It’s the year to make every day count so we’ve got you covered with our effective tips to help your mind, body and soul!
1. Inhale, exhale, repeat
Breathing is the ultimate hack to relax and slow racing thoughts. As soon as you experience something unpleasant, just take a few deep breaths and focus not on how horrible the situation was but on your breathing. When you focus on your breath, you can count “one” as you inhale, “two” as you exhale. When you get to 10, start over.
2. Chat yourself up
Try to count the times you engage in negative self-talk each day and it may surprise you how often you criticize yourself. If you can learn to recognise this negative inner voice and replace it with engouraging statements, your attitude will start to change. Try talking to yourself with compassion and instead of telling yourself you’re not good enough, remind yourself that you are worthy of love and attention, or that it’s okay to make mistakes—we all do!
3. Say thanks
If you can practice being grateful on a daily basis, your happiness and productivity will increase . Cultivating gratitude trains us to focus on hope, to remain inspired and to be optimistic.
4. Become fluent in body language
According to neuroscientist Amy Cuddy, you can demonstrate power and confidence simply by changing the way you hold your body. For example, adopting a powerful stance—arms on your hips and feet planted wide, causing you to take up more space—increases testosterone and decreases the stress hormone cortisol. This “power posing” will make you feel more confident. Think about this before you meet with a potential client, go to a job interview, or even just before you leave the house.
5. Focus on your physical and mental fitness
Exercising is a chance to just listen to music and think about nothing. It’s glorious. You don’t have to go to the gym, but take 20 minutes out of your day to get up and move. Motion helps free your mind and body to better tap into your creative potential.
Giving your brain a workout is as easy as it is important for you to do, whether you play Sudoku or do crossword puzzles. Just 20 to 30 minutes has been shown to increase focus, reduce stress and anxiety, and even dial down physical pain .
6. Eat smart
Even though it might taste great, junk food is a net negative. It makes your brain and body slow and sad. Consuming too much sugar has been linked to all kinds of medical conditions including metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, not to mention mood swings and crashes that kill productivity. Plus, processed foods have been proven to exacerbate, if not cause, chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, and even breast cancer. Simple fixes like keeping a bag of carrots or a bowl of fruit handy help us pick up the healthier choice when we’re depleted and hungry and reaching for the closest snack.
