It can be very hard to get unstuck sometimes. We get so use to the way we do our lives that we can’t imagine doing it any differently. Habits are powerful forces to keep things as they are even if they are not working well for us.
In my work I interact with people are stuck and I always feel for their dilemma. They feel like they have tried out different new approaches but nothing seems to get things going. Sometime a major shakeup is needed. Other times following through on something is needed but hard to do. The follow are a number of ideas that will help people move from hopelessness to hope:
• Have a plan and take daily steps to accomplish that plan. One step a day over 3 months equals 90 steps toward success.
• Live with purpose. If you are yet unclear about what your life is about, take some time to figure it out. Talk to others who know you, they often see things about you that will be helpful in knowing your interests and strengths.
• Move energy in your body. Exercise is a powerful way to move energy and make yourself feel better. Think of depression as depressed energy and exercise as the way to feel stir the energy in you and to feel more alive.
• Eat healthy and not too much. A healthy diet can make you feel so much better because you body runs better on high-grade fuel. Eating lightly feels healthier than too much. Less sugar and more water are very helpful.
• Listen to your heart and your emotions. Your feelings are always giving you constant feedback. Do what your heart tells you to do. Do what feels right.
• Keep your mind open and positive. An open mind can learn and self-correct. A positive mind simply works better than a negative one. You cannot allow yourself to linger in negativity if you want a happy life. You are always one positive thought away from feeling better.
• Make it a goal to have some fun everyday. This fun is something you enjoy even if it you think you shouldn’t. Life can become way too serious, instead do something fun and lighten up.
• Focus on what you are grateful for at least once a day. If you look around and really pay attention there is much to appreciate and be thankful for throughout the day. Keep a gratitude journal.
• Spend time in nature. Nature has a wonderful ability to make you feel better. It can heal even the worst of moods. Sit against a tree, along a stream, in a meadow, on the beach or wherever nature calls you.
• Have only loving, positive and supportive friends. Life is way too short to listen to the complaining of others. Sometimes you have to really stir things up and change partner for your own good.
• Become your #1 cheerleader. Make sure your inner dialogue is encouraging and supportive. Eliminate your inner critic and replace it with a positive and loving inner voice that says you deserve the best.
You are so much more than you have yet to realize. Stop settling for less and instead go for more. You deserve that and only you can convince yourself that is true.