"You must train your mind to be stronger than your emotions or else you'll see every 'ant hill' that you face in life as a mountain," says Dr. Kirti Carter
AUSTIN, Texas (PRWEB) May 10, 2021
The complexity of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact all of us in so many unique ways. Many of us are frustrated, angry, and questioning the meaning of life. If you find yourself in a situation where you feel unmotivated or overwhelmed, you are not alone.
In a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the rate of depression tripled in U.S. adults in all demographic groups during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is good news. You do not need a complete overhaul to improve the quality of your life and your pandemic coping tactics. Just a few steps can help to boost your morale and make your days more positive and meaningful.
"You must train your mind to be stronger than your emotions or else you'll see every 'ant hill' that you face in life as a mountain," says Dr. Kirti Carter, co-author with her husband, Dr. Rob Carter, of The Morning Mind: Use Your Brain to Master Your Day and Supercharge Your Life (http://www.themorningmind.com)
Carter has six simple ways to get you "unstuck" while you may be still stuck at home or in your head or both:
1. Reframe a situation in a positive light. "Reflect on how you feel about a certain issue and then take a different and more positive stance," says Carter. "There is a reason why the saying 'when life throws you lemons, make lemonade' has been around for decades," says Carter. "There is a positive aspect of all things that happen in life, even those that feel negative."
2. Feel your anger and frustration. "Acknowledge how you feel at this moment and be with the experience," says Carter, "repressed emotions cause anxiety and depression as well as physical issues such as heart and digestive issues."
3. Create an intention. "Positive visualization increases the likelihood of success," says Carter, "we largely create our realities through our thoughts and intentions."
4. Be mindful, be grateful, and pass it on. "If you focus on what you do not have, you will be unhappy and attract negativity. Be grateful for what you have, and you will attract positivity, opportunity, and success," says Carter.
5. Write down a goal for today and one for tomorrow. "Incorporating just a few minutes of putting pen to paper in the morning can have a hugely beneficial impact on your day and the rest of your life," says Carter, "fewer visits to the doctor, increased self-awareness, improved mood/affect, and feeling of greater psychological well-being are just a few of the documented benefits."
6. Develop a Strategy for Moving Forward. "Visualize what your perfect day would look like," says Carter, "what activities would you fit into it, what would you have for breakfast, for dinner, and how would you feel?" "This is an excellent visualization exercise that can assist in stimulating creativity and intentions about what you'd like to get out of your life in a perfect world," says Carter.
About Dr. Rob Carter III, FAIS and Dr. Kirti Carter, FAIS. Dr. Rob Carter III and Dr. Kirti Salwe Carter are co-authors of The Morning Mind: Use Your Brain to Master Your Day and Supercharge Your Life (http://www.themorningmind.com) and reside in Austin, Texas. Dr. Rob Carter III is a Colonel in the U.S. Army, an expert in human performance and physiology, a fellow American Institute of Stress (FAIS). He has academic appointments in emergency medicine at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio and in public health and health sciences at Los Angeles Pacific University. He holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and medical physiology and an MPH in chronic disease epidemiology.
Dr. Kirti Carter was born in Pune, India, and received her medical education in India, where she practiced as an intensive-care physician at Breach Candy Hospital before moving to Texas to complete postgraduate training in public health. She is a Fellow of the American Institute of Stress (FAIS), has more than 18 years of experience in meditation and breathing techniques, and has facilitated wellness seminars for the past decade.