This year, I’m shaking things up a bit. I’ve started spending 30 minutes a day on positive energy exercises (and I am LOVING it)! If you think exercise sounds terrible, then think of these as positive energy activities–because as the title implies: no running, no spinning, no sweating. These are exercises for the mind.
Spend 10 minutes a day on each of these “exercises,” and you’ll infuse yourself with positivity and joy!
1. Read an Inspirational Book
There are sooo many to choose from! You can read books on health and fitness, success and self-esteem, growth and personal transformation. These books inspire me to improve myself, my life, and even my closet. Some of my favorites are The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, The Secret, and How to Win Friends and Influence People. Reading inspirational books can help you reach your goals and realize your potential. Even if you hate reading, it’s just ten minutes a day. (You can even cheat and listen to the audio version.) So easy!
2. Visualize the Life You Want
“If you can see it and believe it, it is a lot easier to achieve it.”
-Oprah Winfrey
So, yeah, if visualization is good enough for Oprah, it’s good enough for me. Oh, and it’s super fun. Just imagine you can do whatever you want, have whatever you want, be whatever you want. Imagine your dream home or dream job. Visualize a raise or promotion, success, love, a luxurious lifestyle, your ideal weight, perfect health, happiness, even a fun, productive day. You can visualize anything so live it up! Hi, beachside mansion. Hello, Mercedes Benz. Sit back for a few minutes, close your eyes, and present your vision to the ‘verse. Need a little help? YouTube has tons of short, guided visualizations. You can even keep your eyes open and draw the thing you want or write about your dream home like I sometimes do. You can create a vision board on poster paper or on Pinterest. At the very least, it’s fun to daydream. It will lighten your mood and get you feeling all good. Think of it as a fun, creative exercise for your mind.
3. Feel Positive Emotions
I got this idea from Awaken the Giant Within. It works like this: Choose five to ten positive emotions that you want to feel on a daily basis. Mine include joy, happiness, gratitude, excitement, cheerfulness, and love. Start with one emotion, such as joy. Think of something or someone that brings you joy, and let the feeling wash over you. Bask in that good feeling for 20 seconds or so. Then move on to the next emotion, for example, gratitude. Think of things and people that you’re grateful for and really feel grateful. Work through each emotion one after the other. I love doing this exercise when I’m taking a walk, but you can do it anytime really. The trick is to really feel the emotion. If you need a little nudge, music helps. When I’m trying to feel excitement, I’ll listen to “I’m so Excited” by The Pointer Sisters. If I want to feel powerful, I’ll listen to “Titanium” by Sia. If you can get in the habit of practicing positive emotions, you’ll feel joyful and energized. Weird, but it works!
These three positive energy exercises put me in a good mood and keep me in a good mood all day. And they’re just plain fun to do! Give ‘em a try! You might be surprised to learn that positive energy is your new BFF.
