I am here to tell you that you absolutely can create a positive mindset that will set you up to experience a positive life!
Your very first step is to make a commitment to yourself. Once you’ve done that, through intentional habits, practiced on a regular basis, you are going to transform the way you think, positively impact your wellbeing, and create a positive life.
Here are five activities I love, practice and use with my clients that I would love to share with you.
The Gratitude Journal
This is my absolute favourite. It’s easy, doesn’t take up too much time in your day, and is a rewarding, and effective, way to practice gratitude.
As a yoga teacher, it is one of the key intentions we set for many of our practices because what we practice on the mat, we take out into the world.
The world-leading expert on gratitude, Professor Robert Emmons, defines gratitude as:
"A felt sense of wonder, a thankfulness, and an appreciation for life"
In this short video, Robert Emmons talks about how to be grateful in many different types of situations:
You could use any journal to start a gratitude journal but allow me to introduce this ray of sunshine into your life, the Positive Planner.
The Positive Planner is a journal to help you maintain and manage your mental health & wellbeing through daily journalling, moments of gratitude and manageable daily intentions. As a Wellbeing & Mindset coach driven by my heart-centred approach to life and business this literally ticks all the boxes.
The Gratitude Visit
Is a moving way to express your deep appreciation and gratitude to someone who has made a big difference in your life.
Watch this super short clip (30 seconds) by Martin Seligman, the founder of Positive Psychology and past president of the American Psychological Association, explaining a gratitude visit...
To start, think of someone who had a profound impact on your life, someone who you have never reached out to and told how they influenced you. Then, sit down and write that person a letter telling them specifically what they did to make a difference in your life and express your appreciation. Then, if possible, make arrangements to be able to read the letter out loud to that person.
A suggestion; keep a copy of the letter in your own journal and record your gratitude visit to be able to journal about your experience afterward.
Your Best Possible Future Self
By actively imagining and creating, in detail, the day where our dreams have become or are becoming a reality, boosts positive emotions, happiness levels, optimism, hope, and elevates positive expectations about the future.
“The best possible self positive psychology exercise is one of the most recognised methods for boosting happiness” Psychologist, Dr Tom Muha
So, set aside 15 - 20 minutes, without distraction, and allow yourself to imagine your best possible future self. Assume you’ve accomplished everything you set out to, and imagine everything has gone as well as it possibly could, now, what does a day in your life look like?
Take the time to write about it and be as imaginative and creative as you can be, writing down everything that comes to mind, noting the emotions your experience as you do.
Your Character Strengths
The process of self-examination, self-discovery, and reflection are practices that are part of my daily life and I encourage my clients to do the same. I love learning more about who I am and how to positively apply my strengths to things that set my soul on fire.
We all have a distinct constellation of strengths and knowing your strengths can help you focus utilising them whilst pursuing a life you love, by feeling less of a square peg in a round hole.
Discover your personal character strengths profile by taking the scientifically validated VIA Survey, and if you’d like to know more about the 24 character strengths, you can read about them here.
Mindfulness Meditation
And finally, my absolute favourite. Mindfulness meditation lights up parts of our brains that aren’t normally activated when we’re mindlessly running through our days. It is one of the most powerful and effective tools to promote psychological wellbeing and through my yoga, is something I practice on almost daily.
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally" Dr. Jon Kabat-Zim
So, instead of focusing on what we should be feeling or experiencing, we direct our attention towards our immediate thoughts, feelings, emotions and sensations, both externally (environment) and internally (our body).
This beautiful mindfulness practice is suitable for anyone interested in mindfulness, and is something I practice with my children.
I hope you'll find at least one of these practices that resonate with you. I'd love to hear which were your favourites, and if you decided to implement any into your life, please share how this has impacted you, your thoughts and your life.
If you need coaching on any of the above or would like a coaching session combined with a yoga practice, please connect, say hi or come find me on my socials.
xoxo Carla
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