Choose a Daily Mantra

Does your brain ever have one anxious or sad thought, and then spiral from there? Or maybe you have self-defeating thoughts, like “I’m bored” or “I’m not good enough.” Having a daily mantra, one that resonates with you, is like having a little intervention that puts you back on track every time your brain starts to veer off-course. It’s a little mind trick that you can carry in your back pocket. Here’s our suggestion for how to choose a daily mantra. When you wake up in the morning, think about what you want to achieve today, or how you want to feel. Maybe think about yesterday, and where you went wrong, and what you want to do differently. Or, what you did well, and what you want to do again. Maybe yesterday you felt like you were snappy with your coworkers, and you want to be kinder today. You could make your mantra, “I am full of loving kindness.” But always remember to make your mantra realistic. If you really don’t believe what you’re telling yourself, it won’t work. So if you’re depressed, instead of making your mantra, “I’m happy,” make it something like, “This too shall pass,” or, “There is happiness in store for me.” And remember, where your attention goes, your energy flows, so the more you attend to these little thoughts, the more your brain will adapt to make them true!