Relaxation Moments

Relaxation, Peace and Serenity for the Mind and Body

5 Actions That Feed Your Soul

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According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the soul is defined as “The immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life.” This is a commonly held understanding for the term although many interpret it in their own ways. Essentially though, the soul is body and mind combined to make up who we are and how we act. (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soul).

We need to maintain our soul just as we maintain our bodies and we do this by feeding it with positivity. If we wish to have a happy and prosperous soul, we need to find ways to enrich our lives making us more compassionate and caring people. 

1. Meditation

According to Holistic Occupational Therapy.org meditation has the ability to improve our physical, mental, and spiritual health. Regular efficient meditation can help promote positive mental states easing symptoms of conditions such as depression and anxiety. Focusing on positive energies and repeating inspiring phrases during meditation can feed the soul. (https://holisticot.org/the-power-of-meditation/#:~:text=%20The%20Power%20of%20Meditation%20%201%20Sit,caught%20up%20in%20thoughts%20or%20feelings,…%20More).

Practitioners of meditation have found the practice helps to decrease feelings of grief and sadness. At the same time, it can promote self love and acceptance. This practice strengthens us against the hardships in life and helps us become happier, more inspired souls. We strengthen our souls with the focus meditation brings as well as the feelings of calm and serenity. 

2. Be a Generous Person

The Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research suggests that studies have shown a correlation between charitable activity and general life satisfaction. Essentially when people make donations, they feel happier and more content knowing they have helped someone else.

Generosity is a boost to our souls especially when we understand the need of the person we are helping. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evidence-based-living/201711/giving-is-good-you).

When we find a cause that means a great deal to us, perhaps something we have struggled with ourselves, we can enrich our souls. There is no greater feeling than providing help to someone who needs it. The support may be financial or it could be a donation of your time but whatever way you can help will strengthen your soul. 

3. Forgive Someone

The Harvard Medical School believes that there is power in forgiveness and this is certainly true when it comes to maintaining our souls. When we hold on to anger against other people for the things, they have done to us we do damage to our own emotions. As anger festers and builds up in us, we can become resentful  of others and obsessed by the wrongs done to us. (https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/the-power-of-forgiveness).

The greatest release of these negative feelings of anger and resentment is to find our way to forgiveness. We must learn the importance of releasing negativity so we may enrich our souls with only the positive. When we can forgive, we can leave those hurts behind us and embrace love and happiness. 

4. Get Some Natural Beauty

There is nothing so inspiring as the calm and serenity we can find by walking in a place of natural beauty. It is important we find time to locate places where we feel inspired by the natural world. We can breathe in the fresh air and walk around and get exercise. All of this can help soothe our souls and allow us to clear our heads and find peace. 

5. Embrace Your Creativity

Deep inside us all there is some level of creativity just waiting to get out. Art experts often speak of the emotion they perceive in an artist’s work and that is because they pour their souls into their work. Make an effort to find some type of creative pursuit that brings you pleasure and happiness to pursue. You don’t even have to be very good at the thing you choose, you merely need to enjoy it.

5 Reasons To Work Out Every Morning

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morning rituals

According to the Mayo Clinic regular exercise has a number of very important positive effects in our lives. If we can start our day off with a workout, we can help maintain a healthy weight, improve our mood, manage medical conditions, and actually boost our energy levels. (https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389).

Exercise should be spaced out throughout the week to ensure the best results as this maintains the benefits better. One or two days a week in terms of working out can quickly lose its effectiveness if you are sedentary the other 5. So, make this a daily practice and remember the morning may be the best time to get in your exercise. 

1. Work out When You Have the most Energy

Many people plan to go and work out after they have finished their day at work but this is a surefire way for plans to fail. When we have worked all day, we often do not have the energy and motivation to exercise so it may get skipped. In the morning, however, as long as we carve out time before our day starts is perfect for a workout.

After we wake up, we are rested and have the most energy we are likely to have for the day. Working out in the morning gets it out of the way with the minimum of resistance. There are no excuses of I’ve had a long day” or “I’m tired.” Once the workout is complete you may be surprised how great the rest of your day may progress. 

2. Inspiration to Have a Healthier Day

When we work out in the morning, we make ourselves feel physically healthier and more energized for the day ahead. This feeling of health is infectious and can lead us to make better food choices throughout the day to try and keep that good feeling. Having gotten exercise in the morning we may find we have energy to walk around more perhaps while we eat lunch or just a short stroll while on break. 

3. Improved Sleep

The Mayo Clinic suggests that regular exercise is very beneficial in terms of helping us set a solid sleep schedule. When we work out and burn calories our bodies become tired making it much easier for us to fall asleep at night.

The clinic does suggest that you do not work out close to bedtime as this can actually cause you to find it hard to get to sleep. This is why the morning is the best time for a workout as it helps to combine with your full day in making you tired and ready to sleep at night. 

4. Exercise Sharpens Your Mind

Psychologist Mylea Charvat, Ph.D. believes that regular exercise can have not only an effect on your body but also your mind. Regular aerobic exercise which gets your heart rate up increases blood flow around the body. This helps transport oxygen to the brain more efficiently which helps in a process known as neurogenesis. It is essentially the production of new neurons in the brain which aid memory function. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-fifth-vital-sign/201901/why-exercise-is-good-your-brain).

5. Improves Motivation

It takes will power to get up each day and exercise, it’s an achievement which should inspire you moving forward. The feeling of getting up, working out, showering, and eating breakfast before we even go to work should be great.

Having already achieved so much before your day really begins should be used as a motivation to try and do more things. A morning workout can inspire you to work harder during your day hopefully impressing your bosses with your motivation levels. Start the day with a workout and you may just find your career starts to bloom as well.

Morning Yoga Can Improve Your Day

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Yoga In The Morning

The National Institutes of Health say that yoga is an ancient practice which originated in India. Initially used as a spiritual practice, it has since become a popular regular workout. Traditional yoga focuses greatly on spiritual enlightenment and often features chanting as well as physical elements. The more modern equivalent focuses more on the physical aspects of the practice. (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/yoga-what-you-need-to-know).

This is often a light impact way to get exercise making it a perfect early morning practice. Without expending too much energy 30-60 minutes of yoga each morning can have a number of benefits which can improve your day as a whole. 

Improves Strength And Flexibility

According to WebMD light daily yoga can greatly improve your flexibility. This is because the poses and stretches work the muscles improving their elasticity. With more relaxed muscles this also helps to minimize stiffness and tiredness within the muscles as well. (https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/the-health-benefits-of-yoga#:~:text=The%20Health%20Benefits%20of%20Yoga%201%20Yoga%20for,blood%20pressure%20and%20slow%20the%20heart%20rate.).

More intense so-called power yoga, such as Ashtanga, can help to improve muscle tone and strength. There are a wide variety of poses meaning that potentially all of your muscle groups can be worked. If performed properly most of these poses will work your core muscles along with the other targeted areas. 

Helps Your Posture

The way a person holds themself can often have an effect on how people perceive them. Poor posture on a subconscious level can cause people to judge you as lazy or unmotivated. Daily morning yoga sessions can help you develop a more proud, confident posture.

As core strength improves our ability to stand tall without excess effort grows. Additionally, as we get to know our bodies through yoga we can better realize when our posture is poor and we can consciously adjust. 

Heart Health Benefits

Yoga by nature is not an aerobic exercise so you might imagine it does little for your cardiovascular system. However, there are elements of yoga that can help improve your heart health over time which is obviously beneficial.

Daily morning yoga helps us learn breathing techniques that relax the body which in turn help us to lower our heart rate and blood pressure. When we improve our circulatory health, this can gradually assist in fighting heart disease.

The low impact nature of most types of yoga means that they can be done easily while still receiving beneficial health boosts. People coming back from a heart attack or stroke who may not be able to work out vigorously can find yoga a gentle way to get in shape.

Stress Management

Those people who have a stressful job to face daily may find that yoga each morning could really help them cope with their day ahead. According to WebMD the benefits of yoga include not only strength, balance and flexibility but also stress relief.

It is believed that the practice’s emphasis on the connection between mind, body and spirit can have powerful emotional benefits. (https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/yoga-for-stress-management#1).

Practitioners of yoga often claim to get better sleep at night and to feel less stressed in general. When we are well rested, we have more energy and feel more capable of facing the day ahead. This combined with the release of feel good hormones in the brain post workout, make people happier and more relaxed to face the day ahead. 

Final Thoughts

When you factor in the cumulative effects of daily morning yoga with the positive feelings of working out each morning there are a great many benefits to your day. Not only does yoga help you be more emotionally ready to face the day but it also makes you feel stronger and more energized as well.

Morning Meditation Can Improve Your Day

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Morning Meditation

The National Institutes of Health say that meditation is an historic mind and body practice that offers a wide variety of benefits to its practitioners. This often-solitary mental exercise has been around for centuries originating in Asia and has stood the test of time with its effectiveness. ( https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-in-depth).

