Latest / Dr. Derek H. Suite MD - The SuiteSpot / Gratitude Unlocked 2/7: Woke up tense? Try This Nine-Second Reset. #TakeActionTuesday

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Gratitude Unlocked 2/7: Woke up tense? Try This Nine-Second Reset. #TakeActionTuesday · Dr. Derek H. Suite MD - The SuiteSpot

• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Hello there, sweet spotters.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's Dr.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: Sweet.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: So, welcome back.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: You made it to Take Action Tuesday here.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: As you know, I'm a board certified psychiatrist.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: I spend a lot of time working with high performance.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: And yes, I enjoy helping people find clarity again when life gets loud.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: That's what I do.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I love what I do.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: But you know what I love more?
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: I love talking to you here on the Sweet Spot.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: I love connecting with you.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: I love your questions, your emails, your feedback.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: I'm glad that you find these very short discussions we're having useful.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: We're in the middle of a Gratitude Unlocked series.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: So welcome back to Gratitude Unlocked.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: It's Take Action Tuesday.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: So today we're talking about gratitude as a skill that gives your mind something most people don't realize they're even missing.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: Focus.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, most people don't connect focus and gratitude, but I'm here to tell you that they are connected.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Let's set the scene.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: You ever wake up and feel like your mind is already sprinting?
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: Thoughts everywhere, no space, no lane, just noise, one thing coming after the other.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: So much to do, so overwhelming, the scattered feeling that doesn't go away.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: It makes you feel so unfocused.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: I've been there, I've been guilty of that so many times.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: It means that the brain is a bit overwhelmed.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's juggling too much, too much multitasking.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: We're not meant to multitask or task switch, whatever word they want to use now.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: But look, what most people don't know, what most of us don't know, is that gratitude can slice through that mental clutter like a clarity blade when you know what you're doing.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: If you know how to use gratitude, oh my goodness, you can cut through a lot of stress and make life much more bearable and fulfilling and livable.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: But before we go any further, let me say clearly what I mean by gratitude.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: Because I'm not talking about forced positivity here or the write down five things that you're happy for.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: That's good, but that's not what we're dealing with here.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: We're using gratitude as a powerful force.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: Gratitude.
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  SPEAKER_00: And the way we're using it in this series is this.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: We're using it as the moment that you pause long enough to notice that something is still good, something is still working, something is still steady, something or someone is still true to you, even when everything else feels disastrous, when everything else feels messy, overwhelming, and pressurized, you're gonna remember one thing.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't have to be big, and it doesn't have to be poetic or literary, it just has to be real.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: You see, gratitude is where your attention lands when everything else is trying to pull you apart and pull it away, you can find a center in gratitude.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: And the ancient wisdom, of course, helps us.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: There's a verse that says, set your mind on things above, not on things on earth.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: Look, it's not saying ignore your problems, it's saying your mind needs an anchor.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: It must have something to hold on to in the storm on the high seas when the waves are getting choppy, right?
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: You know what gives you that anchor?
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: Gratitude.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, gratitude.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: You see, when your mind is scattered, your brain is in search mode.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: And from a neurological perspective, the brain's threat center, the amygdala, which we talk a lot here about on the sweet spot.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: I know you know this word amygdala, because we all have this amygdala and it's constantly looking for threats.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: It keeps us stressed out all the time.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: When your brain is scattered, do you and it goes into this kind of frantic search mode, the amygdala starts firing off these alerts.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: And then your brain's CEO, the command center, which is the prefrontal cortex.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: I know you know about that.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: We talk about that here a lot too.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: The prefrontal cortex or the PFC.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: That part gets overloaded.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: And remember, the prefrontal cortex is what keeps us organized.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: The amygdala wants us to run for our lives and get the heck out of Dodge.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: Okay?
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: When you are frazzled, when you are stressed, when you're not feeling great, your amygdala is in control.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: Your prefrontal cortex has dimmed down, and your attention starts to bounce all over the place from worry to memory.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you ever have that feeling like you're going from one thought to the next thought, and it just this can go wrong or that's wrong, and it just starts to cascade on itself.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: So you go from worry to memory to predicting problems to fear.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: And you know what this is?
