How To Alter Your Negative Mindset with Woman’s Day Editor-in-Chief Meaghan B Murphy
Woman’s Day editor-in-chief and author of Your Fully Charged Life, Meaghan B Murphy, discusses the power of a positive mindset and how she maintained one, even in her darkest days.
Meaghan reveals that her signature upbeat, high-energy personality did not come easy to her. In fact, growing up, her nickname was “grumpy.” However, things took a turn for the worse when at just 16-years-old, she developed an eating disorder and lost her best friend to suicide. Instead of silently suffering, Meaghan decided to make a message of her mess, as she puts it. She wrote a piece about overcoming hardship. Her paper won the Horatio Alger National Scholar essay contest...and landed her a job at YM magazine at just 19 years old, kick-starting her journalism career. Fast-forward, she lands a job at Cosmo and is assigned to write a piece on positive psychology. Through that research, she learned that happiness is a state of doing, not being. Lucky for us, she shares with the Heal Squad all her tips and tricks on how to alter your negative mindset.
Have an attitude of gratitudeGratitude is the cure for all. Stopping and appreciating the small things throughout the day will make you happier overall.
Energy is contagiousThe energy you surround yourself with will affect your mood. So, befriend people who radiate positivity. Moreover, the energy that you give is the energy you will receive - an act of kindness will find its way back to you in some form or another.
Look at the pandemic as the great life editIt be hard or even feel wrong to find the silver linings in all that has happened during the last two years. However, Meaghan views the pandemic as one of the rare chances where we all get the time to reevaluate our lives and who we allow in it.
Look back on all that you have overcomeResearch has found that one of the most effective ways to cope with pain is to look back on all of the difficult things you have had to overcome. You made it this far and have dealt with adversity in the past, why can’t you do it again?
Reframe what’s lame We must change the way we look at things. Stop saying “why me,” and start saying “why not me?” Cognitive reappraisal will allow you to become the boss of your brain.
Appreciate the little things in life Practicing gratitude and appreciating the little things, whether it is taco Tuesday or wearing a cute outfit, is vital to increasing our overall happiness.
Gratitude beats FOMOGratitude is the antidote to FOMO. If you appreciate the present, it won’t matter what other people are doing. You can also view FOMO as a guide: it shows us what we need more of in our lives, whether that be vacations or prioritizing your social life.
A lack of sleep is not coolA lack of sleep has become glamorized, as if getting less sleep warrants you a badge of honor. Meaghan cautions against this toxic mentality and reminds us that we must not only protect our sleep, but create a consistent nighttime routine.
Find purpose in your trauma Meaghan says, “There are gifts in adversity and it can be hard to unwrap them.” Finding purpose in your struggle can make it easier to deal with.
Listen to the full interview here:
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