Who has had a “bad day?” I know I am not the only one.
But, have you ever considered challenging the idea of a day being “bad?” What makes something a “bad day” - or is it just our perception of it?
Now, before you get up in arms, believe me. I have had some REALLY bad ones myself. But how often do we say “this is going to be a bad day” - and it’s only 9 o’clock in the morning - or earlier?
Labeling a day as a “good day” or a “bad day” before the day is over results in a self-fulfilling prophecy. The day is not over yet! There is still time to “get it back on track” and it starts with your mood.
HOW MOOD AFFECTS THE DAY
There is something to be said for recognizing the connection between the mindset with which we begin and go about our day and how the actual tone and/or mood for the day plays out. Sometimes, the scenarios which make up a “good” or “bad” day were not actually “better” on the good days or “worse” on the bad ones.
What was “better” was your mindset, dictating that it WILL be a good day, regardless of what happens -
which in turn, resulted in you handling the day differently overall.
As an example, let’s say something happens to us that is 100% out of our control. If we already have started the day with a negative mindset, we are more apt to see that day as a “bad” one. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Here are 3 tips on how to beat that “stinking thinking” through positive self-talk and some just all-around practical exercises.
1) Best Foot Forward
In the words of Peoria, Illinois’ famous archbishop and TV celebrity, Venerable Fulton J. Sheen: “There are two ways of waking up in the morning. One is to say, 'Good morning, God,' and the other is to say, 'Good God, morning'!”
In all seriousness, there is quite a bit of truth to putting your best foot forward or getting up on the right side of the bed. While our beds don’t have a right or wrong side, our minds definitely do!
Before you even step foot out of the bed, I might suggest saying something “positive” to yourself (either a mantra of your choice, a prayer, or even a moment of silence).
The right words, no matter how simple, when said at the start of the day can shift the mood right away from one of stress and anxiety about what’s to come toward one of gratitude and serenity.
2) Notes of Encouragement
Who else forgets things easily? I do!
No matter what our intention at the start of the day, sometimes we inevitably start to fall off track.
Want to know a great way to give yourself a helping hand in advance of a hard day?
Try writing out some of your favorite inspirational quotes on note cards and place them in key places around the house where you will be sure to see them.
I know people who have notes of encouragement on their night stands (so it’s the first thing they see in the morning), bathroom mirrors, or even inside the shower!
Do what you need to do, but a little thinking ahead never hurt anyone!
3) Gratitude Reminders
Since we are creatures of habit, many of us probably know which times of day are usually the hardest on us.
Maybe it’s the morning haul to get up and moving. Or maybe it’s the after work slump where all you want to do is sleep but there’s so much work at home to do.
Setting a timer on your phone to go off at these “hardest times” can serve as a reminder to check your mindset. I like to think of these as “gratitude gotcha’s.” When that timer goes off, maybe think of something in this current situation that you are grateful for to help motivate you to reframe your mindset.
Once you’ve started THAT habit, you’ll find it cropping up in the midst of unexpected hard times too.
We all have difficulties, but the way we see those difficulties in our minds can have a huge impact on whether we triumph or succumb to them.
A “bad day turned good” because of re-evaluating your mindset might look something like this: The kids got into a fight and you were calm and redirected
instead of yelling, because you woke up with the intent to quiet your soul. The victory causes your spirits to lift, because you didn’t lose your patience with them. That success feeds into an overall better mood for you, causing you to continue that upward trajectory the rest of the day: resulting in a “good” day.
It’s ALSO easy to see how it could play out in reverse if the scenario of watching the kids get into a fight was viewed more negatively.
Here’s the nuts and bolts of it though: Fostering a mindset of positivity and gratitude will better prepare you for when (inevitably) bad things happen.
You will be more able to beat that “doom and gloom” perspective out the front door!
Growing and Learning Together,
Anna Ketterling
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