Don鈥檛 you wish reframing your mindset could be as easy as pressing Alt+Shift+Delete?
It鈥檚 possible to refresh your perspective 鈥� and change your outlook on life 鈥斅燽y taking time each morning to stop and take stock of your circumstances. While that may sound like a huge challenge to overcome and might inspire you to instead hit the snooze button, overcome that urge and try different tactics to redirect your thinking.
Here are four ways to reset your thinking.
1. Meditate when you first get up
Many guided meditations, either on a music service or meditation app, encourage breathwork and visualization. Your sessions can be short; five minutes a day can provide you with a framework. Mantras like 鈥淚 am in control of the outcome of my day鈥� or 鈥淭oday can be a great day if I allow it to be鈥� give you the focus and confidence to decide how you want to show up for yourself, family and friends, and at work.
Taking this time to focus can alter your perspective from stress in the moment to gratitude in a matter of minutes.
2. Strike a (yoga) pose
Getting out of bed can be tough. Setting an earlier alarm to practice yoga may be out of the question. However, making a consistent 20-minute date with your mat allows your body to take the lead and your mind can follow. This practice has positive effects, including providing a burst of dopamine, .聽helping you let go of stress and giving you a stretch of time to think.
3. Record your reflections by journaling
Putting pen to paper provides you with the space to say what鈥檚 on your mind without worrying about what others think. Journaling about the previous day, a negative experience, or a tough conversation or conflict can help you see all sides of the situation 鈥斅爓hich helps you understand if your perspective needs to change.
Writing about yourself, either in long-form or in bullets, can be a scary proposition at first. Ethan Kross, an award-winning psychologist, offers a straightforward way to help you explore complex situations differently. In his book 鈥�,鈥� he discusses why speaking to, or writing about, yourself in the third person can help you redirect your inner monologue and discover valuable insights.
4. Tell your inner narrator to take a break
Do you find that the voice in your head starts 鈥渞unning its mouth鈥� in the morning? Does it ruminate on the negative and say things like 鈥淚鈥檒l never find a partner鈥� or 鈥淲hy should I bother applying for that job, I鈥檒l never get it鈥�?
Press pause on that negative monologue by talking to yourself aloud. First, say something like 鈥渒nock it off,鈥� and then change the subject by affirming yourself. Doing this sparks a change of perspective and reminds you (and your narrator) that you are in charge.聽