The chances are if you’re clicking on this, then you’re at a part of your life where you believe that something needs to change. Perhaps you’ve been through some rough times, you’ve lost your job or your partner, you’re feeling stressed out, or you just thought you’d be somewhere else at this time in your life.
That’s okay. We all go through where we feel like this at some point in our lives; it’s how you react to the situations and move forward that matters. This is obviously easier said than done, but with some of the ideas below, you can set off confidently on your journey to a positive, happier, healthier you.
Become Aware of Negative Thinking
As with anything in life, if you want to make a change, you need to know what you’re working with at the beginning, and this means listening to your thoughts. Look yourself in the mirror or think of a certain aspect of your life that you like, dislike, or want to change. Listen to your thoughts and how you react to it.
The truth is that you probably think very negatively about whatever comes to mind. Perhaps you think you’re ugly or fat or lazy or unmotivated or not good enough. When it comes to making positive change, you need a positive mindset to make it happen, not a negative one. What’s more, these negative thoughts will only cause sadness and stress, which will only make you feel worse.
“Write down your thoughts and go through them. Pick out the negative ones and try to think of the positive alternative. So, if you think you’re overweight and hate your body, change this to thinking about how you have the opportunity to exercise, and you can start to love your body for being able to do what it can do, and the fact that with work it can get better” shares Mike Dyball, a lifestyle writer at Researchpapersuk and Draftbeyond.
Exercise Regularly
I’m sorry to bring this up since every other article you’ve looked up has said the same thing, but it’s true. By exercising regularly, you’re not only making yourself fitter and healthier, but you’re also actively making yourself happier, more disciplined, and more focused on doing more.
You don’t need to start hard. Run a kilometer a day. Take a walk every day. Join a gym. Do a bit of light yoga in the morning. Everyone is different and has different bodies and different needs, so start with what feels good for you and build it up over time. When I started running, my best was 2km in 15 minutes, and I felt shameful of myself.
However, I stuck with it and preserved, and now I can run 10km in under 50 minutes. The sense of accomplishment and confidence I get from this is outstanding, and it directly affects all other areas of my life.
Adopt Mindfulness
A state of mindfulness can be achieved in so many ways, but it comes back to becoming present. If your mind is not in the present, whether that means feeling worried or anxious about the future, or replaying the past over and over again, you’re not going to be happy with what you have.
“In reality, you are not your thoughts or what your mind says. Your mind is a survival tool that doesn’t really care about whether you’re happy or not; it just wants to live. Reality is what you feel through your senses right now. You might be going through a great deal of emotional or physical pain right now, but if you sit and read this, look around you. Is there anything actually wrong with this moment, right here, right now?” explains Lisa Turner, a health blogger at Lastminutewriting and Writinity.
Sure, there are dramas in your life and problems that need to be resolved, but are they affecting you right here and now? The chances are they probably aren’t; it’s just your mind is bringing them into this moment.
Learn to detach from your mind and observe your thoughts, continuing to ask the question of what is wrong with this moment? You may find yourself smiling to yourself when you realize that life is a lot better than it may seem in your head.
