“I have decided to be happy because it is good for my health.” ~ Voltaire
In The Secret, Rhonda Byrne said that if there is one take away you have from the book, it is to “feel good now.” The mind is a magnet and attracts more of what it is we are thinking about it. If we are focusing on feeling optimistic, we bring more good into our lives (and the same for the reverse). Not only does feeling good, well, feel good — it attracts good. This is where you want to be!
We all have those days when we just don’t feel great. We wake up a little crabby, we get some disappointing news or for a reason we cannot identify, we just feel a little low. This is natural. The cool news is that we can shift our moods and mindsets with some conscious and simple techniques.
Here are seven tips to shift your mood to a higher, happier frequency:
- Laugh!
What makes you laugh? Do it! Sometimes watching a comedy or even a YouTube clip can take you out of you slump. So can recalling a funny experience in your life and re-telling it to the friend or spouse you shared it with. Research shows that laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts your energy, diminishes pain and protects you from the damaging effects of stress.
- Be present
For a moment just be still and breathe. Notice your surroundings — the sounds in the room, how your body feels, the light outside. Sometimes we do not pause and acknowledge the calmness and beauty of the present moment. When we are living in the now, we do not worry about the future of feel guilt or regret about the past. Regularly applied, mindfulness makes us feel peaceful and alive.
- Be grateful for something new
A lot of people make gratitude part of their daily practice and count the same blessings. Believe it or not, there is such a thing as a gratitude rut. What is something that you have never necessarily been thankful for before in your life? The convenience of Uber, the good fortune that there’s a Whole Foods near your office or that you have a weekend getaway planned this summer are all awesome things that deserve thanks!
- Re-connect with someone
There is nothing like a human connection to boost our mood. In fact, every single human interaction (even just a 15-second chat in an elevator) is an energy exchange. Phone a fun, loving family member to say hello or buy an uplifting friend a cup of coffee and spend 20 minutes enjoying his or her company this week.
- Take care of yourself
So often we put ourselves last. Our children, partners, friends, peers come before us. So think, would make you happy today? Put off a non-urgent chore or project and gift yourself a manicure, massage or a 45 minute stroll in the park with your favourite Spotify playlist.
- Get outside
There is nothing like a nature boost to make us feel like ourselves. Fresh air and natural light are simply good for us. I read last year about the importance of putting your bare skin on nature at least once a day. Kelly Morris, NYC based meditation teacher states, “I don’t care if it’s just your palm on a tree for three minutes while you check your phone. The deadly free radicals immediately drain out and the negative electrons immediately start flooding in. This means health and youth for you.”
- Do something nice for someone else
Hada Bejar said it best about kindness, “The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose.” It is a truly wonderful thing that when we do something kind, we reap the rewards, too. If we truly look around us, the opportunities to be kind are infinite – offer to babysit a friend’s kid for an hour so she can take a nap or send a couple of long overdue thank you cards.
8. Have some perspective!
How bad is your life, really? Marianne Williamson says, “Joy is what happens when we allow ourselves to recognise how good things really are.” Amen!
Please tell me in the comments box below … What works for you when you need a quick mood boost?
