READY FOR BLUE MONDAY?
Ready for Blue Monday, officially the most depressing day of the year? It’s apparently due to a combination of the factors: the weather being bad, our motivation is low and that sluggish feeling still hasn’t left us, plus we’re all really starting to feel the pinch after our Christmas spending.
On top of that we’ve probably all dropped our new year’s resolutions and are feeling in a bit of a no man’s land when it comes to our lifestyle.
WHAT IS IT THAT CAN MAKE US HAPPY?
The secret to happiness is a concept that philosophers and psychologists have pondered for centuries. But just what is it that can make us happy?
Some think it is our behaviour, thoughts and attitude that can leave us feeling happy with our lives, rather than simply our situation.
HAPPINESS IS THE RESULT OF CONSTANT EFFORT
The host of the podcast, The One You Feed, Eric Zimmer, recently told Business Insider what he thinks the answer is for a happy life. After speaking with almost 200 psychologists, mindfulness teachers, and life coaches, he said he has realised happiness is the result of constant effort rather than simply thinking positively.
He revealed three simple daily practices that can help you achieve this…
MEDITATE AND BE MINDFUL
Zimmer suggests that honing your mind and practising meditation on a daily basis can help you become more focused, empathetic and aware. Training your brain in this way can open you up to a better understanding of how your mind works and how to enjoy the present moment.
If you have never tried meditation before, a good place to start is by sitting in a peaceful space for a few minutes at the same time every day, remaining still and concentrating on your breathing and only what is happening in the present moment. If you find you get distracted by thoughts, focus your mind back to your rhythmic breathing.
SET YOUR PHONE ALARM TO STOP SOCIAL MEDIA SCROLLING
It’s so easy to just keep scrolling through your Facebook or Instagram feeds, only to find you have wasted a big portion of time effectively doing nothing.
‘We have a natural desire to distract ourselves with our phones, which is not always a bad thing, but you should be consuming something you care about,’ Zimmer told Business Insider. ‘The more we are conscious about how we spend our time and do things that matter to us, the more content we will be.’
The way to combat this mindless scrolling is to set your phone alarm to give yourself a time limit on browsing. Be strict with yourself and actively choose to do something which is important to you instead.
PLAY THE ALPHABET GAME TO STOP NEGATIVE THINKING
The alphabet game can be a useful tool in banishing negative thoughts, Zimmer advises. If you find your mind is turning negative, then go through the alphabet, naming something you value for each letter until you get to Z. This draws you away from unhealthy thought processes.