1. Mornings Matter
Getting your morning off to a good start is my number one way to change your habitual mental programming. When you first wake up, immediately sit for 5 to 15 minutes and try to quiet your mind before the negative thoughts want to start taking over. Try not to look at your phone or jump straight in the shower. Take the time to be still and present. Try to connect with the deeper part of yourself, your soul. Sometimes it’s easy to quiet your mind, other days not so much, depending upon what your work schedule or commitments might be for the day. Keep bringing yourself back to the present moment. This exercise is so beneficial in raising your mood, taking control of your mind and setting you up on a good start for the day ahead. It was one of the most significant aids to healing my habitual negative programs that automatically wanted to take hold as soon as I woke up. If you can set yourself off on a good start for the day, the rest of the day will flow much more easily and amazing synchronicities will follow.
2. Feeling the Feels
Another excellent way to lift your mood is to create the feelings of what you wish to experience for that day. Whether that be feelings of calm, relief, joy or pleasure. Imagine things that make you feel those ways, or memories of when you have felt a particular feeling you want to feel again. For example, that previous holiday in Spain when you felt so happy and relaxed or that trip to the festival in London last year where you felt super excited. If you can imagine those memories for just a few minutes, you can recreate the same feelings within yourself at any point in time. The trick is to visualise and imagine the memory or the image in as much detail as possible, the colours, the sounds, the sights the smells. Really get into the specifics and in no time at all you will find you have changed your mood, just by imagination alone. This really works if you take the time to try it. I have changed my whole life this way! Remember mornings matter. Do this as early in the day as possible. Preferably, right after your morning meditation or as soon as you wake up!
3. Appreciate the Little Things
People naturally take things for granted. It is not until some major life event or devastating news report that we start to realise how fortunate we truly are. Gratitude and appreciation are fantastic mood boosters for raising your spirit in an instant. Think about all the things you value in your daily life. Your home, that warm cosy shower you took after the gym, clean running water, that delicious dinner you just ate, that song that made you tingle all over, that friend who never gives up on you, the joke you shared with your spouse or anything else that is personal to you and truly makes you feel blessed. My adult life feels so much more nourished and blessed since I started a daily gratitude list. I now value what I have even more. This makes my daily life feel considerably more rich and meaningful. Simple things like waking up in the morning and being able to have my favourite cup of coffee in the garden feels like such a luxury.
I practice my daily gratitude in two ways. By either writing down all the things I’m grateful for in a journal or, if I’m short on time, thinking about all the things I’m grateful for while I’m getting ready for work for the day. The earlier you start to feel your appreciation, the better, so I usually practice this right after my morning meditation to set me up in a good mood before leaving the house. The most important thing is to feel grateful for what you’re writing or thinking about. There’s no point in rote rehearsal. Just writing or thinking the same things each day will not bring up the feelings you are trying to create. My list is different every day, depending upon what I truly feel grateful for that morning. The sunny weather, my children’s laughter coming from their bedroom, the smell of the fresh cut grass that morning. Make sure your list is meaningful to you and most importantly, that it feels good.
4. Move your Body
Whether you like to do ten minutes of stretching or a half hour run as part of your exercise routine make sure you take the time to do something that involves some sort of physical activity each day. Moving your body is an excellent way to release any adrenaline build up, lift your mood and boost endorphins within your body, those feel good hormones that make you feel amazing and relieve pain. Not only will exercise make you feel better it has been scientifically proven to reduce depression and has the added benefit of keeping you young and supple. Who wouldn’t want that? Whatever style of exercise you choose, make sure it’s something you actually enjoy doing. The whole point of these techniques are to boost your mood. If you dread running on a treadmill or find yoga boring then choose something more pleasurable for you. Maybe sports is your thing. Basketball, ice hockey or tennis may be more fun for you. Try a few things and mix it up to keep you motivated.
5. Take a Walk in Nature
I don’t know about you but for me being out in nature really does the trick! Whether it’s the beach, the woodland beside my local park or hiking in the hills. Nature is your best natural alternative to restoring peace of mind and calm in the body. Moreover, the action of walking or running while being in nature helps to increase those feel good endorphins I mentioned earlier. If you’re feeling uninspired or suffering from ‘writer’s block’, a walk in the wilderness, the mountains or by the seaside will really help to increase the imagination and inspire you with new ideas. When in nature really take the time to notice the greenery, the smells, the sound of the birds and the colour of the sky. This will help you appreciate your surroundings even more. If you’re more of an active type of person, you could include outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, camping, kayaking, fishing, or anything else you like. Make it a habit to get out into nature regularly. You will be astonished at how spending time outdoors can improve many aspects of your life!
