How many times does your mood change throughout the day? You get stuck in morning traffic, someone at work says something negative to you and it’s enough to ruin your mood.
Isn’t it funny how one negative comment from someone can completely change your mood sometimes? When I first started my work as a paralegal, every single time a client had a complaint or a bad attitude, I took it personally. Even though it can get a little stressful at times, I like what I do and most of our clients are very nice, polite people. So, if 90% of the people I deal with are not only civilized but also pleasant to deal with, why would I let that 10% who aren’t, get to me?
You can’t always control things that happen to you, but you can always control how you react to them- this is something that I say A LOT- and it’s also something that I tell myself quite often, too. And trust me, we ALL go through difficult situations.
Today, we’ll talk about a few things that will help you stay positive throughout an entire day- regardless of what comes your way.
GET AN EARLY START
Trust me, there’s nothing better than getting an early start to your day. One of the reasons why I love getting up early is that I am never in a rush and this dramatically reduces the possibility of me being stressed first thing in the morning. As I’m writing this post, it’s 6.30 am, I already made breakfast, had a morning stretch and I also tried to walk my dog- but he’s way too lazy in the morning. If it wasn’t for my early mornings, I also don’t think that I’d be able to blog as often as I do. If you want to learn how I became a morning person, see this post.
HAVE A HEALTHY BREAKFAST
Make sure that you eat something light and healthy in the morning. Skipping breakfast is never a good idea- especially if you have a tendency to turn grumpy when you’re hungry. Having something light will also prevent you from feeling too full and sluggish- which can also affect your mood.
MAKE SURE YOUR WORKSPACE IS CLEAN
Whether it’s work or school- make sure that your workspace is clean and organized. This will also reduce your possibility of getting stressed- you won’t be stuck looking for that important paper you need and having clean and organized workspace will also help you be more efficient and productive.
POCKET MEDITATION
This is probably one of my favorite ways of calming down whenever I start feeling anxious. It can be done anywhere, even when you’re driving- as long as you don’t close your eyes. All it takes is one minute of yogic breathing and you will feel happier, instantly. To learn the pocket meditation, see this video by one of my favorite people- Gabby Bernstein.
GET SOME FRESH AIR
If you have the possibility of having lunch outside, do it. Get some fresh air, breath deeply and focus on the present moment. If you can, take a little walk in the fresh air as a mid-day pick-me-up. If you can’t do any of these things, open up a window and let some fresh air in.
FIND SOME TIME JUST FOR YOURSELF
There is nothing wrong with treating yourself, self-love is so very important for your happiness. It doesn’t have to be a full-on spa day, but maybe a 5-minute face mask or a quick workout. Whenever I feel like my day isn’t going too well, I take a little break, go to my favorite coffee shop and get a nice cup of latte or tea. Little things like these are sort of like acts of kindness toward yourself and they will make you feel happier.
Being a positive person doesn’t mean that you’re happy and cheery all the time. It means that rather than letting things get to you, you chose to let go. You chose to forgive (whether it be someone, something or yourself) and move on.