reverse that uncomfortable, undesirable feeling.
The mechanics of how this works:
Identifying where you feel it strongest in your body and the direction of the spin
Move the feeling outside of your body while keeping it spinning in the same direction
This step disassociates and separates yourself from the issue
Slow down the spin and make it spin the opposite direction
This step allows you to begin to reduce and reverse the feeling
Bringing the new reversed spin feeling back in and notice what’s different
This step allows you to integrate those new resourceful feelings you created
This technique is so effective, so useful, so quick, so practical that you can use it anywhere, anytime and no one will know what you are doing. In fact, this is so quick I usually only have to teach this once to a person and they are already an expert on how to use it effectively.
Real life examples from the people I teach this to:
A single mom whose 5-year-old daughter has too much fear and anxiety to go to school. After using this technique ONCE her daughter now enjoys going to school in the mornings.
Students in a money management class who have anxiety when bills come in
After using this technique they no longer leave the mail unopened from fear as to what is inside
A bartender whos head chef makes her very stressed. After using this technique she has more self-control and strength to deflect negativity at work
A former professional baseball player now high school coach whose team lacks confidence. After teaching this technique to his team that all played so much better and he said “In my time and professional baseball, not even their mental instructors were teaching something this easy and practical to do”
So remember in your life you always have a choice. You always have options. YOU are the person in charge of your behaviors.
So the next time life is spinning out of control, you can now spin it back INTO control.
Feel Free to reach out to me via email, connect with me on LinkedIn.
Thanks! You guys are the best!
Ryan