If you have ever been in a bit of a fog you will know how hard it is to reboot your positive attitude when things get difficult – so we caught up with co-founder of The Positive Planner, Ali McDowall, to find out how she pushes herself to stay positive.
Find an outlet
If you’re not ready to talk, why not get your pens out to explore how you feel and articulate the thoughts in your mind? Sometimes keeping your hands busy can be very cathartic thing to do, and it can be a great release to see your mind’s workings on paper. Some people like to set a timer and try and let words flow out in the order they come to your mind in a ‘free writing’ style, whist others prefer to bullet point how they are feeling.
You can always look at the journals we offer if you need some inspiration, including The Positive Planner which has particular focus on Mental Health. All of our books offer thought provoking prompts to help you get your feelings on to paper and manage your emotional well being in a proactive way!
Find time to breathe
It sounds like such an easy thing to do, right? But mastering breathing techniques can be the simplest and quickest way to calm your nervous system. When we are anxious and stressed our breathing speeds up and becomes irregular and erratic, and this is when the sympathetic nervous system kicks into action. It pumps stress hormones, like cortisol into our bloodstream and makes our heart rate speed up, leaving our bodies stressed out and in ‘survival mode’. What we want to do is to try and get into a parasympathetic state so that our breathing and heart rate slows down, blood pressure lowers and a sense of calm is restored.
Stay positive with other people
Sometimes nothing beats a good old chat to boost your positive vibes. It’s free, fairly uncomplicated to organise and can be such a mood booster for you. Try and be open about your feelings, it’s important to voice your truth with people you feel safe with. Hearing people coach us through these hard times not only reminds us that we are loved and valued but also allows us to gain another persons perspective on the things that are whirring around in our minds.
Find time to get moving
Sometimes it really is the last thing you want to do. Motivation is often hard to muster when you are anxious and it can be hard to find the energy to spend on anything other than being in a funk! However as we all know our minds and our bodies are intertwined and it’s proven that getting the blood flowing really does improve your mood. It doesn’t have to be anything too serious, just find what works for your body and the main thing is to try and get the blood pumping around the body to increase your serotonin levels. Staying physically healthy can often be the key to keeping mentally healthy too. It’s all about finding that balance!
Find your joy again
What brings a smile to your face? It could be nature, family or even adrenaline seeking. We don’t know what makes you tick, but you do! So go ahead, be a thrill seeker and find the joy in your life again. It’s a crucial part of looking after your well being. If it’s been a while since you felt that warm fuzzy feeling then we suggest journalling about all the times you felt true joy and try and make more of those things happen again!
I hope these tips will help armour you with free and practical solutions you can access when you need a boost!
The Positive Planner offers friendly and accessible tools to help with emotional well being and get you back to you. For more ideas and inspiration visit their Instagram page.
Just a group of real women dealing with life’s daily struggles! Want to write for us? Email: hello@thedailystruggle.co.uk
