Yep, I know life is super busy right now. And we aren’t even in the run up to Christmas yet! I want you feeling calm, positive, and on purpose knowing you have the power to make every day great, no matter what’s in it. That a great day is something you have so much more control over than you think you do. Here are six smart ways to switch up your mood in less than a minute (see, I heard ya, I know you are busy!) – pick one, or two – or hell – do all six! They are ALL guaranteed to boost your mood and spread some sunshine, whatever the weather. Pin this list up where you can see it as instant Bad Hair Day circuit breaker.
1. Surprise and Delight Someone
Marketers call them “Surprise and Delight Campaigns”, basically going the extra mile for the client, or rewarding them in some way they weren’t expecting. It’s a powerful thing to do as it’s the unexpected factor that creates amazing loyalty. I want you to do your own mini surprise and delight campaign this morning. Find someone – anyone – to surprise and delight. “I love that skirt, it looks amazing on you” to the fellow traveler at the bus stop. “I brought you sushi for lunch just because you are great at what you do, and you looked really busy today” to the chap in accounts. Random acts of niceness.
2. Just Don’t Do It
Just take something off your To Do list – the biggest HELL NO – you know the thing. Yeah, that thing. The thing that’s really not even your thing. The thing you don’t want to do AT ALL. Delegate it. Or just Cross It Off. Don’t do it. Let it go. Feel that relief? Good. If it’s that important to someone else, don’t worry – they will find a way, or they will do it themselves. Get focused back on your HELL YES stuff instead and bask in the relief.
3. Laugh Out Loud. Yes. LOL
I insist you find something that makes you laugh. Right Now. Your kid. Bob in Purchasing. YouTube, I’m not fussy. Find it and LOL. Did you know kids spontaneously laugh 400 times a day (or something) and adults only 6 (or something equally depressing). We need to get these stats improved, stat! Here’s one that always cracks me up, as it’s exactly what my cat would do.
4. Watch at something powerfully uplifting
Check out something uplifting – my Facebook page is an oasis of uplifting items – like this one. I challenge you not to feel reengaged with your day just 2 minutes later.
5. Focus on what you have. Not what you don’t
Yeah so this is a biggie. When we are busy and our day is feeling kinda sucky it can get very easy to focus on what we don’t have: I don’t have enough time to get this stuff done. I don’t have enough help round the house. I don’t get enough time off or time to exercise. I don’t get any support at work. I don’t have enough money. And so on. The focus on what’s absent just increases the suck factor. I am finding it a very speedy turnaround when I ask myself if one of the Syrian refugees would like to change places with me, what with all that stuff I don’t think I have. In a heartbeat right? My life is an abundance of all things good. So shift the perspective up in a matter of seconds. We are lucky lucky people, and the fact we have a busy life and a busy to do list is a gift. Ask if someone else would take your place, and immediately your perspective will lift.
6. Seeing the To Do list as a gift
So this follows on from the last point, but basically again it’s a mental switcheroo. I see clients overwhelmed with email or that the house is never perfect and tidy. Let’s look at this – what if you had NO EMAIL AT ALL! What would that mean! It would mean inbox nirvana, yes – IT WOULD ALSO MEAN YOU HAD NO FREAKING JOB! Ah. Yes. There is that too. What if your house was all tidy and perfect all the time. What would that mean? It would be a glorious oasis of tidiness, sure. IT WOULD MEAN YOU DIDN’T HAVE TWO BEAUTIFUL HEALTHY BOYS UNDER THE AGE OF FOUR! Ah. Yes. There is that. If you can reframe your To Do list as a list of gifts the world becomes a better place instantly.
Voila! Bet you are feeling perkier already! 6 more Instant Mood Boosters To Turn Around A Bad Hair Day coming your way next week gorgeous, so stay tuned! Let me know which ones of these you tried out today.
