As complex beings, a duality exists inside each and every human: we have a pure and true side, as well as a darker side that is constantly trying to diminish our vibrance. Rick Carson, our guest in Episode 107 of The MINDSet Game® podcast, refers to this darker side as a “gremlin” – a part of us that must be tamed in order to lead happy, fulfilled lives. 

As a practicing psychotherapist for nearly five decades, a personal and executive coach, and the author of “Taming Your Gremlin: A Surprisingly Simple Method for Getting Out of Your Own Way,” Rick has developed several techniques for conquering the negative voices and tendencies that lurk within each of us. In this episode, he shares some of these techniques, including:

• Simply noticing when your gremlin surfaces, and then accentuating the physical sensations that accompany it. These actions can trigger what Rick calls the Zen Theory of Change – when you realize that you are the one causing the unpleasant feelings you’re experiencing, a natural correction can start to occur. 
• Learning to think of your breathing as not only a regulator, but also an indicator that can tell you when you’re “glitching,” whether due to anxiety, physical or emotional pain (or the anticipation of it), or another form of anguish. 
• Becoming aware of the surface of your skin, which functions as a highly sensitive barrier between everything that happens within you and the rest of the world.

Rick emphasizes that while these techniques are simple, they require constant practice; he says that taming your gremlin essentially requires turning your life into a living meditation and gaining gentle control over your awareness.

To learn more, visit Rick’s website at https://www.tamingyourgremlin.com.

To subscribe to The MINDset Game podcast, visit www.TheMINDsetGame.com.