9 issues you need to be doing to search out pleasure in 2022, in keeping with a life coach

A new yr has begun and issues are feeling a bit … bleak, to say the least. We’re struggling to see an finish to the pandemic and our daytime are nonetheless at a minimal. Collectively, the Omicron variant of Covid-19 and the infinite gray skies of winter have created the right gloomy cocktail. Not precisely one of the best begin to 2022.

However, in the event you like to start out the yr as you imply to go on, there’s nonetheless time to vary this mindset and discover pleasure within the months forward — it solely takes a couple of tweaks to let go of the doomsday ideas and substitute them with constructive views.

“Many years of analysis within the discipline of constructive psychology have proven that having a constructive mentality can enhance our bodily well being, defend us from burnout, improve our possibilities of success at work and even add years to our lives,” Sophie Cliff, aka The Joyful Coach, tells The Impartial.

After working in gross sales and advertising and marketing at corporations like Walt Disney and Hallmark Playing cards for a decade, Cliff determined to retrain within the discipline of constructive psychology three years in the past. Now, as The Joyful Coach, she helps individuals to dwell a extra “joyful” life.

“I’m a giant believer that issues can get higher,” she continues. “Maybe most significantly for our present local weather, having a constructive mentality has been proven to enhance resilience and ‘bouncebackability’, that means that we are able to higher cope with stress and the curveballs that life throws at us.”

So what does it imply to be a constructive particular person? Whereas a few of us might imagine we’re naturally glass half full or glass half empty individuals, Cliff says optimism and pessimism should not mounted persona traits.

“All of us have the capability to turn into extra optimistic if we need to,” she explains. “An train I like to make use of with my teaching purchasers is to ask them to view a given state of affairs by way of each a pessimistic and an optimistic lens, and to replicate on which makes them really feel higher or results in extra constructive outcomes. Typically making an attempt on a lens of optimism helps them to see the advantages of trying on the brightside.”

Those that assume extra optimistically may be doing wonders for his or her psychological and bodily well being. A paper revealed within the Psychological Bulletin in 2005 examined research of over 275,000 individuals and located that persons are much less prone to smoke, have points with substance abuse or eat an unhealthy food regimen if they’ve a cheerful mentality.

A separate research from King’s School London in 2016 discovered that constructive pondering, notably visualisation and optimistic self speak, can cut back intrusive destructive ideas and reduce emotions of hysteria.

How can we flip our pessimistic thoughts body into an optimistic one?

Because the pandemic arrived within the UK virtually two years in the past, it’s felt as if many issues have been outdoors our management, which is why Cliff advises that we must be specializing in what we are able to management, moderately than what we are able to’t.

“The previous few years have proven us that a lot is unsure which might make us really feel overwhelmed or downbeat, however specializing in what we are able to management and actually benefiting from no matter life throws at us offers us again some sense of autonomy,” Cliff says.

“Methods I’ve seen purchasers do that embrace discovering native adventures on their doorstep, studying to prepare dinner from new cuisines or just making their working from dwelling house as cosy as attainable.”

One other tip Cliff offers her purchasers is to present themselves some credit score for all the things they’re doing and reaching regardless of the circumstances. “I all the time encourage my purchasers to jot down a ‘finished listing’ on the finish of the week — it sounds easy, however taking 5 minutes to jot down down all the things we’ve achieved may also help us to domesticate a extra constructive mindset and construct confidence,” she says.

Whereas the pandemic is our One Huge Collective Downside, each day it’s straightforward to let small issues get to us too, which may impede our optimistic mindset. To fight this, Cliff suggests utilizing one thing known as cognitive reframing which is a method usually utilized in cognitive behavioural remedy (CBT).

“The concept is to take a state of affairs or expertise that’s troubling us and attempt to see it by way of a extra constructive and grateful lens,” Cliff explains. “So as a substitute of claiming ‘I’ve to make money working from home’, you possibly can flip it to ‘I get to make money working from home’, which robotically makes it really feel like a extra inviting prospect.

“I used this one final yr when a burst pipe flooded my backyard — as a substitute of wallowing within the annoyance of getting to contact tradespeople and fork out for repairs, I attempted to recollect how determined I used to be to have a backyard of my very own a couple of years earlier, and the way fortunate I used to be that this was the largest annoyance I needed to cope with.”

Whereas reframing our state of affairs doesn’t essentially clear up or change the state of affairs at hand, it does assist us to remain constructive and even construct resilience, which suggests we are able to bounce again extra shortly when different challenges come up.

What are some habits or suggestions for locating pleasure and staying constructive?

Doomscrolling is a behavior many people have begrudgingly partaken in throughout the pandemic, however it’s good to pay attention to the content material and media we’re consuming. As a substitute of spending hours on our telephones or deciding what to observe subsequent on Netflix, Cliff suggests listening to upbeat podcasts, studying books with completely happy endings and working towards gratitude.

“Maybe probably the most impactful behavior for constructing a constructive outlook is to repeatedly follow gratitude,” she explains. “It might probably sound like a little bit of a cliche, however analysis has proven that probably the most joyful persons are these which might be most grateful for what they’ve obtained. You would make an inventory every night of the stuff you’re grateful for that day, or follow saying a heartfelt thanks to somebody who has helped you. Even merely taking a couple of seconds to understand the second you’re in could make an enormous distinction.”

In case you’re feeling down and need to discover your pleasure, Cliff’s “greatest” piece of recommendation is to deal with noticing what does — and what doesn’t — really feel good as you progress by way of your days and weeks.

“It sounds easy, however usually we’re so busy racing by way of life or making an attempt to maintain up with our friends that we don’t truly know what would make us happier, or we ignore the tugs that inform us one thing isn’t working. Merely noticing what feels good and doing extra of it might probably assist us to construct a way of belief with our instinct and invite extra pleasure into our lives with out having to overtake all the things,” Cliff says.

“I’d additionally invite anybody studying to set themselves a problem of doing one factor that brings them pleasure each day for per week. It may be small — a ten minute stroll within the sunshine or treating themselves to a favorite chocolate bar — however flexing the enjoyment muscle will assist them to see how highly effective these constructive feelings may be.”

To be taught extra about Sophie and The Joyful Coach, go to sophiecliff.com, hearken to her Sensible Positivity podcast, or observe her on Instagram.