THINK SUCCESSFULLY 1
Negative or painful feelings are not a choice, and more of us are feeling them now – anxiety is on the up. Last week, Nuffield Health reported that around 80 per cent of British people working from home feel lockdown has had a negative impact on their mental health, while a quarter of those said they find it hard to cope with the emotional challenges of isolation. It’s unsurprising we’re seeking comfort in food.
Whatever we perceive is real. But what we decide to do about the feeling is a choice. Decide if you want to understand it, move on from it and not allow your pain or frustration to determine your mindset.
Mindset is the foundation of change. You have to want it and you have to do the work. Suppressing pain will block change. Whether you want to lose weight, build a strong body, choose a healthier way of living, quit the habits that hurt you or all of the above, be under no illusion. It’s a mindset shift.
We need to feel pain, anxiety, frustration and fear
– but impose boundaries or it will define you. I’ve cut my “despair deadline” to 90 seconds. I feel it, then do a “You Turn” and think what action I can take to shift out of that negative space.
I can change my mindset by changing my physical state. Use music and movement; tackle a five-minute job that leaves you feeling productive. When it all feels too much, I sit on the garden bench with no distractions but something lovely to drink.
If you can meditate, great. I can’t. But I find a few minutes of calm, where I allow my mind to simply quieten down, is meditation enough. When the negative pops in, tell it where to go. Return to the moment. Feel the breeze, the sun, the glass in your hand. Look up at the clouds, the blue sky and notice all that is around you.
Your hardships are real. Your privileges are also real, however hard they are to see. Make a choice. Don’t let the negative cloud the brilliant. Only you can flick that switch.