How to get out of your head, and into your body

Have you ever noticed going about your day not really paying attention to what is going on around you? You could be driving, eating or whatever, completely lost in your thoughts. Not present.

Most of us in business spend a lot of time in front of a computer, in meetings, sitting, analysing and strategising; i.e. living in our head; living in our left brain, to be precise. The problem is that our left brain is always processing information from the past to plan the future. It takes us out of the present, where the real magic happens. There is nothing wrong with that except that we spend too much time in the left brain, up to 90% of waking hours. This is out of balance, unnatural and disconnects us from our bodies.

We need to tip the balance back to the right brain. Why is that important? The right brain connects us with our body and the present moment where the source of creativity and human connection comes from. Serving customers from the heart with empathy and warmth comes from the body. People feel your energy first and listen to what you have to say second. So, whether you are a sales person, advisor or a barista, your competitive edge comes from your ability to connect with others. It is also in the passion you bring to your job. And you guessed it, passion resides in your body, not the head.

So how do you get out of your head and into your body? How do you engage the right brain – your ‘feeling’ brain?

Before I answer that question, I want to share with you the….

6 Signs You Are Living In Your Head

1. You don’t notice beauty around you. Whether it is the blue sky, chirping birds, flowers in the garden, your partners touch or the sparkle in your child’s eyes.


2. Your breathing is shallow. Breathing is an instant barometer of your thoughts and feelings.


3. You feel like you are always on the edge of anxiety or unhappiness or worse still, numbness.


4. You are all talk, no action. You sign up for the gym but don’t go or buy recipe books but don’t cook.


5. You focus on consuming and not creating. Whether it is media to fatten the brain or food to fatten the body. These days everyone wants to eat but nobody wants to grow or cook. Everyone wants to read or watch but not many want to write or produce.


6. You worry too much about what people think of you. When you spend too much time in your head, you waste precious energy feeding your ego.

What causes us to live in our head?

• When feelings hurt too much or we have unexpressed emotions
• Too much technology and social media
• Work that requires constant sitting and thinking
• Too much education and not enough free thought
• Not enough socialising with others face-to-face

9 ways to get out of your head and into your body

1.  Dancing & listening to music

2.  Mindful breathing and meditation

3.  Making love. (Beware pornography. Studies show it ruins intimacy)

4.  Connecting with nature and gardening

5.  Hugging family and close friends

6.  Getting a massage

7.  Doing the things you fear

8.  Playing sport

9.  Taking an afternoon nap

For more practical tips on upgrading your life during tough times, download Sam Makhoul’s free eBook: GUIDE TO GREATNESS by clicking here.