DAILY HABITS: 3 METHODS FOR POSITIVE THINKING
STOP AND TAKE A BREATH
IDENTIFY 3 THINGS YOU APPRECIATE
An old story once said that there are two wolves living in each person’s heart: a wolf of love and a wolf of hate. And the one that flourishes is the one a person chooses to feed. When the wolf of love, kindness, and appreciation is fed, it will continue to grow stronger each day. People who focus on the positives in their lives will find themselves filled with those positives. However, this practice can be challenging. After a difficult day, or even as we look back over this year, it can be hard to think about any positives. Luckily, we can incorporate a few daily habits into our lives to help.
Meditation is a great way to calm the mind and relax the body, especially when we’re feeling angry or anxious. By setting aside 5–10 minutes of your day to sit still and breathe, you can recognize and release negative emotions. Today, there are many ways to learn to meditate, including a number of apps, such as Headspace, Calm, and Ten Percent Happier. These apps teach the basics of meditation, then offer short guided meditations or various meditation courses. Meditation is frequently misunderstood to mean you have to “think about nothing.” Meditation is more about gently being aware of what is on your mind, naming it, and then letting it go and moving back to your anchor, such as your breathing. Meditation can be a simple and wonderful way to reduce stress, become more self-aware, and cultivate greater patience, kindness, and tolerance.
A great way to increase your positive thinking is by keeping a gratitude journal to recall and document what you’re most thankful for each day. This could include the people or person in your life, a wonderful meal you enjoyed, the old song that randomly played on the radio and triggered a delightful memory, the unexpected call/text you received from an old friend, or the greeting your dog gave when you arrived home. You can even express gratitude for a challenge you are experiencing. Be creative! The importance of this practice is to look at things in a positive light, and this nurtured mindset will help draw more good things into your life or help you to appreciate the good things that are already in your life. Referring back to the metaphor at the beginning of this article, the more you feed the wolf of love, the more positive you will be. Apply these three habits into your life today and experience improvements in both your physical and mental health. Enjoy better sleep, reduced stress, and greater self-esteem and derive pleasure from the little but frequently missed joyous moments in everyday life.
RECOGNIZE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
A first crucial step is to recognize negative thoughts when they appear. For many people, automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) are a first response to making a mistake or encountering a problem. These thoughts often include words such as “never” or “always,” even when it isn’t true. To put ANTs in their place, recognize when they appear and try to replace them with more realistic words. Instead of thinking, “I never get anything right,” think instead, “I’m sometimes wrong, but I can learn from this.”
Sinfully Sweet Butternut Squash
Inspiration
This butternut squash, oven-roasted and caramelized to perfection, could almost pass for dessert. You’d never guess it’s a dish loaded with vitamins and antioxidants! Inspired by WellPlated.com.
INGREDIENTS
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1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
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1 3/4 tsp kosher salt 3/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” — Voltaire
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1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 F, placing the two oven racks at the top and bottom of the oven. Then grease two baking sheets. 2. In a large bowl, combine squash cubes, olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and spices. Toss to coat, then spread mixture in a single layer over the baking sheets. 3. Place both pans in the oven and bake 15 minutes. Turn the cubes with a spatula and return them to the oven, swapping them to different racks. Continue baking 10–15 minutes until tender. 4. Sprinkle with rosemary and serve!
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