Start 2022 Changing your Habits

There is so much you can do to alter your habits and of course, changing your habits in a positive way, results in a positive and enjoyable life. So here are some things to consider :

Change how you think positively by
1. Compliment 3 people every day
2. Write down 5 things that you’re grateful for every day
3. Allocate 10 minutes, twice a day for relaxation
4. Set your intention every morning for that day
Become socially engaged with others, particularly during stress. Socially supporting others in your community is as beneficial as daily exercise, in a positive way. Become actively involved, don’t just sit on social media and give lip-service, that’s not beneficial to you or others!
Give of your time, your skills, your knowledge, your love, your support. This makes you feel good, because it makes you feel useful.

We learn about ourselves as we watch what we do just as we watch what others do and learn about them. Learn about yourself through what you do – how you react, how helpful you are, how polite you are, how kind and how generous you are – in all your interactions with other people. We make these attributions (we are kind, we are polite, we are generous) to ourselves and our self-worth goes up as we observe ourselves making positive contributions to others. Interestingly, when you engage, you’re ten times more likely to be engaged with! Think about that….

Being engaged lowers our stress levels. Stress can be a motivator so it’s not all bad to experience. However, focus on what you can control – this definitely lowers your stress.

Dr Charles Sophie, member of the advisory board of the Dr Phil show, has this mnemonic “SWEEP” which is absolutely vital to our wellbeing :

Sleep: Are you getting enough quantity and quality of sleep? When you wake up, do you feel good?
Work: Are you fulfilled enough at work—even if staying home is your work—to be happy at the end of the day?
Eating: Are you using food to stay healthy and energetic? Is meal time a time for relaxation and communication?
Emotional expression: Do you let the important people in your life know how you are feeling? Do you allow yourself physical and emotional intimacy?
Play: Are you letting yourself enjoy life? Do you have a way to let go of worry and direct your energy to a positive place?

When you feel as though any of these are lacking, take a step back and think about how you can address them.

Actively monitor yourself and your behaviour through 2022.
Have a positive attitude and behave in a positive way.
Change your internal dialogue – the chance that you succeed in whatever you undertake will go up dramatically.
Stop multi-tasking
1. Reach a state of flow. It takes 15 minutes to get to your peak efficiency and operate at optimum level to deal with a particular subject.
2. Do one thing at a time – this is similar to being mindful or practicing mindfulness
Keep your environment decluttered. Clutter has a negative effect on your overall wellbeing. Chaos around you crates chaos in your brain. It is painful to be in chaos – remember that!
Our brains like order. We cannot function well in an uncontrolled crowded and chaotic environment
Learn how to soothe yourself to unclutter your mind. Take out of your mind what keeps going round and round, by writing things down. When it’s on paper, you now have control over it.
If you wake up during the night worrying about something, take a few minutes to write it down – keep a notebook next to your bed. Taking it out of your mind and knowing that it’s written down, you won’t forget about it, will ensure that you fall back to sleep easily and get your much needed quality sleep.
Writing your thoughts and concerns down, is a form of self-soothing

Your cognitive efficiency goes up dramatically when you declutter your mind!

Regulate your life and do a better job of making life decisions – it’s a conscious choice.
Make sure you have a path that you’re following to make you feel you have a purpose. If you’re not sure what that path is, find someone who can help you figure it out.

People, here’s to a fabulous 2022! The message here is to take absolute control of every aspect of your life. You are responsible for everything that happens. Know too that when you choose the behaviour, you choose the consequences. We all want amazing consequences this year, let’s keep focused, keep awake and stay 100% in the game.