Mindfulness can help us have a more positive outlook on the world. It doesn’t mean if you practice mindfulness you will embody this trait all the time but through practice, it may become easier to be and feel more positive, calm, peaceful, balanced, emotionally regulated and less stressed.

Mindfulness is the practice of focusing our awareness in the present moment, without judgement and the part I love – with compassion. In short:

Do you have pandemic fatigue? Wishing things could be different? Wondering when this pandemic is going to end?

You are not alone. Just as things start to feel a bit normal, a new variant arises. Whether we like it or not, we have to adapt. Adapting is not always easy. Here are some tips to help you feel grounded and live mindfully during the pandemic.

#1 Feel Your Breath

The breath - it is with us wherever we are. It is like an anchor helping us tune into our physical body, helping our mind to focus on the present moment. If you are feeling drained, frustrated, annoyed, tired, whatever it may be - feel your breath. Count five breaths. Counting breaths is a helpful tool for grounding and inviting calm to the body.

#2 Take a Nature Pause

Nature is calming, soothing and grounding. Take a moment or many moments to simply pause and notice what is outside. Look at a tree, a blade of grass, the dirt on the ground. Focus your mind on the nature you see. Do this by noticing specific elements of it: the color, shape, texture, how the light hits it.

#3 Practice Being Present

Are you wondering, when will things be better? How much longer? When things are uncomfortable in the present, we tend to focus on things being different in the future. Instead, try focusing on the present moment. What is happening right now? How do you feel?  What beauty is in this moment? Focus your mind on what is happening around you. By focusing on "now", this can help us feel more grounded. Who doesn't want more grounded feeling?

#4 Plan something fun

Do you remember at the beginning of the pandemic, many had zoom parties and other ways of connecting with friends and family. How can you create something fun to connect with others? Plan a weekly check-in with a friend to share a positive moment in your week. Or a virtual party or coffee date. Get creative and plan something fun. And while you are at, maybe dress up for it too!

#5 Smile

Here's some fun research findings! The physical act of smiling not only creates internal positive feelings but also helps us to see life and the world around us in a more positive way. [source] You can smile at yourself in the mirror, smile under your mask or smile at the birds outside. Just start smiling!

#6 Practice Gratitude

People are working long hours, or might be sick. Some are tired. There is a lot we are all dealing with. In these times it might feel more difficult to be positive and grateful but it is can also be more helpful to you. Write down three things that happened in your life because of the pandemic that you are grateful for.

Traditionally New Years is a time of setting resolutions, often focusing on what wasn’t done last year and needs to be accomplished this year. Resolution by definition means to be firm in doing something or the act of solving. 

Rather than solving a problem within yourself, what if you were to set an intention instead? Think of it as dreaming up a possibility rather than solving a problem. This is why I like the use of words “intention setting” rather than “resolution”.

To set an intention for the new year, begin by reflecting on what you want for yourself, what would you like to see in yourself or for yourself one month or one year from now. Your intention can be anything: a more joyful you or starting a new business. It can be a slight change or a big change.

Peace /pēs/

La Paz (Spanish)

Salam (Arabic)

Mir (Slovenian)

Frieden (German)

Síocháin (Irish)

ความสงบ  Khwām s̄ngb (Thai)

शांति  shaanti (Hindi)

Amani (Swahili)

The meaning of peace is freedom from disturbance or tranquility. Can you imagine the feeling of tranquility? How does peace feel in your body? 

This time of year is filled with food and treats, wishes of peace and holiday cheer to others. There are parties and events to celebrate the holidays. Decorations and lights. Time spent on buying and giving gifts.

There is much to see and enjoy around us that we often don’t think about our own internal gifts and energy. Each of us has an inner peace. How can we access our inner peace and share it with others?

As a holiday of thanks, it only makes sense to take time to give thanks. There are many ways to share and show gratitude. Here are a few ways you can share gratitude with family or friends this Thanksgiving.

Gratitude Over Dinner

All it takes is one person to spearhead gratitudes over dinner. “I’d love to share my gratitudes for this past year with you all.” Or “Would anyone like to share what they are grateful for this year?”

While 2021 has been a challenging year for many, sharing gratitudes aloud can be beneficial in seeing the positive side of things. Sharing gratitude can increase psychological well-being.

Written Gratitude Together

Find index cards, note cards or cut small pieces of paper. Grab a large jar, bowl of vase. Place these out on a table with a pen or marker. Invite guests to write down their gratitude and place it in the jar. At dinner or after dinner, guests can take turn pulling one gratitude from the jar and reading it aloud. They likely won’t pick their own which makes for a great connection to learning about what others are grateful for.

