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April Showers Bring May Flowers: What Are You Nourishing Today?

Untitled-2I love this time of year. Here in Central Canada, we look forward to April showers. The rain not only helps to clean up our streets and wipe away (along with our wonderful City services) the mess from winter, it also begins to nourish what will soon be blooming all over our beautiful city.

I think this is a great metaphor for life. In fact, for how to approach each day.

Your thoughts are “April Showers”. What you allow to take up residence in your mind impacts what will bloom (or not) in your life. Your thoughts are constantly streaming, just as the rain in April can seem to be doing. What will you allow to swirl around in your mind? If your thoughts were a movie, would you pay money to go see it?

In other words, what will you choose to think that will provide the best nourishment for the kind of outcomes you wish to create in your life?

Here are some ideas for you to GROW the kind of mindset that helps you get what you want:

Greet each day with a moment of?gratitude. When your alarm goes off, or when you awake naturally, pause. When you pause, take a deep breath and connect with your body. Wake up and connect with your toes, shins, knees, thighs, and so on. Then, take a moment to reflect on something for which you are grateful (being able to take a breath, having another day to live…these are two very obvious and easy things to start with!)

Reframe negative situations. Perhaps as you are driving to work, someone cuts you off in traffic. You might experience frustration and anger at the driver for not noticing you. You might also experience fear because you missed a fender-bender by mere seconds! ?You might notice that the thoughts you are having about that driver are negative ‘What’s up with that guy?’ ‘She didn’t even signal!” “Crazy driver!!” “People are so rude!”. In an instant you can choose other thoughts – you can reframe this negative situation into something more positive. You can decide to think “He must be in a hurry since he did not see me here; I am glad my brakes work well.” “Perhaps she has just left her sick mother’s side, and she is distracted. I hope she gets to her destination okay.” The reframe is a gift to your brain…it helps you to be able to move past this negative situation and to experience more positive feelings…like empathy, compassion, and gratitude.

Open your eyes. Notice all of the moments of wonder around you. You might notice those new buds on the trees as you walk outside. You might notice the joyful sound of children playing in the park. You might notice the faces in the photos on your desk, and take a few seconds to connect with their smiling eyes. You do not need technology to help you experience the amazing things going on in this world. You only need to look around.

Welcome other people into your life. You are always better when you connect with other people. You do less well, mentally and emotionally, when you isolate yourself. You can welcome other people into your life in many ways; smile at people when you walk down the street or through your office, look into the eyes of the person passing you your coffee over the counter, join in the conversation taking place in the office lunch room, invite a co-worker to join you for break, phone a friend.

April showers bring May flowers….what possibilities will begin to sprout for you this month?

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

 

 

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

Jasmine and Deri
Jasmine and Deri

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