SKILLS-BUILDING (FOUNDATION I) TUTORIAL
How to improve underlying skills for all components
Three particular skills leverage all the training Components. They are:
- Being in a state (feeling) of calm
- The ability (pictures) to visualise
- Awareness (sounds) of self-talk
The following is a short three-part training exercise to develop or enhance these
skills. You can choose to work through just one or two but ideally all three to gain
maximum benefit. Taking all the time you need ‘actively’ read through
the following instructions:
IMPORTANT: It is Critical to Follow each step AND Thoroughly
Complete all Instructions
PRACTICE EXERCISE A – BASIC LEVEL
INSTANT CALM
1. Choose
Recall a real or imaginary calming and totally relaxing place . . . a place that is
a ‘special’, ‘favourite’ or ‘tranquil’ place you
know - the sea, the mountains, a meadow, a river, the forest . . . where you have
experienced feelings and emotions of complete calm, restfulness and relaxation in
the past . . . or could imagine what such an experience might be like? BE THERE NOW.
2. Increase Calming
To make more calming consider a blend of a real place you have visited and if
you wish use your imagination to make it how you would absolutely love it to be . . .
perhaps making the scene brighter, quieter and warmer . . .
3. Make Even Calmer
- PICTURES - observe through your own eyes, make brighter or duller,
make moving or still, make colour or Black and white . . .
- SOUNDS - adjust volume to be louder or softer, change location, alter
tempo . . .
- FEELINGS - warm or cold, rough or smooth, more or less movement . . .
- Also add in any calming SMELLS or TASTES if relevant . . .
4. Final Adjustment
Adjust it to exactly how you want it to look and sound so it feels completely
calm, relaxing and tranquil . . .
5. Label
Give this place and experience a name or trigger word so whenever you feel under
pressure or stress just recall your instant calm trigger . . . and hey presto . . .
6. Practice
Think of your trigger every now and again . . . even
build in more detail to make even more calming . . .
PRACTICE EXERCISE B – BASIC LEVEL
EVERYONE CAN VISUALISE
1. Think Of Something
Think about seeing your car, a friend’s car or a TV hero’s car . . .
2. What Does It Look Like
How would you describe it . . . the manufacturer, model, colour, shape, features,
accessories . . . in fact everything you can observe in your ‘minds-eye’ . . .
3. More Detail
Now notice different features or finer distinctions about this car . . .
4. About Picture Quality
Does the picture or movie clip have the look or quality of a Hollywood movie . . .
big, bright, shiny in full colour or does it remind you of an old fuzzy
photograph . . . small, dull, matt and black and white . . . or something in between . . .
5. Practice
You have to visualise or imagine it in your head to describe this car . . . otherwise
it would be impossible . . . practice your new skills by thinking for a moment of say
your house, recalling a holiday, engaging in your favourite hobby or sport, interesting
work activity . . . and if fleeting slow everything down and keep steady . . .
6. Extra Practice
Whilst visualising you might also have noticed the sound system, engine noise, door
clunk . . . as well as the feeling of the seat, gear stick and pedals . . . and even
thought about the miles/gallon, top speed, time from 0 to 60, the horse power . . . and
perhaps how proud your felt, a carefree feeling and being in your own space . . . maybe
even recall any ideally pleasant and distinctive scent . . . use any of these if you
find them helpful . . .
PRACTICE EXERCISE C – BASIC LEVEL
SELF-TALK
1. Critical Inner-Voice
Think of a time a specific time when you were telling yourself off in an unpleasant,
abrasive or uncompromising tone . . .
2. Notice Voice Qualities
Now carefully notice what this inner-chatter is saying and words you are
using . . . and especially what it sounds like . . .
3. Alter Characteristics
Change this self-dialogue by altering the: volume, tonality, melody, tempo, rhythm,
duration, pitch, and so on . . . even make it sound like Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse
and carefully notice what happens . . .
4. Your Best Voice
Either put back to original inner-dialogue or readjust those qualities that made your
voice more assertive, enjoyable or positive . . . and notice how you feel . . .
You are now ready to work through any of your chosen demo Components.
You can revisit these exercises any time you feel a need to brush up, develop or
deepen your skills in order to get even better results from any Component.
|
