Regulate Your Nervous System in 10-Seconds
What are PQ® Reps?
A PQ Rep is a 10-second hyper-focus on one of your senses, a single sensory experience, aiming to shift your attention to the present moment through your body and senses. PQ Reps boost your Self-Command muscle the same way dumbbell reps boost your physical body. Doing PQ Reps is a foundational practice for building your Mental Fitness and one of the fundamental elements of Positive Intelligence®.
THE MORE, THE MORE. The more PQ reps you do throughout your day, the faster you’ll notice yourself becoming more present and less distracted by mind chatter.
Some examples of PQ Reps:
• Touch: Focus on the sensation of rubbing your thumb and pointer finger together. Pay attention to the ridges of both fingers. Gently slide all the fingertips of one hand against the fingertips and palm of the other hand, feel all those sensations of touch. Touch an object or part of your clothing, feel its texture and temperature as you gently move your fingertips on it.
• Breath: Concentrate on your breath, feeling it enter and leave your body. As you notice each inbreath and outbreath, notice the rising and falling of your chest or stomach.
• Sound: Listen to a specific sound, like a distant lawn mower or the hum of a computer. Notice the farthest away sound you can hear, then the closest sound you can hear, and finally the sound of your own breath.
• Sight: Look at an object or a picture in detail, noticing the colors, shapes, and details.
• Taste: During lunch, focus on the taste of your food… one bite at a time.
• Feet Grounding: Feel the solid support of the ground beneath your feet and become aware of the temperature of the surface your feet touch.
• Body Scan: Notice sensations in different parts of your body. This is especially useful with sensations of pain.
• Sensation Focus: During everyday activities, slow down and immerse yourself in the physical sensations, like washing your hands or drinking coffee.
How to Do PQ Reps:
• Choose a sensory focus: Select one of your five senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell) or a physical sensation to concentrate on.
• Shift your attention: Focus all of your attention on the chosen sense for at least 10 seconds.
• Repeat: Continue practicing 10-second PQ Reps, shifting your focus to different senses or different aspects of the same sense, multiple times per day to build mental fitness.
Why PQ Reps are helpful:
• Builds Self-Command: Regular practice of PQ Reps strengthens your ability to control your attention and regulate your thoughts and feelings.
• Grounds You in the Present: Focusing on sensory details makes you more aware of the present moment and less likely to get caught up in negative thought patterns.
• Reduces Saboteur Influence: As you develop self-command, you become better at identifying and discrediting negative thought patterns (“saboteurs”).