Nowadays many people come to therapy because they are going through a difficult time or they have serious problems to solve. They also come to therapy to learn different ways to better the quality of their lives. If you want to learn how you can live a happy, fulfilled and stress-free life, check out these easy techniques that offer awesome results in no time.
1. Keeping track of your daily activities
Let’s start with an easy yet efficient technique that consists in keeping track of your everyday activities. Write all your activities down in a journal or a notebook and give two grades to each of those activities: the first grade for your perceived quality of the activity and the second grade for the joy that activity gave you. This technique is extremely useful for banishing all those unwanted negative thoughts, such as ‘I do nothing today.’ You will see that you do much more and much better every day than you think.
2. Keeping a daily positive journal
This technique can be used with excellent results in a great variety of affective disorders, including depression, anxiety, and even eating disorders. You can also use this technique if you want to learn how to live a happier life. Keep a diary where you write only positive things that happen to you during the day. You will see that your life is not as bad as you think, and that there are many happy moments in your life.
More: 8 Ways to Become Strong in Spirit in a Week
3. Describing people or objects around you to the last detail
This technique is often used with people suffering from panic attacks. It can also bring awesome results if you’re feeling restless at times and you want to learn how you can be stress-free and more relaxed. Every time you feel nervous, look around you and begin describing people or objects around you to the last detail. You will instantly feel more relaxed because you shift your attention onto something else, rather than on your anxiety.
4. Counting from 1 to 100 or from 100 to 1
This technique I use every time I feel anxious. Counting helps to prevent panic attacks and clear your mind. Whenever you feel a little restless, nervous or anxious, try counting from 1 to 100 or from 100 to 1, especially in another language. You’ll focus on your task and forget about your anxiety.
5. The empty chair
Many people who are trying to cope with the death of a loved one or who are going through a difficult breakup use this technique each day to feel better. Just sit in front of an empty chair, imagine an absent person in that chair, and talk to them and say the things you did not have enough time or the guts to say. This way, you will feel much more relieved, move on and start living a happier life.
6. Confronting your negative thoughts
Imagine a situation that frightens you or that causes you to feel anxious or insecure. Now, imagine what’s the worst, the best and the most realistic thing that could happen in that particular situation. By doing this, you will stop avoiding your bad thoughts and start confronting them. You will see that they are not as scary as you think.
More: 5 Reasons to Stop Negativity and How to Do It
7. Surprises
The surprise technique is usually used in couples’ therapy. Within one week, each partner should do a surprise for her/his partner, but this surprise must stay a secret till the next session. Each partner should observe the behavior of her/his other half and they should guess what surprise their partner has done for them. This way, they’ll be focused on the good things than on the negative things that may cause fights and disagreements.
Cultivate positivity on a daily basis to live a stress-free life. I hope these little techniques will help you overcome any difficult situation and find a solution to any problem you’ll have down the road. Have you ever used any of these techniques? Do you know any other techniques? Share your experiences with us.
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