Ease into the day Plan your morning and take your time.
By not waking up and rushing but giving yourself time, you will start with a positive and calm energy which will carry on throughout the day, rather than feeling stressed for the rest of the day.
Walk your way to a happy you Walking is the easiest way of getting our 20 minutes of exercise everyday.
I love walking, getting out into nature makes me feel grounded, it clears my head and helps me refocus. I even have a watch with a step counter, which helps keep me motivated to reach my daily goal. I choose walking over jumping on a tube or cab because I feel it’s like two in one, it’s good for our minds and our bodies plus it’s free. It’s a complete win win.
Be mindful of the words that you speak
Start by becoming aware of the words you use daily. You will start to notice if you are mainly using positive words or negative ones. Do you for example say “I can’t” and “it hasn’t happened” or “it probably wont happen for me” or “I doubt that would” and so on. If so swap to using positive words instead such as “when I”, ” I will”, ” I am able”, “I can”, “I do”. Simply when you notice the negative sentences, stop and train yourself in how to make the sentence positive instead like for example “it hasn’t happened” into “it hasn’t happen yet” Or start using more positive words in general can change your otherwise doubtful perception into a much happier one”.
Meditate
Spending 5 minutes a day sat mediating has changed my life. I use to think mediating was this really complicated thing you had to spend ages doing, until someone said to me that even 5 minutes will make a difference. All you have to do is sit with your eyes shut, focus on your breathing and just allow thoughts entering your mind to come and go as you keep your focus on your breath. I often use relaxing music or a calming lavender aromatherapy oil, to help me get to a mediative state easier. Meditating helps me make better decisions throughout the day as I’m dealing from a calmer place, having connected with my breath and the calm within.
Make a grateful list
Being grateful isn’t just a charming trait, it is also a super helpful tool to have up your sleeve. We all know the phrase “count your blessings” well this is actually a very quick way to feel happy and attract more positive things into your life. If I need to get myself in a good mood quickly, I list all the things I’m grateful for either in my mind or by writing it down. It can be very simple like for example, I’m grateful for my job, my friends, my health and so on.
Exercise
Sometimes our busy lives get in the way of exercising which is why it’s important that we make exercising something we want to do, and not a boring chore, by finding a sport that we actually enjoy. When we exercise the brain releases endorphins which reduce stress and make us feel happier. Having spent a life in sports, I can definitely vouch for the fact that I feel happier when I have exercised.
Live in the now
It’s easy to get stressed out or moody if we start worrying about things that may or may not happen. As a competitor I used to spend so much time thinking ahead to the next competition, that I often forgot to live in the now. Nowadays my focus is to be fully present in whatever I do, rather than being physically in one place but mentally somewhere else. By doing that, the whole experience becomes mindful, so much more fun and enjoyable which will help you stress less and become a happier person.
Do more of what you and less of what you don’t
Sometimes we find ourselves saying yes when we actually mean no. If you don’t want to do something, simply say no and only say yes to something you really want to do. It’s ok to set boundaries and to choose to do the things that makes you happy. It’s your life and your choice. If being a people pleaser is exhausting you then give yourself permission to say no more so you have energy to enjoy the things you are truly passionate about.
Create a work and home life balance
We can get grumpy when it’s all work and no play. If you are having trouble finding a balance between home and work life, then it may be time to set some rules for yourself. For example I find it helpful to leave my phone in the locker room when I go to the gym or putting it onto flight mode and making that time “me time”. Equally I have clients who have made rules at home, where the phone goes away after 8 o’clock. Whatever needs to happen for you to create that balance, know that you have the power to make those changes.
Focus on abundance rather than lack
We choose the thoughts that we think and focus on, so why not choose to focus on positive ones? It’s just as easy to think a positive though as it is thinking a negative one after all. For example if you start thinking about one thing that irritates you then it’s more than likely you will then start thinking of another one which also irritates you too, it’s like a downward spiral. Instead when you have a negative thought, stop it in it’s tracks and immediately think of something that makes you smile, it can be a place you like or someone you love for example. Try it next time a negative thought about work appears perhaps.
