I knew my perception of the world had changed before I even touched back down in the United States. Actually, I first noticed these changes my last night in Hong Kong when a standard hotel room felt like a room at the Ritz. I couldn't quite place my finger on what it was or whom it was that accounted for these drastic changes. I have been so unbelievably happy since I've been home. I've been happy in a way that I never knew existed. Since I've been home I've continued to crave that sense of adventure, but up until today I attributed these changes to my eye-opening month long journey backpacking through Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. It wasn't until watching a TED talk by Shawn Achor (video attached) that I began to realize what accounted for this new way of life I was experiencing. In this talk he discussed the 5 small changes that can be made that ripple outward and affect other aspects of our lives; however, for these changes to have a long lasting effect they must be done for 21 days in a row.
So here they are:
1.) Gratitude: This was an exercise that I adopted in college to reduce stress and anger, but I always felt it best to extend it to 5 gratitudes to allow it to really sink in. I encourage you to give it a shot (and use it especially when you're angry/stressed or about to go off on someone for XY, or Z) Think of 3-5 things you are truly grateful for, and I'm not talking about things you enjoy like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies or a Starbucks coffee, I'm talking about the big things. Loving family members and friends that support you, an able body to exercise in one capacity or another free of pain or complications, the accessibility of fresh drinking water or a temperature controlled room on a 90+ degree summer day, or the availability of modern medicine like over the counter pain and cold medications that drastically improve your quality of life when your burdened with an ailment that would otherwise be debilitating. These are the things I became more aware of traveling, but they're just as applicable back home.
2.) Journaling: Every morning when I woke up abroad I would pull out my red journal and reflect on the day before. It was then I was able to relive the happy moments and learn from the not so happy ones. Time set aside for contemplation allowed me the opportunity to write down, in depth, my thoughts and emotions about certain events that had taken place-things I surely would have forgotten by the end of my trip. I originally packed a travel journal so I wouldn't forget the things I did, but it came to be far more valuable to document the way certain experiences impacted the way I felt and how they altered my perception of the world. The saying "you learn something new every day" has so much validity to it, but oftentimes we get caught up in our day to day lives we fail to reflect on what we've learned, and as a result we lose the opportunity to apply those lessons learned to future situations.
I encourage you to try it. For a few minutes every morning, before your day gets started, take time to write about the previous day. It doesn't matter if it's about something that pissed you off or something that left you with a sense of peace. Whatever it is WRITE IT DOWN!
3.) Exercise: In Asia I was not scheduling time out of my day to workout, but throughout the course of the day we would be carrying our packs, walking up multiple flights of stairs, and walking around cities in search of something new. NO, you don't have to hit the gym every day, run a marathon, or start a round of P90X (but they are all viable options if you're up for it). Just get out and walk around the neighborhood or a nearby park or track. You don't have to focus on beating your personal record or pushing your body to the limit; you just have to get up & do more physical activity than you did yesterday. Even if it's a 5-10 minute walk I can guarantee you it will be 5-10 minutes well spent and you'll be better for it.
4.) Meditation: Many people associate meditation with yoga, but they are not synonymous. Thankfully, balance and flexibility are not prerequisites for meditation. Meditation can be done anywhere (though I find a quiet/solitary environment to be most beneficial). Meditation is essentially the process of clearing and calming your mind to the point that your racing thoughts and daily stresses are temporarily tucked away which allows you a brief period of peace. I actually know very little about meditation, but throughout my trip that I would catch myself in a meditation-like state unintentionally. It's easy to do when you're watching a sunset or surrounded by natural beauty. It wasn't until I got home from my trip that I realized how many beautiful things I'm surrounded by at home in North Carolina. Rarely do you ever notice these things in your hometown because they're always there and their true beauty is lost on us. I encourage you to find a spot you've always passed, but never taken the time to really see and enjoy it as an outsider would. You're in for an experience.
5.) Random Acts of Kindness (my personal favorite): If you tell people you don't feel better after performing a random act of kindness, then you're lying…The reason we feel better is because performing these random acts of kindness give us a sense of importance, and after all that is all we're searching for in this life. I feel like we've gotten away from this in the US for many different reasons, and I cannot attest to all of them. What I can tell you is that there are plenty of opportunities EVERY day to demonstrate these acts. I don't like talking about my random acts of kindness because knowing what I've done isn't important or pertinent to the acts of kindness you can and will perform. You have to see certain opportunities for yourself to determine if and how you can help make someone's situation better, but if it would mean more to them than it is work for you, then what are you waiting for?
I challenge you to incorporate all 5 of these changes into your life over the next 30 days. By adapting these changes I've found it much easier to scan the world for positivity and to find positivity in other people. As a result I'm happier for it, and you can be too.
See Shawn Achor's talk here http://youtu.be/pI0cJdOzUcQ
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