16
LIVING
just by doing that, holy cow! Let's do
it! Let's do it every day!
5. Try a different
perspective
Take a moment to think about your
own thoughts. Are they happy or sad?
Positive or negative? Do they lift you
up or bring you down? Our thoughts
are powerful and can have a big effect
on how we feel. How we feed our
minds is just as important as the way
we nourish our bodies, and we can
select our thoughts the same way we
would choose from a menu. Would
you order something if you knew it
wasn't going to make you feel good?
But you should also honour your
feelings. This is not about trying to be
artificially happy. Our feelings provide
us with valuable information about
our needs and desires and whether or
not we're in alignment with ourselves
and our values. And that means they
need to be acknowledged.
It's a bit like the childhood game
of hot and cold. The closer you are
to being on track with the truth of
who you are, the better you feel. The
further away you get, the worse you
feel. Once you've acknowledged your
feelings, how you react to them is
governed by your thoughts, and that's
what I want you to focus on today.
You have the power to choose the
way you think about a situation, no
matter what the circumstances. And
in day-to-day life that means making
choices that reflect your values and
supports your dreams. With practice,
you'll develop a skill that will become
second nature to you. Then the sky's
the limit!
6. Use positive affirmations
There lots of positive affirmations
on the internet but choose them
carefully and change them so they
fit you and what you want and need.
Just repeating an affirmation with
no feelings attached will do nothing.
Think about what you want and make
that your affirmation.
This can feel a bit odd at first
but stick with it and you'll reap the
benefits. Start with 2 and work up
to 10! Using positive phrases will
challenge any negative thoughts
and can be an amazing weapon for a
better life.
7. Be kind to yourself
Rebuilding and improving your
confidence after a tough lockdown
may take time so be kind to yourself
and cut yourself some slack. If your
life was very busy and stressful before
lockdown it may be a good time now
to take stock and decide what is
serving you and what not.
As life slowly returns to normal,
we have a unique opportunity to
consider the lessons we have learnt
about our pace of life and wellbeing.
Make time for rest and recovery,
surround yourself with a supportive
network of friends and do not be hard
on yourself if you find it difficult to
get back into a routine.
www.inamesser.com