What's Going Well?

It's Joy here. Today's practice will include some guided journaling prompts, so if you can, grab your journal or a piece of paper you can write on. Feel free to hit pause if you need to get your materials or move to a different space. And if journaling isn't available to you, you're welcome to just reflect mentally. Raise your hand if you've ever focused on the negative rather than the positive. You might not be able to see me or anyone in the Shine community, but if your hand is raised, literally or figuratively, you are far from alone. As humans, we have a thinking pattern called negativity bias. Our brains are wired to focus more on the negative than the positive, but there's magic to be found once you know this. First, you can be less hard on yourself if you notice your thoughts are more negative. Again, that's just the way your brain is wired. And secondly, when you realize holding onto the good takes a little more effort and intentionality, you can start to practice it more. Experts say that when we greet one negative thought with five positive ones, we can offset our negativity bias because seeing the good that still exists even during a difficult situation can help us build resilience, stay motivated, and continue to feel hopeful. Today, we're going to try this using five prompts we created. These questions are designed to help us get present with ourselves and balance what may be difficult with what's going right or filling us up. Let's get started. Find a comfy position and gently close your eyes if you can. First, let's take some slow, deep breaths. Breathing in and out. In and out. And see if you can hold this next breath a little longer. Breathing in and out. Notice how your body feels as you settle in. If you're journaling today, open your eyes and grab your materials. If you are reflecting mentally, feel free to keep them closed. For today's exercise, I'm going to give you the beginning of a statement and I want you to fill in the rest for yourself. You might think of an answer right away, and that's great. Feel free to keep going and write down more than one thing. And if it takes you a bit of time, that's okay too. You can always hit pause if you need more time. Let's try it. Here's your first prompt. Today, I'm thankful I have blank. Take a moment to finish that sentence. Today, I'm thankful I have blank. All right, your next prompt is today, a small joy I can savor is blank. Today, a small joy I can savor is blank. Beautiful job. Your next prompt is today, I'm proud of myself because. Today, I'm proud of myself because. Great, ready for your next prompt? It's today, I will show kindness to myself by. Think about what you can do to tune into your feelings and...