I hate to admit it, but it's true. We are living in scary, uncertain times right now and a lot of us are dealing with increased stress and anxiety because of it. Now more than ever it is important to continually work on our protecting our mental health, so here are six mini mindset tasks that you can do daily or when you feel like you need a mental pick-me-up.
Gratitude: I like to start every day by writing down 3 things I'm grateful for. Having a grateful heart will help you see the good in each day and motivate you to show up for those things that you are proud of. Expressing gratitude is proven to improve happiness and temporarily reduce stress.
Check your thoughts: Do you ever wake up and find yourself thinking “this is gonna be a bad day”. We’ve all done it. And usually it does end up being a bad day, doomed before it even starts. We don't realize that our thoughts are extremely powerful. Those thoughts lead to actions and behaviors that determine how our day will go. Learning that we can change our thoughts is one of the most powerful things we can do to change our lives. When you feel yourself thinking negatively, recognize it and practice reframing your thinking. In this example, if you wake up thinking you're going to have a bad day, try to instead think about what you can do to make the day better. Write these ideas down if you have to and envision a better day for yourself.
Turn off the noise. With everything happening on the News, there's no better time for a break than right now. So just for today, find something else to listen to while you begin your day. Leave the TV off. Do your morning commute without the news or the music blaring. Observe what’s happening around you and take a moment or two with your thoughts to just breathe.
Take a social media break. Another overwhelming force in our current lives is social media. It can be a serious source of anxiety and stress and breaks are definitely necessary. Let yourself take time off. Start with just 24 hours. Do not touch your facebook, twitter, instagram, Pinterest, youtube, or anything else along those lines. Be completely present and do this on a day when you can really enjoy life in the moment. Go to the beach or the park or somewhere where you are completely happy and at peace. Enjoy your life in that exact moment.
Positive self talk: On days when you're feeling down on yourself, try this task. List 3 things that you LOVE about yourself. Why do you love those things? Talking about yourself in a loving way for one minute will improve your confidence and positivity for the rest of the day.
Recount your “wins”: You can do this daily, weekly, monthly, you name it. Take a second to think about your "wins" for the chosen time period. A win could be anything beneficial to you: mentally, emotionally, or physically. What amazing things happened? How did you make them happen or influence the course of your own life? What could you do to make sure there are more the next day/week/month?
Try these six strategies and get in the habit of being proactive when it comes to working on your mindset. It will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed with stress and anxiety as well as improving your positivity.
Finally, don't forget to reach out and check on loved ones. You never know how someone is coping until you ask. As always, I am here for anyone who needs some one-on-one advice or just someone to talk too as well. I know it's a crazy time we're living in, so don't hesitate to reach out to me if you need anything.