#YoungMindsMatter

Practice Positivity

(1) Take 10 – 20 seconds to appreciate each positive experience you find yourself in. Research shows that, over the course of a lifetime, we have more positive experiences than negative. However, we tend to amplify the negative and take the positive for granted. Whether it’s a meal with friends or the satisfaction of completing a task or project, make a conscious effort to really appreciate each experience and help tip the mental balance in positivity’s favor.

(2) When you wake up, leave the email alone. I’m guilty of this myself at times, but I’ve been making stead progress in trying not to look at my smart phone or laptop until I’ve had breakfast, showered and dressed. We have a choice. We can spend the first 30 minutes or so of each morning worrying about responding to work emails or we can use those minutes to catch some ME TIME and feel a sense of gratitude for the new day ahead and the opportunities it may bring.

(3) When times are tough, delve into your archive. Life can be mischievous. Just when you’re about to reflect gratefully on your morning, it can send screaming kids your way, throwing in for good measure the boisterous dog that’s adamant you don’t need both shoes today. On stressful mornings, the last thing you feel like doing is conjuring up positive moments from the past. While this is understandable, it serves as a wonderful mental tonic to find a minute or two in the day to recall a more pleasant, pleasurable time. By turning this into a daily practice, you’ll soon feel a number of benefits. One of the key benefits that arises from using these techniques is mental resilience. Not only will you be in a better position to deal with challenges that can occur throughout a normal day, you’ll also be able to deal effectively with life’s curveballs whenever they come hurling towards you. On top of that, by bumping up your positive-to-negative ratio, you could literally add years to your life, much of which will be spent with a sense of wellbeing, hope and happiness.