In the current economic climate, we all need a more positive, resourceful, solution focused mindset more than ever. With gas and electric prices soaring coupled with the wintery temperatures plummeting, the cost of living spiralling and on top of that, services striking, it can have a negative impact on us.

It is helpful to remember that, as human beings we are innately innovate, imaginative and creative and have this within us to help us through tough times. Over the centuries by tapping into our survival mechanisms and adapting we have been able to survive. We are created to be able to survive. We are given a super device, that is our brain along with our senses.

However, to make these super devices work effectively we can feed them the right information. As Henry Ford said; ‘Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right!’. We can learn to tap into that our creativity, that is not just given to the chosen few, but it is within us all, along with innovativeness to generate ideas, these are part of our human existence.

Currently we are all trying to cut down, and live on a tighter budget, as gas and electricity bills are rising and food prices are rising, we don’t have to rely on Martin Lewis to think out of the box, we can too. Here are some things I have been doing;

• Heat the body by drinking regular hot drinks. I have pulled a big flask I had lying about in the cupboard that I haven’t used in ages and rather than boiling the kettle each time I want a hot drink I boil the kettle once and fill my flask and use that for 3 or 4 cups.

• Keep fit and warm. I found two old Rosemary Connelly salsercise DVDs I hadn’t used in years and I have started using them every day at home. It helps me to keep warm, feel uplifted by some great tunes and get exercise at the same time – win, win, win. If you don’t have DVD player for exercise videos there are lots on free dance videos on YouTube or you can create a playlist of songs and from time to time throughout the day play a song, get up and move your body to warm it up, it can help us feel more positive, energised, and more flexible, all of which feels great and feeds our creativity and resourcefulness.

• After a workout you can snuggle up on the sofa with a fluffy blanket and a good book, or your Netflix show or the Psychologies magazines. I find that I feel better and more positive having exercised.

• I also got a wheat pack which I can heat up in the microwave at times when my hands or feet feel cold and it works so well. Fluffy socks and clothes keep my warmer body temperature constant for longer.

What ideas can you think of to keep yourself warmer and reduce electricity and gas bills?
For sure we all have lots of ideas within us, sometimes we just have to open up to find them. We can all learn to use our innate innovativeness and creativity to help.
Why not get all the family to sit down and generate ideas, brainstorm, all ideas welcome however weird and wonderful, even allow for the not so practical without judgement or criticism, just have fun with it with openness, as even if an idea is not that practical it might very well help generate other more doable ideas.

Have fun using your innovativeness and creativity, be playful, it works wonders for solution focus resourceful to help us not only survive but also to thrive.