Guidelines to listening

How do I get started?

It’s easy!

1. Watch the our animation on the homepage, to give you an idea of how it works. You can also watch our video ‘How Positive Mental Training helps stress & depression’ on the home page, apologies this hasnt yet been updated with the new graphics..we’re working on it..
2. Find a place you can make yourself comfortable, and play the first track of the Positive Mental Training programme, find it it the Feeling Good for Life module in the Feeling Good App.   Follow the spoken instructions on this to help you develop deep physical relaxation.
3. Listen to the same track every day for a week (its ok to listen more if you want).  At the end of this time, move on to track 2, listening everyday for a week and so on moving stepwise throughout the whole series of audio tracks. There are 12 tracks and each track lasts less than 18 minutes.

Make a routine

It does not matter when you listen, but it can be easier if you make it a habit by listening at a fixed time every day.  To have the most effect it is necessary to listen regularly, at least 5 days out of 7, ideally every day. The tracks have been designed to build on each other so are best listened to in sequence.

There are 12 tracks in all; and you notice that some things such as sleep can improve rapidly.  The first 2 tracks build the ability to calm your body whenever you choose; this can simultaneously relax the mind and boost your brainpower.    As you build on this relaxation you can develop the ability to see things differently, to transform uncomfortable negative emotions connected to past events to helpful positive emotions, which can then buffer you from stress and change your outlook from pessimistic to optimistic.

After the first 6 tracks you may begin to notice you have established a good way of dealing with stress, but it’s good to continue with the course, the evidence suggests that the full course can help stress and depression.

Be committed

It is important to start listening with the intention of persisting to the end of the course.  This way you can get the most out of it.   Just as an athlete will physically train the body by exercising everyday, the same is true of mental training. Generally the whole training only needs to be done once, but it’s often helpful to return to your favourite tracks.  The regular practice can allow your mind to become so familiar with the mental skills and techniques that in future situations they can be there automatically without conscious thought, analysis or voluntary effort.