Albert Einstein called it the strongest force in the universe, so how can you harness the power of compound interest to propel yourself to greater levels of emotional wellbeing? By investing just 60 minutes of your day on these 6 key steps, negative and unpleasant emotions will melt away and you’ll learn how to stay focused, grounded and productive. You’ll create a fluid system that will enhance confidence and keep you inspired. All it takes is a few minutes a day and the 8th wonder of the world will work its magic.
Each of the 6 steps can be done in a few minutes a day, giving you a springboard towards better health and emotional flexibility.
Step 1: Exercise
Exercise wakes up the body and the mind. It pushes negative thoughts to the side and forces you to be present. It shifts your mindset to a proactive, can do attitude. A whole host of physical benefits keeps your body energised, while the endorphins flow freely. It brings with it a sense of achievement, a challenge within your control, something you can do where you set the rules. It can clear your mind when you are stuck, change your state when you feel stagnant, and makes it easier for you to smile at yourself in the mirror.
It might be a long run, it could be weightlifting, you might feel yoga is the thing for you. But when exercise shifts from a thing you should do to a tool that promotes wellbeing, it takes on a new meaning. All of these benefits are yours in as little as 10-20 minutes a day. Get your heart rate up and your body will thank you for it. Exercise tops the list.
Step 2: Personal Development
There are only three things in this world you have total control over. Your perceptions, your decisions and your actions. Your perceptions, a combination of your beliefs, thinking patterns and unconscious biases shape the way you interact and experience the world. Spending a few minutes a day challenging your old beliefs sets you free from the bondage of the past. It keeps you on a one way trip to personal growth with more choice and emotional flexibility.
The way you speak to yourself and the stories you tell yourself will continue to keep running day after day forevermore unless questioned. It’s taking the time to pause and ask yourself if that belief you’ve had since you were 6 years old still works for you. It gives you an opportunity to refresh how you see the world, and an opportunity to set your mind firmly on what is the next best thing for you.
Step 3: Meditation
There are more types of meditation out there than you can shake a stick at. To keep it simple meditation can divided into two categories: reactive meditation and proactive meditation.
Reactive meditation is where you allow any negative thoughts, judgements and emotions to come to the surface. Various approaches help you to release stored up energy and encourage the negative feelings to melt away. Proactive meditation is where you harness the power of visualisation to create inspiring images of your future. You get to have fun connecting to your hopes and dreams and introducing your body to what it will be like when they arrive. Both types of meditation have their place and can be used as and when you need them.
Step 4: Journaling
Whatever you put your energy on will expand. When you focus on what the problems are, the obstacles holding you back, and the areas where challenges are stacked against you, those are all that you see. When you shift your focus and your attention to what you did well, where you have made progress, and what you can do more effectively and efficiently next time, momentum starts to build.
Investing a few minutes of your day to focus on what you are grateful for helps to dissolve stress. It helps you reconnect with the wonderful people and things you have in your life, and gives you time out of the rat race to reflect on your life. Journaling is the glue that holds everything together.
Step 5: Planning/Prioritisation
Challenges come along in life whether you ask for them or not. It seems sensible to spend some time picking which challenges you would like to tackle. Being productive and feeling like you are making a contribution are incredibly important in terms of living a meaningful life. This is much easier when you have a plan to follow.
Writing down your goals increases the chances you will achieve them. The simple act of putting pen to paper keeps your goals fresh in your mind and helps you prioritise your time to be as productive as possible. The feeling of satisfaction you experience at the end of a day of progress is hard to beat. To make it happen, plan ahead and think about your highest priority tasks.
Step 6: Learning and study
The mind needs stimulation. Human beings love to learn, finding what lights you up and stretches your mind is a powerful way to improve your wellbeing, yet it’s often overlooked. When you are engaged in learning something you find inspiring, you gain energy, your creative juices flow and your memory improves. There is a vast world of information out there and most of it is available for free and at your finger tips. Investing your energy in learning and study will boost your mood, your performance, and your confidence.
Combining these 6 steps on a daily basis creates a strategic and flexible system that promotes and enhances good mental health. All of these tools are available to you now. In less than 60 minutes a day, you can take charge of your personal wellbeing and use compound interest to take you to new levels of emotional wealth.