09/13/2021
3 Daily Habits To Build An Optimistic Mindset
We can all think of someone around us that seems to have it figured out. They are motivated, inspired by life, passionate about the world, joyful, grateful – all of the things we aspire to be. It can be easy to assume they are just wired that way, when in reality, they probably put in a lot of intentional energy to build their mindset.
Gratitude, which leads to optimism, requires intention and productive daily habits. If you want to start working toward a more optimistic view on life, build these small (but mighty) habits into your daily routine.
1. Have a consistent sleep schedule
Sleep is unbelievably important to your well-being broadly, mindset included. Building a consistent sleep schedule, every day of the week, is a great way to get your body in a sleep rhythm, enabling you to start reliably getting better sleep. Though it can be tempting to go to bed late on a Saturday or sleep in on a Sunday, those interruptions to your routine can actually cause you to feel drowsier in the long-run. Hold yourself accountable to good habits, and you’ll feel a noticeable difference to your mindset.
2. Build a selfish morning routine
A wonderful way to ease yourself into a day you feel inspired to fill with productivity is with a repeatable morning routine that brings you joy. Let yourself be a little selfish in the morning. Your morning routine is your opportunity to build your mindset for the day. Do so with intention – that is the key to optimism: intentionally building and maintaining your mindset. Simply reading 15 minutes of one of the many books on your list before you take a shower, journaling for 5 minutes when you wake up, or going on a 10-minute walk before breakfast, are all low-effort ways to give yourself the spark you need to feel inspired every day. Find something selfish you can build into your morning routine, and watch your passion start to reignite.
3. Practice Gratitude
Whether you do this in the morning, afternoon, after dinner, at night, in the shower (you get the point) – make time every single day to practice gratitude. Our lives can surround us with distractions from just how fortunate we actually are. It can be easy to forget to look at our lives with perspective in the digital world we live in, but we all have amazing qualities in our lives to be grateful for. Take the time to reflect on the things in your life you appreciate – you worked hard for many of those things: your relationships, belongings, skills, mental health, physical health. When you consistently take a step back to recognize the good, the bad becomes so much easier to navigate.
"Daily intention is the secret ingredient to an optimistic mindset. You can intentionally choose to be more optimistic, and if you follow that choice with daily actions, you’ll start to feel a positive change in your mindset."