Hello there! 🙂
I love the word ‘encourage!’ It gets me going when I need a push. It helps me to move from pessimist to optimist.
This week I had a few moments when I needed encouragement. A great habit to have, one that helps over and over again is ENCOURAGING YOURSELF!
Like the word suggests, it takes courage to encourage yourself. It takes courage to recognize the need for encouragement in the midst of mild to deep despair. And it surely takes courage to try to encourage others.
Here’re 7 steps I take that works every time: Just 10 minutes needed:
1) When you become AWARE of the need for encouragement, BREATHE very deeply. Diaphragmatic breathing is all that counts when you want maximum oxygen to be dispersed through your body. Take 5 deep breaths. ( 1 minute)
2) Turn, twist, stretch, jog in place, do jumping jacks….anything you can do to get the blood flowing and your physical state to change…DO it! ( 2 minutes)
3) Get your body to be as relaxed as possible as you sit comfortably..sink deeply into the seated position.
4) Close your eyes and visualize the state you’d prefer to be in…stay with that imagery for at least 2 minutes. See all the details, smell the aroma, see the setting in your imagination. Continue deep breathing as you use your powerful imagination.
5) WRITE a few sentences about what you believe to be the source of your discouraged state. Like a reporter, just write about leaving the emotions out – as much as possible. (3 minutes)
6) Go back to step #4 and imagine again…what state would you prefer to be in? See all the details of it and breathe deeply as you are using your imagination. (2 minutes)
7) Do the thing that ALWAYS works for you…what gets you to feel inspired and optimistic? For some, it’s listening to a powerful piece of music, or reading scripture or anything inspirational; for others, it’s writing, gardening, doing something nice for someone, calling a particular friend, exercising, dancing, singing, laughing, tickling someone….whatever positive outlet you have…USE IT.
This is what is sad. People often know what works for them, but refuse to use their resources when they’re down or discouraged. We often think “ I can’t be positive now! I’ll be faking” or “This is bigger than me” or worse, “I deserve to be down for a minute”.
We need to REMEMBER our commitment to optimism and be self-disciplined enough to do what we know is right, even when it feels so wrong. (Assuming here that you are committed to being in an optimistic state of mind.)
It’s an excellent habit to develop. Encourage yourself on demand: Then encouraging others will happen without even trying most times.
But when you need to share a special strategy…tell them to breathe, stretch, relax, imagine, write, imagine some more and then do that special thing that they know ALWAYS works.
Final exercise on this subject – for now: Make a customized list right now of the top five things you can do to encourage yourself. In addition to the tips above, what works for you, specifically?
Make that list and place it in a spot where you WILL see it or find it when needed.
Determine ahead of the time that you WILL be encouraged! If you have that intention, it will happen.
Wishing you all that is good and wonderful,
Julette Millien
∞♥∞