i feel like i’m sometimes the positivity police. it’s actually kind of hard to get me down in a lot of areas of my life, since i generally have a disposition of “a lot of people are worse off than i am.” that hasn’t always been the case, though. i credit a really solid morning routine and a mindset of perpetual gratitude to helping me really have good days, even if they are pretty ordinary. here are 5 ways to have a better day
- have a plan, or at least a forward look. i’m a planner person, and live and die by my calendar. my husband often hears me saying “if it isn’t on the family calendar, it’s not happening.” you’d better believe his hunting trips end up on there so fast … i need to be able to look at my calendar a day, week, month out and mentally prepare. when i’m mentally prepared for what’s coming, i find i can roll with the unexpected punches a lot easier.
- practice gratitude. i could talk FOREVER about this one. sure, i can find myself in a funk often, but it’s a lot easier to get myself out of it when i focus on how lucky i am and what has gone right vs. what has gone wrong. trust me, my life isn’t perfect – far from it – but i am SO incredibly lucky to have the family, friends, career i do and a roof over my head, good food to eat. i have so much, and it feeds my body and mind to think of how lucky i am. try it with even the littlest things; for example: when i wake up, i think of how lucky i am that my body doesn’t hurt when i move. when i work out, i think of how grateful i am i have two working legs to allow me to walk on the treadmill, and internet so i can pinterest during that half an hour.
- move. endorphins are real, you guys, and moving floods your body with endorphins. there’s a reason there are studies out there that show exercise has mental health benefits, in addition to physical ones. move every single day, in some way.
- take care of your outward appearance. some might find this one a little shallow, but hear me out. when the outside matches the inside, you are finding congruence with yourself. it’s why i don’t go to work with wet hair, or wear the same makeup everyday. i feel like myself, and my outward appearance matches how great i feel inside. i’m not saying you have to get all dolled up all the time; no way. i wear sweats all weekend long. but taking care of yourself, inside and out, is a way to put a little pep in your step.
- get outside of yourself. we are all so focused on ourselves, it’s overwhelming sometimes. i know i often fall trap to getting stuck inside my own head, playing the loop of all the things that i have going on, what could be going wrong/right/etc. it’s been proven that once you do something in service of others, you really improve your own outlook on life as well as boost all kinds of feel-good chemicals in your brain. it doesn’t have to be big – maybe it’s just holding the door for a stranger, or paying for the person’s coffee ahead of you. doing something for someone else forces you to focus on something other than yourself, effectively making your perception to be an improvement in your day. if you do any of the above, do this one since it benefits you AND others.
what about you? how do you turn your day around? i’m always looking for tips and tricks (bonus points if they’re backed by science!) to make my day a little better. i encourage you to try 1 of the 5 ways to have a better day!