Are you surviving or thriving?
Not sure? Ask yourself, am I:
Getting through the day or approaching each day with a plan?
Feeling powerless or powerful?
Reacting or acting intentionally?
Dreading or excited about my future?
Complacent or pro-active?
Make no mistake, you can be in survival mode, accomplishing just as much as someone who is thriving. The key difference is your internal thoughts and feelings about your life as you live your life.
In survival mode you can get so lost in your survival drama that you don’t realize the effect it’s having on your body. Stress can cause elevated adrenaline and cortisol levels. You might not experience physical pain but, over time, these elevated levels can lead to anxiety, depression and chip away at your overall well-being.
In thriving mode you are more likely to maintain a positive outlook, engage in intention setting, and in a better position to shake off any negativity that comes your way.
If you feel you’re living robotically, rather than fully engaging in your every day, here are 5 suggestions to help you move your needle from surviving to thriving.
1. Listen to what your body is telling you. Check-In.
Pay attention to your senses as you go through your day. How is what you’re taking in effecting you? Do your personal surroundings energize or deplete you? Is the noise and sounds elevating or hampering your productivity or concentration? Are the smells in your personal space unpleasant or uplifting? Are your tastebuds being challenged or are they bored?
2. Show Yourself Grace
When you check in with your senses, you gain a greater understanding (sense) of what elevates or detracts from your wellbeing. Although you can’t always control your surroundings, developing an awareness of what feeds your senses positively creates the difference between thriving and surviving.
Mistakes are inevitable and part of our everyday life. You can learn valuable lessons from your mistakes without brow beating yourself.
Showing yourself grace begins with mindfulness. Pay attention to your self-talk. What are you saying to yourself about yourself?
It takes but one positive thought when given a chance to survive and thrive to overpower an entire army of negative thoughts. — Robert H. Schuller
Every time you harbor a negative thought about yourself, challenge yourself to turn it around. Instead of thinking “I’m not…., think, I am. Even better, say it out loud or write it down, again and again and again. We’re capable of only one thought at a time. Why not make it a positive one?
3. Journal
Journaling strengthens your connection to the self. Whether you are reflecting on your past, setting goals and aspirations for your future, it’s a safe space to document, challenge, and exercise your thoughts. A place to have your say without the judgement, criticism or opinions of others. Your journal is your place to dream big, without restrictions.
If you are new to journaling, here are a few journal prompts to get you started.
4. Practice Gratitude
Gratitude helps to create a healthy perspective and outlook on your life. It requires you to be present and develop an appreciation for the little things that elevate you. Take a few minutes each day to acknowledge what is benefiting you, what you appreciate and the people you’re fortunate to have in your life. Remember, think small.
5. Schedule “you” time
To push your needle from surviving to thriving starts with being present. The awareness of your thoughts and feelings and knowing what detracts from your well-being is key. Check ins and journaling can help you do that.
You tend to everyone else. Work, family, life responsibilities will always be there. How about you? You are worthy of your time and attention, too. You deserve to thrive! But your ability to thrive doesn’t just happen. Don’t forget to schedule “you” time and add yourself to your calendar. When you do that, you reinforce the fact that YOU MATTER!
Next, feeling empowered to make the changes required to prioritize YOU! The better you take care of yourself, the better you can fulfill your roles and responsibilities in a way that serves you.
I would love to know your thoughts about thriving. Tried any of the above? What works for you?
