How is negative feedback ever useful?

Last week, I was working with a great running coach I know in London (James Dunne) as I honed my technique. It was gratifying to note that my running style was looking much better than it did about 6 months ago, but there was still some room for improvement. James suggested we did some strength training exercises, but focused mainly on increasing my cadence – the number of times my feet turnover, or strike the ground, per minute.

I was hooked up to a metronome which started bleeping at 184 beats per minute, or a cadence of 92. And off I ran, up and down a short stretch of the Thames path near Richmond. At first, I found it difficult to keep up and felt like I was prancing like a show pony. However, once I brought my speed down a bit and the cadence to 88, I felt sharp and snappy, especially when I compared it to how I ran when I tried to ignore the insistent bleep.

This little experience got me thinking about how we seek and use feedback in our everyday lives, especially when we are trying to learn a new skill or improve our practicing of a skill we already know. I was also thinking about how it can be hard to seek critical feedback to help us improve.

The research tells us that the impact of positive or negative feedback depends upon whether you are a novice or not. People learning a new skill tend to be concerned about evaluating their commitment. They are much more likely to stick to a goal after receiving positive (rather than negative) feedback. However, experts are most concerned about checking their progress towards reaching their goal. They are more likely to stick to a goal after receiving negative feedback, because it gives them information as to how they can improve their performance to achieve their goal.

If we follow this, people new in a particular job or taking on a new task will most likely seek positive feedback that they can reach their goal, like meeting a deadline. However, more experienced people will seek negative feedback which will help them stay on task and overcome distractions. It also seems like people seek feedback to try to manipulate their moods is a strategic and complex ways. For example, people may make themselves feel bad about their progress towards a goal, which – for some – acts as a motivator.

Most interestingly for me, these effects of feedback have implications for teachers or managers. For example, a manager can encourage goal pursuit by giving positive feedback to new people in roles unfamiliar to them, and increase negative feedback as the employee gains expertise. It’s a tricky balance though to gauge the type of feedback needed to motivate others, and also tricky when trying to understand the right time to ask for critical, and possibly negative feedback.

I’m glad James thought that I was skilled enough in my running now to take on the negative feedback offered by the metronome drills. I did find it motivating, and it made me think about why I found it so interesting.

James offered a careful balance of positive feedback when I was still learning how my body coordinated itself to adopt a new running style, while increasing the negative feedback as my level of skill increased. Coaching conversations aim to do the same.

Let me know if I can help. In the meantime, I’ll be sorting out an audio metronome of my very own.

Audio link for The Runners Round Table, episode 124

We did the podcast last night and it was great fun, though I was a bit jet-lagged. We ended up focusing on three topics:

• Do statins degrade muscle performance and / or increase perceived pain on exercise?
• Do you need a multivitamin if you eat a healthy diet?
• And sudden deaths during marathons – should I be worried?

You can find the audio file here, and you can follow all the contributors on twitter:

• @sarb
• @runninglam
• @drjohnm
• And our host, @drdavemd

Enjoy!

What am I holding on to that I no longer need?

I am quite bad at this with clothes, and to a certain extent, a life in two continents makes me hang on to too much paperwork too.

Sounds familiar? Do you have a wardrobe of clothes that you no longer use? More than one? How many pairs of shoes? Old magazines or journals that you are holding on to just in case you need to dig out that vital article? Books, videos, CDs that you bought, or were bought for you that you never really liked? Offloading all that stuff can feel more liberating than you might think. Not only do you create more space in the small houses and flats that we can find ourselves living in, but finding a good home for these items can have other positive benefits – maybe to your bank balance through eBay or TradeMe, or your karma points through giving them away.

What about the less material things you might be holding on to? An old belief or habit that no longer works for you? A pattern of behaviour that is now more likely to get you into hot water than not? We bring things from our past along for the ride as we journey through our life paths. At times, some of these beliefs, habits and behaviors work for us. It matters less what they are, but how well they work for us in terms of living a life that fulfills us and is in line with what we value. However, old habits die hard and we can become blind to the fact that they sometimes get in the way of living valued lives. We can sometimes feel the discomfort, and know something isn’t quite right, but can’t quite figure out what is wrong.

Coaching conversations can lead to you finding it easier to let go of things that you no longer need to make way for better traveling companions on your journey.

