If you’re like me, you sometimes have a hard time getting out of bed. Not to mention, getting out of bed in a positive mood.
Sometimes your initial thought in the morning is about the stuff you don’t want to do. With so much to navigate in a day, doing what you can to adopt a positive mood will make a difference in your sense of well-being.
Personally speaking, I often fall into negative thinking; it takes constant reminders to myself to “think positive” and adjust my attitude. I also struggle with feeling bad for no obvious reason. Why does this happen?
How Do You Talk To Yourself?
In recent years, I noticed my self-talk becoming more and more negative. Specific experiences at work as well as a natural tendency toward perfectionism are at the root of my self-talk “problem”. Even though I knew I should practice positive self-talk, putting it into practice wasn’t easy at first.
One of the toughest yet most rewarding activities you can try is to monitor how you talk to yourself. Pay attention to when you’re feeling frustrated or down, and chances are you’re telling yourself some negative messages without even knowing it.
The following activities will help you shift the script so your inner dialogue becomes more friendly. If affirmations like “you’ve got this” or “you can do anything” help, come up with a few that you can rely on in times of need! To see long-term positive results try at least one of the proven mood boosters like practicing gratitude, cultivating compassion, and more.
When you integrate these activities into regular habits, you’ll have a reliable tool to support you no matter what is going on at work or at home.
Try One of These 5 Mood Boosters Today
The following practices can help reset your brain so that overthinking and ruminating are no longer your default mode. Try one of these today and see if it makes a difference in your mood!
- One effective way to boost your mood instantly is by practicing gratitude. Take a few moments to write down things you’re thankful for, which can quickly elevate your positivity and improve your overall mood. Curious about keeping a gratitude journal? Start by writing down 1 thing you are grateful for before you go to bed. Not interested in writing it down? Try thinking of 1 thing you are grateful for as soon as you lie down in bed at night.
2. Another effective method to instantly boost your mood is cultivating self-compassion. By practicing self-kindness and reducing self-criticism, you can improve your overall well-being and treat yourself with more understanding and care. Consider writing a heartfelt letter to yourself emphasizing your positive qualities and treating yourself with gentleness. While it might seem awkward at first, find a blank page in your journal and address it to yourself. Make a commitment with yourself to be ok with awkwardness, and simply start writing!
3. When we are confident, we are more likely to take the necessary actions we need to take to improve our lives. As a result, it can be easier to be in a better mood. We may be able to boost self-confidence by reminding ourselves of our strengths and positive qualities. It doesn’t have to be anything big—maybe you’re a good cook, good at playing video games, or have a vibrant imagination.
If you tend to only see your frustrating or negative qualities, try making a list of 10 strengths right now. If it’s too challenging, try thinking of someone who loves you unconditionally and look at your positive qualities from their point of view.
4. Numerous studies show that training our attention away from the negative and onto the positive improves our well-being (MacLeod, et al., 2002; Wadlinger & Isaacowitz, 2008). This might sound too simple, but in practice, it’s not as easy as you might think.
You have to catch yourself having the negative thought, by recognizing that it is happening in the moment. Rather than criticize yourself for having the negative thought, immediately think of a positive reflection related to the same topic.
For example, if we lose a job, we might say to ourselves: “I am so happy to have friends who care about me”. This technique has been used in yogic practice for thousands of years, for a reason. It works.
5. Let’s be honest. Sometimes we just want to look at funny or cute things, am I right? (There’s actually science that suggests positive images boost our mood.)
I, for one, start to get a little down when I’m 20 pages in to a 100 page reading assignment for classes that I’m taking at the University of New Mexico. While we’re sitting on the couch, I welcome the opportunity to look over my husband’s shoulder because he’s often watching cute mini-dachshund videos and having a laugh.
Yes, it’s perfectly appropriate to let our brains rest by looking at the latest funny cat videos online and just let our mood improve that way. However, try to avoid the trap of staying online too long, or you’ll find yourself doomscrolling, which is a sub-optimal way to spend your time!
BONUS: Declutter your space. We all do it: we pile things up in places they don’t belong. When you declutter to boost your mood It’s best to start small. After all, when you start small, you get an immediate result without too much effort.
When I’m feeling low, I notice a significantly boosted mood when I declutter a drawer or two, a desktop, or a high-use countertop. Decluttering is even better with a pre-game cup of caffeinated tea or coffee!
The best part is you get additional boosts every time you look at the space you decluttered. For best results, start with obvious garbage and remove that. Then, take a hard look at the items that remain. Ask yourself if you use these items daily. If it’s not in use every day, find a storage spot for it, or liberate it into the garbage (or recycling).
