Staying Positive and Keeping Active
By: Mick Dudley
We can all agree this is a challenging time we are living in right now. There are men and women in the healthcare profession out on the frontlines doing their very best to resolve our current situation. And there are those of us, who are not on the front lines, at home doing our best to be patient and find ways to keep ourselves busy, active, and positive. Being aware of our current situation is important and we can all find ways to keep a positive light within ourselves even though the times may not feel positive. Sometimes being indoors can be hard or bring some of us into a negative mental state. One way we can stay positive is by keeping ourselves active. Whether it is hitting a virtual class on zoom or getting outside in the backyard and doing some spring clean up, we need to keep moving! We also need to keep our mental state as positive as we can. My uncle always told me, “positive gets you positive.” If you do positive things and think positive thoughts, your life will shine in a positive light.
We have an opportunity to do what we can at home with what we have. This is a time where we can get creative, accomplish some things we have been wanting to do, but never had the time. This is a time where we can grow as people and do things we haven’t had time to do during our busy lifestyle before. It is a time to explore and improve upon other parts of our lives. We may just have to get a little creative or think outside the box!
It is so important to take that thirty minutes to one hour a day for fitness and exercise. Completing a workout makes you feel accomplished and it gets those feel good vibes flowing, known as endorphins! After completing a workout, I think we can all agree that we get a great feeling of accomplishment and sometimes are amazed at ourselves! Once we feel that sense of accomplishment, we want to feel it again and again! And that is a great feeling to have but after that hour of exertion and giving it our all, we have to keep those positive vibes flowing even if it may be a struggle to do so.
Somethings we could do to keep busy or in a state of positivity is to read a book, set some goals we would like to work towards, call a friend or family member, write in a journal, play outside in the backyard with family, work on singing or playing a musical instrument, have a game night or cook a meal with your family! The possibilities of doing new or different things are endless if you take the opportunity to explore them!
So, if you are struggling with staying positive or need that little push, I encourage you to start with writing down a daily routine. Write some things you would like to do or accomplish. Writing things down and seeing them in front of you will help you execute your plan to accomplish them. This will help you structure out your days and help you stay on track. And think “I will,” when you write down what you would like to do! I will get up early. I will take one hour a day for my workout. I will clean up the yard. I will get through this challenging time and get back to my regular routine when it is time! I will stay on track with my nutrition. I will work on home projects I’ve been meaning to get to.I will work out four to six times a week! Say “I will,” believe it and you will accomplish your goals!
We have a choice to be positive or be negative. We can choose how to approach each situation we are faced with. And though it is often easier said than done, the best choice you can make first is to be positive. Start with a positive mindset. Having a positive mindset will help you be productive and in return you will accomplish tasks and feel successful. Once you accomplish one thing they start to add up and that feeling of accomplishment grows! You will move from one thing to the next, to the next! The power of positivity goes a long way! So stay positive my friends and we will come out of this stronger together!