I couldn’t find a suitable photo for this post but figured a jar of nutella telling you it loved you is always nice to know! So I mentioned here how important it was to have a cheerleader in your life, someone who will give you those all-important pep talks to perk you up. But for this week’s #howtobehappier post I want to turn the attention back to you.
Yes you!
You know when you have days that are just a little flat, maybe your motivation is at a low, you’re tired, got an enormous to-do list but none of interests you so you spend the day watching cheesy films, munching on snacks and promising you will tackle it tomorrow. Only it always feels like you’re saying it will happen tomorrow!
Well the key here is to talk to yourself in the 3rd person. Okay so you may seem a little loony but stick with me here. By talking to yourself in this way it’s easier to realise what needs to get done, and that no opening a second pack of hobnobs probably isn’t the wisest idea ever.
When I first went backpacking all on my own my mum wrote me a list of do’s and don’ts. The one that stuck with me was to treat yourself as you would your best friend. You would never let him/her do things that would make them unhappy. You can be more objective if you imagine yourself as another person, one that you love and care for. It’s much easier to see where problems lie and how to tackle them when you look at your habits from a different perspective.
Have you ever had a friend ask you for some advice and you can’t understand why, as the answer is so obvious? Well it may be obvious to you what they should do but sometimes we can’t see the wood from the trees, you need a fresh pair of eyes to help you figure your way. YOU can be those fresh eyes if you imagine yourself in the third person.
For example: Katy should really get dressed, get out of the house for some fresh air and get off the internet, rather than slob on the sofa knowing she has stuff to do. She doesn’t really need to google videos of pigs sneezing or read another BuzzFeed article. Getting out will help her feel better and maybe provide some inspiration for that next scene she should be writing but has in fact been staring at a blank laptop screen wondering how the hell sentences even work.
You see?!
You will look weird giving yourself a telling off/kick up the bum but if it was my best friend telling me this then I would totally be running (okay walking quickly) out of the front door with my notepad in hand.
As always let me know if this works for you! You can Tweet me / Facebook me / Email Me ([email protected]). Have a brilliant weekend talking to yourself!
