One day can change your whole life, start this Global Wellness Day.
Global Wellness Day is a social project that helps us recognise the value in our lives and defeat the negativity that impacts us all. We can often be so preoccupied with our lives that we never take a moment to step back, reflect and practice gratitude. By just missing out this one thing, we prevent ourselves from reaching our full potential and leading the happiest, healthiest life possible.
2022 is the year of the #ThinkMagenta campaign and strives to overcome the negativity in the world. Host are fully on board with this and have prepared tips on mastering your mind.

1) Identification
Our thoughts directly impact our emotions and behaviours, which is why its important to become aware of what’s going on in our mind. Whenever you have a negative thought, write it down and then spend a few minutes a day reflecting on it. Although this seems counterproductive, it will help in taking control of your negative thoughts.
Once your negative thoughts can be observed, we can then understand the cognitive distortions and negativity that take place. For example, we can jump to conclusions about how things will turn out, or opinions on what others think. Similarly, we may catastrophise and think about the worst possible outcome without even considering other, more likely scenarios.

2) Replace negativity
Cognitive restructuring is the process where negative thoughts are identified, evaluated, and replaced. This allows us to examine the evidence to determine the legitimacy of our negative thinking, in turn challenging it. At first this may be difficult, due to it not being a natural habit, but over time it becomes easier, allowing for rational and positive thoughts to thrive.
You will want to ask yourself questions such as these:
- Are you basing your thoughts on facts or feelings?
- What credible evidence is there for your thought?
- Is this thought more complicated than just being black and white?
- Are you making any misinterpretations or assumptions?
After you have done this, you will want to find an alternative to your original thought.
For instance: “I’m going to mess up” can change into “I’ve received good feedback from my lecturer, and they trust me to complete this assignment”.
Follow through this Global Wellness Day and start changing your life for the better.

3) Keep a thought journal
To better help the habit develop, a good idea is to have a dedicated thought journal where you can monitor your thoughts in one place. This will help you identify negative thinking styles and understand your thoughts. For example, a thought journal might break down what was going through your mind when thinking about an assignment or an exam, and the emotional and physical reactions that occur due to the negative thinking. Afterwards, you can replace irrational thoughts of failure with constructive and beneficial ways of thinking.

4) Remove should
As a student there is often a lot of responsibilities that you must juggle, and this isn’t always easy. A habit that we all fall victim too is that we tell ourselves we “should” do something. Although we have positive intentions, we end up triggering a sense of guilt that causes negative thinking to take place once we fail to do it.
The word “should” puts a demand on us that is difficult to live up to… that’s because we are human, and we all make mistakes. Be kinder to yourself and use phrases that keep you motivated such as “I’ll try my best”. This Global Wellness Day give it a go.

5) Take the victories where you can
When it comes to our mental well-being, we so very often get frustrated that we can’t transform our sad feelings immediately into positive ones. If it was that easy, then treating general anxiety would be far easier.
Even during those times where nothing seems to work, you should be proud that you have recognised and acknowledged it. We are human. We feel sad. We feel anxious. Don’t let our mental shifts determine what’s enough. Take a break, give yourself another day and be proud of the small steps!
If you are interested in reading further about keeping your mind healthy, then check out student minds.