DAN GAYLE

BUILDING & MAINTAINING A POSITIVE MINDSET DURING DIFFICULT TIMES

DAN GAYLE

The world and her people are currently facing incredibly difficult circumstances. The global health impact stemming from COVID-19 is truly tragic and the economic fallout is being felt across most industries. Sadly, things are going to get worse on both fronts, before they get better.

Another area that is being impacted, is mental wellbeing. The seismic shifts in our lives, our routines, our behaviours, coupled with the worries that come with these changes, all create new stresses on our central nervous systems, and our minds. It’s crucial, more so than ever, to take conscious action to look after and improve, our mental wellbeing.

Here are some examples for each:

In times like these (and to note, this is of great value even when things in life are more ‘normal’) it is incredibly empowering to categorise things into two sections – what is CONTROLLABLE and what is UNCONTROLLABLE.

CONTROLLABLE

- What I choose to focus on. - Whether I choose to learn new skills. - Whether I choose to take action on the important things. - How I invest my resources (time, finances, energy, emotions).

- How I treat my customers / clients. - How I treat my staff - How I treat my family, friends and people in my communities. - How much news I consume. - Whether I follow government advice on health guidance. - Limiting my social media consumption.What constructive changes I make to my business and/or life, and how fast. - Adapting my thought and behavioural patterns in such a way, that benefit me and those around me. - How proactive I am in utilising appropriate government financial support schemes that can help my business and my personal circumstances during this time.

Uncontrollable

- How long the COVID-19 situation will last. - Other people’s behaviour. - The impact to stock markets and the economy. - Predicting what will happen. - What people’s motives are. The more clarity we have on this, and then consciously deciding to put ALL of the uncontrollable elements to one side and ONLY focusing on what we can control, leads to a happier, more positive, more empowered mindset.

Being happy and positive is a state of mind, not a set of circumstances.

Scientists estimate that the odds of being alive are a staggering 420 TRILLION to one. Every single new day that arrives is truly a gift of monumental value…I’d say it’s lottery win, even though the difficulties of life sometimes make it not feel that way. So, building a powerful mindset that can operate effectively, not only when life is going well, but also when our external environment is filled with adversity, is so crucial.

that’s fantastic, keep up the good work. If not, now is a great time to begin.

Either way, the current situation is an opportunity for us all to look inward, at what we can work on to improve ourselves, to become clear on what truly is important in our short lives (100 years if we’re lucky), and to take action.

There are lots of techniques we can use to develop our mindsets. In addition to the controllable vs uncontrollable model, I’m going to share another three with you:

1. POSITIVITY MANTRAS (OR STATEMENTS)

Having a positive mindset is a hugely valuable asset and it’s not something that just happens.

If you’re already on a personal development journey then

A conscious effort must be made for a prolonged period of time, and at some point it will “drop down” into the subconscious (where the thought process becomes automatic).

Below are the simple steps for this exercise:

Write down a list of uplifting mantras that when you read and say them, makes you feel good. Repeating these statements back to yourself on a regular (can you do daily?) basis will yield some powerful results. If you’re looking for inspiration, you can use positive quotes, journal on your days and highlight the good stuff, and for those more daring, search for the upsides even in the difficult experiences (there is almost always at least one).

2. PHYSICAL EXERCISE

Exercise is proven to have a significant positive impact on mental wellbeing, too. It… to other conditions like cancer and diabetes. Helps us to relax. Increases energy, concentration and focus levels. Grows confidence as our perception of how we feel and look improves.

3. GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION

Aids growth of new brain cells (neurons), improving learning and memory, whilst helping protect against degenerative conditions such as dementia. Lowers stress chemicals. Increases feel good, happy chemicals. Helps combat against (and treat) depression. Aids in the reduction of anxiety. Reduces the risk of serious health conditions such as heart attack and stroke, as well as lowering inflammation which is linked Retraining our brains is done by regularly changing the focal points to what we want be or do, rather than what we don’t. One way to utilise this concept is by implementing the below: remember, that information without action is close to worthless. In order to get the true benefits of any information, we must also back it up with action. It is not enough to just know, we must do.

Every day, write down 3-5 things that you are grateful or appreciative of. These can be big, tiny and everything in between. Periodically go back through your list and really revel in the great feelings of all those wonderful things.

The more consistently you do these exercises, the stronger and more stable the benefits become.

WITHOUT THIS STEP, IT’S WORTHLESS.

Please stay safe and look out for those around you. Best wishes, Dan.

Our aim is to support as many people as we can during this difficult time. So we would like to ask you the question, "what can we do to help you?".

To get in touch, please email us on inspired@dangaylecoach. com or visit http://www. dangayle-coach.com