Written Thanks to the Host and Fellow Guests

As the art and practice of hand written thanks diminishes more each year, this year could be an excellent opportunity for you to share written thanks in a card or letter after Thanksgiving. Write thanks to the host and/or fellow guests. You can support the Post Office with a snail mail letter. Or if you are traveling and will be with the hosts and fellow guests for extended days, you have the option to write the card and hand deliver.

We often think of positivity as a feel-good word and don’t consider all the research there is to support positivity practices in our lives. Did you know research has found that positive emotions are commonly accompanied by better health, a longer life and much more?

If living longer and being healthier is not enough of a reason to be positive, here are six of the top benefits for incorporating positivity practices into your life.

1. Boost Your Health

A Harvard study “found that women who were optimistic had a significantly reduced risk of dying from several major causes of death — including cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and infection — over an eight-year period, compared with women who were less optimistic.” [source]

2. Decrease Chronic Pain and Migraines

Research on Loving-Kindness Meditation resulted in reducing migraine pain (Tonelli et al (2014)) and decreasing chronic pain as well as anger. (Carson et al., 2005). 

3. Increase Relaxation

Practicing Loving-Kindness Meditation for just 10 minutes resulted in an immediate relaxing effect. Researchers measured the respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). RSA is an index of parasympathetic cardiac control which is your ability to relax and enter into a restorative state. (Law, 2011 reference)

Are you interested in feeling more positive? Less stressed? Want to live longer? Be healthier?

Who knew that positivity could do all that!

It’s true. Positivity often resonates a fluffy sense and we don’t necessarily connect it to research behind it– but there is. Curious about the research? Check out The Research Behind Positivity Practices.

Positivity is the state of being optimistic, solutions oriented, focused on making life or situations happier or better. Here are five practices to help you instill positivity into your life and live your best possible life.

1. Practice Positive Self-Talk

How do you talk to a friend? Most of us are gentle, supportive and encouraging to our friends. We offer compassion when needed. How can you begin to talk to yourself this way? It may not be so natural to do all the time. Especially if you are really feeling down. Utilize positive words “you got this”, “remember to smile”, “this is temporary”, “I am an amazing person and I will get through this.” Use these or come up with your own.

Example of self talk: “There’s no way it can work”.

Instead, try: “I can think of a way to make it work.”

Becoming an optimist doesn’t happen overnight. It takes practice. Shifting from less negative talk to more positive talk is a shift in our mindset.

2. Gratitude Practice

There are many ways to practice gratitude. You could tattoo “Practice Gratitude” on your arm but in case ink is not your thing, here are two great ways to start today. Over dinner, share aloud (no matter alone or with family) one or two things you are grateful for today. Another way to practice gratitude is to keep a Gratitude Journal. Write down 3 things you are grateful for today.

3. Practice Loving-Kindness Meditation 

Loving-Kindness Meditation is a technique used to increase feelings of positivity and caring for oneself and others. Research found that the benefits of this technique goes beyond the few minutes of feeling good afterwards. The findings showed Loving-Kindness Meditation enhances our ability “to build skills and develop resources for use later in life”. [source]

Interested in practicing Loving-Kindness Meditation? Join us for a 20-minute guided meditation on November 8^th. A free, guided meditation followed by Q&A. Sign up here!

4. Visualize a Positive Image

Research showed that utilizing a visual of a positive image resulted in decreased anxiety and greater happiness. [source]

To visualize, you must focus and target your mind on what you want. Be specific. Include yourself in the positive image. Imagine what a successful or positive outcome looks like. Need extra positivity reinforcement? Brainstorm positive images and print them off.

5. Infuse Humor into the Situation

When we laugh we are less stressed. It is not always easy to find the humor in every situation but it doesn’t hurt to start trying. Give yourself permission to laugh, find the humor.

Curious how to discover, create, find more humor in your life? Try these:  

• Read, listen to, or watch humorous, goofy, or silly short videos, tweets, monologues, GIFs, and stories that resonate with you. For example, watch videos of people or animals doing funny things.
• Be open and be aware. When you go somewhere such as a rest stop. Enter the place with your humor hat. When you look around, what can make you smile? Is it a child running and laughing while the parent frantically chases them down?

6. Smile

The simple act of smiling can instill more joy, warmth and positive feeling in the body. It doesn’t require much thinking or a gratitude journal. All you need to do is remember to smile. When you walk down the street, remind yourself “smile”.

