Throughout the years, communities offer all kinds of social options, hosting everything from Fireworks displays to parades and unique festivals based around whatever is grown locally.
Become Someone Else
Play the role (at least in your mind) of someone comfortable in this situation. By pretending to be someone else, you’ll weirdly enough take on their confidence.
Ask for Something Crazy
What’s something you always wished someone would do for you? Make a point to ask for this now. If the first person says ‘no,’ don’t give up. Ask someone else. Keep going until you get it.
Leave Your Mark
Grab some sticky notes and write positive messages on them. Leave them where people will be sure to see them, such as in public restrooms, on windows or seats of public transportation, or in little spots where they’re sure to be a pleasant surprise.
Create a Mantra
If you’re having trouble getting uncomfortable, adopt a catchphrase you can repeat when you need it, such as “I am strong,” “I am capable,” and “I can do this.” Write your phrase down somewhere you can see it and use it as an affirmation when you need it.
Hold a picture in your mind of what you want to do next. See yourself accomplishing your task.
Face a Fear
What is one specific thing which makes you decidedly uncomfortable? How can you face this fear? Make a concrete plan to work through this fear in the next few days. Enlist a friend to help you out if needed. Replay this action until you’re not as bothered by the experience as you used to be.
Dance to a Different Beat
Instead of listening to music, you know every lyric, too; why not try something different here? Ask friends for music recommendations and enjoy something entirely new. Or better yet, go to a club and enjoy listening to a local band.
Act Childish
When was the last time you did something, you loved to do as a kid? Go sledding or make a snowman if it’s winter. Play outside with your dog. Visit an amusement park. We become uncomfortable with acting childish, which is such a mistake. It does us so much good emotionally and mentally to have fun once in a while.
Talk to Someone Who Has the Job You Want
Have a conversation with a person in your desired profession. Ask questions about their job and what it took to get where they are now. Getting advice from others will show you new possibilities you might have been too timid to explore.
Life is…okay. Manageable. There are no surprises. You know what’s expected. The days revolve around the idea of one being very much the same as before. You’re staying in one place, but at least it’s a place you know well. Things are stable, and you’re content…
…and very, very bored.
Welcome to life in the Comfort Zone. Sure, it’s a great place to be if you arrived worn out, frazzled, and feeling like you were coming apart at the seams. But after some time spent resting and getting your equilibrium back, life doesn’t seem to fit quite as comfortably as a Comfort Zone is supposed to. If anything, you might even feel like you’re wearing a too-small coat or shoes too tight.
You’ve outgrown your Comfort Zone and need to move on.
Unfortunately, the only way to the next Comfort Zone involves enlarging this one. It means taking things you were only kinda-sorta comfortable with and making them your own. It also means looking challenge in the eye, doing things you’ve never done, and finding out what you’re capable of. It means growing and changing and becoming a bigger person than you are right now. Intrigued? Great! But how do you get there?
You start by pushing yourself in small ways and seeing what happens next. You grow by experimenting, being bold, and acting in ways you never imagined you could. By following the tips in this article, you should get some ideas that will push you in motion.
Stand Up Straight
Showing confidence even when you’re not feeling it will do wonders toward making you more comfortable in any situation.
Read Something Different
Are you in the Comfort Zone when reading, always stuck in the same genre? Why not try something completely different. Ask for a recommendation at the bookstore or go exploring at your local library. Try new authors or genres. Or try out an audiobook if you haven’t before.
Get Social
What are your interests? No matter what you’re intrigued by, somewhere, there’s a group that meets online or in-person where others share the same interests. Join in the conversation and make new friends who love the same things you do.
Explore a New Path
Take a different route on errands or to work. See what’s down a street you’ve never been down before.
Become Artistic
It doesn’t matter if you feel like you’re a creative person. Grab some paint or colored pencils and see what you can make. Or take this to the next level and sign up for a class to get some in-depth experience in something you’ve never tried before.
Volunteer For Something You Don’t Know How to Do
Getting involved in a project which requires you to learn something will open all kinds of new horizons and teach you how to be comfortable in situations you’ve never even imagined. The best part? Most places are willing to train volunteers. For example, Habitat for Humanity will get you comfortable with what it takes to build a house!
