Six Strategies to Add Some Bounce to Your Step this Spring!

It’s Spring! A time of birth, of renewal, and awakening! Here are six strategies to help you Bounce (or ‘spring’) into Spring!

Be Positive

Begin each day with a minute of mindfulness. As soon as your alarm goes off, lay quietly for a minute…to ?arrive? in your body (try a body scan to ‘wake up’ all of your parts), and to set your intention for the day. You will naturally be in a positive mindset if you look toward what you want to create that day. Also, remind yourself of at least one thing you love about being YOU! We are our biggest criticizers. Waking up feeling good about yourself will help to energize you for the rest of the day!

Own Your Story

No matter what has happened to you in your life, remember that you own the story. You decide how an event will impact your life and the people who experience you. Sometimes the stories we tell ourselves were ones given to us by influential people in our lives. Sometimes those stories serve us. Sometimes they do not. Choose stories that add strength, vitality and energy to you. Focus on times of growth and positivity ? even if they stem out of times of struggle. What you’ll soon notice is that the new story IS reality.

Underscore Appreciation

What you appreciate, grows. When you let others know what you appreciate, you tend to get more of it. When you focus on what you are grateful for in your life, your overall sense of happiness increases. Grow what’s good. Notice how much more ‘good’ comes back to you. Take the time every evening to write down three things (big or small) that you are grateful for! This is a perfect bedtime routine to put you in a positive mood before hitting the sheets, and will help put appreciation front and center in your mind.

Nourish Your Body (Mind, Soul)

You’ve heard the expression ‘garbage in, garbage out’. That is true for what you choose to put in your body, just as it is true for what you allow to take up residence in your mind. Take the time to nourish yourself physically, mentally and spiritually. Choose nutritious food that gives you energy, set up a routine of daily exercise and movement, and surround yourself with people who feed your soul. You will begin to feel the positive effects of full-body nourishment all throughout your day. And, hey, who doesn?t like to feel good?

Connect Often

Schedule times to connect with important people in your life. I’ve just done this with a friend of mine. We scheduled one time each month for the next six months that we plan to get together to connect. We realize that if we do not do this, the months slip by. Matthew Lieberman‘s research demonstrates clearly the importance of social connection to our well-being, our happiness, our very survival. So pick up the phone and make plans with the family and friends that matter to you most. Connectedness is essential to feeling whole and pursuing positivity.

Engage Fully

Jump in and participate fully in life! If you are at work, choose to add to the experience of your co-workers and your customers. If you are with family, show an interest in them by asking questions about what is going on in their lives. Connect with those friends you lost touch with and plan your next big adventure together. Engaging is a choice; and you’ll feel better at the end of the day if you are an active participant rather than a passive bystander.

So, BOUNCE into Spring! And as you do, connect with us and share what strategies have worked for you!

This blog post is collaboratively written by two people who embrace these strategies every day:

Jasmine Zyzniewski is a fourth and final year student completing her BA in Psychology with a minor in Peace and Conflict Transformation studies. She aims to normalize and contribute to mental health awareness through optimistic and positive reflections on herself and her surroundings. Alongside her studies, she loves DIY crafts, spending time with family and any good book she can get her hands on.

Deri Latimer is an expert in positive possibilities for people! A TEDx Speaker and Author, Deri?s message reinforces that positive habits are the pathway to a happier and healthier life ? at work, at home and at any age!?www.derilatimer.com