How do you create feel-good moments?

Last week I had a preparatory talk for a podcast with an IT specialist and project manager. His first question was: Why are many people in projects so rushed and unbalanced?

I thought about it for a moment and answered:

Because we immediately jump to problems with our attention. To things that we don’t succeed at, that we don’t like or where our expectations are not met.

Through this habit, this automatic pattern of behaviour, we create negative thoughts:

• I am not right.
• I am not good enough.
• What am I doing wrong?
• Why am I not getting support?

We get into a spiral of frustration, anger and powerlessness. We doubt ourselves, our lives and what we are doing. We feel an inner urgency. I call it: the stress mode.

This described, automatic behaviour pattern is very deeply rooted, so that we are usually not even consciously aware of what is happening inside us. When a result is not what we expected. When our suggestion, our post or our article doesn’t get the desired attention or we are under pressure because there are too many demands on the table.

Then we automatically jump with our thoughts to the problem and to the problem analysis. Of course, because we want to understand what is wrong.

The problem is: if you continue to practise this unconscious, energy-draining behaviour pattern and generate this negative energy in yourself, then you lose more and more energy.

You feel more and more driven, stressed, insecure, frustrated and rushed. It is a vicious circle in which you are stuck. You believe that you can’t get out of it on your own. And this energy is a very bad starting point for new, really good solutions.

Ride a new strategy: Level up your energy

To get out of this unpleasant state, you should begin at the right starting point: Your energy.

The best strategy is first to level up your energy. So that your inner self comes to rest and you are able to think clearly again. So that serenity, contentment, joy and well-being can return to your daily project life.

“Energy first” is the motto. Because without your strength and your energy, it simply doesn’t work.

Your energy is the foundation for a fulfilling and successful job. Energy comes first and then activity. That is the right order.

If you are stuck in stress mode for a long time or over and over again, it is ineffective.

• It diminishes your mental capacity.
• It puts you in an unpleasant, energy-sapping and resigned mood.
• It erodes your self-confidence and sense of their effectiveness.
• Your perception is extremely limited: you literally cannot perceive new solutions, even if they are right in front of you.

You can raise your energy to another level in a very targeted way. A very good way is to actively create feel-good moments. Right in your everyday project life.

What are feel-good moments?

If you want to specifically create feel-good moments in your everyday project life, then of course you need to know what constitutes such a moment and what your individual feel-good moments are.

It’s quite simple: feel-good moments are all situations that put you in a good mood. For example

• stimulating, inspiring conversations with your team colleagues, your boss, a customer, a business partner, a coach, etc.
• tasks and activities that give you particular pleasure.
• a creative time-out that you take to put your ideas on paper.
• a successful project completion and the satisfaction that comes with it.
• a pleasurable break that you allow yourself to enjoy your coffee or tea.
• a piece of music that lifts your spirits when you are feeling down.
• a walk in the fresh air where you switch off and come down.

Your feel-good moments are individual and unique. If you know them, you can ensure that you bring more and more of these feel-good moments into your daily project life.

The effect of feel-good moments

If you look at the examples again, you may already feel the effects of feel-good moments:

• Feel-good moments put you in a positive energy. They trigger feelings of joy, contentment, appreciation, serenity and confidence in you.
• Feel-good moments bring you back into your power. They give you motivation and energy.
• Feel-good moments strengthen your self-confidence, self-assurance and effectiveness.
• Feel-good moments bring you into flow. They provide you with creative ideas and more ease in your job.

The more feel-good moments you create in your everyday life, the more often you can raise your energy. It’s up to you, because you know yourself, your wishes, needs and feel-good moments best.

Create feel-good moments in 4 steps

I hope that these introductory words have encouraged you to integrate feel-good moments into your everyday life in the future. In this short guide, you will learn how to do this and what you should pay attention to:

Step #1: Make a list of your feel-good moments

The first step is to find out what your personal feel-good moments are and what puts you in a good mood in your daily work routine.

Take a piece of paper and create your personal LIST OF FEEL GOOD MOMENTS. Feel free to look at my examples again and get inspired.

Just start and write down everything that comes to your mind. Your list is not set in stone, you can always add new feel-good moments to it.

Step #2: Schedule feel-good moments into your daily project routine

Now, of course, you need to actively schedule your feel-good moments into your everyday life, your planning, your calendar.