Whether you begin positive self-talk, write down your gratitude’s this evening, practice loving-kindness meditation every day this week, visualize positive images, or become a comedian – you likely won’t be on the cover of Positivity Magazine overnight.

Practices are a practice because they take time, time to try it again and again. Think of positivity as a muscle in the body. The more you practice, the stronger it will become.

Photo Credit: Tim Mossholder

As the world opens up are you mentally, physically and emotionally ready for the new normal? How are you supporting yourself through this change? How are you supporting those around you during this change? There are a few simple tools to access as we shift into the “New Normal”.

Throughout the pandemic we heard people say, “I can’t wait to get back to normal”. But will we really ever go back to how life was before the pandemic? Whether you like it or not, whether you are conscious of it or not – we have all changed. The pandemic shifted elements in all of our lives. Some experienced a greater change or shift than others. It could be how you socially connect. Holiday gatherings with family. Going to live events or flying on an airplane. Working more now than before, or losing your job entirely. Life has changed and with this change came about good things some are wanting to continue in their “new normal”. What do you want to continue?

For me, life has slowed down and I would like to continue this balanced approach to life. Before the pandemic I filled my free time with activities, events and social gatherings. I still want to enjoy those things but I also want to make sure I live life in balance.

The world is opening up, individuals going out more and business opening up more fully, we are beginning to live a life of normalcy. We are seeing less people with masks and visually we may think we are back to normal. But we are different people and we have been affected by this past year and a half. As you prepare to reenter the new normal, here are tips for helping you prepare and traverse your “new normal”.

Tip #1 Pause

Take time to reflect. What is your new normal? What elements of your changed life during the pandemic would you like to continue? A new normal is here, what is your new normal? Take time to think about 3-5 positive things that have changed for you during the pandemic that you would like continue into this next phase. Commit to two, or all five. Then share your positive things with a partner, friend or colleague.

How is your work returning back? Bringing individuals together for 30-45 minutes to share what their “new normal” is can be a great opportunity for colleagues to connect in a positive way after the past year and a half. Or consider bringing a workshop to your organization (virtually or in-person). Learn more here.

Tip #2 Set Intention

Before doing an activity that you have not done in a while, set a positive intention ahead of time. This will allow you to approach the event, commute, back to the office, or other activity with a positive mindset. How to do this?

Close your eyes, or lower your gaze.

Take three full breaths (inhale and exhale = one full breath).

Bring a smile to your face.

Think about a positive aspect of the event or activity you are about to embark on.

An example: For my commute to work, my intention is: “my commute is going be a nice change of pace. I will get to see people on the subway or in their cars. I will have the opportunity to be with myself. I can listen to a new podcast, book on tape or the radio”.

Notice how I added a few elements that will make the commute enjoyable such as seeing other people or having time for myself. Setting an intention can be done before you leave your home, or the moments before the activity is taking place. An intention can be as short as one positive word or lengthier. It is your intention. Do what works for you. Sage Journal published a 2012 article sharing research on the power of good intentions. “The results confirm that good intentions—even misguided ones—can sooth pain, increase pleasure, and make things taste better.” [source]

Tip #3 Breathe

Sounds so simple, right? We are breathing all the time but we are not always aware of our breath. If we find ourself experiencing a new emotion, uncertainty or discomfort, the breath can serve as a tool to help ourself ground. Grounding is the process of balancing your physical, emotional, mental and energy states. By focusing on the breath, we are inviting the opportunity to create space around our thoughts. Do you ever notice when you get lost in thought? Have you ever noticed when faced in an uncertain or uncomfortable situation, our thoughts can take over. We may even become lost in a pattern of repeated thoughts. When we choose to shift our focus from thought to breath, it can help connect us to the physical body. It can also help us step outside of our minds and become aware of our surroundings.

There are many breathing techniques we can use to help ground ourselves. Here are a couple to try out.

1. Tune into our breath. Pay attention to your inhale and exhale.

• Take a normal inhale, then release a longer exhale. This can be calming for some individuals.

• Utilize the

Tip #4 Grounding Senses

Like our breath, our senses can help us ground our mind, body and spirit in a situation. By focusing on one of our senses we shift the focus from thoughts to what is happening in the present moment. Tuning into the senses is a mindfulness practice. The practicing of tuning into our senses can serve as a vehicle for connecting us to the present moment, and help ground us in a situation.

The five senses: touch, taste, smell, hearing and seeing – we can tap into these in any situation or activity in our day.

