What I Learned In My Experiments With Positivity

How many times do you feel all depressed, frustrated, and a different kind of melancholy?

No, I am not talking about the PMSes here.

At times, there might be reasons to feel this way but it might also be that you are simply tired of the same mundane life.

Be it a student, a working professional or a homemaker, no matter of what age you are currently at, it is pretty natural to go through sudden and unexplainable lows.

I personally have been through so many instances wherein I really do not understand why I feel like nothing is going well in my life. When I start feeling this way, I start to become more irritable and everything that comes my way seems to be a waste to me. I then start blaming the environment, work pressure, circumstances, fate and eventually end up making myself terribly upset.

Although, I would suggest that you connect with the good counsellors on the SHEROES Helpline if that feeling can’t be shrugged off.

We all know about this famous saying,

“You may not be able to control every situation and its outcome, but you can control how you deal with it.”

So after several trials and errors, while dealing with the negative feelings, I finally settled for one thing that has worked wonders.

That is, to make the start of the day as positive as I can by doing simple things.

It is a simple routine that makes our day. Now, coming back to the main point, you might be wondering what are the different ways to start your day on an ultra-positive note?

Below are the 10 ways that I have personally tried and recommended to my friends and would want to share here with you. Try picking one, stick to it, till you make it your habit or try them all one by one each week.

#1. Become an early riser!

Numerous studies and endless theories have proved that people who wake up early perform exceptionally well because they have more time in their hand right from the start of the day. It is not necessary that you have to sacrifice your good night sleep or late night parties. According to the circadian rhythm, you can actually sleep a lot better if you sleep between 1o.30 pm to 5.30 am.

Yes, I agree, that nowadays sleeping at 10.30pm is not practically feasible but at the same time, it is not impossible too if you start your day early.

Why you should do it:

• You get a lot of me-time in your schedule!
• You can definitely experience a good morning.
• You procrastinate lesser.
• You seem to be fresh, positive and gives your overall personality a glow.

How you do it:

• Respect your natural body cycle, understand that your body needs to lie down and rest.
• Keep the cell phones away at least half an hour before you sleep.
• Grab a good novel and try reading it before you sleep.
• Set a comfortable environment in your bedroom by adjusting the temperature, cleaning the bed, putting on comfortable clothes or by lighting a scented candle before you sleep.
• Turn off the lights in your room.
• Make sure you don't drink too much water right before you sleep. Try to drink water earlier.
• Have your dinner at least one hour before you plan to sleep.
• Once the alarm rings, DO NOT snooze. Get out of bed immediately, go straight to the bathroom, brush your teeth and freshen up.
• Start with baby steps by waking up 15 minutes earlier every week, until you naturally start waking up at the desired time.

#2. Thank the Universe for Whatever You Have

“A little birdie in the sky drops its waste in your eye, you don’t mind and you don’t cry you just thank God that cows can’t fly.”

This is a small joke on being thankful, but on a serious note, do you know that there are millions on this earth who sleep and do not wake up the next day?

We are all blessed in different ways, what we have, others might not have and the same applies to us. Hence we all should count our blessings and I am sure you would be amazed to find out so many!

Why you should do it:

• You will simply attract more blessings.
• You will feel happier and look forward to better things in life.
• You become what you think, hence the more you think about the good things in life, the more you get it.
• Thanking the universe will initiate a cycle. Believe it or not, what goes around, comes around.
• Enhances your health significantly and improves relations.

How you do it:

• Appreciate every single thing in your life. I started by thanking the universe for still having hair at 27.
• Become a hunter for good things in your life. Make sure you note one thing good in your life every day.
• Try to thank negative people in your life. Remember the saying that Einstein once said, “ I want to thank the people who said ‘no’, because of them I did it myself.”
• Maintain a gratitude journal and read all your blessings at the end of each week.

#3. Drink a glassful of water

Now you might think, how will this even attract positivity in life?

Well to my surprise, it did!

Our body and our mental health are closely related. If you are in the pink of your health, you will naturally feel happier and positive. Drinking a glassful of water, the first thing in the morning will not only clear your stomach, but it also goes a long way in reducing the risk of a number of diseases.

Why you should do it:

• You rehydrate your body after 7-8 hours.
• You increase your level of alertness.
• You add fuel to your brain.
• You fight sickness and improve the immune system.
• You get rid of the toxins in your body.
• You kick start your metabolism.

How you do it:

• Start with setting a reminder.
• Fill a bottle of water at night and keep it next to your bed.

#4. Exercise, Running or Brisk walk

Do I really need to describe the benefits of physical exercise?

All of us know how beneficial it is to exercise in the morning hours. But even after knowing the benefits, we tend to skip this very important step from our morning routine.

No need to hit the gym or enroll in any of the classes, all you need to do is remain determined to fetch that positivity in your life.

Why you should do it:

• You energize yourself and make yourself ready to face the day ahead.
• you reward yourself with a rush of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine – feel-good chemicals that will boost your mood and help zap stress.
• You reap all of the sleep benefits of exercise by the morning exercise.
• If you worked out in the morning, you will reduce your blood pressure by 10%, and this reduction of blood pressure will be carried through the remainder of the day.

How you do it:

• Start by brisk walks, followed by jogging and end it with stretches or yoga.
• Start with music and workout playlists.
• Find a friend who would accompany you for the same.
• Click photos every day while you are working out and share it with your loved ones.

