Doing a Mental Reset
Do you ever have one bad thing happen in your day, and then the rest of the day seems to follow suit? And then you’re cranky and taking it out on everyone around you. Well what if you could do a mental reset and not let that one thing bleed over into the whole rest of your day? That’s what I want to talk about today, how to reset your mind when you're having a bad day so that it doesn't continue and ruin the rest of your day. Maybe you have something happen at work and you don’t want it to color everything else so that you are taking it home with you and treating your family poorly because of it. We have all had that happen before. But how do you stop the spiraling and shake it off? Here are my seven steps to reset your mood. First up is having a self-care power hour. Even if you need to break it up into 15-minute increments, it’s refreshing and rejuvenating to just take a quick 15-minute break from everything around you when something goes wrong. Do something nice for yourself and turn off all your electronics, and take a power nap, have a shower or bath, or make a cup of tea, or read a few pages from your favorite book. The point is to just take care of yourself, doing literally anything that you enjoy and find relaxing. A power Hour for self-care and self-love is probably something that you never thought of before. We usually think of power hours as being for business, or for getting your house organized, or forgetting your taxes done or something like that. But you don't always think about doing a positive self-care power hour that is just for you. My second tip for giving yourself a mental reset is to give yourself a change of scenery. Get outside in the fresh air, take some deep breaths and sit outside to enjoy the view, or go for a walk. Or even just go work somewhere else that you don’t usually sit. Right now I know it’s a little harder because we aren’t able to just go sit at a coffee shop to work unless it’s outside, but even just a change of scene in another room or in your car is sometimes enough to give you a chance in perspective. I have some favorite spots where I can park my car, look out over the water, enjoy the view, and just take a nice mental break. Find those places for yourself and go there whenever you just need a moment alone to regroup. Third on my list is to give yourself a pep talk. One of the most powerful things you can say to yourself is “I am.” Affirming statements starting with the words “I am” give your brain a message that you are becoming that person you want to be, and it will work to help make that happen. So when you are feeling frustrated, angry, irritated, or down in any way, tell yourself that you are strong, you can get through this, and that you are an overcomer. This also works for those frustrations where you lose patience or get angry. You could tell yourself, “I am becoming more and more patient every day.” Or “I am becoming a stronger and more resilient person each and every day.” Every not so great situation is a chance to learn, grow, and become better, so remind yourself of that when you are going through a challenge. Tip number 4 in giving yourself a mental reset is to cut the interruptions by turning off your online notifications. Focusing on the task at hand without distractions helps you to compartmentalize and not be bothered by unnecessary interruptions that could have an effect on your mood and mindset. When you constantly have every notification popping up on your phone and computer, it’s nearly impossible to get anything done. You can limit the interruptions by turning off notifications so that you can check messages, comments, likes, and emails with intention at the time you specifically set to do so. You will be amazed at how much more you get done without all that buzzing and pinging going off all the time. My fifth tip for resetting your mood is a fun one. Just shake it off-literally! Turn on your favorite uplifting song, or even have a special playlist for just this occasion, and get your body moving. Tony Robbins teaches that you need to change your state, and I completely agree. Body movement such as dancing decreases the stress hormone cortisol and increases your endorphins which increase happiness and reduce stress and tension. So if you ever feel in a funk or like you need a boost of energy, turn on a song and start moving. By the time that 3-minute song is over, you will feel so much better! Number six is a quieter way to change your mood but is very effective. Journaling about your challenges and feelings, and pouring everything that is bugging you out on paper can be very cathartic. Doing that brain dump of all the things that aren’t done, aren’t going right, or are just getting you down can help put things into perspective and assist your mind in working through things. And when you are done writing all the things that aren’t going right, shift your focus on what is good in your life. Changing your mindset into one of gratitude will show you the balance that nothing is ever all bad, even though it may feel that way sometimes. Write down at least 3 things you can be grateful for at this moment, and more if you can. You will feel so much better, and perhaps even get some clarity on how to move forward with a better attitude toward your day. Finally, here is my number seven tip to resetting your mood-practice mindfulness. When you are truly present in the moment, it’s much more difficult to let things in your life or your day get you down. Being mindful means staying in the here and now, not thinking about the past or worrying about the future, and just being in the moment. Practice taking some deep breaths, focusing with the intention on the breath flowing in and out of your body. A great relaxing breathing technique is to breathe in for a count of 4, hold it for a count of 7, and exhale as you count to 8. Focusing on your breath and counting will clear your mind of anything else and give your mind a break. Just do this 5 times whenever you need a quick way to reset your mood, and as a bonus, it always works well whenever you need to clear your mind when you are trying to fall asleep.