Sad? Eat Some Chili … Pithy? Yes, But Here Is Why It Works

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Change The Context
- Ch: 1.4 of How To Get Your Sh!t Together -

“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end.” – Robin Sharma

Imagine if somebody came up behind you and dumped a bucket of iced water onto your head. No warning. One second you are warm and dry and the next you are freezing and wet.

What are the chances that you would still be thinking the same thoughts?

I predict that your mental state would be quickly changed. True, you may become exceptionally angry at the culprit of such a prank, but I would also predict that you would no longer be caught up with any anxious ruminations or remain stuck in a depressed slump. How could you?

Now what if that person was you. What if instead of a random prankster, you recognised that you were trapped by some kind of mental affliction and wanted to quickly get yourself out of it? Perhaps you would dump the iced water upon your own head! This is what ‘Changing The Context’ is all about, although it doesn’t always have to be quite so unpleasant!

Whenever I find myself crippled by anxiety, stuck in a rut of depression, procrastinating, or at a loss for ideas, I ‘Change The Context’. This involves a quick and sudden change, designed to shock the system into a new way of thinking.

The process is simple. I consider where I am, who I am with, or what I am doing, and drastically change something. What I change isn’t as important as making the change.

If you change your physical state, your mind will follow suit.

I will list a variety of ways that I like to change the context below, but first I want you to experience what changing the context feels like to your mental state with a couple of small examples.

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TAKE ACTION

1: Change location

If you are inside, sit outside in the sun. If you are outside, come inside lay on your bed. Get in the car or train and go somewhere. The beach, city, parks or café’s all work well.

2: Get your heart rate up
Do some quick cardio based exercise. A short sprint or a series of vigorous star jumps would work well here. Do this for just one minute. The goal is to get your heart pumping.

3: Blast some music
Grab some headphones, find your favourite song and play it loud. Close your eyes and just listen for the entirety of the piece.

These are only small examples. The greater the change of context, the more impact it will have on your mental state.

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‘Changing The Context’ works both in the moment and over the long term as a method of changing your mental state.

Quick ways to Change The Context
- Eat spicy foods
- Have a cold shower (or alternate between hot and cold)
- Perform a burst of intense physical exercise
- Play some music LOUD
- Go outside to feel the elements on your skin
- Take ‘Ten Relaxation Breaths’ (chapter 1.2)
- Go for a swim
- Visit somewhere close that you have never been to before
- Make it very bright: turn all the lights on
- Have a hot tea
- Leave the social gathering
- Visit a friend

Long term ways to Change The Context
- Travel
- Change careers
- Start or end a friendship/relationship
- Move house
- Change your appearance (eg: haircut or makeover)
- Start a new hobby 

Long term changes of context have dramatic and varied impacts upon my mental state. Given the scope of the change, the impact is bound to be mixed.

Quitting bad jobs and ending bad relationships have done wonders, despite the initial worry, fear and regret that the decision caused.

Finally, ‘Changing The Context’ is also a great way to refresh yourself when you have to make important decisions.

There is a risk that the symptoms of mental affliction will cause us to rush through the decision making process because we find it distressing. This causes some clear issues as we may not choose the best option for ourselves.

Changing the context basically acts as a quick break in the process that may enable us to be more rational and less impulsive in the decision making process. Try performing a ‘Change Of Context’ before you follow through with a decision and see if it improves the result, or even just how you feel about the results.

If you happen to be in a work or social setting, and want to change the context, you may need to get creative. Can you go for a brisk stroll around the office? Perhaps offer to go for a coffee run to get you outside and moving? Could you excuse yourself to the toilet and listen to a song there?

Summary
By drastically altering your physical state, you will shock your mind out of rumination and into the present moment.