Taking care of your mind
Develop a zen and positive mindset.
There are many ways to develop a positive mindset and reduce anxiety. Here are some examples to work on:
- repeating positive affirmations to yourself
- breathing deeply (cardiac coherence)
- keeping a gratitude journal
- meditating
- visualizing the “positive
- dancing or singing
- listening to positive music.
? Idea: Every morning in the bathroom, you repeat that you are going to have a great day by smiling.
Plan off moments.
Taking breaks is even more important if you tend to be all in with your work. Think about it:
- every day, take breaks to improve your productivity and release the pressure.
- once a week, or once a month, it doesn’t matter, spend a day without obligation to release the pressure.
- when you feel you need it and saturate: change of air, go on a trip or weekend.
? Idea: Block out one break per week in your schedule right now. Then, make sure you keep that commitment with yourself.
Stay aligned with your values on a daily basis.
Have you ever realized that your actions were out of alignment with your values? This type of “misalignment” can cause internal tension, and impact your mind and body. To avoid it:
Identify your values:
- What is most important to you (e.g. freedom, family, respect, autonomy…)?
- What makes you feel good? What makes you vibrate?
- NB: You can help yourself with a list of values, which can easily be found on the internet.
- Select the 3 most important ones and ask yourself :
- How are these values expressed in your daily life?
- What is not going in their direction at the moment?
- What can you do differently to stay aligned?
- This is a little known way, yet it can save you a lot of heartache.
? Idea: Each month, set yourself a reminder to check in with your values. How? By simply asking yourself the question.
Take care of your environment at work and at home.
Tidy up regularly
Having a tidy, airy living space contributes to your well-being. Here are a few habits you can adopt to maintain a pleasant environment at home:
- Do a thorough spring cleaning at least once a year, or every time the season changes.
- Make a list of all the little things you need to do around the house, sorting them by duration (less than 10 minutes, less than 30 minutes, 1 hour or more). And pick from it when you have a moment to spare.
- Give away what you no longer want
- Take a few minutes to put away what’s lying around in the morning before you start your day.
- Repair or get rid of damaged or unusable things as you go along
- To go further, here’s the go-to book in this area: the magic of tidying,
? Idea: Get into the habit of tidying up as you go by applying the 2-minute rule: “If it takes less than 2 minutes, do it right away”.
Keep your office organized
Perhaps you don’t mind having an office that looks like a mess? However, have you ever experienced having a clean and organized office? Operating in a tidy environment contributes to your well-being and productivity. So:
- Declutter.
- File your papers.
- Find a system to keep your mailbox clear.
- Personalize your space in a way that makes you want to stay there and keep it that way.
- Equip yourself.
? Idea: Every night before you finish your work day, take 5 minutes to tidy up your desk. This way, you’ll have the pleasure of finding it tidy every morning, and avoid the “accumulation” effect
Sort out the people around you.
Toxic or negative personalities can seriously affect your well-being. Sorting out the people around you may seem difficult for some. For me, it is one of the best decisions I have made to improve my daily life. The benefits are numerous. So, pay attention to:
- Remove negative people from your circle, those who are sucking your energy and morale.
- Give preference to positive people whenever possible.
? Idea: As soon as you identify someone who seems to be too negative, pumping your energy and morale, distance yourself (don’t stay and listen to them).
Think “Digital Detox”
Disconnecting from screens from time to time can do you the world of good. Studies speak of reduced anxiety and stress, increased social interaction, appreciation of the present moment and many other benefits. In concrete terms, consider removing screens :
- for a few hours in the evening before bed.
- or even a whole day in digital detox mode, if you have trouble letting go of your phone or computer.
- On vacation
- Setting yourself this type of challenge can be a good way to break bad habits.
? Idea: Set yourself a “no cell phone in the bedroom at night” rule and stick to it :).
Make your health your number one priority
Having a healthy lifestyle to take care of yourself may seem obvious to you. But, do you really make it your priority every day?
Eat a healthy diet.
A varied diet with fruits, vegetables, limiting refined products and complex sugars is one of the pillars of good health.
- Evaluate your eating habits and change them if necessary (no junk food).
- A benchmark is to have a plate composed of a quarter of protein, a quarter of carbohydrates, and half of fruits and vegetables.
- Don’t forget to treat yourself. And why not learn how to cook good little dishes with healthy foods to combine taste buds pleasure and good health :).
? Idea: Include at least one vegetable or fruit in every meal. If you don’t follow this rule, make up for it at the next meal.
Improve the quality of your sleep.
The quality of your sleep has direct impacts on your daily well-being. So:
- Make sure you respect your sleep cycles.
- How many hours of sleep do you need per day to feel good?
- If you often have trouble sleeping, adjust your environment and change your habits. Tackle the source of your insomnia once and for all.
? Idea: As soon as you feel the first signs of sleep at night (yawning, eyes closing…), go to bed. This is the signal that “your train” is a passing train.
Exercise regularly.
You don’t have to join a gym or start running a marathon to take care of your body. Working out can also be done in small ways like:
- Walking for 30 minutes
- Doing 7 minutes of strengthening exercises.
- Doing a few yoga moves in the morning.
Whatever, the idea is to move every day especially if you work at home. There are hundreds of apps to guide and motivate you.
? Idea: Whenever you can, prioritize stairs and walking.
Monitor your health.
- One way to monitor your health is to anticipate by making sure you make check-up appointments every year (GP, dentist…).
- On a daily basis, you can also take just a few minutes to listen to your body. I don’t always think about it, but it’s an excellent indicator of when you’re overdoing it, or forgetting yourself a little too much. How does it work?
- Take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, and exhale slowly.
- Repeat this cycle three times.
- Then, pay attention to what you feel (e.g. physical sensations, emotions): How do you feel? What do these sensations mean?
? Idea: In your shower or bath, take time to stop for 2 minutes and ask yourself how you feel.
