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BITESIZE | How to Reduce Overwhelm and Be More Present | Deepak Chopra #311

Nov 11, 2022 13m 24s 15 insights
Stress can affect every aspect of our lives – our jobs, relationships, sleep, and mental health.  Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart.  Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 130 of the podcast with Dr. Deepak Chopra - someone who Time magazine has described as ‘one of the top heroes and icons of the century’. In this clip, Deepak shares some great practical tips and techniques to reduce stress and overwhelm and help us wake up to our true potential. Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/130 Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.   Follow me on https://www.instagram.com/drchatterjee Follow me on https://www.facebook.com/DrChatterjee Follow me on https://www.twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Actionable Insights

1. Wake Up to True Identity

Recognize that your reactions are often automatic and conditioned; instead, wake up to your true identity as unlimited potential for creativity and higher consciousness to gain freedom.

2. Choose Freedom from Conditioning

Consciously choose to free yourself from the conditioned mind, as this is presented as the definition of enlightenment and a path to true freedom.

3. Awareness of Inner Listener

Shift your attention from external input to become aware of “that which is listening” or your own inner presence, recognizing that your true self is already at peace.

4. Inquire: ‘Is Anything Wrong?’

Become aware of your own presence and ask yourself, “Is anything wrong right now?” to realize that in the immediate moment of being, often nothing is amiss.

5. Daily Four-Question Reflection

Sit quietly daily, eyes closed, attention in your heart, and ask: “Who am I?”, “What do I want?”, “What is my purpose?”, and “What am I grateful for?” to promote self-reflection and well-being.

6. Practice Daily Gratitude

Regularly ask yourself “What am I grateful for?” or keep a gratitude journal, as this practice can shift your body into a different mode, reduce inflammatory markers, and improve gene expression.

7. Stop, Notice, Choose

Consciously “Stop” in any situation, “Notice” your current feelings, sensations, and perceptions, and then “Choose” what you truly wish to experience or how you want to feel.

8. Practice Self-Awareness Check

Stop periodically during the day and ask “Am I aware?” then “What am I aware of?” to realize sensations, perceptions, images, feelings, and thoughts, which are the totality of experience.

9. Question Your Current Story

To wake up, identify your current “story” about a situation and then ask if there are other versions of it, recognizing infinite possibilities beyond your initial interpretation.

10. Use SIFT for Experience

Apply the SIFT acronym (Sensations, Images, Feelings, Thoughts) to recognize the totality of your direct experience, separating it from the interpretive “stories” you create.

11. Start Meditation Simply

To begin meditation, sit quietly with your eyes closed and simply do nothing for five minutes, as a foundational step to quiet the mind.

12. Observe Your Breath Mindfully

Once comfortable with silent sitting, extend your meditation by observing your breath for five minutes without attempting to manipulate it.

13. Observe Body Sensations

Progress your meditation practice by observing sensations within your body for five minutes with non-judgmental awareness.

14. Focus on Perceptual Object

For meditation, choose to focus on a perceptual object or an image in your mind, such as a candle, flame, or sunset, to aid concentration.

15. Develop Interoception Awareness

Train yourself to become fully aware of and potentially regulate what is happening in the visceral parts of your body, a practice known as interoception, common in yogi traditions.