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: You're not to be blamed for that.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: We shouldn't be blamed for that.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: That's just our brains trying to protect us.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: That's just the amygdala telling us run or or freeze or or or worry, don't, don't, don't do this, don't do that, because something bad can happen.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: That's protection.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: But you know what it does?
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  SPEAKER_00: It overwhelms us.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: And here is where gratitude can step in.
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  SPEAKER_00: When you pause and notice one thing, just one thing, my friend, one thing that feels steady in your life, or one thing, or one person, or one situation that feels supportive.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Once you pause and you actually take a breath and you remember it, your brain shifts gears.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: The prefrontal cortex gets to be in charge again.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: The amygdala gets to calm down a little bit, and your nervous system starts to settle.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: This is pure physiology and it works.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: So your heart rate softens, your breathing deepens, your blood flow returns to your thinking centers, and you can feel it.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: You can actually feel it when you're practicing gratitude.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: That brief moment where your mind stops sprinting for the problem and starts relaxing and landing in a place of peace.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: That's gratitude sharpening your focus.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: Look, I'm not saying that gratitude is going to magically give you more attention, but what it does when you start being grateful and you find that one or two things to be grateful for, it begins to clear the noise that was stealing your attention.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: Doesn't take away the issues, it just helps you clear a space so you can breathe.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now let me give you something that you can actually use today, something very practical.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: Afterwards, take action Tuesday.
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  SPEAKER_00: And this is called the GTD, the gratitude triangulation drill.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: It takes nine seconds.
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  SPEAKER_00: Step one, one person, step two, one gift, and step three, one choice.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: One person, one gift, and one choice.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: That's what we're gonna do today.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: You ready?
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: Let's do it.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: So step one, one person.
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  SPEAKER_00: Think of one person you appreciate right now.
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  SPEAKER_00: Someone whose presence really steadies you.
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  SPEAKER_00: Step two, think of one gift.
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  SPEAKER_00: Name one thing in your life that's supporting you today.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: Is it your health?
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: Is it a resource?
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: Is it your home, your car?
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: Is it your breath?
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: Is it that plant?
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: Is it your pet?
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: Is it your children?
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: Is it your your parent?
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: Is it your cousin?
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: Something that makes life even a little easier if you think of them as the gift.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: Who's the gift in your life?
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: Or what's the gift?
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: And step three, one choice.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: Now I want you to name one choice you can make today that will move you towards becoming more grateful, more towards the person you want to become.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: What can you do?
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: One tiny step, and that, my friend, will help you.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: So we're talking about one person you're grateful for, one gift or thing you're grateful for, and one choice you can make to help you become the person you want to become.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: A person, a gift, a choice.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: Nine seconds, you can do this.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: And you know what happens?
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: Your mental health, your nervous system comes back into focus if you practice this every day.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: Not just on take action, to say.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: So your focus isn't broken, it's just buried under the noise.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: If you're feeling overwhelmed and you're feeling scattered, gratitude, when you practice it, clears the fog.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: Last week I talked about if you have 10 fingers every morning, get up and with every finger, be grateful for something.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: Count your blessings.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: And if you don't have fingers, something's going wrong, count it on anything you can count it on.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: That's how it works.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: So try the triangulation drill today, before a meeting, before a workout, before a tough conversation, before practice, before a game, wherever you are.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: Start practicing gratitude and see what happens.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: And hit me up and let me know.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: So look, if this episode helped you today, if you felt even a little more centered, stay with us here on the sweet spot.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: You're building something here with gratitude.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: We're unlocking gratitude and we're making it work for us.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I believe in you.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: More than that, I'm thankful for you listening.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: I'm thankful for your time.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: And if you know someone who's overwhelmed right now, share this with them.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: It might give their mind a place to land.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'll see you tomorrow.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: Tomorrow is Wednesday, but not any Wednesday.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's wisdom.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm talking about my wife's podcast.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: It is Wisdom on Wednesday for Darcell Dylan Suite, and a shout out to Wisdom on Wednesday.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: But here on the Sweet Spot, it is Win It All Wednesday.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I gotta get her over here to do a Wisdom on Wednesday with me.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, let's do that.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: So tomorrow is Win It All Wednesday, and we're unlocking a gratitude skill that actually softens stress before stress hardens in your life.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: All right now, this is Dr.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: Derek Sweet.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: Take over, take control, and take it to the next level.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: Peace.