6. Laugh More Often
Humour is another blessing I love so much nowadays. Listening to my children laugh or, even when they’re taking the mickey out of me, makes me feel so happy inside. I adore their quirkiness and how they all have their own versions of humour. People who are joyless and serious can be hard work and draining company. Surround yourself with individuals who see the lighter side of life. One of the things I truly love about humanity is the way it can find humour in even the most devastating situations. Making light of things is so much better for your health too. It reduces stress hormones like cortisol, increases oxygen intake and boosts the immune system. Find ways to laugh more each day. Watch a movie, listen to your favourite comedian or remember a funny story or incident (this is one of my favourites). I remember many humorous times with my sister growing up where one of us did or said something funny and I still laugh recalling the memories. Laughter causes pleasurable feelings inside and boosts overall health and mood.
7. Nourish Yourself
Nourish yourself with self-care. Whether that’s taking time just for you, meeting up with good friends, going for a fancy lunch, filling your house with the smell of aromatherapy oils aimed at boosting mood, lighting a scented candle, having a relaxing bath, reading that book you’ve been meaning to read for ages or going for that massage you’ve been promising yourself. Make time to recharge your batteries and treat yourself with the things that make you feel good. If you don’t enjoy back massages try a pedicure, Indian head massage or reflexology. Any type of massage is good for releasing stress, boosting circulation and increasing relaxation within the body. Even a hand massage! Touch is an important part of feeling nourished and cared for.
Food also plays a significant part in nourishing yourself and caring for your body. Choose healthy, colourful, flavourful foods which you enjoy eating. Ensure you are getting enough sleep so you feel refreshed each day. Most adults require between seven and nine hours sleep each night. Find the right amount of sleep that makes you feel the most recharged and aim for that. Limit alcohol for a week or two. The longer the better. I once went nearly five months without alcohol and the rise in my energy levels and mood was remarkable. I even lost over a stone in weight without even trying. An added bonus!
8. Question Yourself
Get into the habit of questioning yourself at regular points throughout the day. “Why am I suddenly in a bad mood”, “Where did that anger come from?”, “Why did that person provoke me in such a way?” Get to know yourself and make a point of noticing when you feel triggered or reactive. This process is even more important if you grew up in a toxic household where negative habitual programming was the background noise. This technique will allow you to start managing your emotions and become more self-aware. Especially if you aren’t sure why you respond in the ways you do. The purpose of this method is that you will start to notice which events and circumstances set you off in a bad mood and when a similar circumstances presents itself to you, you have the ability to choose to react differently the next time around. This helps you to take control of your life and how you respond so that you can react in the ways you would prefer, rather than habitually which often leads to negative consequences. We feel we react certain ways because that’s just the way we are, but most of our thoughts and behaviours are programmed into us by our parents, our teachers and society. By taking control and deciding yourself how you wish to behave, you take back your power and become the person you choose to be.
9. Break Free of the Past
It is time to let go of negativity, regrets, fear, anger, or anything else which limits us. These thoughts and feelings do more damage than good and keep us stuck in old painful memories and patterns. No good can come from that. You can choose a new path that you will love no matter what has happened to you in the past. You have the ability to choose your attitude towards everything! You can make your life as happy as you want it to be. Observe the multitude of opportunities we have in this day and age, compared to those our grandparents had. Think about the people brought up in restrictive religions and cultures where freedom is limited. To be free of the things that previously controlled us is such a gift. Notice how free you are now in your adult life. You can make numerous choices and have much more control over your life than you ever did as a child. You are in control now. You are the parent of your own life. Embrace that freedom.
Know that everyone is always doing the best they can with what they know in any given moment in time. Allow the past to remain where it is and move forward into your present life anew. At any moment you want, you can start over. It’s time to break ourselves free from our pasts. We can learn the lessons from it but we must then let the rest go. Life is too short to stay stuck in regrets!
10. Say Yes to Life!
Accept opportunities to expand your comfort zones. Say yes to invitations instead of hiding away in the house. Form opportunities to meet new people. It’s the people in your life that help provide expansion and development. Relationships help create openings, introduce new friendships, job possibilities, and provide laughter and growth. We don’t learn anything being by ourselves. People reflect back to us how we present ourselves to the world. Without them, it’s harder to know who we are. Connecting with others helps us learn communication skills, listening skills, empathy and compassion. Laughter is enhanced within a crowd. Dancing is more fun with a partner. We experience life more fully when we open up and allow other people to share life with us.
Try new things! Create a bucket list of everything you’d like to do within the next ten years, or before you “kick the bucket” and start making plans to do them all! This will excite your imagination and give you something to work towards and look forward to as you move through life. The more things you say yes to, the richer and more meaningful your life will become.
For more information:
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