The last 24 hours

What has happened in the last 24 hours of your life? Another day has gone by – has it been a good one? Would you even know how to define whether the last 24 hours have been good, bad or ugly? Many of us go through the motions without ever taking time out to look at what we are actually doing with our lives. Here is a list to help you redefine whether your days are helping you get the most out of your life.

First of all, take away the amount of time you have slept over the last 24 hours. I slept for 10 hours so the time I will look at for me is 14 hours.

Look at the hours that you were awake and answer “yes” or “no” to the following questions:

1) Have you said “yes” to a request when you would rather have said “no”?  Y/N

2) Did you take at least an hour out of your day to relax?        Y/N

3) Were you able to connect with at least one person that cares about you? Y/N

4) Did you laugh at least once?    Y/N

5) Did you smile at a stranger at least once?     Y/N

6) Did you enjoy at least one experience yesterday (a massage/a good meal/a good book/great music etc)….?      Y/N

7) Did you take any steps towards improving yourself, your life, your situation..no matter how small?     Y/N

8) Were you able to do something that you felt proud of (a new recipe, a new experience, faced a fear)?      Y/N

9) Did you manage to tell yourself positive things about yourself, champion and/or encourage yourself on some level?   Y/N

10) Did you spend any time berating yourself or focusing on what you don’t like about yourself without doing anything productive about it?   Y/N

11) Did you spend too much time worrying about things you can’t do anything about? Y/N

12) Did you actively seek out something/someone that inspires you or makes you feel hopeful about the world and/or your future?

SCORE:

……Yes    No

1)     0        1

2)     1        0

3)     1        0

4)     1        0

5)     1        0

6)     1         0

7)     1          0

8)     1          0

9)     1          0

10)   0           1

11)   0           1

12)    1           0

The higher your score, the more likely you are to be happier and content.

The above questions are only meant as a guideline. We all have various ideas of what constitutes a good day. This is still a good way to remind yourself of how you are spending your days and whether they will lead to more peace of mind or not. Rewarding ourselves, seeking out things or people that inspire us and making sure we relax some of the time are all important. Being assertive, expressing ourselves, connecting with others on a social level are essential too and finally – watching our negative thinking and limiting our unnecessary worrying all help us to lead the happiest lives possible.

Author: Mandy Kloppers

Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.