Liz Dunphy, a UoB alumna, is a practicing Confidence Coach.
Here she suggests four basic, good habits for maintaining a positive mindset and building your resilience.
In times like this it’s easy to feel like we’re loosing our grip on the future we had planned for ourselves and the world seems like an unpredictable place to be. It’s natural that our Resilience and positive mind-set get shaky, just when we need them the most.
1. Learn to bring your attention into the present moment:
Our minds tend to fixate on what might happen in the future or ruminate on the past. This was a helpful way of keeping us safe that the human mind developed a few thousand years. It ensured that we learnt from threats in the natural world that we had experienced in the past and to made sure we protected ourselves from future dangers. Nowadays this tendency of the mind to worry and ruminate is an over-done strength in the comparative safety of our modern lives. This is where regularly developing the skill of bringing our attention into the present moment can be a very useful habit. To start practicing go to the award-winning app: Headspace.com
2. Do something active with your body:
Science has proved beyond doubt that our body and mind are connected. When your mind is feeling down, getting some exercise, stretching, or just taking 20 big, deep breaths are very efficient ways of shifting how your mind is responding to perceived or imagined threats. Create a selection of physical activities that work for you and do something daily.
3. Do something silly!
When we’re bogged down with the problems of life, it can all feel very serious. What can you do to release some of those great neurotransmitters that come with laughter? Find a comedy on TV, call a friend that makes you laugh, or, surprisingly you can fake it to make it. Just pretend to laugh really loudly and strongly for 3 minutes, you’ll be amazed at the different it can make.
4. Get a pre-bedtime routine.
Research shows that people who go to bed at the same time and have a pre-bedtime routine that does not involve any screens will sleep better. 2 hours before bedtime switch to reading a book, meditating or doing some relaxing hobby like painting or journaling will help your mind to wind down. If you’re like most people, this will be a substantial life-style change, but it’s worth it if you struggle with sleep. If your chatter-box mind keeps you awake at night many of my clients find this app very helpful.
About the Author
Liz Dunphy is an accomplished Executive and Career Coach and Trainer with experience in both corporate and public sector organisations (NG Bailey, Fenner Engineering, NHS Trusts and Local Authorities). In an earlier role at University of Bradford, Liz lectured on Leadership and Coaching at MSc level and was a tutor on their MBA programme. As the University’s HR Development consultant, she also supported leadership and management development across several Faculties.
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