Quick 3-Step Mental Health Audit: How to Change Your Thoughts & Change Your Life by Diana Cole

Are you feeling stressed, trapped, lonely or helpless? Are you ready to get honest about the struggles you’re facing and change direction? It took me a lot of pain, both physical and emotional, to finally say, "OK, this is not for me." What in your life would you like to change?”

• Are you happy when you wake up?
• Are you fulfilled in your job?
• Do your relationships feel good?
• Do you believe you are living in your purpose?

If you said no to any of these questions, then guess what? It’s time for a change. I believe you have the power to change your life for the better – right now.

Have you done a thought audit? Look at the thoughts you’re thinking and audit out the negative ones. Here are three quick steps to do a thought audit:

1. Write down as many thoughts as possible on a piece of paper. Don’t read them or force thoughts. It needs to be organic.

2. When you’re done, review what you wrote.

Here is what my thought audit looked like while I was cooking dinner one night at the end of a bad day:

This kitchen is a mess. I wish I had a housekeeper.

I have to make dinner, but no one will like it.

The dogs are hungry.

I can’t find anything around here.

My daughter used up the last of the pasta sauce and didn’t tell me.

It’s getting late. I should have started this earlier.

I need to go the grocery store again.

My car needs gas.

This is only a small sample of some of the best gems from my list. Wow! No wonder I was having a bad day. Now, here is the magic: you can turn your bad day around. How?

3. Spend 10 minutes writing some “positive truths,” then read them over three times.

Here are some examples from my positive truth list:

I have the prettiest kitchen.

My dogs are so cute.

I love having a sweet daughter.

I can’t wait for my husband to come home and have a glass of wine with me.

I love wine.

It’s so fun to cook and make whatever I want.

I feel so blessed in this moment.

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