What do you do when you first wake up? If you’re like millions of other people, you roll over and grab your phone. Scroll through emails, texts, and maybe a quick check of Facebook.
And when you do?
Your stress level immediately goes up. Your brain lights up with all of the things needing your attention, things you forgot, things that have to be done NOW. And you haven’t even gotten out of bed.
Whew.
Want to create a better life?
Here are two powerful ways to change your thinking:
Confidence Boost: Before you get out of bed, stretch. Make yourself as big as you can, really stretch. Hold that for up to ten seconds and release. This sends a message to your brain about feeling big and willing to take up space. It says, I’ve got this!
Think about how you hold your body when you feel insecure or depressed: Your shoulders round, you slump or make your body smaller. This sends signals to your mind that things aren’t good and you don’t want to be noticed. By stretching out first thing in the morning, you let your mind know you’re willing to feel confident and strong.
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Take Five: Don’t check your phone until you’ve set your day up with intention. Set a timer for five minutes. Grab a cup of coffee or whatever you like. Sit down and focus just on that cup. What does it smell like? How does it taste? Your busy mind will want to keep going, but slow it down. Remind yourself that it’s only five minutes. Stay present. Take a few slow, deep breaths.
When you do this exercise, you are giving yourself permission to slow down. You are calming your central nervous system and re-wiring your brain. Do this for seven days and you’ll begin to notice your impatience fading away as you look forward to those simple five minutes.
Originally published at www.dremadial.com on September 19, 2016.
Originally published at medium.com