I was watching the news the other day, and heard that Sir Tom Moore died. I was overwhelmed with emotion.
Listening to tributes, and stories of this incredible man, who at 100 years of age still wanted make a positive difference is truly inspiring.
His outlook on life was optimistic, and I know that his kindness and his joy for life touched many people’s hearts.
He was grateful to the NHS for the care he received, which compelled him to walk 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday to raise £1,000 for NHS. He ended up raising more than £32 million!
His optimism helped to bring people together in times of uncertainty bringing hope even in the darkness. I’m sure he’ll continue to inspire us all to appreciate life, never give up and move more no matter how old we are!
His positive mindset made me think of Dr Rick Hanson’s work 'Taking in the Good', he suggests that we can change the way we feel and create a more positive mindset, by regularly taking in the good moments from our day.
Scientists believe that our brain has a built-in “negativity bias.” As we evolved over millions of years we have learned to get good at running from 'sticks' and chasing 'carrots'. Essentially, it was advantageous from an evolutionary perspective to remember, recognise and avoid the threats ‘sticks’, such as tigers that might want to eat us! Provided there are no ‘sticks’ then we can go about chasing ‘carrots’ the good stuff!
Nowadays most of us don’t have many immediate threats to our lives, other than the current pandemic we are living through. However, our brains are still hardwired to search for and pay more attention to threats.
This negativity bias, means that we tend to recall, and hold on to the bad things that happen, and forget about the good. As Dr Rick Hanson puts it, "the brain is like Velcro for negative experiences, but Teflon for positive ones"
Dr Rick Hanson explains, "the negativity bias shows up in lots of ways.
For example, studies have found that:
In a relationship, it typically takes five good interactions to make up for a single bad one.
People will work much harder to avoid losing £100 than they will work to gain the same amount of money."
Dr Rick Hanson’s practice of 'taking in the good', is a simple three step practice that he suggests doing as often as you can throughout the day.
1. Look for good facts, and turn them into good experiences. Beautiful sky, good cup of coffee.
2. Really enjoy the experience. Savour the moment for 20-30 seconds. Use all your senses to feel it in your body.
3. Intend and sense that the good experience is sinking into you. Visualise it soaking into you, whether it is a warm glow of light or golden honey.
Give it a go, and let me know how you find this practice.
Another way to cultivate a positive mindset, which will develop a more positive outlook on life and help support in times of difficulty, is a gratitude journal.
This practice entails writing down anything you are grateful once a day. You could do it first thing in the morning, or at night, just stick to a regular time. I tend to do it at night time as I find it helps me sleep better and wake up happier.
A gratitude journal is a simple practice that doesn’t take much time, just a few minutes every day. When you do this regularly, you’ll notice how it changes your mindset.
If you fancy trying gratitude journalling here is a link to my Gratitude Journalling Prompt list.
Our mindset and how we feel impacts every part of our life. I think it’s worth spending time ‘taking in the good’ through our day and a few minutes of gratitude to feel better.
Please note - this is not a replacement for seeking medical attention from a professional if you are severely depressed or anxious.