20.6.13

5 Easy Ways to Turn a Bad Day into a Great One



So today was one of those days for me this afternoon. At least, me a few years ago would have considered it one of those days, AKA my day would have been ruined.  I was late for an appointment this morning, got stuck riding my bike in the oppressive southern California heat, and got honked at by idiot drivers who don't understand how bicycle laws work. But you know what? Today was actually a great day. I switched over my thinking from being a victim, to taking control of how I reacted to the silly little inconveniences I was faced with. As a result I met some really cool people, and coasted out the rest of the day in a smooth, happy state of mind.

1. First and foremost, get over the whole "Bad Day" mentality. When you have mentally surrendered to "This just isn't my day." you are making a choice to notice more bad things that are going to happen to you. I can guarantee there were many good things about the day that you failed to notice because you were already too caught up in "having a bad day." You already let something have the power to ruin the rest of your day (which has infinite possibilities of awesomeness). Step one: get your head out of that cycle. So some shitty things happened today, and that sucks. Acknowledge them, then let 'em go. There is a Buddhist saying that I love: "Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned." So let go of any pent up aggression or anger from things that made you upset today, and they won't have the power to bring you down any longer.

2. Be in the Present:
Don't dwell on negative things any more. Shift your thinking by acknowledging 5 things that are going on around you Right This Instant that you like. Are you safe and warm at home? Are you healthy? Is the weather nice? Is your dog/cat/pet next to you? I'll give you one reason to happy right now: You're here. You're alive. You are the universe experiencing itself Right Now...we're all lucky to be able to say that! This Lao Tzu quote says it best: “If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.” Be in the present. Appreciate your eyes that can see right now, ears that can hear...skin that can feel. Be happy you have those things, many people don't. Let yourself get lost in appreciating those sensations.

3. Exercise: One of my main reasons for exercising is the mental and cognitive effects it has on me. When you exercise your body releases endorphins, which have been scientifically proven (many times, in study after study) to boost people's mood, help us sleep better, and be all around healthier. Exercise is actually been proven a more effective treatment for mild depression than anti-depressants. You don't have to kill yourself at the gym, just get your blood pumping! Go for a walk! If you can, go for a hike, enjoy nature. Just break a sweat...at the end of it I guarantee you will feel better than when you started. You'll look better too, a little tighter, a little fitter, which feeds the cycle of you feeling even better. The best thing about endorphins? We are all holding an infinite supply, if we so choose to tap into it. So go for it, take a few minutes and work off your stress...beautiful things always come to follow.

4. Smile: Yup. It is that simple.
If you have yet to see/hear the TED talk about body language by Amy Cuddy, do yourself a favor and watch it here. She basically delves into why and how our mental state is directly affected in many ways by our physiological state. Basically our bodies act certain ways when we are in certain mental states. If we are in a submissive frame of mind our body language shows that, same as if we feel dominant. The amazing point of her talk, however, was that we can "Fake it till we make it" and trick our minds into feeling better. People who exhibit "power poses" and dominant body language cause their body to release more testosterone and in effect, feel and act more dominant. This was also proven in an experiment where researchers found that people who smiled (or even held a pencil between their teeth to mimic smiling) actually being in a better mood. Smiling causes the release of endorphins and serotonin, feel-good hormones that have a direct effect on your mood. It is one of the easiest ways to cheer up. Smile... even if you don't feel like it...and pretty soon you will feel like it indeed. This is just taking control of your emotions, instead of being on autopilot based on whatever happens to you any given moment. Making the choice to be happy is a beautiful feeling.

5. Gratitude: The fact of the matter is, we ALL have things we should be grateful for. Even if you had the worst day ever...do you still have legs that you can walk on? Can you imagine how much worse off your day would be if you couldn't see? Couldn't hear? Just got diagnosed with a terminal illness? All I'm saying is that we all have a lot that we could and should be grateful for, but it is so easy to lose sight of that when a few (or a lot) of obstacles come in our way. Being late to work, or getting a traffic ticket, or any of the millions of other little obstacles that come in our way sometimes can genuinely feel crappy when they happen. But never lose sight of what you have, and what you are grateful for. The beautiful thing about life is that how you feel is up to you. You ARE in control of your life and how you react to things. And there is so much to be grateful for, even if it's just the fact that you are alive and able to experience this wonderful universe right now. Make the most of the short time you have; don't waste it feeling like shit. One thing that really resonated with me when I read "The Secret" (a book I love but am a bit conflicted about) is that it is impossible to feel good when you are having bad thoughts, and it is impossible to feel bad when you are having good thoughts.

I will leave you with that challenge. Take control of your thoughts, let the bad ones pass, and acknowledge them, learn from them, then...let them go. The past is gone, it does not exist anymore, don't bring yourself down by dragging yourself through things you didn't like. A great way to start thinking positively is by thinking about and appreciating the things you are grateful for. Gratitude is one of the most powerful positive emotions any of us can ever have, and it's an easy way to switch your train of thought, and consequently your entire day, around to being awesome.

Bonus: One amazing, quick video that inspires me whenever I need a little boost, is "This is Water."...my words will do it no justice, but it will surely brighten you up, too...and change your frame of mind to just a bit more positivity.

1 comment:

  1. Very well said/written. I appreciate the positive message.

    ReplyDelete