Many of us ring in the new year with resolutions and goals of fulfilling future dreams, such as saving money, exercising, or eating healthier. We focus on the external instead of what’s going on inside us—our internal dialogue. One of the greatest influences on our daily lives is our self-talk. It shapes everything from how we interact with others to the way we treat ourselves. We worry, ruminate, and dwell on scenarios that never come to pass. Becoming more mindful of these mental conversations, many of which are noisy and disruptive, is a key to having a better day. Not sure where to start? No worries, we’ve got you covered. Here are five simple steps you can do to improve your day. Let’s get started!

 

1//Add positive affirmations to your morning routine. Create empowering statements about what you want to appear in your life and say them aloud. Write a note and tape the affirmations to your bathroom mirror, refrigerator, computer, etc. to remind yourself of who you really are and where you want to go. Using “I am…” affirmations will help you start the day with more confidence.

 

2//Redirect self-talk. Often, we let the mind’s negative chatter run wild. Thoughts of “I’m not worthy” are untrue and not beneficial. The first step is to bring awareness to these internal conversations, and the second is to revise the critical voice to more encouraging dialogue. Over time, these thoughts will start to become a part of our everyday language.

 

3//Gratitude. Living in a state of gratitude is an important key to leading a joyful, abundant life. Being grateful means feeling sincere appreciation for what we already have instead of what we lack. Start each morning with a few words of thanks such as, “I am grateful for this day because…” By focusing on the good, we enhance our well-being with greater happiness, optimism, and health. We also create opportunities for more good to enter our lives. End each day by journaling what went well and cultivate the brain to see the joy in ordinary life.

 

4//Find the opportunity in a challenge. Look at a change, challenge, or obstacle in life as an opportunity to grow. Ask: Why has this change presented itself? And what can I learn from this? List possible reasons. Examine the constructive ones and disregard those that are not helpful. By viewing challenges as learning lessons, a more creative solution can appear. Repeat to yourself, “I can rise above my challenges.”

 

5//Live in the present moment. It’s hard to be in the moment with everything we have on our to-do list. When feeling stressed or overwhelmed, take a few deep, slow breaths to connect to calm the mind and body, and ease stress.

 

With these simple changes to our mindset and daily routines, we can discover a road to greater well-being. And isn’t that what we are looking for? To have a better day.

 

by Lynn Lok-Payne

Lynn Lok-Payne is an El Dorado Hills resident and the award-winning author of Wake Up! Change Up! Rise Up!, Practical Tools for Personal Transformation, which won the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Silver Award. Her most recent book, available on Amazon, is Speak This Not That: Positive Affirmations to Have a Better Day. As a former CEO and founder of a multi-million-dollar business turned author, she motivates others to become the next chapter of who they are meant to be by creating a more empowering narrative for their life. When not writing, she can be found curled up with a good book, traveling to new locales, and attending concerts. Learn more about her at lynnlokpayne.com.