Self Care Tip: Focus on What Works
Do you often struggle in one or more areas of your life? Finances, health, relationships, work, etc.? It seems like the areas in which we find challenges are ones we focus on, which only makes sense if you believe, like many of us seem to, that you must fix what is broken. Society bombards us with messages of improving these (and other) areas of our life. And we must listen, because the messages keep coming.
But how much time do we spend focusing on the areas that ARE working well? If you’re like most people, I’m guessing you don’t focus much on those at all. It’s easier to see what we don’t like rather than what we do. It’s only human nature. Yet, if we’re breathing (and reading this), we must be doing something right.
It’s all a matter of perspective.
Focus on what ISN’T working and you create more of…what isn’t working. Focus on what IS working and you create more of that. Simple concept. Tough to keep in mind when life happens around you.
So what are you doing that is working for you? Do you take time to recognize those things, or just gloss over them, sometimes unconsciously, on your way to thoughts of what isn’t working well? Take some time to focus on what is working and shift your perspective. Here’s some tips to try:
- Write a list of things that are working well for you. Things that are working well are not areas that require a lot from you. They are things that happen on auto-pilot and can be as simple as taking five minutes in the morning to stretch, taking a walk around the block, or brushing your teeth before bed. Keep this list with you and add to it as you think of more. Look at it when you are having one of those “nothing is working well” moments.
- Pick one thing from your “things that are working well” list and DO MORE OF IT.
- Celebrate what is working for you. So often we take for granted the things that aren’t a cause of stress because we get caught up in focusing on what is stressful. But again, that takes the focus off what is going well and onto what isn’t. Be sure to take a moment to recognize what works and celebrate it. Celebrating success can be as simple as a pat on the back or a kind word.
- Tell someone else what you appreciate about them. Taking time out to recognize someone else is a great way to connect with what is working. And it helps set the tone for you being able to recognize what is working for you in your own life.
Remember, life has its ups and downs. What you choose to focus on contributes to how you deal with those ups and downs. So go focus on what’s working well and see what happens.
Photo: Examining Clouds © by katerha