Health and running on the Runner’s Round Table show

I really like running. I was a late starter, impelled by the very apparent onset of middle-aged spread. But I have come to love the feeling of running, the mindful opportunities, the extreme geekfest and statistics heaven of Garmin gadgets, compression garments and nutritional analysis. I embrace both the journey and the finish, though learning to love the journey was a journey in itself.

Tomorrow night at 6pm EST, I get to talk about running with some esteemed company on the net. I have been invited to join the Runner’s Round Table live broadcast, where runners from around the world share tips, tell stories, and keep each other motivated. So, pull up a chair and join us at the table.

Some of the topics we are planning to talk about include:

• Do statins degrade muscle performance?
• Sudden deaths during running – should I be worried? (Unfortunately topical after the death of Claire Squires during the London Marathon just this last weekend)
• Do you need to take a multivitamin if you eat a healthy diet?
• Five tests that can save your life.

You can find the link to the articles we will discuss here, as well as links to the recording of the broadcast once it is done, and previous shows. If you want to join in online and ask questions, then join us on Talkshoe – follow the link above for instructions.

My work in disaster support

As I rest after a long flight from NZ to the UK, a break from my usual week day posting to just link to some of the work I do at the Joint Centre for Disaster Research. Massey University have kindly decided to feature my work and you can read about it after the jump to this link.

Contact me if you’re interested in this work or a coaching conversation.

Who am I becoming?

All the choices you have made in your life. All the paths you have taken. They are what make you who you are, right here, right now. At a very basic level, the cells that made up your body ten years ago are not the same as they were. Emotionally and mentally, you are different too. You have different skills, new knowledge, and perhaps different attitudes too. Maybe your values are similar, but perhaps the dilemmas you face are different.

Ten years ago, did you imagine yourself as the person you are today? Did you imagine your life as the one you lead today? Do you like the trends you see developing? Perhaps you see someone who is more tired, feeling worn out trying to reconcile different facets of your life?

You have a choice to become a different version of yourself. It doesn’t matter how much you have drifted down a path you don’t like. You set your course for the future you who is content, fulfilled, and enjoying life in the small daily choices you make.

Coaching conversations can help you relocate your inner compass to guide your the choices you make for your present self to set you on your way. Let me know if I can help

Mindful walking and running

Last week, I talked about focusing on the emotional benefits of exercise and said I would also give an example of mindful walking. So, here we go. Again, remember, this isn’t a theoretical exercise. Get out there and do it. Actually, you don’t even need to be outside if you’ve the space inside. Once you’ve finished the exercise, you might notice things feel a little different, if only for a few seconds. The more often you do the exercise, the longer that feeling will last. And the exercise is easy to learn and to apply to running too.

Find a place where you can walk back and forth for about 15-20 paces without interruption and without feeling self-conscious. Plan to go back and forth on this path for the time you do this period of mindful walking.

1. Stand at one end of your path and focus attention in your body. Notice the sensations. Do something comfortable with your arms.; either fold them in front of you or clasp your hands behind you, or let them hang loosely at your sides. Gather your attention in your feet, feeling the sensations there.
2. Slowly begin to lift one foot and start to walk. It helps to walk quite slowly, especially at first. Let your attention rest on the unfolding sensations in your feet and legs as you walk. Bring attention in fine detail to the lifting of your foot, the stepping forward, and the placing of the foot on the ground. Notice how the weight shifts from foot to foot on the ground. Notice how the legs feel, and what movement in the body feels like. When the attention moves away, or the mind wanders, gently bring it back to the sensations in the feet and legs.
3. Walk to the end of your path like this. Stop when you get there.
4. Bring your attention to the experience of being stopped. Listen carefully to your body. Notice when the urge to move rises again, or the intention to turn and to walk again. Become mindful of the arising of intention – it comes before all voluntary movement in the body. When you are ready, turn around and pause. Connect with the body and the sensations in your feet. Notice how it happens that you take your first step forward, and what it feels like.
5. Practice mindful walking this way for a few minutes, 15-20 minutes if you can. Notice whatever arises. If thoughts or sounds or anything else becomes very distracting, stop walking and focus attention on that. Remain mindful, noticing the distractions, then gently bring attention back to the feet and resume walking.
6. Although you begin walking at a very slow pace, you can experiment with different speeds, up to and beyond normal walking speed as you become more practiced. If you are very upset or agitated, it is often helpful to start walking at a faster rate and then slow down and become more concentrated and present. When walking fast (or even jogging / running), you may find it easier to focus on a single sensation, such as the right foot pushing off or the left foot striking the ground. Let this single sensation become the object of attention. Use it to anchor attention in the stream of rapid movement.

