How to Start Feeling Positive

It’s no secret that we’ve all been a little down from 2020. Speaking for myself, it takes me a really long time to get out of these funks or snap myself back into a positive mindset. For the past year and a half I’ve been working on having a better daily mindset and approaching my work day differently. Instead of waking up and jumping right into my emails, I pause and reflect on how I’m feeling that morning. How does my head feel? My body? I check in with my husband, all before allowing myself to think about what I have to do that day or my never ending task list.

In 2020, this became a habit and in 2021 I turned this into my daily ritual. My mornings consist of

• waking up early
• exercising or stretching for 30 minutes
• meditating for 15 minutes
• ending with 15 minute journal sesh that includes a gratitude and affirmation practice
• my morning coffee — black, one Splenda, every day.

Maintaining my daily ritual has become such a priority for me. It helps me perform better in sales calls, allows my creativity to flow. I can think clearly, making problem solving feel easier, but most importantly, I feel happy.

Pre-2020, I never thought I had the time to do any of these things, including being happy. I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to constantly “deliver”, and I took priority away from myself to focus on other things to meet that deliverable. However, I learned how much of a mistake that was and how to make the time for what I care about. It’s about finding the quiet moments in the early mornings, or evenings, to focus on yourself. My morning ritual literally saved my life in 2020 and has helped me maintain my positive mindset into 2021.

I once read in Tools for Titans by Tim Ferris, (incredible book for entrepreneurs), “If you can’t find 5 minutes for yourself, then you need 2 hours.” How many of you can resonate with that?

If you’re starting your health and wellness journey, or if you are an expert, I highly recommend starting your day by getting yourself into a positive mindset. That’s the first step to making choices to live in a stress-free environment which brings more positive experiences into your life. Once you start making the choice to do things that make you happy, it will permeate into other areas of your life.

It all begins with how you start your day. What’s your attitude like and are you doing something that makes you happy?