A secret tool to turn around a bad day...
Missed your workout? Behind on your to-do list? Late for work? Accidently eaten a whole packet of biscuits? James Farrar has a secret tool to help you turn your bad day around and reframe it more positively..
I am always on the go - from the moment I wake to the moment my head hits that pillow; it's in my blood. My Dad’s Dad worked down in the mines. Once done at work he ran one of the biggest bookies in the North East, visiting homes taking bets on the horses - he did not stop, neither did his mind. Dad followed in his footsteps of course, and my Mum was from a farming background, spending her days working every hour she could on the working family farm - they were a match made in heaven when it came to work ethos. Growing up, I remember my parents constantly busy, always working on the next project. Having been brought up by these two mavericks, I have been conditioned to stay busy. It’s as if I have put my success down to being busy… always - but often a busy mind can leave me discontent and out of balance. Being busy gives me a sense of fulfillment, as I love the feeling of achieving something every day, but sometimes I lose structure - being busy doesn't always mean we are getting somewhere - sometimes we can even use our busyness to distract us from the difficult and important things in life. Often, frazzled from all my busyness I'll feel like my day is going wrong or taking a bad turn, and I'll stop and ask myself, is this truly making me happy?
Being conscious of my behaviour and feelings comes from mindfulness practice; being married to Ali makes that easier, as she is a mindfulness expert (NOTE: though, you do NOT need to be married to a wellness expert to keep yourself on track!). One powerful tool I use EVERYDAY without fail, that keeps my mood balanced, motivation high and mind clear, is journaling. Being aware of why I feel the need to be busy, and linking that to how I was brought up by my parents, came out of time spent journaling. Realisations that lead to dropping jobs that didn’t serve me and replacing them with more enlightening work like running my mind & body coaching business, came from journaling. Proposing to Ali came out of journaling.
It’s simple. It is free. It’s powerful. It works.
My journal is my comfort blanket. When I feel the day slipping away from me, when catastrophising seeps in; plagued with thoughts of “this is going to be a bad day”, I know I have one tool that can stop those thoughts in their tracks…
Do you ever have one of those days where you have a certain job to do, but something last-minute comes in and consequently any sense of control of your day is taken from you? You look back at the day and feel guilt, anger, resentment? I get it. I have too. Mindfulness helps us to halt that negative bias, take stock of how we are feeling and consciously reframe the story we are telling ourselves. I sit down for 10 minutes, and just write. Thoughts and concerns suddenly become a structured to-do list. Within no time, the stress has surpassed. I pour a new cup of tea and the day has been saved. Thanks to 10 minutes of journaling.
Here are some of my top tips for a powerful journaling session:
Write down all thoughts (avoid slipping into a negative bias - frame everything with a positive solution)
Assess what your mission statement for that day is.
Congratulate yourself on what you have already achieved that day or week (however big or small.) Reward yourself if it was something particularly productive or cool.
Set goals for the day/week/month.
Set micro-goals for NOW - make these small actionable steps. A real sense of accomplishment can come from this. And from this, a sense of fulfillment.
Review what has and hasn’t worked for you that day (remember - stay positive!)
Take what you have journaled about and share it with a friend or loved one. Communication can keep you accountable. Plus, I truly believe that a problem shared is a problem halved.
For a guaranteed good day, download our FREE One Day Wellness Plan, with motivation morning meditation and JOURNALING workbook, 25 minute HIIT workout with James, nutrition plan and bedtime bliss meditation to round off your day. Download yours here.