10 steps to a BETTER YOU!

10 steps to a BETTER YOU!

Entering a New Year has always been a time for reflecting on the past, and more importantly, preparing for the changes you want (or need) to make in the coming year. Rather than simply rolling from one year to the next, dragging your past into your future, here are some ways you can ensure the new year becomes an amazing year for personal growth and happiness!

1. Stop the negative self- talk
Your thoughts become your reality, so start to become aware of the inner chatter and consciously stop flooding your mind with disempowering thoughts. Make it your mission to catch yourself out in the act and replace negative self-talk with an empowering affirmation to snap yourself out of that bad habit.

2. Clear the fear
Set out to do something that scares you. There’s no better way to feel empowered than feeling the fear and doing it anyway! Make fear your motivator rather than your immobiliser. Fear extinction will not only feel stronger but this help you grow both mentally and emotionally by creating a positive response that will help you to continue to counteracts future fear responses.

3. Pick a mantra
Having your own empowering mantra is a great way to power-up, keep focused, ease anxiety and calm the mind. Choose an affirmation or phrase that has special meaning for you by thinking of a problem that you often face and developing a statement that reverses that problem. Your mantra can be spoken silently or out loud and is a great way to develop a positive mindset.

4. Offload baggage
Negative feelings only serve to weigh you down. Make peace with someone you have had a fall out with. Get things off your chest, take any lessons learnt and let go. If you can't do it in person, then write a letter about your feelings and wither send it or store it somewhere. By releasing negative feelings you are healing yourself by clearing energetic and emotional blockages that may be keeping you stuck.

5. Spend one minute in silence
Sitting in silence for even one minute can heal, relax, and reconnect you to your inner self. We are all so busy trying to stay uber-connected with the world that we forget the most important thing is to remain connected to ourselves. Enrich your life by harnessing the power of silence for at least 1 minute a day and you will start to experience the subtle things you normally miss.

6. Eat yourself happy
Examine what you put in your mouth and how it affects you emotionally, mentally and physically. Food has been proven to be linked to happiness. According to food psychologists, the top five mood-enhancing foods are asparagus, bananas, sunflower seeds, pork and brown basmati rice. Aim to cut out at least 2 junk food items and replace them with healthier choices. Once you start feeling more energetic you will be motivated to change your eating habits for good!

7. Don't compare
Snap out of the bad habit of comparing yourself to others. Comparing yourself is a useless exercise that only serves to feed insecurity and feelings of inadequacy- or on the other extreme feeling of pride and arrogance. Keep yourself in check and find your own authentic inner power by ceasing to look for re-assurance and validation outside of yourself.

8. Laugh till it hurts
Let loose and laugh from the core of your heart because it’s good for your health! Laughing not only floods your body with all sorts of feel-good chemicals, it also boosts circulation, your immune system and helps more oxygen be delivered to your cells. Make it a regular routine to catch up with friends you can share a laugh with, go watch a comedy show or rent some funny DVD’s.

9. Be grateful for something every day
Adopt an attitude of gratitude. Think of something that you are thankful for every day, from the laughter you share with friends, to the food on your table or the ability to breathe effortlessly every moment and be alive! You will start to sleep better, feel better, exercise more and develop certain contentment in life that eradicates stress and contributes to overall health.

10. Have Faith
Remind yourself that everything will be ok. All problems have a solution. As things move and change, have Faith that everything happens for a reason and to help you learn and grow. God is working things out. If you hold firm belief that things will turn out for the best, they most likely will.