The Cheer Time Capsule
Well-being 🌿 | Build resilience 🌊 | #TimeCapsule #Uplift #Positivity
TL;DR
Create a "Cheer Time Capsule" filled with notes, memories, and positivity for your future self to uplift your mood.
Include achievements, self-compassion messages, words of encouragement, inspirational quotes, and/or a gratitude journal.
Regularly add content to your capsule to build a habit of focusing on positive things and boost your self-esteem.
Seed
You probably already know the concept of time capsules, where you take a box, and put some objects, letters, memories, etc. which you burry for your future-self or other generations to dig out and discover later. I really like the idea of being able to communicate like this with future generations, and creating a surprise for them.
I’d like to use this concept to talk about a tool you can build for your future-self. Imagine having a collection of notes and memories on various topics, ready to lift your mood when you feel like you need an uplift. It's like a personal reserve of positivity that you can tap into whenever you need it. We've explored this idea in a previous post on preparing an emergency plan, and this can be a valuable addition to your mental well-being toolkit.
Here are some ideas for the content of your Cheer Time Capsule:
Achievements: Include reminders of what you've accomplished and moments you're proud of. Celebrate your successes, big or small.
Self-Compassion: Write kind and encouraging messages to your future self. Remind yourself of your worth and the strengths that reside within you.
Words of Encouragement: Collect compliments and uplifting words from people who care about you. These messages can be a powerful source of motivation.
Inspirational Quotes: Gather quotes and speeches that resonate with you, ones that boost your self-esteem and ignite your determination.
Gratitude Journal: because it’s good to remember what we’ve felt grateful for in the past - and it’s the evidence that we’re taking care of ourselves by writing this journal.
You can start small, and regularly add content to your capsule. Getting into this habit will also help you to focus on those positive things, you’ll see that you will start spotting them more easily and more often than before.
Example
Personally, I still feel a bit awkward about reading compliments or self-affirmations I've left for my future self. So instead, I started with a list of accomplishments.
I find it easy to become accustomed to our most recent achievements and forget how far we've come. Therefore, I make an effort to document where I was when I started and where I ended up upon completing something. This way, I can remind myself that I have good reasons to be proud of what I've accomplished.
Bonus
One fun part of the exercise is to find how you’re going to call these tools.
Here are a couple of examples: Uplift Galleries, Bliss Boxes, Joy Jars, Well-Being Wells…
Let me know how you will call yours!