17 Aug Kickstart your day (and your life) with these 8 powerful morning routines
via Inc.com by Elle Kaplan
Exceptionally confident people weren’t born that way–they got there by making it a habit and flexing their confidence muscles daily.
The ultra-confident know that just like when you skip your breakfast, you won’t get very far without your daily dose of confidence in the morning. Thankfully, there are some ways to give yourself an espresso shot of self-belief as soon as you wake up.
Start incorporating these rituals, and your whole day will eventually snowball into true, long-lasting belief in your fantastic abilities:
1. Zap away all of your ANTs before walking out the door
Don’t get out the bug spray -Dr. Daniel Amen, author of Change Your Brain Change Your Life, found that ANTs (automatic negative thoughts) are one of the most harmful things for your brain and your self-esteem.
Negative thoughts happen to everyone, but the worst thing you can do is let them rattle around in your brain and drag your day down. That’s why you need to take a few minutes to question these thoughts in the morning. When you realize most of these thoughts are completely irrational, you’ll be amazed at how quickly they disappear.
2. Practice positive pep-talk
After you’ve zapped away all those negative thoughts, replace them with a self-pep talk. This might sound a little hokey, but according to Stanford studies, “timely affirmations have been shown to improve education, health, and relationship outcomes, with benefits that sometimes persist for months and years.”
Even if it looks at little crazy, pay attention to those great traits you have and become your own best cheerleader, because nobody can advocate for you the way you do.
3. Spend your commute learning something new
Learning new skills outside work is the perfect shortcut to self-confidence. Studies say learning skills like a foreign language or math boosts your mental satisfaction the same way a pay raise does. If you’ve been stuck in the same routine or field for a while, it gives you assurance that you’re a smart, capable person who can learn anything.
So instead of scrolling through Instagram or catching Pokemon on the subway, consider listening to a language guide or a podcast on computer programming to see your confidence soar…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE