Miss Ava's Tips to help you Stay in a Positive Mindset
No one is going to lie that times have been tough for us all. We have all had challenges to over come and it seems we will be enduring more before things improve. However, there are a few little things we can do daily to keep ourselves going. In this blog I will highlight some of the tips I use to keep a positive mindset. These are not dance or home schooling related, just some mini life hacks if you will.
TIP 1
Exercise! Now I said this was not dance related and it's not. If you're missing class then please do catch as many online classes as you can. When I say exercise, I simply mean MOVE! If you can get outside, it does wonders. A 20 minute power walk will release endorphins and cortisol leaving you refreshed and ready to face the day's challenges. If you're stuck in the land of Zoom meetings this is particularly important.
TIP 2
Listen to some good music.
You don't need to dance to it or choreograph the next block buster musical. Just sit back and relax to some calming classical or my favourite disco time, jumping around the living room with all the family and fur babies to some cheesy hits!
Nothing changes your mood quicker than music that can transport you out of the moment.
TIP 3
Now this is the one I struggle with most and it's even easier to procrastinate in lockdown. Always do the things on your to do list you hate the most first. If you get the jobs like emails, cleaning the dishes, whatever might be your least favourite thing is completed first in the day, you will feel such a sense
of accomplishment and be at your best to enjoy the jobs your prefer even more.
Check out: Eat the Frog by Brian Tracy
Tip 4
Do something that scares or challenges you. Now I don't recommend bungy jumping off the roof, I mean stretch your own comfort zones. If you do not look at ways to continually push yourself to be better than you were the day before, nothing will ever change.
Lockdown lends us the time to work on the areas of our lives we would like to change. Want to make friends easier, improve your career, be more confident? Now's the time to sign up to a course, join a friendship app, be brave and reach out. Fear is a good thing but we need to train our brains on the things we should be fearful of. Finding the confidence to try something new will teach your brain that you survived and probably even had fun. It will certainly help you grow as a person. So what challenge will you set yourself today? Only needs to be a little step in the direction of your personal goals.
TIP 5
Practice gratitude. This one may seem extra tough at the moment but all you need to do is focus on what you have, not what you are missing. You don't need to fill in lengthy gratitude journals or shout it from the roof tops just make sure you take a moment every day to check in with yourself, be in the moment and cherish the good things. Ask yourself 'What am I grateful for today?'
TIP 6
Meditation and Breathing. Now this comes
easier to some than others. I used to get a hit of the giggles whenever we were told to meditate in college. It was still useful though getting a moment to check in with yourself and lie in the dark studio for a bit. Now I have my self a little app. It has great sleep stories and quick little daily practices I can dip into when I need it. When your brain can't switch off it is useful to have something that can take you out of the moment. When you get chance to recharge it is amazing how much easier things seem to be. Just taking a deep breath when it's overwhelming is so invaluable. I use: Calm but there are loads of great apps out there
Tip 7
Celebrate Success! It is so important to give yourself a well deserved pat on
the back, especially if you are feeling isolated and only have yourself to cheer yourself on.
Congratulate yourself on every little win...even if it's just that you managed to make the bed that day! This is so close to showing gratitude but I want you to focus on YOU for this. What did you do well today? I'm celebrating that I got up before the kids and got the house cleaned before home school....this means I get time to myself later, I am grateful I still have a house to clean and I ate that frog doing dishes before the fun things like writing this!
Finally, I don't want these advise to take make you feel even more overwhelmed. We are all just finding our own way and we can only do what we can do. Theses are a few simple things that work for me. Maybe some of them will work for you too. Stay positive everyone, I can not wait until we can all be together again doing it what we love enjoying dance, music and each others company. Stay safe,
Miss Ava
xx
Images created using BitMoji
EDIT (30/11/21) I would like to share with you an article to assist deciding which self-help app will suit your needs best.
You can find the guide here: https://www.wizcase.com/blog/top-mental-health-virtual-therapy-apps-free-tools/
It provides pros and cons as well as suggestions on both free and paid options.
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