dare to dream bigger summit Archives ~ Clare Josa

Today is supposed to be the most miserable day of the year. We’re supposed to feel depressed, demoralised and generally down. Why? Because the weather is pants and the Christmas credit card bills are in and, frankly, who loves January anyway?

But there’s a problem:

You get what you believe.

If you’re feeling bombarded with ‘Blue Monday’ vibes today and you believe that Blue Monday is real, then you’re going to have a gloomy day. And if you’re running a business or looking to change the world, then your team and your customers will suffer. You’ll risk making lousy decisions, playing small on normally-exciting opportunities and going to bed tonight feeling like you had a bad day. Now that’s not what I want you to experience today. So here are five antidotes to Blue Monday – to maximise your chances of having a great day – today and every day.

1. Get Moving!

If you’re feeling down, then sitting at your desk and staring at your computer screen is VERY unlikely to shift your mood. Sure, there’s a chance that a cute kitten video will patter its way through your inbox or sneak into your social media feed, but that’s leaving your happiness to chance, isn’t it? Over the past 13 years as an NLP Trainer and now also a certified Yoga Teacher, I have repeatedly seen the value of movement, to change your inner state. How about trying it right now? (It’s ok if you need to hide yourself in the toilet cubicle to do this!):

Stand up and wriggle your shoulders. Then stretch your arms above your head. Stretch up, then to the left, then to the right.
Then bring your arms back down and shake them, as though the hand-dryer were broken and you need to flick the water off your fingers.
Then stand on one leg (you can use your hand against a wall for balance if you need it) and shake your lifted foot, then the ankle, then the knee, then the whole leg. Repeat on the other side.
Wiggle your butt and boogie – put on your favourite music.
Breathe deeply from your belly and smile.

This is an instant mood-lifter and the few minutes it costs you pay dividends in shifting your body’s stress hormones into endorphins and leaving you feeling more energised and positive.

2. Don’t Believe The Stories You’re Telling Yourself

Don’t buy into Blue Monday, unless you want to. We get what we believe. If you convince yourself that today is going to be a terrible day, then you’ll trigger the filters in your brain to spot things that confirm this belief. So it doesn’t matter how many fabulous things happen, what you’ll notice and remember is the rubbish stuff. The problem comes when we believe the stories our monkey minds tell us. Your body and emotions don’t care whether something you’re thinking about is happening live, or is a past memory, or a future worry: the same chemical reactions get triggered off as though it were actually happening. So you’ll end up feeling glum and tired and stressed. If you catch yourself telling yourself Blue Monday stories, press pause. Take a deep breath in from your belly and breathe out with an ‘ahhhh’ sound, releasing tension. Remind yourself that Blue Monday isn’t real. Seriously: it’s not! It was invented by a travel company about 10 years ago! So you have total control over whether or not you want today to feel Blue.

3. Two Little Words To Turn Things Around

When you’re dancing with the Blue Monday grumps, your mind gets stuck on the ‘complaining train’. It’s easy to go round in circles spotting everything that’s bad or going wrong. And that feeds itself, like a snake eating its own tail. There are two little words that can turn everything around for you, getting you off the complaining train and back towards feeling positive again.

Thank you.

If you’re feeling glum this Blue Monday, stop and ask yourself:

“What do I feel thankful for, right here, right now?”

Let something bubble up – no judgement – and really experience that ‘thank you’. Then think of another thing. Really feel the emotion of appreciation. And then another. Keep going for at least sixty seconds. Notice how your mood has shifted? You just changed your body chemistry – and the way you’re likely to feel at bedtime tonight – with the power of your mind. Cool, eh? Gratitude can be a magic wand on days like today.

4. Deal With The Monday Morning Blues!

Not a one-off today? Then you need to deal with the Monday Morning Blues. “Tell me why I don’t like Mondays…” We all know the feeling: after a great weekend, the alarm goes off and realisation dawns: it’s Monday morning. Again. For many of us, it can trigger a sinking feeling of dread, as we take a deep breath and dive into another week. It can go on for years, feeling stuck in a rut and unable to change anything. Life is too precious to have a day of the week that you dread. And it doesn’t have to be that way! Believe me, I’ve been there. And – apart from the school run 😉 – I love Monday mornings now! Here are 7 survival tips to help you beat the Monday Morning Blues.