• If you want to allow yourself more enjoyable breaks, then enter such a break of 10 to 20 minutes in your calendar every day.
• If you have found that you value inspiring, stimulating conversations with certain people, then think about how you can have these conversations more often. Approach the respective conversation partners. Make an appointment. Think about what you want to talk about. Or whether you and your conversation partner simply want to follow what is on the agenda.

You can create rituals for yourself that relate to your moments of well-being. For example, at the end of each day you can reflect on what you have achieved today. Put this 10-minute reflection ritual in your calendar so that you do it.

Here’s another suggestion: pick 3 things from your list of feel-good moments that you want to actively create in the coming week. And think about the best way to do that.

Step # 3: Celebrate wellbeing moments

One thing is particularly important when carrying out your wellbeing moments: many people have gotten into the habit of doing things on the side. This is counterproductive, and not just in terms of your wellbeing moments.

With regard to your energy level, there is the following elementary connection: you will only make an impact if you are consciously aware of your feelings. Consciously feel the joy, the satisfaction, the appreciation, the serenity in the respective situation. In your heart, in your body.

Your feelings account for 80 % of your energy. Science is certain of this, because your feelings provide the corresponding positive effect, on a neuronal, hormonal, electrical and electromagnetic level. Unfortunately, this realisation has not yet reached everyone or been generally disseminated.

It is therefore of central importance that you become consciously aware of your feelings and familiarise yourself with them. I can recommend rituals; for example, I practise an appreciation booster at the beginning of a coaching session with my clients. We look at everything that has happened in the past and that my coachee particularly appreciates. And then we do an exercise to feel, intensify and savour the feeling so that it can unfold its full effect.

In the process, I observe how the often buried ability to feel deepens and unfolds in my coachees over time. And I see the enormous effect this has on the respective situation and energy level.

The ability to feel and control emotions is the most important key to controlling our energy. So make sure you take the time to consciously experience your feel-good moments, to celebrate them. In your thoughts and feelings. Then they are stored in your emotional memory, new neuronal networks are created and your body releases feel-good hormones. Without consciously savouring your feelings, all these effects fail to happen.

Step # 4: Reflect on the effect

I recommend that you regularly reflect on the impact of your feel-good moments. This is the foundation for strengthening your confidence and effectiveness. It provides the stamina you need to implement the changes in your daily work routine.

Take half an hour each week to do this. Reflect on what feel-good moments you have experienced in the past week. Look at what positive effects you feel in terms of your energy, joy, serenity and satisfaction in your everyday working life.

It is best to write all this down. This way you can track over time how your energy level keeps increasing and how your energy affects your work and your well-being.

You will be amazed at the positive effects of raising your energy. Use the reflection to consciously feel the positive feelings that come up. As you know, this will increase your energy level.

Conclusion

Actively creating and practising feel-good moments is a very effective strategy to raise your energy. Get out of problem thinking and stress mode and into more joy, serenity, contentment, appreciation, fulfilment and well-being.

For the best and most lasting effect, follow these four steps:

Step #1: Make a list of your feel-good moments

The result: you know your feel-good moments and how and through what you can actively bring yourself into a powerful, positive energy.

Step #2: Plan feel-good moments into your daily project life

The result: you practice your wellbeing moments directly in your projects. Just as you planned, according to your needs, demands and professional situation.

Step # 3: Celebrate feel-good moments

The result: by consciously celebrating, noticing your thoughts and feeling your emotions, you create the optimal effect on your well-being and energy at work.

Step # 4: Reflect on the effect

The result: by reflecting and becoming aware of the effect, you increase your confidence and effectiveness in managing your energy.

I invite you to try these 4 steps.

Imagine what it would be like to experience more and more of these feel-good moments in your everyday professional life.

Imagine how this would concretely affect

• on your energy level and everyday working life,
• on your enthusiasm and motivation,
• on your projects and results,
• on your well-being and cooperation in the team and with the people in your working environment.

Isn’t it worth investing some time and effort in your energy?

Just start. With the first step. Preferably today.

Notes:

Martina Baehr would like to invite you to a free check-up consultation. Spend 45 minutes discussing your situation and what you can do to increase your energy level.

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Martina Baehr has published other articles on the t2informatik Blog, including

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