The brain is the most fascinating, complex, and life-changing part of our body, so close, so strategic, it transforms everything we do.
Hey!! I shall see you every morning.
Thank you for being there
So close so strategic
You will see me every morning
As birds chirp and dogs stroll
I hit you with life and vigour
And the old patterns go quiver
Whether early or late, in the rain, scorching sun, or pleasant as spring, you shall see me every morning at all times. Two rounds, five kilometres, and I have my CAFFEINE for the day. While I have reached this stage, I struggled every day to rise early and going for that walk. It has been like a war that I fought between my mind and body. My mind would urge to make me run to lose that extra weight and be healthy and my body would want to sleep a little more and avoid all kinds of discomfort caused to it.
One day when I literally dragged myself to the road, it was drizzling. My mind chatted with me, ‘Hey it’s drizzling, why run?’ Let’s go home and rest, it is beautiful weather, let us enjoy it.’ Immediately, I was alert and thought hard, “Is it my wisdom or my mind is trying to trick me to keep my body in comfort?” I determined that I will run even if it rains. There is an oval-shaped road that passes by my society measuring around 5 kilometres. While I was walking on it, my mind kept telling me, let us just do half a round, let us not do the second one, it is enough let us go back. I ignored all this chatter of my mind until it calmed down. That was the first day when I realized that it is my mind could be my best friend or worst enemy on earth. I felt that confidence after decades that I can rule my mind.
Before I actually starting this routine, I searched so many articles, watched so many fitness freaks explaining their ways of working on themselves including the exercises as well as eating habits. I tried that as well but all was futile as nothing could keep it going. Finally, the day I started and continued for days at a stretch, I realized that I can do it only if I really want and work hard for it.
I also came across various theories about the mind and how it works. One is the popular iceberg theory by famous Psychologist Sigmund Freud where he describes three levels of consciousness. This theory is widely applicable to various spheres of life. The icebergs are submerged in the sea. Only a small part of about 5 percent of its total size is visible which signifies our conscious mind.
This is followed by another part that is not so deep in water and can be translucently seen indicates the Preconscious mind. This part of the mind stores memories that can potentially be brought into the conscious mind. Further comes the largest part of the iceberg which is completely under the sea and is not visible. This part signifies the unconscious mind which is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories and outside our conscious awareness.
These parts of our mind have evolved for millions of years and the unconscious is the oldest of the three and is the largest as well. It has a tendency to keep the individual safe and in comfort to survive and be happy in the worst of situations in life. This unconscious mind has the catch. It works as it worked in ancient times, so our conscious effort to change our habit or acquire some new habit, our efforts has to be stronger and more rigid than this anciently acquired trait by our largest part of the mind.
We also need to be conscious of our thoughts to rule our mind and getting ruled by it. According to APS Fellow Russell A. Poldrack of Stanford University, “Changing behavior in lasting ways is really difficult.” He says that individuals tend to revert to their first learned behaviour during stress or when there is difficulty in the sustenance of attention towards newly adopted behaviours. Therefore, it involves the alteration of the default mode of an individual which can happen only through rigid training of the mind.
As rigid training is crucial for learning a change, so is rewarding oneself for the good work done. Rewarding keeps the tough work going. Understanding your need for rest is also important in order to give it ample rest without being tricked by one’s mind. It seems chucklesome but the mind plays in a vicious circle and our push and desire for the change must be stronger than our mind to overcome the hindrances that it creates.