There is not much required to attempt meditation merely a quiet space, a comfortable resting position, a point of focus and some well chosen Mantras (Positive phrases). As a morning practice daily meditation has the power to improve your day in so many ways. It does not take a lot of time out of your day and does not require a huge amount of effort either. 

Relaxation Response

According to Holistic Occupational Therapy.org, one of the first and most common benefits you notice with meditation is a sense of relaxation. This makes sense because you have found a quiet place and you are actively sitting or laying calmly.

As part of the practice, you are breathing slowly and evenly and focusing on just one thing. This allows you to clear your mind of other distractions which may include things that are causing you stress. (https://holisticot.org/the-power-of-meditation/#:~:text=Meditation%20is%20the%20practice%20of%20focused%20attention%20that,quality%20of%20life,%20and%20has%20many%20health%20benefits.).

With a clear mind and a calm, even breathing technique mastered, meditation helps you relax and in doing so opens you up to positive things. With even young children these days reporting feelings of being stressed out a short time each day in which you can find relaxation is beneficial. 

Meditation for Inspiration

The Exploration of Consciousness Research Institute suggests that with complete silence during meditation the mind can drift and become unfocused. This is why many people use mantra chanting as part of the process so they can focus on something positive while they clear their minds of other distractions.

One of the other benefits of using mantras in meditation is a boost in positive thinking. This can lead to inspiration. (https://eocinstitute.org/meditation/how-mantras-enhance-meditation).

When our attitude is made more positive, we often feel more confident and if we use mantras that inspire us to do something great, we have a better chance of success. If, for example, we chant a willingness to improve our health it can help us to find the willpower to act.

Also, if we use a mantra to inspire us to professional success, we give ourselves the focus and confidence to seek that success. Essentially what you put out into our minds while meditating can inspire us to action. 

The Pain Killer Effect

According to the National Institutes for Health there is some evidence that regular meditation practitioners have some control over their pain responses. In a 2016 study by the NIH the results indicated that mindfulness meditation helped control pain in the body without the need of the body’s natural opioids. (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-in-depth).

A second study of those suffering back pain showed that those taught to use mindful meditation managed their pain better than those taught cognitive-behavioral therapy. Those who meditated found they were able regain more mobility in their backs than those using traditional methods. This means that daily morning meditation can potentially stave off the general aches and pains of the day. 

Changes To The Brain

The NIH suggests that studies exist showing a potentially greater ability to process information by regular meditation practitioners. In comparing brain scans of adults who meditate regularly and those who do not the meditators exhibited more folds in the outer layer of the brain. This indicates that they may have a great ability to process information.

With regular morning meditation you may be building up your brain strength, improving concentration and your ability to learn.

5 Positive Ways To Start Your Day

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morning rituals

When we wake up in the morning what happens in those first few hours can have a big effect on how the rest of the day will go. A bad morning full of stress and problems can have a knock-on effect in terms of your mood and potentially the smooth flow of the day’s plans. When things go wrong, they can cause delays in your day meaning you have a feeling of constantly having to catch up.

We need to take control of our mornings to allow us to develop a positive outlook and be better prepared for the challenges of the day. There are many things we can do to start our day off in a more positive manner helping us have a better day in general. 

1. Wake Up Early

Does this morning routine sound familiar – wake up, shower, eat breakfast, leave for work? If your day starts out like this with no time between these activities you are not starting your day right. A very simple way to create a more positive foundation for your day is to get up earlier, plan to give yourself 1-2 hours of time to spare in your morning routine.

When we allow ourselves more time in the morning we avoid being rushed and stressed from the very start of the day. Getting up a little earlier gives us a chance to deal with problems that may arise such as a car breakdown, problems with the kids or any other emergency that may pop up. 

2. Morning Meditation

The Exploration of Consciousness Research Institute (EOC) suggests that meditation, which includes the recitation of positive mantras, can help your physical, mental, and spiritual health. Carve out some time each morning for some quiet meditation. Establish some positive mantras that will help you focus on having a positive day. (https://eocinstitute.org/meditation/mantra-meditation).

Some morning meditation will help you find calm and prepare yourself mentally for the challenges of the day. If you can begin a day with positivity you will find it easier to face challenges as the day progresses and you may find with positivity you can have greater success. 

3. Eat a Good Breakfast

According to WebMD it is very important to eat a healthy breakfast daily. This is because it helps prepare our bodies for the day ahead, helping us perform better and generally feel better.

After having fasted for so many hours our body is starved of fuel by the morning so one of our first missions is to eat. With the extra time we have given ourselves by waking early we can take our time and choose a healthy way to start the day. (https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/many-benefits-breakfast#1).

