How Mentally Fit Are You?

Jimi Hunt mental fitness

Jimi Hunt – Mental Fitness

The Canterbury Chamber of Commerce runs an excellent selection of courses, workshops and presentations. Last week, I was pleased to catch Jimi Hunt talk about Mental Fitness.

Jimi is a bit of a character. With a background in hospitality, events, and graphic design, he’s gone on to do crazy feats like Lilo-ing the Waikato river and creating the World’s Biggest Waterslide. He’s also fought his own demons and is now on a mission to help people improve their mental health.

A Personal Trainer for Your Mind

Jimi says he’s a personal trainer for your mind and uses the phrase ‘mental fitness’. Like working out at the gym, you need to know how to use and have practiced a lot before you hit peak fitness. The same goes for your mental health. He encourages people to do the work … learn about themselves, figure out where they are on the mental fitness continuum, and take steps to move themselves up. Then, when a curve ball arrives, you have the practice in place to help work things through.

Jimi Hunt mental fitness continuum

Key takeaways:

  • The distance between your thoughts and actions is wisdom.
  • Shut your mouth. Focus on your breath. Breathing through your nose is more calming than breathing through your mouth. Box breathing (in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4, repeat) for 90 seconds can reset your brain and calm the fight flight response.
  • Trouble sleeping? Google 478 breathing.
  • “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” William James
  • Words are powerful, choose them carefully. Are you anxious or are you feeling anxious in that moment?
  • Brains can change, through constant, conscious, choices. Neuroplasticity.
  • Want to change some embedded internal traits or habits? Be aware, take radical ownership, visualise the behaviour, say you don’t choose it, and replace it with the desired behaviour … over and over again.
  • To create change, we need to make constant, conscious choices.
  • What are you doing? How are you spending your time? Are they constructive or escapist? How do you feel about that?
  • Meditation works. It’s ultimate goal is to enable you to observe your thoughts. There are countless ways to meditate; find one that suits you.
  • Wondering how to support somebody who is going through a hard time? Unconditional love/support. Gently offer tools (podcasts, books, a walking buddy) that may resonate with them … all the while, be an example; look after your own mental fitness.
  • Trying to get better at something? Aim to get 1% better every day. Over the course of a year, that’s significant.
  • Read Atomic Habits by James Clear.
  • The most effective form of motivation is progress.
  • You WILL change – do you want to do it consciously or subconsciously?
  • Focus gets amplified by commitment.

None of this is particularly hard … the challenge comes in making it part of the way you live so you are well-equipped when inevitable challenges do arise.