5 MINUTES TO TRANSFORM YOUR DAY

Our lives pivot on tiny moments. Whether it’s an email out of the blue, someone saying yes to you, someone saying no, births, accidents or decisions, these instants form turning points in our lives and all of a sudden we’re headed in a new direction.

Living mindfully can make all the difference to how your day unfolds.

Try picking just one of the below to start with: the tip that seems easiest or speaks to you the loudest. Once that’s embedded in your life, add on any others that appeal. These ingredients will transform your life and give you a fresh perspective on your daily routine.

Breath in Confidence

Place your dominant hand on your stomach, on the are that goes in and out the most noticeably when your breath. Take relaxed, full breaths, feeling the abdomen pull in and out again. Deep breathing like this slows the heart rate, making you feel centred and ready to face the world. Practice this a fe times when you’re already feeling calm, so you’ll know how to do it anytime you need to reconnect with your most confident self.

Turn off and tune in

Before you launch yourself into a busy day, go through your phone settings and turn off as many app notifications as you can. These notifications interrupt the flow of your day and suck up your attention by dragging you back into the online worlds. If you’re cutting down on screen activity, wearing a watch will also help by stopping you picking up your phone to check the time.

Celebrate yourself

Write down three things that you like about yourself. If you’re struggling, you’ll find some clues in what other people admire about you. What do they come to you for?What are you proud of?

Turning the spotlight on yourself can be a surprisingly challenging thing to do, but it’s important to appreciate yourself.

Keep this list where you can refer to it easily, and add to it when you think of something new. Be your own cheerleader as you value all that you contribute to the world.

Visualise the day you want

Sit quietly and think about your day ahead. Think you way through each hour from morning to evening, about the conversations you will have. How do you want to walk through this day? What would you like to have achieved by the end of it? Make a list if it helps you to visualise things. Then, when you meet your daily challenges, your brain is better prepared to help you cope.

Amp up your senses

The first time you step outside your door today, take a few minutes to focus on what you ca see, hear, smell, taste and touch. Listen to the birds in the trees and the people’s voices around you. What can you hear in the distance? How is the air different today?What has changed since yesterday? Take a few moments to engage with every sense, becoming still and present in your body. This will help you build a calm mental platform from which to deal with your busy day.

Sit down and watch the birds

As you go through your day, look out for animals – they’ve got lots to teach us. Sitting quietly and watching birds will help you get closer to nature. You’ll develop better patience and attention to detail, whilst becoming calmer and more relaxed. Watch for long enough and it becomes almost meditative. Give a try.

Random acts of kindness

By giving something of yourself to others without any expectations of return, you’ll increase your own feelings of self-worth. Doing something kind for another person is like igniting a smile within yourself. Hold the door open for a stranger; pick up litter; give a gift. Large or small acts of kindness benefits everyone including you and can bring a big return for a small amount of effort.

Get the gratitude habit

Start a gratitude journal by noting three things you’re thankful for today. There is no rule as to how big or small they can be, over time you’ll notice how your outlook changes. By training yourself to look for the good in your life you will naturally start to appreciate what you have rather than long for the things you feel you lack. As you focus becomes more positive, so will other aspects of your life.

Write a to/don’t list

Writing a list can be incredibly helpful when it comes to focusing your thoughts on the things yo want to do. But what about the things you don’t want? How clear are you on those? Do you ever fin yourself agreeing to plans when you later wish you’d say no? Time to get out that paper and pen again.

Spill your thoughts

Automatic writing is a type of structured journaling to help you get clear on an issue that’s been bugging you. The idea is to write in a free-flowing way, and in doing so cut through all the thoughts that are swirling around in your conscious mind to get to whatever’s lurking in your subconscious mind below. It’s best done via pen and paper. Write a question at the top of the page – it can be anything you’re currently unsure about. Then set your timer for five minutes and start to write your answer. Write, let if low…Dob’t stop to edit. Don’t take your pen off the page until the time is up (no one is going to see what you’ve written but you, so it doesn’t need to make sense or have perfect spelling/grammar). It’s simply a method of getting your thoughts out into the open and becoming clearer on what you need to do next.

Love and Light,

Mariana

Extracted from Change Your life in 5 minutes a Day by Joanne Mallon – published by VIE