7 Things You Can Do to Start Your Day On a Positive Note

How do you start your day?

The dawning of every new day presents you with another fresh chance to make the most of unexplored potential and opportunities.

But how can you ensure that you start your day on a positive note, avoid anxiety and depression, and have positivity echoed throughout the day?

Below are seven habits that are guaranteed to help you start your mornings on the right footing and maintain the same until the day’s end.

1 – Keep A Reminder By Your Bedside

If you keep a note of what it is you intend to do or achieve in your day, and it becomes the first thing you wake up to every morning, then it can be the motivational element you need. You can write down your topmost priorities in life, and then read them and keep reminding yourself of those words so that you never assume or forget what is truly most important in life for you. Consider scribbling down at least three things that you give the highest priorities for the day. This process will help you work towards achieving those goals.

Additionally, you can scribble down anything that promotes a positive outlook on life. This will help you be more appreciative of things, be it the weather, work, food, people or different things that happen around you. It may not seem like much, but often it’s the small things that we take for granted that make the most significant impacts in our lives.

Get in the habit of allocating a few minutes to read what you have written down and to meditate upon it during the day.

2 – Give One Genuine Compliment

Give a genuine compliment to your spouse, friend, family member, workmate or merchant that you bump into in the morning. This will help lift their day and your day as a result. This may help you go about your activities feeling happier and with brighter spirits. Look at the various things that make you appreciate from the people in your life and then let them know how you value them.

If possible, let it come unexpectedly. Bonus points if it is something that person has not heard before. If you are short on ideas, pick something a bit different from the ordinary such as superficial stuff that people enjoy doing. For instance, you can praise someone for their great sense of fashion or taste in music, or how they are good with animals.

3 – Positive Nourishment During Breakfast

If you like to start the day with the news, just be mindful that you don’t start every day by reading about things things that are depressing and evoke negativity. Instead, settle for what will inspire you throughout the day.

You can opt to read check out websites and blogs that share funny, positive, and uplifting posts, such as https://psycoaching.com.au/blog/ As mentioned in point 1, you can have an inspirational book that you read a few pages of every morning to motivate you.

You can decide to start your day on a fun and warm note by engaging in exciting conversations when you are with the family at the kitchen table. And don’t skip breakfast – it really is the most important meal of the day!

4 – Start Work by Handling the Most Crucial Task of the Day

Always begin your work by handling the duties or responsibilities that you have given the highest priority. Completing such tasks will make you feel confident about your abilities, and happier when you take a rest during the day. It also will have you feeling confident when you move on to the pending jobs.

Psychologist Wendy Corlis suggests you avoid pushing yourself too hard to handle something if you are having trouble getting started. Take your mind off work for a few minutes, and then you can refocus on the task at hand with a fresh look at things. The hardest bit is getting started, but you need to find ways of remaining positive and ensuring things flow once you set the ball rolling.

5 – Take Things Slow

Avoid getting into things in a rush. Slow your pace so that you allow yourself to focus and be in tune with what you are doing. It will help you avoid stress when you encounter some challenges.

If you feel as though you are not getting much done at the end of your day, then ensure you handle some jobs that you find exciting and demand quality input from you. Such tasks can get your juices flowing and lower your stress levels, thus allowing you to proceed to the next duties feeling energetic. Start at a slow pace and see how it goes.

6 – Remember To Work Out

Healthy exercise is vital in starting your day with positivity. You should find ways to exercise through the course of the week says sports masseuse Jason Hollier, as it will help you lessen tensions, elevate your moods and enhance your energy levels. Your mind will feel more tuned in, and you may find you are more decisive and optimistic about what you want to achieve in each passing day.

If you can, squeeze in some workout sessions in your morning. Try walking to work, or riding a bike to school, or even a quick 15- minute workout before getting ready and taking your breakfast.

7 – Do The Right Thing (In A Small Or Big Way)

The objective of this is to boost your self-esteem and uplift your spirits so that you feel happier during the day. Strive to do what you feel deep within you is the right thing. For instance, you can opt to do the following:

  • Holding the door for your workmate, carrying some boxes for your neighbour, pointing out the way for that stranger you meet on the road or any other random act of kindness.
  • Be ready to offer a shoulder to lean on or a listening ear to someone in need of such.
  • Do something that inspires positivity in you or another person in one way or the other and building upon that step.

Do you need help finding balance and positivity in your life? Contact a Gold Coast psychologist to start e counselling and live the life you deserve.


