Positive Thinking Exercises

Do you ever stop to see the small, positive things happening all around us, every day, everywhere? I made an effort to appreciate the small, seemingly ordinary things in my daily life to help me cope with my brain injury and impairments. Start to take note of what's going on around you, the small positives - your 💎 Daily Diamonds 💎 Add them up. Accumulate them. Acknowledge they are there. Notice and appreciate the wealth around you. I write my 💎 down each day: it could be the birds singing with the joy of spring as I get in the car first thing in the morning; the smell of the honeysuckle as I walk past a neighbour's house on the way to the shops; the pound coin I find in my pocket enabling me to use a shopping trolley. These Daily Diamonds are given to all of us, every day. They add up and balance off the less good things in life. They can shift focus from challenges and setbacks to the positive aspects of daily life. Implementing 'Daily Diamonds' in the workplace: It's easy to get caught up in the stress and pressure of daily tasks. Integrating the 'daily diamonds' exercise into our work routine can improve resilience and mental health among us all. Here are some suggestions for how the 'Daily Diamonds' exercise can be applied in work: 💎 Daily/Weekly Check-Ins: Start or end meetings with team members sharing their daily diamonds. 💎 Personal Journals: Encourage employees to keep a 'daily diamonds' journal. 💎 Recognition Boards: Create a 'Daily Diamonds' board for employees to post notes about their positive experiences. Watch the accumulation of your work diamonds over the course of a week, month and year. Which is your richest team? What can this wealth bring to your company? 💎 Enhanced Positivity: shifts focus from stress to small joys, boosting morale. 💎 Team Building: sharing positive experiences strengthens team bonds. 💎 Stress Reduction: reflecting on positives provides a mental break from pressures. 💎 Increased Resilience: recognising positives boosts mental resilience. 💎 Positive Culture: fosters gratitude and appreciation, increasing job satisfaction. Incorporating 'Daily Diamonds' into our routine can lead to remarkable improvements in mental health and resilience, creating a happier and more productive workplace. Why don't we celebrate our 'Daily Diamonds' and support each other in building resilience and maintaining mental well-being? The 'Daily Diamonds' exercise exemplifies each part of my Resilience formula that will build resilience and mental health: Minimise negative thinking, Pursue positive brain change, and Generate collective strength. R=MPG² PS The photo shows a coffee mug my daughter gave me for my recent birthday. Now I am reminded of the richness of her love every time I have a coffee at home. #DailyDiamonds 💎 💎 💎 #Resilience #MentalHealth #WorkplaceWellbeing #Leadership #PositiveThinking #Minimisenegativethinking #Pursuepositivebrainchange #Generatecollectivestrength

Ever felt unwieldy, nervous or anxious? Dark clouds hanging over your head? I know I have. 😫 Days I had anxiety and panic attacks prior to new trainings. 😣 Moments when I was criticized. 😓 Situations where I felt I had failed. Each of these amplified rousing negative feelings. Fortunately, I've gone through much of these and curated a list of ways I used to cope with them. See if these strategies (simply put) can open the doors to help you master your mind better! 1. Reframing (NLP) NLP uses the technique of reframing to change how a person perceives an event or situation, thereby changing its meaning and impact. Anxious = high energy; fear of being an imposter on stage = allocate preparation time. 2. Anchoring (NLP) Anchoring involves creating a stimulus-response pattern where a person can elicit a desired emotional state (e.g., calmness, confidence) by triggering a sensory anchor (such as touching a finger and thumb together). I have anchors for peace, confidence, compassion and excitement. 3. Swish Pattern (NLP) This technique involves creating neurological associations between a trigger and a desired behavior. Visualize the negative scenario and then send it away rapidly, replacing it with a positive image or set of actions, clear the mind, then repeat this until the trigger leads to evidence of acting on the desired behavior. 4. Mindfulness (Positive Psychology) Practices such as mindfulness meditation, deep breathing exercises, and progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce the anxiety. 5. Self-Talk (Sport Psychology) Inner conversations that are negative are often a result of not preparing your own internal script. Decide what is resourceful to say to yourself with (a) motivational phrases (under conditions of self belief) or (b) procedural instructions (under conditions of a sense of threat). 6. Challenging Irrational Thoughts Once negative thoughts are identified and evaluated, the next step is to challenge and dispute these irrational beliefs. Ask questions like, "What is the evidence for this thought?", "What could I tell a friend if they had this thought?", and "Is there a more balanced way of looking at this situation?" Hope these help you see that there are possibilities out there to support you in handling the inner world during difficult situations. Remember that what you are feeling is just a product of your brain, history and meanings. You can certainly find ways out of them using some of these simple tools for growth and mastery. Do you have any questions or experiences about of these approaches? Do share them in comments! 😊

Our brains are built with a negativity bias; we remember the problems and failures more easily than the positives and successes. Optimism and hope can lead to improved physical health, better coping strategies, increased optimism, and lower stress levels (Laranjeira & Querido, 2022). Long et al.'s (2020) longitudinal study looked at the effects of hope on health and wellbeing and found that having increased hope is linked to "better physical health and health behavior outcomes (e.g., lower risk of all-cause mortality, fewer chronic conditions, and fewer sleep problems), higher psychological wellbeing (e.g., more positive affect, life satisfaction, and a sense of purpose in life), lower psychological distress, and better social wellbeing." Laranjeira and Querido (2022) emphasize optimism as confidence placed on the successful outcome of an endeavor rather than on the processes. Optimism may drive belief in the attainability of positive results, thereby motivating persistence in the face of obstacles. Optimism can lead to greater resilience and improved mental health outcomes, leading to positive coping strategies and making it easier to experience gratitude. In turn, gratitude can enhance optimism and further improve mental health. This past year, I became an empty nester and then a full-time caregiver for my mother, made a cross-country move, and experienced career changes. I am optimistic that 2024 will have more peaks than valleys, but if it doesn't, that's okay; the biggest and grandest adventure in life is life itself. Here are three actions I consistently cultivate towards fostering optimism and gratitude: 📝 Reflection: Regularly set aside time to reflect on your achievements and progress. This can be through journaling, creating a fun infographic like the one I’m sharing, or simply taking a moment at the end of each day to acknowledge what went well. 🙏 Gratitude Exercises: Start or end your day by listing three things you are grateful for. These do not have to be grand; a simple cup of coffee, music, and sunshine often make my list, and my boys and my mom are always on it too. The practice of gratitude can shift your focus to the abundance in life. 💬 Positive Affirmations: Incorporate positive affirmations into your daily routine to reinforce an optimistic mindset. These are positive phrases or statements used to challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts. One of my favorites is “do the things you think you can’t” (Eleanor Roosevelt). In reflecting on the past year, the peaks and valleys of 2023 inspired this personal and professional summary infographic. I share it with a sense of deep gratitude and optimism. I am profoundly thankful for the partnerships and collaborations with individuals and organizations who engaged with me in various roles as a trusted partner, contributor, leader, friend, advisor, educator, listener, ally, and advocate. These successes are shared, and each milestone is a collective achievement. #gratefulheart