GIVING UP WHAT DOESN’T SERVE YOU FOR LENT
Many people use this time of year to give something up for those 40 days of Lent. It makes us feel virtuous and can often kick start giving up something we never go back to.
However, this year it got me thinking about the merits of giving up chocolate or wine knowing that when we hit Easter we will be right back on it. So how about we think of something about ourselves that we would really like to change. Maybe we recognise that we have a lot of negative self-talk about ourselves, or we find ourselves getting sucked into always complaining about things.
None of these negative habits are good for us or the people around us and the surprising thing is it doesn’t take much to make small changes that bring about major shifts in what we experience and how we feel. Here are 3 tips of small things you can do to change that negative mindset:
- Intention – Whatever our intention is, is usually what our outcome is and so often we’re not even aware of what that is! So how about before we even get out of bed in the morning we intend to have a good day and be specific about what is coming and make a statement about how well it will go.
- Gratitude – it is impossible to be negative when we are grateful. Make it your mission to be grateful during the day (even – and especially – on the bad days!) and find 10 things to be grateful about before you go to sleep.
- Changing it up – when you catch yourself thinking/saying something negative about yourself or complaining about something STOP! Find a positive thought/statement you can make instead. There is ALWAYS something positive in every situation.
They say it takes 21 days to change a habit or create a new one. Do these 3 simple things for 40 days and see how things have changed for the better! (And you can still have the chocolate/wine while you’re doing it…😉).
Blog by Kathy Hayman The Loving Life Coach
Author: Helen Loder
Co-Director of Sevenoaks Mums