My husband and I just returned from our vacation—cycling in greater Yellowstone National Park. While Teton Pass may not be as high in altitude as Kilimanjaro, when you’re on a bike, I can assure you it feels like it! And the big blue skies of Wyoming and Idaho are majestic. The week away from work was exactly what we needed.
Leading up to it wasn’t, however. One year ago, I had a traumatic cycling accident; without poring over the details, let’s just say that my right elbow is now mostly titanium. I felt like I went through every stage of the Kubler-Ross’ theory about dealing with loss and grief; denial, bargaining, anger, and depression were a big part of my healing—in addition to lots of physical pain. So a few months before the bike trip, I noticed myself saying to people, “Yes, I’m excited about cycling through Yellowstone, but mostly I’m nervous about cycling fast down the mountains.” It dawned on me that I was already shaping my future experience with my “nervousness” (psychologist call this “anticipatory stress”—in those moments, I just felt angst).
In the work I do with leaders, I know that you cannot control what you think. However, you can observe your thinking patterns and strive to channel your mind in a more positive direction. So I started using a tool to counteract my anxiety: spending five or so minutes each day visualizing myself cycling up and down mountains with a smile on my face and joy in my body. Your body is a physiological mirror of whatever is on your mind, so I hoped this powerful practice would set a better tone for my holiday!
I also realized that although I had the bike wreck last year, 99% of my cycling experience has been wonderful. In fact, my relationship with my bike has taught me a thing or two about how to live and lead wellbeing. I’ve blogged before about cycling to rediscover focus and purpose (see Read More), and this time was no different. I rediscovered the thrill of cycling downhill and regained confidence in my arm (and trust in myself). I’m baaaaaack at work—rejuvenated and clear-headed—and am already visualizing my next trip down another mountain.
How have you counteracted anxiety or visualized success in your life?
READ MORE
• Sometimes the Best Way to Fully Engage Is to Disengage
• Pedaling the Road of Leadership with a Sense of Purpose
• Motorcycles and the Art of Leading with Vision
Renee Moorefield
A deep and early belief that the values of health and sustainability would remake the way we live, lead, and work in the 21st century led Renee to launch Wisdom Works with her husband David Moorefield in 1999. Ever since, she’s helped forward-thinking clients—including Apollo Group, Booz Allen Hamilton, Merck & Company, Centura Health, Western Union, and The Coca-Cola Company—embed wellbeing strategies to create inspired workplaces, develop caring relationships with citizens, and produce results that matter.