#5. Meditate

This is something I do every day without fail and it has never left me unsurprised.

If you think of it as a way to reduce stress and develop concentration, then let me tell you that the practice of meditation also helps to develop other beneficial habits and feelings, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns and even increased pain tolerance.

Why you should do it:

• You reciprocate, know yourself better and are self-aware.
• You fight age-related memory loss and dementia.
• You invite overall health and mental well being in your life.

How you do it:

• After you have done your exercises make sure to sit down with your legs folded and reflect inside you.
• Ask yourself to listen to the mature around you by closing your eyes.
• Remind yourself that your mind needs attention and peace too.
• Consider it as your daily dose of happiness.

#6. Clean your house yourself, do the bed

Yes, it certainly adds to your wonderful day!

Don't believe me? Read the reasons and how you do it.

Why you should do it:

• Basic cleaning of your house makes your house a home.
• Along with your house, you also clean your mind.
• Decluttering the wardrobes, arr
• anging the kitchen or simply cleaning the garden area will add to your productivity for the rest of the day.
• You find yourself in a beautiful world that was created or maintained by you.
• According to Vastu-Shastra, you invite the positive aura and vibes in your house once you clean and maintain a clutter-free home.

How you do it:

• Decide what you want to do the next day beforehand.
• Look out for different zones in your house to improvise,
• Decide to spend a limited amount of time on it.
• If everything looks fine then start decorating or changing the look.
• Don't consider it as a task, consider it as your created source of happiness.

#7. Connect with your partner, kids or parents

When you start your day connecting with the near and dear ones, it adds a different kind of beauty in your day and also in your life. We might not really consider it as important as the other habits but trust me, in the long run, it will be something that you would want to bank on.

Why you should do it:

• You will enhance your relations and prioritize your relations.
• You wont regret about not giving enough time to your family.
• You will know about their needs, plans and other important facts that you might have missed otherwise.

How you do it:

• It does not need to be a one on one conversation, you can simply share a cup of tea with your dear ones and have a healthy chat.
• If you have kids, cuddle or play with them and start the day with laughter.
• If you have aged parents at your home, talk to them and let them know that you may be busy but still care for them.
• Do spare some morning time for your spouse and wake them up with a good morning kiss.

#8. Ditch social media stories and embrace reading inspiring stories on newspaper

I remember, when I was addicted to social media, it had gotten so bad that as soon as I opened my eyes in the morning, I would start my day scrolling the feeds. And I used to do it for hours, wasting time and energy.

It got me no help, did not add to any of my knowledge bases and left me feeling tired, irritated right from the start of the day.

But after I switched from the online news feeds to the reading meaningful articles on newspapers, it worked wonders.

Why you should do it:

• Reading broadens your mind, develops your thinking.
• Gets you on the right track for starting the day with motivation.
• You will cultivate a proactive mindset rather than a reactive mindset.
• You will be in a less defensive state, and find yourself in a feeling of inner peace.

How you do it:

• Get the newspaper, ignore the negatives and cherry pick the positive stories.
• Subscribe to magazines that publish motivational stories and read it every morning with your favorite cup of coffee or tea.

#9. Make and eat a healthy breakfast

We all tend to become a machine for the rest of the day, then why not feed the machine with the required fuel so that it works efficiently?

As we all have been told that eat breakfast like a king, we should never skip breakfast, that has the capability to make us feel ready to go throughout the day.

In fact, I would even vouch for making it yourself. When you make your breakfast yourself, you add vibrations too. Spiritual gurus around the world say when you prepare the food, you also add your positive energy into it. This added energy gets converted into another form of energy and the chain follows.

Why you should do it:

• You become what you eat. Eat healthy, nutritious food items in the morning hours.
• Healthy breakfast decreases your appetite.
• Your will improve your memory.
• You will reduce the chances of developing type 2 diabetics.
• You will weigh less and feel healthier.

How you do it:

• Include nuts and dry fruits with your morning beverages.
• Try including colours to your breakfast.
• Keep changing the menu every day.
• Focus more on the boiled food items and lessen in salt or oil intake.
• Add seasonal fruits in your breakfast as smoothies.
• Add curd, boiled eggs, leafy vegetables in your breakfast.

#10. Make a To-do list

This pointer was the one I never took seriously, but once I started following it, now I cannot think of starting a day without making my to-do list.

We are humans and to err is human. It is obvious that we will get distracted, inattentive and lose focus as the day progresses. But if we have made a plan to work step by step, we are bound to stick to it and get it done.

Never does a to-do list goes in vain. You might also skip it in between but you will realize its importance once it starts working for you.

Why you should do it:

• It gives you direction.
• Instead of keeping the tasks floating around in your mind, the to-do list helps clear mental chatter.
• You feel important as you develop a sense of purpose each day.
• You cultivate a sense of accomplishment after completing tasks.

How it works for you:

• Take a few minutes to write down a “to-do” list.
• Start with the 2-3 achievable task each day.
• Do not forget to track them for the rest of the day.
• Treat yourself well once you feel happy with your accomplishment with pastries or chocolates or anything that makes you happy.

It is all about starting the day with a dozen sources of positivity. Positivity and optimism is one thing that has always brought happiness not only in the person who is practicing but also to his/her surroundings. Don’t force positivity rather work on building it day by day.

Do let us know which of the above you wish to follow and also let us know how you have been loving it?