Mindset Morning
A beautiful morning
So many opportunities the second we wake up... well rested or most of the time pretty tired and not ready yet to crawl out of bed. Am I right?
Did you wake up happy or anxious? Do you feel stressed the moment you wake up? If yes, you are most definitely not alone - we all get so busy trying to figure out life, doing our best to not fall behind, keep up with work, relationships, healthy eating etc. From whatever mood you are starting to get up and seize your day: choose happiness. Choose fun and laughter. Excitement and joy.
Wondering how?
Mindset Shift
Guess what, anyone can change their mindset at any time of the year, the week and the day. Even in this second as you are reading this - you can decide to smile (:
And a smile goes a long way! In fact, studies have shown that even faking a smile when you look into the mirror tells your brain "aha, we are smiling, things are apparently not as bad as we think they are". This may not apply if you are full-on crying BUT if you are just feeling a little "meh" and unmotivated about your day, your job, life at the moment or in general, then maybe being a little bit delusional and adapting a 'fake it till you make it' attitude might just do the trick!
And if you are in this very moment thinking "that will not work for me, I feel genuinely unhappy", try this:
Dance, dance, dance
You heard me correctly: Dance, as if no one is watching! Sounds catchy, does it not? But no, for real though. Whenever I feel down, I put my favorite playlist / songs on and dance like a crazy person. No one is watching you (unless you are not living alone and maybe do not have any curtains) - but even if someone would be watching... what would they see? Someone having fun, enjoying their life, LIVING and not caring about what anyone thinks! And believe me when I say: dancing and looking funny, laughing and seeing yourself in the mirror is so powerful in changing your mood instantly. Do not think - just do! And if dancing is not your cup of tea - make silly faces, talk in a funny voice to yourself and then laugh about it! Life is fun and precious and short - enjoy it! Do not let a bad day, a shitty morning or even a whole week ruin your fun.
Journaling and gaining perspective
Now I understand that not everyone is a dancer or wants to jump around when feeling unhappy (although I highly recommend giving it a try!). Sometimes it is perfectly fine to wallow a little bit. To be still and silent and think about what is causing you to feel the way you feel.
Journaling is a great tool to help you get everything out of your mind and onto paper.
I journal almost every day. It does not have to be pages after pages. And do not worry about messy handwriting or spelling mistakes. No one (probably not even you) will ever read these notes again. Journaling simply helps you to gain perspective. To figure out what is overwhelming you at this moment and to write it down. I invite you to give it a try. There is no doing it wrong, believe me. Think about this: What is stressing you out? Why do you feel overwhelmed? What can you do to fix it right now or in the next days/weeks? If there is nothing that you can do to fix it in this moment, can you accept the situation?
For me, most of the time I find that there are some things that are out of my control. And even though they make me upset and stress me out, there is nothing I can do about it. And that is okay. Realizing that is powerful. And learning to accept it will give you some peace of mind.
However, a lot of the times there are just too many stressors in our heads that compound and make us feel paralyzed. So with the help of journaling, figuring out the things that are within your control together with the action steps to take in order to fix them is a huge win. If you have made it this far in your and maybe even started to journal: great, I am so proud of you!
Bonus Tip:
I found this IKEA hat, while I was in the middle of a stressful moving apartments-phase. I think it was around 2€ and I knew I would not really wear it or use it. It just looked so funny when I tried it on and I could not stop laughing and took pictures with it and sent it to my friends and family. I bought it because it made me laugh! And I did also think that this hat in fact would be useful next time I paint a ceiling. Because have you ever tried to wash paint out of your hair? Exactly.
Spoiler alert: I have not painted any ceilings since having my beloved goofy IKEA hat. And I only wore the hat outside twice as a joke for a very short time. I am sure I looked funny with my goofy smile on my face. But who cares? The whole point is, if an item like a piece of clothing or an accessory makes you happy, then buy it, keep it in your closet for mood-emergencies and wear it! I wear my silly IKEA hat at home, whenever I feel a little unhappy or sad and I can not pull myself out of it. I put on my hat and look at myself in the mirror. And smile and laugh and then continue with my day 🙂