5. Do Something Amazing

To antidote the feeling of Blue Monday, how about stepping outside of your comfort zone – your usual routine – and doing something amazing today? It’s why my Dare to Dream Bigger Expert Series cranks up and goes live in the week of ‘Blue Monday’. That’s not a coincidence. It feels right to create something exciting, empowering and inspirational to antidote the January Blues. And each time I have run an event like this, it has been a game-changer, for those who took part. Expert entrepreneurs share their insider secrets for creating breakthroughs in the coming year. And it’s a pitch-free zone (none of that ‘3 nano-seconds of content and then 55 minutes of self-promoting fluff!). Here’s where you can grab your ticket for this year.

So there are five practical strategies to help you beat Blue Monday. And I’d love to hear from you:

Which of these resonate for you?
How does Blue Monday affect you?
And do you have any advice you’d love to share with fellow readers on how to handle Blue Monday and the Monday Morning Blues in general?

Let me know via the comments!

x Clare

Author of Dare to Dream Bigger

Today’s Tweetable:

Got #bluemonday affecting your #business? Here are five things you can do to wave goodbye to the Monday Morning Blues today.Click To Tweet

I wondered if you could spare a moment to do me a quick favour?

Our Dare To Dream Bigger business summit goes live on Sunday and our big dream is to reach thousands of small business owners, to inspire and empower them to grow to the next level over the coming year.

http://www.daretodreambigger.biz

By the end of the 2 weeks of this live, online Masterclass series, you will know how to:

have total clarity about your Big Vision for the coming year
reconnect with your passion and magnetise your dream customers
deal with the hidden blocks that could otherwise derail you
put an end to self-sabotage, so you can feel confident and excited, as you say yes to the opportunities you have been dreaming of
get life back in balance, so you can grow your business AND still see your loved-ones AND still find time for yourself
get into alignment so that your business flows and success comes more easily, instead of feeling like you’re pushing uphill & it’s all too much hard work
feel great about stepping up to the next level and making the difference you’re here to make

Could you help us to get the word out there?

Are you a member of any business groups on social media? Do you have people on your newsletter who would love to hear about this?

You’ve been on the ‘receiving end’ of the way I love to work, with my courses and newsletters and video podcast, and I really hope it resonates with you. If it does, then you’re in for a real treat with this summit.

It’s a pitch-free zone, so you get pure inspirational actionable content – strategies, insider secrets and shortcuts.

http://www.daretodreambigger.biz

Why are we doing this?

I was asked yesterday: “Why are you guys doing something that’s pitch-free, but also offering a no-cost ticket option? What’s the catch?”

Well, there isn’t one. We’re doing this because we have a Big Vision of inspiring and empowering thousands of small business owners, just like you, to make the Big Difference you’re here to create.

We felt fed up with Facebook feeds full of adverts telling you that ‘success’ is about whether you’re bringing in a six or seven figure income – or dependent on the jetset lifestyle you’re ‘supposed’ to be living.

We feel it’s about making a difference in the world.

But it’s so easy to get in your own way, with hidden blocks and fears causing you to self-sabotage, without realising it. All of the mentors in the Dare To Dream Bigger programme are the real deal – they have been where you are and got through to the other side. And in this summit, they want to empower and inspire you to do the same.

That’s why we’re giving you our time and energy – pitch-free and with a free pass option, if you need it – so that you can make the changes you need to make, to serve your dream customers more deeply and more widely in 2016.

So if you could spare a couple of minutes today, could you share the link to the registration page, so we can reach as many people as possible? Maybe you could tweet it? Or mention it in a blog or newsletter? Or post it on LinkedIn? Or tell people you’re signed up and excited, via your Facebook page or a biz group you’re part of?

Let’s spread a wave of positive change around the business world and get people excited about what they want to create in 2016!

Thank you for anything you can do to help.

With love, Namaste,

Clare x

How To Beat ‘Blue Monday’ In Your Business