Maybe you’re like me, and that a good part of your self-talk seems to be taken up by the many things on your various to-do lists. Or maybe you’re consumed with worrying about certain areas of your life. If that’s you, you might benefit from making a mental shift: from thinking about the things that cause you to worry to the things that bring you joy.

Experts, such as Linda Lantieri, the director of The Inner Resilience Program, suggest creating rituals around the things we do each and everyday. Choose a few things you do often, like brushing your teeth or checking your phone messages, and attach some meaning to them, making use of that time to come up with the thoughts and feelings you want to experience more of in your life.

One ritual Lantieri suggests is one I do myself; she suggests that each time you put the key in your front door, pause for a moment and be grateful that you have a place to come home to each and every night. Taking this practice one step further, I positively affirm my home in my life by taking moments in the day to tell my house how much I love it, and how much I love being in it.

Other things you might want to consider doing: When you walk outside to check the mail, thank your body for your health. Or, maybe when you pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea, think about being able to see the beauty of another day. For me, I like having a nice cup of tea and gazing out the large bay windows in living room at the ducks that stroll up and down the properties of my subdivision because they always put a smile on my face. I always think that no matter what the elements are like weather-wise, they demonstrate that their needs are always met, and they never worry about it.

By making the space in our days for these moments, our minds shift from our usual state of over-stimulation, which comes from the current state of living life today, to one that is more calm and hopeful. Consider these moments mini-meditations, if you will.

And best of all–these mini-meditations won’t take up any extra time (which a lot of us lament about not having enough of) because these moments are connected to things you are already doing as part of your everyday.

What everyday activity will you choose as your moment of appreciation?

Your partner in appreciating the everyday,

James

(Reference: Cassity, Jessica. (2011). Better Each Day. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.)