I would argue that nothing has more effect on our daily life than the way we think, the way we mentally handle every situation, and the mental direction that we choose every day.
From busy schedules to the loss of a loved one to taking time out of our week to relax and refresh, our mental outlook on life is a key factor in our success or failure.
It's Thursday. How much time have you spent this week mentally preparing? Sure, we write in our planners and make our to-do lists, but do we focus on getting mentally prepared?
So, where do we start?
Personally, I start with prayer. Realizing that this world is so much bigger than I am helps to put things into perspective for me.
Another thing to try is visualizing your day before it happens. Take some quiet time to close your eyes and visualize the details of your upcoming day. See and feel the flow of your day and the ease in which you handle each situation. Focus on how you'll handle speed bumps along the way as well. Focus on how you'll mentally and physically respond to each scenario.
Positive visualization may seem absurd, but study after study shows that it works (professional athletes have been using this stuff for years). It works because it gets us mentally prepared.
So, humor me and give it a shot. Whenever you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, take some time to breathe and positively visualize the situation before it happnes. After all, what's the risk?