During the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be easy to get lost in negative thoughts. Even before the start of the pandemic, many people are surprised to hear how much a few simple healthy mindset practices can change your life. When completed daily, these positive emotions can dramatically increase your mental and physical health. 

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Before we dive in, it is important to note the beginnings of what we call "Positive Psychology." Positive Psychology was developed in 1998 by psychologist Martin Seligman, and is a branch of psychology that focuses on personal strengths and behaviors to help individuals achieve a flourishing life. This is only applicable once one's physiological and safety needs are met (in order to survive) in relation to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Once those needs are met, the psychological and self-fulfillment needs can be met (see hierarchy triangle image below for reference). 

The practice of Positive Psychology focuses on filling your 5 "buckets" to achieve a flourishing life. Those 5 "buckets" are: 

P - Postive Emotions 

E - Engagement (Flow = "in the zone activities")

R - Relationships 

M - Meaning / Purpose 

A - Achievement / Accomplishment 

Each event that takes place in your life can either fill / decrease one or more of your buckets.

The 5 tips that we are sharing with you within this blog post are just a few ideas on how to increase some of these "buckets" by yourself, DAILY! We cannot stress how important it is to make sure that these practices are done consistently in order to see real positive change. 

5 HEALTHY HABITS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE: 

1. Manifestation

Essentially, manifestation is the action of creating your own reality through belief and attraction. If you think it, it will eventually happen - the confirmation of experiences (either out loud, or in your head) increases the probability of that experience coming true. This can be done through many mediums, such as meditation, vision boards, etc. Although it seems quite simple, manifestation requires more power than one may realize. In order to make your desired outcome a reality, you need to also deeply believe that it will in fact come true and act intentionally to increase the probability of it happening as well. 

For example, say someone really wanted to get a promotion at their job. For daily manifestation, I would meditate for 10 minutes each morning and make acquiring the promotion the focus of my meditation. Then, I would make write out a list of reasons why I deserve the promotion. Finally, each week I would write out a small list of 2-3 actions that I can take in order to increase the chances of receiving the promotion. All of these actions will fill your positive emotions and achievement "buckets" and bring you closer to fulfilling your goals. 

2. Daily Affirmations

Affirmations are short statements that can help you overcome self-sabotaging thoughts. They are meant to be said consistently and out loud. What I find helps the best is to write/type out a few affirmation statements and tape them up on a mirror. This way, you can say them to yourself out loud each morning. There are no rules, just write out whatever you want to change and make a commitment to them! Here is a small list of affirmation examples (from HuffPost):

3. Go Offline

We know that it is hard to take time unplugged, but staying offline when you wake up and before you go to bed might be one of the best things you can do for yourself. Immediately checking your phone when you wake up stimulates your brain activity at once, and leaves you more likely to be stressed, overwhelmed and unable to prioritize tasks throughout the day. Create a morning routine that does not involve your phone - this may be easier to do if you plug your phone in another room for the night.

Similarly, when you look at any blue-light emitting screen right before you go to bed, your body restricts its natural production of melatonin - which makes it harder for your body to sleep and wake up the next day. Try implementing a practice of not looking at screens for at least an hour before you sleep, if possible. For blue-light protection during the day, check out our blue-blocking glasses.

4. Spend Time Outside

This one is pretty straightforward, but even just going for a short daily walk can lower your blood pressure, reduce stress, improve overall mood, improve focus and increase your vitamin D intake, along with many other benefits. Try and carve out some outdoor activity for a little bit of time each day. 

5. Journaling + Writing Gratitudes

This is one of the most helpful tips! Take 10 min to yourself each night to write down your feelings. This can help prioritize problems, track your mood (and triggers that affect your mood) and is a great way to vent. When negative experiences occur, write it down: "that was a yesterday feeling." Take note on how to react differently if needed. 

Gratitude journaling is also a great way to change your emotion in the moment and is a wonderful reminder of all the great things you have in your life. They can even be as simple as what you ate for dinner. Gratitude journaling is a reminder that even if it seems the world is crashing around you, there are always little things to be thankful for. 

We hope this helps and gives you some peace within this crazy time. It is always a great reminder that we are in control of our response to the world.

XO, 

Cloak & Dagger