Tomorrow, I will add another five tips to help you out of your comfort zone. Until then, stay safe, and keep the faith.
Inner peace goes beyond personal needs or goals for oneself – it’s a major contributing factor to cultivating peace in the world. That starts with the individual, so when you make strides toward achieving inner peace, you contribute on a much larger level. It feels like a big responsibility, right?
Let’s not look at it as a responsibility but as a privilege. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to contribute by working on yourself. What are you waiting for? Let’s get started on cultivating inner peace with these five strategies!
Learn how to be mindful
Mindfulness is all about paying attention on purpose. It allows us to focus entirely on the one thing we truly have—this moment. Developing a mindfulness practice helps us to stop living on autopilot, staying stuck in the past, or worrying about the future. It sounds like a simple concept. And it is. But it’s not easy. The good news is that you have the chance to be mindful again in each moment. Taking up this one practice will literally change your life.
Don’t take things too personally
You’re focusing on yourself, but you shouldn’t be internalizing. There’s a vast difference there. If you find yourself insulted easily, try to remember that it’s not reflecting on you. The grumpy person at you may have just had a rough day or fought with their spouse this morning. The truth is, people rarely think about us as much as we believe they do.
Be still
It’s hard to be still and fully present. It’s doable, though. And peace is found in the trying or practicing. Take time to sit on a beach or the grass outside, maybe at your local park. Instead of looking at all the people passing by and watching where they go, sit still. Perhaps you’ll want to close your eyes. Just let people pass by like clouds in the sky. You’re being present and refraining from overthinking. Enjoy the sensations of the wind blowing your hair and the sun on your face. Hear people talking without getting caught up in what they are saying. When your mind rushes ahead or wonders why a child is crying, bring it back to your breath. You’ll find yourself smiling without even thinking about it. Now, that is inner peace.
Let your actions speak louder than words
This tip leads us back to where we started – cultivating peace in the world by finding it in ourselves. When you’ve found a sense of inner peace, you will naturally want to share it with others. You’ll want nothing more than to show others that peace isn’t as elusive as we believe in our fast-paced modern world. You spread peace by being kind, compassionate, and loving to others. Allow the peace you feel within fill the space and the people around you by how you behave.
That old saying, “Fake it ‘til you make it,” has never been more meaningful than dealing with confidence issues. Confidence is the most important personality trait you can develop to better deal with life’s transitions – both personal and professional – and take risks to ensure your continued success. Some ways to project confidence, even if you don’t feel it, include:
Be optimistic – Do you see the glass as half-empty or half-full? If you see the glass as half-empty, you’re likely not an optimist and could experience feelings of low self-worth and doubts. Seeing the glass as half-full places you in the “optimist” category and shows that you look for opportunity rather than failure.
Don’t take yourself too seriously – When you allow yourself to loosen up and enjoy life, you’re more relaxed in demeanor, and most people find that refreshing. Most of us have to deal with stress and intense situations every day, so to be around someone who can relax is an absolute pleasure and can garner admiration.
Pay attention to others – Making eye contact and listening intently to those you’re engaged with is a must when attempting to project confidence. If you constantly look around the room or up at the ceiling when conversing, you seem less trustworthy and more minor, like someone who demands admiration.
Dress the part – Whatever you want to succeed in life requires a specific look. Want to rise to a CEO level in your company? Stop dressing in jeans and t-shirts. Show others – with your eyes – that you’re ready to step into the position, even if you’re much lower on the ladder.
Watch your language – When you speak, speak clearly and watch your language to ensure you’re not using buzz words or contradictory language or interject phrases such as “you know….” That’s referred to as “conversational clutter” and should be avoided.
Accept and give compliments – Accept compliments about your accomplishments gracefully and give compliments to others when warranted. Accepting compliments show that you realize the value in what you’ve done, and giving compliments show that you consider yourself a good judge of character.
Even when you don’t feel it, projecting a certain amount of confidence shows that you’re ready to meet challenges head-on. Sometimes, we don’t yet have the knowledge or skills it takes to perform at the top of the game, but you can project determination and enthusiasm to meet the challenge.
