Everyone is striving for a happy and content life, but the pull of hectic daily life can sometimes make that goal feel elusive. Living more in the moment and getting the most out of life is something we need to make a daily habit and to help us, we should commit to doing at least one positive thing each day.
As much as we want to be more positive and happy, life very often has other things in mind. While happiness looks and feels different for everyone, the central fact is that to be happy and fulfilled, we have to actively choose to be so. Doing at least one small positive thing every day will help us to mindfully choose positivity and happiness and over time, this will condition our mind to seek out and savor all the good things we tend to overlook.
Here is a starter list of some of the positive things we can do every day and while some may seem insignificant, every little bit of positivity helps. In no particular order…
1. Make your bed. Yes, it can be a pain in the neck to make our beds everyday, but believe it or not, its a good way to start the day off right and it makes getting into bed after a long day, all the more rewarding.
2. Prepare for you day the night before. Make that list of things you want to get done. Set up the coffee maker the night before. Lay out your clothes for work — rushing around in the morning creates stress that can stick with us for the whole day, so try preparing as much in advance as you can.
3. Eat a good breakfast. That donut probably tastes absolutely delicious, but its probably not helping boost your energy. Identifying healthy foods that energize us in the morning is important, so find out which healthy breakfast foods are right for you and make a healthy morning meal a priority. Research also says that drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning is very beneficial and I’ve noticed that doing so actually hydrates me and energizes me.
4. Smile! Smile at yourself in the mirror, smile at your family, friends and co-workers. Smiles are contagious and its proven that smiling does help to lift up our spirits.
5. Try a positive affirmation each morning. Giving ourselves a morale booster is important and saying things like “I believe in myself and I will make this day a good one” does help. But we shouldn’t just say positive mantras…we should believe them as well.
6. Schedule breaks. No one can work non-stop, so if we plan out the times we’d like to take a rest to recharge, we’ll have something to look forward to. On those breaks, do something good for you — go for a walk, read a chapter in a book, stand up and stretch — do something good for you during that break!
7. Start a thoughts journal. Often we’re too busy in daily life to process thoughts we have or things that are said to us. One way to help with processing those is to spend some time each night to jot them down: How did something your co-worker said to you make you feel? Why did you get annoyed with the man who delivered your lunch? Sometimes writing these things down helps us to better handle our emotions/reactions in the future.
8. If you don’t already have one, start a savings account. Even if you do have one already, try to put as much aside each week as you can and try to make it a set amount and stick with it.
9. Know your support network. If you have that friend or family member that is there for you, as you are for them, make a point of touching base with them, even if its only a quick text to say you’re thinking of them. We should all strive to uplift and support one another and that habit starts with those we consider closest to us.
10. Think positive. We all say we want to or that we will, but often we forget to because life drags us in many directions. We should mindfully commit to thinking positive thoughts, banishing negative self-talk and focusing on the good things in life every chance we get.
This of course is not the definitive list of positive things we can do for our self each day, but its a good start. The objective should be for us to reclaim our sanity and sense of well-being by being more in control of our own happiness. Doing something positive for our self each day, even if it’s only a small thing, can do wonders for boosting our energy and positivity.
“More smiling, less worrying. More compassion, less judgment. More blessed, less stressed. More love, less hate.” ― Roy T. Bennett
