Shake Off the Blues on this Sunny Saturday

It's a beautiful Spring morning, but if you have woken with a less than sunny outlook, you may not even notice. Call it malaise, unease, a funk, or in Yiddish: shvach.  If you are not usually a malcontent or seriously depressed and you need some help shaking off these blues, follow these steps to recapturing your sunnier side.

Make two lists, in separate pads, journals or your daily diary.  Yes, I know it seems like hard work first thing on a weekend, but take a chance with my idea anyway: You have nothing to lose. Many people already do some journalling, and this is similar, yet more focused on and purposeful. 

• First, list the circumstances that are the cause of your grey mood. Spend 5 - 10 minutes, no longer, to write down the sources of your negativity, the disappointments, the frustrations and resentments you may be feeling. Then, either put your list away safely or throw it away. The point is to acknowledge these feelings, not to revisit or wallow in them.
• Bring the outside in. Bring your second pad or journal outside or sit next to an open window.  Fresh air will oxygenate your blood and freshen up your thinking. This is my lovely thinking bench. I take a cup of coffee outside and sit in the sun between coaching sessions or before sitting down to write.

• Notice the colours
of spring;  light greens, bright yellows, pinks and the bright blue sky if you are lucky enough to have one. Colour and light are known to affect mood, so surround yourself with upbeat, light hues.

• Once you are settled, write down a list of all the things for which you are grateful. Don't roll your eyes, thinking "been there, done that."  Gratitude journals have been trendy for the last 10 years or so, but they work.  Acknowledging what you do have in your life definitely makes you feel more positive.

Then, take your list a step further and add opportunities that will have a positive impact on you this week.  Can't think of any?  If your current mood leaves you blank on this subject, feel free to borrow a few from me to get you thinking. 

 

• Move - Exercise produces chemicals in the brain that can lift your mood. Walking for the newspaper or a litre of milk is just one opportunity to exercise.
• Smile - It's contagious. Notice that when you smile, others smile back at you. There is a definite feel-good factor at work to making that positive connection, even if it is with strangers.
• Reach out - Free weekend calling plans and Email  provide opportunity to reach out to people who can make you smile and laugh.
• Make time for self care - a peaceful cuppa with a good book, a soothing bath, a massage or special attention to your skincare regimen.
• Laugh - If you are alone, take out a lighthearted book or go to a comedic film. Even if you don't feel like laughing, act as if you do, until it feels more natural.
• Choose your company - Be with people who energize and cheer you, not those in a similarly gloomy mood.
• Give - Is there something that you can do for someone else?  Pay a visit, teach your child to ride a bike or plant some flowers, or volunteer your services to someone less able.
• Create - Whether you are into art, crafts, DIY, cooking, baking, scrapbooking, building Lego cities, flower-arranging or writing, creativity leads to feelings of positive self-worth, especially when you look at what you have created.
• Achieve - Accomplishing even one thing from your to-do list will feel great. I have had these great frames sitting around for a whole year!  I finally framed my family photos the other day and hung them in clusters in my office; now I have smiles looking back at me even when I am working on my own.

If you are up to it, look back at the end of the day at how your mood has changed and what inspired it.  Think again about your opportunities to choose behaviour and actions that infuse your life with positivity.  Rewrite your gratitude list, taking into account what you accomplished emotionally, mentally, physically and practically. Repeat this on a daily basis and I believe that you will notice that your negative list will shrink and your positive list will grow. 

Have a great day,         Lisa