Written by: Kelly Perry, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Let’s admit, life can be hard, heavy and feel like a burden sometimes. It can even start to feel like your problems and hardships are becoming your dominant focus and sap your energy.
The reality is sometimes we need to focus on this side of life. Maybe a close relative has cancer, you’re looking after your elderly parents, or you’ve lost your job. This is traumatic and emotionally exhausting, so understandably self-care and rest are paramount.
I wonder though when was the last time you had fun? Where did you put aside all your worries and just had a good time? The last time you caught up with friends and had a laugh?
As a counsellor, we use the term “problem saturated”. This occurs when our problems start to overwhelm our thoughts and actions. They become the dominant narrative. If you feel like that sounds like you. Here are 6 tips to assist in switching mindsets to add more joy and spark to your life.
1. Recognise our mind wants us to resolve our problems 24/7 so take a stance on mind time management.
Recognise that sometimes our problems are going to be with us for a while and even then when we solve one, another will be waiting around the corner! Our minds are truly trying to help us by focussing our time and energy on problem resolution. It is up to us to take responsibility for ensuring we schedule in time for self-care, fun and meaningful tasks. Your problems will still be there when you get back, and maybe having some time out and fun will be the spark you need to come up with a creative solution.
2. Create a sense of awe
One of the best ways to shake yourself out of problem resolution is to shake life up and create what we call a sense of awe. This can be as simple as reading an engaging and interesting book, going to a different coffee shop, changing your house furniture around or joining a painting class you’ve never done before. My husband laughs as I’m always taking him to some new event, such as the West Australian Symphony Orchestra have a movie night where they play live music to accompany the movie. He thought he would hate it but loved it. I also took him to yoga classes. Now he’s so obsessed he’s training to be a yoga instructor. He also took me to this outdoor drone light show over the beach to celebrate Indigenous culture. It was the first time I’d seen anything like this live, and with the music, singing and light show over the water, it was truly awe-inspiring. It is these moment and experiences that broaden our minds and captivate our enjoyment and love of life.
3. Find your flourishing environment
I can not express enough how important it is to find and surround yourself with people who allow you to have a voice, be yourself and develop, make mistakes, and grow. Honouring yourself, your strengths and your interests are important to your wellbeing. We will all be impacted to certain extents with the difficulties and negativities of life. The more you surround yourself by loving, caring, and accepting people the more you will feel compelled to action and live out your life in a way that aligns with your values. These moments can truly give you a sense of peace and purpose.
4. Shift from your mind through movement
Give your mind a break and switch focus on your body through movement. It can be light and restorative such as breathe work, yin yoga, walking or swimming, or more intense such as running or a team sport. These activities can give you a sense of calm or an energetic boost and are excellent for mental health and creating mind clarity. Combine this with being outdoors, or in a social setting can enhance your wellbeing, sense of belonging and confidence.
5. Have something to strive towards
I remember working with a guy who had retired and set himself up financially. It hadn’t occurred to him that work wasn’t just about bringing in money. It had also given him a purpose and a social network. He was totally lost and overwhelmed. Our goals and visions will often change throughout life but the need for a purpose doesn’t. Sometimes we can be floundering, as we might be in between goals. Sometimes if we’re younger we don’t know our goals, and sometimes we just might be too afraid to go after them, especially when we might fail. Trying new activities, meeting new people are all ways we can discover our vision. It can re-ignite and discover our interests in life.
It’s natural that our minds want to problem solve. This can be a highly beneficial function. The question though is, have your problems become your dominant story, thought and action? If so, maybe it’s time to take back control and apply some techniques to reignite your zest for life. Enjoy!
Kelly Perry, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Kelly Perry is an ACA Registered Counsellor and creator of the Business Women’s Resilience Program. She was inspired to create this program after founding the Sports Science Education Institute and discovered it wasn’t her technical knowledge or business skills which were the most impactful but the ability to handle tough business challenges. Today she educates businesswomen on how to gain resilience and counseling techniques to enhance their business and life.