Take for instance arriving back at work or the gym for the first time. It could feel very different going back to an activity you did without much thought in the past. If you are feeling uncertain or uncomfortable or a different emotion unexpectantly, it may be helpful to pause upon arrival to tap into our senses one at a time. With each of our senses, we can take a moment to pause and observe without judgement.

• Touch: What does the ground feel like beneath my feet? How does the steering wheel of my car feel like? How does my office chair I have not sat in for a months or over a year feel like?
• Taste: What do I taste in the air?
• Smell: What aromas are there? Are there more than one? Has the smell changed since the last time I was here?
• Hearing: What sounds are there? People, animals, bikes?
• Sight: what colors do I see?

Pick two of these to practice today. If not today, commit to practicing them in the next few days. Practicing ahead of time will make it easier to access these tools when you are in the real moment of wanting to use this grounding technique/mindfulness practice. Grounding with our senses can be done anytime of day, inside or out and can be done without anyone noticing you are doing it.

Tip #5 Practice Self-Compassion

“Self-compassion involves the capacity to comfort and soothe ourselves, and to motivate ourselves with encouragement, when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate.” [source]

If you find yourself feeling an unexpected emotion while traversing the “new normal”, be kind to yourself. Remind yourself what you are experiencing is temporary. It may be helpful to remind yourself that you are experiencing something new for the first time in a longtime, that others are also going through this experience. And there are others who are also feel uncertain or uncomfortable.

Try one tip or all five. Experiment. These are tools you can use now and throughout your lifetime.

For other tips and tools on Traversing the New Normal, join me for an upcoming workshop end of June. Learn more.

Photo Credit: Pineapple Supply Co.

An affirmation is defined as “emotional support or encouragement” (Oxford Languages Dictionary). Most often affirmations are called “positive affirmations”. The practice of positive affirmations or self-affirmations is saying a positive statement or mantra to yourself. It could be something like “I am amazing” or “I believe in myself and know I can do anything I set my mind to”. To practice positive affirmations for yourself, give thought to what do you need to remind yourself about yourself today. Is it strength, acceptance, positive attitude? Saying something about yourself you believe to be true or aligns with your values is most effective.

Health Benefits

The theory of self-affirmation was conceived by social psychologist Claude Steele, and research has been conducted to evaluate behavior as well as brain function as to whether there is scientific evidence to support self-affirmations. In short- there is.

Research indicates self-affirmations can:

• Decrease and lower stress
• Reduce anxiety
• Increase resiliency when dealing with a perceived threat or negative/painful message
• Improve performance in school or work
• Positively change behavior
• Increase physical activity
• Be more open-minded (for example, being open to hearing an opposing political view)

The Research

Several research studies have used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine changes in the brain. One study led by Doctoral Candidate Christopher Cascio and Associate Professor Emily Falk found “that self-affirmation activates well-known reward centers in the brain” and “act as a kind of emotional buffer to any painful, negative, or threatening”. [source]

A research study focusing on the self-affirmations and physical activity found participants who made affirmations reported “significantly more physical activity, more positive attitudes towards physical activity, and higher intentions to be physically active”. [source]

One research study examined 80 undergraduates who felt chronically stressed. The results showed “that self-affirmation improved problem-solving performance in underperforming chronically stressed individuals”. [source]

Important to note, positive affirmations or self-affirmations work when you state something about yourself that aligns with your own values or beliefs about yourself. [source] For instance as Steve Rose, PhD, an addition counsellor shared so eloquently, “Insisting we are happy and successful does not make us feel more happy or successful if we don’t already feel that way.” [source]

Meditation

A Loving-Kindness Meditation (also known as metta) is a way to practice positive affirmations. In this type of meditation, one repeats a few lines sending positive thoughts to someone else and also to oneself. For example:

May you be happy.

May you be safe.

May you be healthy.

May you live with ease.

May I be happy.

May I be safe.

May I be healthy.

May I live with ease.

Practicing Affirmations

For ideas on affirmations, check out this write up by Positive Psychology sharing examples.

In sum, research studies have found positive affirmations do work and can be beneficial in a variety of ways. Is this enough for you to consider practicing positive affirmations in your daily life? If so, a simple way to begin is to relax in your seat at breakfast. Gently lower your eyelids and focus on your breath for 3 cycles. Next, think about a strength of yours or something about yourself you already know to be true and want more of it in your life. Don’t overthink it. You can write it down or repeat it throughout your day or work.