HEALTH + WELLNESS
HEALTHY MIND , HEALTHY LIFE cont .
Measure your success
Not trying to come across all ‘ motivational team-building day ’ (* shudder *), but goal setting is a really effective way of working out whether you ’ re getting enough out of your work . First , write down all of your aims and aspirations , then go through them one by one making notes about how you can achieve them . Just the act of writing them down will focus your mind on what you really want to accomplish and how you can set about doing it . More focused you = more motivated you = happier you = happier everyone else around you .
Retrain for a different job
Retraining is a big step and one that most people quickly dismiss as impossible if they even dare to think about it , but according to research , between 20 and 40 per cent of people are unhappy in their jobs . Follow-up studies have reasoned that unhappiness at work can lead to stress , weight gain , a weaker immune system , relationship difficulties , insomnia and depression – all of which are a strain on you and a strain on your employer . The bottom line is if you really don ’ t like your job , it ’ s well worth getting some advice about other roles and companies that could benefit from your skill set .
Go a day without complaining
What with thoughtless memes and outright trolling , there ’ s a lot of ugliness that ’ s thrown at people by people that don ’ t even know said people these days . It ’ s not good , for anyone , so flip it and start upping your positivity quotient . OK , there might not be any tomatoes left in Tesco , the weather might be grey and dreary , or Monday morning might fast be approaching , but every time you complain , you ’ re heaping a big dollop of negative energy not just into your life , but into the world overall . Complaining breeds complaining , so before you start waxing lyrical about your peeves , stop and try to think of a way to solve the problem – there will be other tomatoes ; you ’ re lucky to have a warm , dry home ; and , Monday marks a fresh week full of fresh opportunities . If you can ’ t solve it , move on , it ’ ll free your mind of the stress .
Volunteer
Volunteering isn ’ t all about soup kitchens and helping the homeless these days , and although they ’ re fantastic ways to reach out to people who are less fortunate , working that closely with vulnerable people doesn ’ t suit everyone . If you ’ re handy with knitting and crochet , make warm clothing for mother and baby shelters ; if you ’ re a professional , find a school that needs motivational speakers , or mentor a young person interested in your industry ; if you ’ re an animal lover , donate a few hours of your time to a shelter … seek and you will find lots of opportunities to make a really significant difference to someone else ’ s life , which , in turn , will give you wonderful peace of mind .
Speak up
It ’ s all very well being appalled at how badly the trains are running , or shocked that you ’ ve found out your favourite cosmetics are tested on animals , but in order to make change happen , you need to take positive action . When petitions that you support pop up on your social media feed , sign them ; if you really
SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE A REALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE TO SOMEONE ELSE ’ S LIFE , WHICH , IN TURN , WILL GIVE
YOU WONDERFUL PEACE OF MIND
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