The process of being aware and mindful of what is happening with my body and all around me, the feeling of the wind rushing past my face, the visibility of the breath emerging from my lungs – I love focusing on these simple things when I am going for mindful run too. It’s a refreshing variation if you’re feeling a bit stale with your running routines. Start with short distances, or even throw it in for a few minutes at a time during your regular runs. I’m betting it will change the way you think and feel about running.

The video below shows Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh describing the purpose and process of walking meditation. I have been lucky enough to participate in a three-day workshop with this great teacher in London a few years ago. The video shows an alternative way of framing emotions and walking mindfulness – very interesting, and helpful too.

Are men with sisters happier?

I have a sister and I appear to be luckier than I already knew. A study at Brigham Young University appears to show that men with sisters – either younger or older – are happier than those without them. Sisters seem to help their brothers with feelings of loneliness, fear and guilt. Researchers think this is because men are more likely to talk with their sisters than their brothers,  and that this talking – no matter what the topic of the chat is, or the depth of the conversation – keeps men from feeling depressed or isolated. Even more interesting is that even brother-sister sibling squabbling has a pay-off compared to no contact at all, as long as the relationship is generally affectionate and positive. Researchers think that quarrels like this show men how to handle emotion and disagreement.

The good news for those of you without sisters, whether you are a man or a woman, is that all siblings with close bonds can have a positive impact on one another, sometimes even more so than parents. So, stay in touch with your kinfolk – they really can be very good for you.

Yes, your music does help your exercise performance

Gets those earbuds in. 

A recent study seems to show that whatever you like to listen to, your own choice of music could not only improve your enjoyment of taking part in competitive sports, but it could help to boost your performance too. Listening to your preferred choice of music seems to lower your perceived exertion (for the same level of performance) – you don’t feel like you have to try as hard to hit your goals. It also increases your sense of being ‘in the zone’ compared to listening to no music at all.

So, Grateful Dead or Chilli Peppers, T-Pain or David Guetta – whatever you’re into will get you going. I’m not sure what the effect of being forced to other people’s choice of music can have – I know I can react badly in the middle of a set if a tune I hate blares through the gym loudspeakers. At that point, I tune out and focus on my set instead. It can feel harder though – maybe that’s just me.

 

Science geeks, here’s the reference: British Psychological Society (BPS) (2012, April 17). Listening to your favorite music boosts performance. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 19, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­/releases/2012/04/120417221709.htm

Tune into the lighter side

Lots of things happen in our lives that we take pretty seriously. And sometimes, that is totally appropriate. But taking every little setback to heart can seriously deplete your energy.

A problem-solving state of mind can help us to try to do everything we can to resolve a bad situation. But once we get to the point where we can do no more, or we run up against barriers or setbacks, that problem-solving state of mind isn’t so helpful any more. In fact, we can end up trying to change things that aren’t so easily changed, which is a recipe for worry, anxiety and frustration.

At this point, the most helpful thing you can do is to seek out ways to try to flip yourself out of this problem-solving state of mind. Humour and laughter are brilliant for this. Your mind perceives the world differently when you aren’t weighed down by negative emotions like worry and anxiety. You can see what’s going on in a difficult situation much more easily when you’re able to tune into the lighter side of life. That’s why comedians and sitcoms are so popular. It gives you a way of observing the absurdities of every day life from a lighter perspective. Being able to laugh at them, and with them, can feel great.

How can you find a way to tune into the lighter side? I carry around a few comedy shows and podcasts on my phone / laptop etc which I can tune into every now and again. A good laugh helps me to forget what I was worrying about and helps me to reset. Sharing a joke or funny stories is another good way to flip your mind out of problem-solving mode when you notice it isn’t working for you, as is catching up with friends at the end of the day. But be mindful that is doesn’t turn into a rehash of problem-solving and trying to figure out why something didn’t work. Don’t forget that flipping your mind to the lighter side can give you a fresh perspective.

Let me know what you think, or what has worked for you in trying to flip to the lighter side.