Adapting a more positive mindset is less about the significant changes you make and the slight shifts in your lifestyle. There are a variety of daily habits that can help you start living a more positive, happier, and fulfilling life just by changing your mindset.
Here are seven daily habits that can help you develop a positive mindset and start living happier, more joyful lives.
1.Choose a Morning Habit That Makes You Feel Positive
Instead of stressing yourself out by trying to transform your entire morning routine, you don’t have much interest in, pick one. Choose one habit that you feel would put you in a good mood and make you feel good about yourself.
You may eventually add other habits to your morning routine to boost your positive mindset, but for now, pick just one. Here are some ideas for positive habits you can add to your morning routine:
Writing in your journal every morning
Going for a walk when the sun comes up
Doing yoga or stretching
Sitting on your patio or balcony with your morning cup of coffee or tea
Meditation or visualization
2. Move Your Body in a Joyful Way
An excellent habit of adding to your daily routine is to move your body in the form of exercise. The key here is not to choose a fitness routine that is too rigid or try to punish yourself for what you eat. Instead, you want to look at it as a joyful way to move your body and treat your body with kindness.
Any form of exercise you enjoy can be included, such as:
Walking your dog
Going on a nature hike
Strolling down the beach
Doing yoga
Early morning stretching
Tai chi
Swimming
Dancing
3. Find Your Preferred Way to Practice Gratitude
Gratitude is essential for improving your mindset, but there isn’t just one way to do it. You have a few different options for expressing gratitude daily. It might include:
Writing down what you are grateful for in a journal
Writing down your gratitude list in your daily planner
Keeping a gratitude jar, where you write something to be grateful for every day on a piece of paper, fold it up, and put it in the jar
Thinking to yourself about how grateful you are every time something good happens, or you feel appreciation for something
4. Use Positive Affirmations Every Day
To think more positively and change your mindset, you need to practice it every day. One of the best ways to do this is with affirmations. Affirmations are positive words of encouragement that you repeat every day to start changing your subconscious mind and, eventually, your conscious mindset.
One thing to note is that in the beginning, affirmations won’t feel like they are making a difference, but be patient. Choose affirmations that speak to you and invoke a positive emotion, then write them down or say them out loud every day.
5. Think it, Then Write it Down
Writing your thoughts in a journal might not be your favorite thing, but it is impactful when trying to have a more positive mindset. You have so many ideas and feelings going through your mind that they can become overwhelming. It is hard to be optimistic and happy, and positive when you keep replaying stressful events in your life.
Start a habit of doing regular brain dumps, where you write down everything on your mind. It doesn’t have to take a long time or have any structure. Just get your thoughts out of your head and onto paper. Do this every day for at least a few minutes a day if you can.
6. Say Something Kind to Yourself
Now is the time to improve your self-talk. If you tend to think more negatively about yourself, such as how you act, look, how others see you, your abilities and talents, and your mistakes, this keeps you from having a positive outlook on life.
If you want a positive mindset, it starts with you and how you talk to yourself. You need to be kind and speak to yourself like you would a best friend. That internal dialogue you have and those feelings about yourself matter, even if they are never said aloud.
Every time you think something negative about yourself, you are affirming it. Start affirming something different. Start focusing on the good things about yourself, your talents, your natural beauty, kindness, and all the things you are proud of.
If you find it difficult, make a daily habit of writing down 3-5 things you love about yourself. They can be the same every day or change based on how you feel.
7. Visualize a Positive, Happy Life
Visualization is an excellent and simple tool that can start transforming your mindset into one filled with positivity and hope. All you have to do is spend a few quiet moments every day, either when you wake up and before you get out of bed or at night before going to sleep, and visualize your dream life.
It works best when you are in a restful state and have no outside distractions, which is why doing it in bed is so helpful. However, any time you are in a calm state during the day can be helpful.
It is similar to daydreaming, but you focus on something more specific and put that positive scene on repeat. Chose a short scene to visualize that represents something you want in your life, and that also creates a positive, euphoric feeling.
It can be anything from playing with your kids or spending time in nature to your wedding day or achieving the success and abundance you are trying to attract into your life. The only thing that matters is that it makes you happy and feel hopeful.
When you add these simple habits to your daily routine, you will notice that it is much easier to maintain your positive mindset.
