Jay Shetty: Think Like a Monk, the Monk Mind, On Purpose, Books and Videos

Jay Shetty’s top tips for boosting mood and motivation are small, everyday habits: guard your first and last thought of the day, slow your breath, use scent and music to shift your state, rehearse hard moments in your mind, and journal about what you can control. [1]

Our full profile covers Shetty’s journey from London to the ashram and the ideas in Think Like a Monk. This companion focuses on one thing: the practical tools he shares for lifting your mood and getting your motivation back, including the ones he used himself after a low period in his own life.

New to Jay Shetty? Read our full Jay Shetty expert profile for his life story, best videos, books and courses.

How Jay Shetty found his own motivation again

Shetty’s tips come from experience. After three years as a monk, he decided his calling was to share wisdom in a modern way, and he returned to London. It was a hard transition: he moved back in with his parents at 26, with about $25,000 of university debt, and he has spoken openly about a period of low mood. [2]

What helped, he says, was going back to the practices he had learned as a monk: meditation, reading and regular routines. [2] He also realised that purpose shouldn’t depend only on outside things like a job title. His renewed aim was to make mindfulness and wellbeing accessible to people who had never tried them. [2]

He was turned down by around 40 companies before his videos took off, and he says the rejections only motivated him further. [2]

Tip 1: Own your first and last thought

Shetty’s first tip is to take charge of how the day starts and ends. He suggests not checking your phone straight after waking or just before sleep, so the news or emails don’t set the tone. [1]

Instead, begin and end the day with gratitude or an uplifting quote. He also recommends a gentler alarm sound and some natural morning light. At night, reflect on what went well. [1]

Gratitude has research behind it: in one set of studies, people who regularly noted things they were grateful for reported better wellbeing. [3]

Tip 2: Change your breath, change your pace

“When you change the pace of your breath, you change the pace of your life,” Shetty says. When we rush, our breathing gets fast and shallow; when we are calm, it is slower and deeper. [1]

He suggests two easy practices: [1]

• Ocean breathing: follow the rhythm of waves, in and out.
• Longer out-breath: breathe in for a count of four and out for longer than four.

A Stanford study found that just five minutes a day of structured breathing, especially exercises emphasising the exhale, improved mood over a month. [4]

Tips 3 and 4: Use scent and music

Shetty calls scent an underused tool. He keeps different scents in different areas of his home using a diffuser, such as peppermint for freshness or lavender and sandalwood for calm. His advice is to find scents that make you feel calm, energised or relaxed. [1]

Music is another quick mood shifter. He encourages creating playlists for different moods and situations, and says instrumental music in particular can help you set the pace you want for your day. [1]

These are simple, low-cost tools that work anywhere in the world, whether you are at home, commuting or at your desk.

Tip 5: Visualise the hard moments

Shetty uses visualisation to rehearse situations that feel emotional or difficult, so he can respond more calmly when they happen. He suggests combining it with music for a more immersive experience. [1]

A study of guided imagery found that imagining a calm natural scene reduced short-term anxiety. [5] For more, see our visualisation guide.

He also recommends getting to know your triggers, the situations or people that tend to drain you, so you can prepare for them or reduce your exposure where possible. [1]

Tips 6 and 7: Journal and expand your horizons

Journal. Writing worries down brings relief. Shetty suggests sorting them into two lists, what you can control and what you can’t, an idea from Stephen Covey, and putting your energy into the first list. [1]

It may help to know that most worries don’t come true. In a study Shetty highlights, people recorded their worries for ten days and checked them later: 91% did not happen, and when one did, the outcome was often better than expected. [1] [6]

Expand your horizons. Read and listen to content about whatever you feel unsure of, then share what you learn with others, which helps the new habits stick. [1]

Meditation made simple

Shetty describes meditation as, at its core, making time to spend with yourself. He breaks it into three parts: breathwork, visualisation and mantra or sound. Posture and location matter less than simply committing to the practice. [2]

As a monk he learned to count a mantra on prayer beads, which engages the hands, voice and ears and makes it easier to stay present. He also talks about being “where your feet are” rather than letting the mind drift to the past or future. [2] See our meditation guide to get started.

A 10-minute daily mood reset

Putting Shetty’s tips together, here is a simple routine you can try each morning: [1] [2]

1. Two minutes: before touching your phone, name three things you are grateful for.
2. Three minutes: breathe in for four and out for six, or follow an ocean rhythm.
3. Three minutes: with calm music on, picture one challenging moment in your day going well.
4. Two minutes: write down one worry, mark it as controllable or not, and choose one small action.

Small and consistent beats long and occasional.

Make space for what matters

Motivation also grows when your days reflect your values. Shetty suggests three ways to make space for reflection: [7]

• Daily: sit down and reflect on how the day went and how you feel.
• Monthly: go somewhere new, such as a park, library or new town.
• Ongoing: get involved in something meaningful, like a hobby or a charity.

He also recommends a simple audit: look at how you spend your free time and check whether it matches what you say you value. “Values make it easier for you to surround yourself with the right people,” he says. [7] Find more ideas in our motivation guide.

Frequently asked questions

What are Jay Shetty’s top tips for boosting mood?

Control your first and last thought of the day, slow your breathing, use scent and music, visualise difficult moments, journal and keep learning.

What breathing technique does Jay Shetty recommend?

Ocean breathing, or breathing in for a count of four and out for longer than four to help the body relax.

How does Jay Shetty start his day?

He suggests avoiding your phone on waking, using a gentle alarm and natural light, and starting with gratitude or an uplifting quote.

How did Jay Shetty regain motivation after leaving the monastery?

He returned to meditation, reading and daily routines, and redefined his purpose as making wellbeing accessible to more people.

What journaling tip does Jay Shetty give?

Write down your worries and sort them into what you can control and what you can’t, then focus on what you can.

Keep exploring

• Jay Shetty: full expert profile
• Meditation guide
• Motivation guide
• Stress management guide

Sources

1. Jay Shetty blog: 7 Steps to Transform an Anxious Mindset
2. Jay Shetty blog: 5 Mindfulness Practices for Stress Relief
3. Emmons and McCullough, Counting Blessings Versus Burdens, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
4. Balban et al., Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal, Cell Reports Medicine 2023
5. Nguyen and Brymer, Nature-Based Guided Imagery as an Intervention for State Anxiety, Frontiers in Psychology 2018
6. LaFreniere and Newman, Exposing Worry’s Deceit: Percentage of Untrue Worries in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment, Behavior Therapy 2020
7. Jay Shetty blog: Letting Go of the World’s Imagined Ideals

By Saj Ali, founder of Self Help Supermarket.