By Finn Fox and Richard Moore.

www.psycoaching.com.au

gold coast psychologist

The Importance of Mindfulness

gold coast psychologistTake a minute and think of any three things that are bothering you at present.  Now ask yourself – how many of those things are actually problems occurring in the here and now?

In today’s fast paced life where we often feel like we are running out of time, we often have difficulty enjoying the present moment.  All too often we are either too busy anticipating what is to come or thinking about what has passed.  Spending excess time in the past – or future – keeps us “in our heads” and leads to states of anxiety and depression.

What is Mindfulness?

The term “Mindfulness” is a translation of the Pali term Sati which is an important element in Buddhist healing methods. As an intervention strategy many online and personal therapists use mindfulness to treat an array of mental health conditions.

How Does Mindfulness Help?

Mindfulness helps by:

  • Making us aware of the ‘self’
  • Helping us to feel our surroundings and make full use of our senses
  • Allowing us a break from the chatter of our minds, giving us a chance to calm down
  • Allowing us to appreciate the beauty around us
  • Practicing and refining our concentration.

Easy Mindfulness Exercises to Try

  1. Mindful breathing: Allow the breath to flow freely. Do not try to control it. Keep breathing and stretch your arms with every inhale and exhale.  Focus all your attention on your breath.  When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your breath, without judgement.  
  2. Mindful observation: Select any natural object in your visual field (flowers, birds, the sky, water, a flame, a flower or even a picture) and allow yourself to become consumed by its presence.  Every time your mind gets distracted with thoughts, plans, or worries – just gently bring it back to observing the world around you.
  3. Mindful listening: This is simply selecting the music of your choice and listening to it on a low soothing volume. If it’s a song you’ve heard before, try to notice something new about it. Notice the intricacies and the complexities of the music.   When the music finishes, observe and name the next five sounds you can hear in the area around you over the next couple of minutes.
  4. Mindful eating: Take a break from the conversation and close your eyes.  Take a bite. Observe the nuances of the flavours.  Notice how it feels and tastes on different parts of your tongue. Roll it around on your tongue and observe the texture of the food.    

Mindfulness takes practice, but is well establish as an effective remedy for anxiety and depression.  Start with 5 minutes per day.

For further information, contact an online psychologist or Gold Coast Psychologist if you are in the area. Check out my website PSYCoaching.

If you have any queries or suggestions on this blog, please share in the comments below.

You are not alone

Mental illness is happening all around you, but you probably don’t see it.  Imagine, for a moment, a school prom – and you are standing around like a “wall flower;” feeling self-conscious.  Then look around and realize all the other wall flowers.  The irony in this situation is that there are many others in the room thinking “I really stand out here, and everyone is looking at me.”  Then consider this: how plausible it is that people will be worrying about how you look, when they are so busy worrying about themselves?

When you suffer depression or anxiety, (as we all do from time-to-time) it’s easy to feel like you are the only one going through such pain.  Isolation is normal when dealing with an overwhelming problem like depression or anxiety. But you are not alone.

Is it worth trying to be happy? The long-awaited answers are here!

Apologies for keeping people hanging on this one. I have been enjoying life away from the computer with a trip around the USA and Canada. My last post was one that I wanted to get out there so much that I did it all via my mobile phone. Apologies for any typos that popped up in the process.
I often define the happy and fulfilling life to my clients as a balance of connection to people, connection to nature and connection to a purpose. The latter may include hobbies, projects, and family roles. For many, connection to a greater purpose or a greater good is also valued (be it community / country / a god etc). I find that travelling helps me really connect to new environments that are beautiful, new and therefore stimulating. I find that connecting to people from other cultures helps strengthen my sense of identity about where I fit in the world, and I love connecting to and learning from people from other parts of the world and realising our shared values. More importantly, I just love to “shoot the sh**” and have a good time. That’s a great thing to have in common.

Is it worth trying to be happy?

Is it worth trying to be happy? The science has been tested and the stats are in!

Actually, valid and reliable scientific findings about what makes us happy have been coming in for the last 10 years or so.

QUIZ
Which of the following were scientifically proven to correlate with happiness*?

-wealth
-physical health
-education
-sociopolitical climate (ie your system of government)
-age
-gender
-religion
-race
climate (weather)
-number of friends
-marriage

Before I give you the “answers” to the questions above – why not to try for yourself and post your queations or thoughts on the psycoaching website, Linkedin, Google+ or Facebook page. Or contact me privately through the Psycoaching website contact page.