Do you know someone that always seems on top of the world? Say hi and they’ll tell you what a great day it is. When others are grumbling about the weather, they will tell you how much they love it. And even when they hit a wall, they seem to look at the bright side of things.
How is that possible?
It’s all in their approach.
The more you do to actively take care of yourself, the better you feel. This gives you what you need to radiate that energy outward, relating to others in a positive way. Which in turn makes them feel better as well.
And of course, when the people around you feel good, that creates positive energy around you, giving you what you need to carry on the cycle.
It’s not something that comes naturally. Humans aren’t hardwired to stay at the top of their game all day, every day. It’s something you have to work at every day.
Make feeling good a priority
Have you ever set your alarm planning on jumping out of bed and hitting the gym, only to hit the snooze alarm too many times to actually go? Maybe you ended up being late, and your day turned into nothing but rush, rush, rush. What happens if you force yourself to get up and go instead? In minutes of crawling onto the first piece of equipment, you start to feel better. Your energy rises. Your outlook changes.
Priorities work. When you choose to step towards the things that make you feel good, you make a conscious effort to take care of you first. It doesn’t happen without thought and planning. It comes down to determining your priorities and clearing the time to do what’s right for you.
Set clear boundaries
To be able to put you as a priority, you have to learn to control your time. That means being able to say no as much as you do yes. This can be difficult at first. But when you remember how you feel after doing things just for you, it can help you make the right choices. People may be a little upset when they discover you turn them down for things you’ve always agreed to in the past. Give them time to see the new you, and if they still don’t understand your shift, it may be time to reevaluate the nature of your relationship.
Self care
Self care isn’t selfish. It’s necessary to keep you in top form and top health. You can only put out the energy you take in. And by making sure it’s quality care, you’ll have more to release to those around you. Self care doesn’t have to be monumental things. Even fixing yourself a great cup of coffee and enjoying it can be rewarding. The key is in noticing what it is that makes you feel better about you, and about your day.
Focus in on your toolkit
There will be days when you're feeling anything but good. It happens to the best of us. On these days, we often forget about all the good in our lives and lose sight of what it takes to return to that place.
That’s what your toolkit is designed for.
This is your list of things you do for you. These are the things that make you feel good about what you do. It can be anything from taking a bath with your favorite scent, to calling a friend you haven’t talked to in a while.
Your list gives you direction. It gives you things to do to help return you to a place of well-being. Then even when you aren’t at the top of your game, you can select something that will help you return.