It is important to opt for a healthy breakfast because we want to have the best nutrition and fuel to get us through the day.

·        Whole grains from cereal or bread

·        Low-fat dairy for protein

·        Fresh Fruits

·        Nuts or legumes for protein 

4. Read Something Inspiring

Use some of your time in the morning to read something inspirational. It may just be positive inspiring quotes or it could be from a book by someone you respect. If you are trying to get ahead in your profession read something pertinent to your career advancement. 

5. Plan to Do Something Positive

Give yourself a goal for the day, something positive that you feel will make an impact. This may be performing above expectations at work or trying to help a friend. Just choose something that you feel can be achieved. If it can make someone else’s day better as well as giving you a feeling of positivity then it is all the better.

6 Mantras That Calm Your Mind and Bring Inner Peace

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Sunset Meditation

Mantras are wonderful tools that you can use during meditation as well as other parts of your day. Whether you’re deep in meditation or simply trying to remind yourself of something important, a mantra is a great way to center your thoughts and keep yourself on track. If you’re having trouble developing a mantra or finding one that suits your needs, consider trying one from this varied list of six mantras to get started.

Mantra #1: “I am content with this moment.”

Mindworks suggests using the simple mantra to help yourself focus on the here and now. If your mind tends to wander during your meditation practices, this mantra can help you focus specifically on your meditation environment, mindset, and current emotions.

Mantra #2: Try a traditional Sanskrit peace mantra, such as “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.”

If you’ve ever taken a guided meditation or yoga class, this popular peace mantra may already be familiar to you. If not, it’s a great one to use if you want to try for incorporating more mantras into your personal practice.

In Sanskrit, “shanti” means peace. By pairing it with the popular “om” and repeating the word shanti, you can help your thoughts turn toward peace and calmness.

Mantra #3: “I cannot control everything.”

This mantra may sound like basic life advice, but it’s a wonderful mantra for anyone who has trouble with anxiety or stress.

It is a fact that nobody ever has 100% control over everything happening in life. It would be easier if we could, but since we don’t, the things we can’t control often cause a lot of anxiety.

Adding this very simple mantra into your meditation practice can help you become more comfortable with the idea that some things are beyond your control. While simple, this mantra serves as a constant reminder that you can’t have total control over everything.

Mantra #4: Choose a mantra aligned with your religion or faith, such as “God is with me in this moment.”

Many people find inner peace through religion. if this is the case for you consider using your meditative practices as a way to connect deeper with your religious beliefs.

Meditation is meant to bring you a deep sense of peace, understanding, and relaxation. If it is helpful for you to find peace also and your religion, consider using a simple mantra that reminds you of the strength, peace, and hope you find through your religious beliefs. Some examples of these types of mantras can be modified to suit any belief system, such as “God is with me in this moment” or “Mother Earth is here to bring me peace,” and so on.

Mantra #5: Choose a positive affirmation as a mantra.

Mantras are a great way to add personal affirmations into your meditative practice. When we repeat a mantra, we are relaxing and introducing ourselves to a sense of peace through the repetition of our chosen word or phrase. When the phrase is something positive, it helps assert our belief and confidence in the truth behind that phrase.

Here are a few examples of positive mantras to try:

  • I am a joyful and happy person.
  • Good fortune is coming my way.
  • I am a beacon of positivity and light.
  • I am wonderfully made.
  • I deserve peace and happiness.

Mantra #6: Choose a simple assertion as a mantra.

If you find yourself struggling to achieve a certain feeling or emotion, meditating while chanting assemble assertion as a mantra can help change your attitude.

For example, if you’re feeling really angry about something that happened at work, you can have a meditation session afterwards using a simple assertion as your mantra to help redirect your anger and change your attitude. During your practice, you may repeat the mantra “I am calm” to regain your sense of calmness and allow the anger to melt away. These simple assertions can change depending on the emotion you’re calming and exploring.

6 Tips For Managing Difficult Feelings

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managing difficult times

Life can throw a lot of unpredictable curveballs, and when those happen, it can be difficult to manage your feelings and emotions. Having emotions (even the strongest ones) are totally normal but learning to process and manage them is key to living a healthy and balanced lifestyle. If you have trouble managing difficult feelings, consider these tips to improve your skills.

  1. Learn how to identify the specific emotion(s) you’re feeling in the moment.

Identifying emotions is tough stuff. In the heat of a moment, you may think you feel one certain way, but upon further reflection, you realize you’re actually experiencing a whole conglomeration of mixed emotions! This is totally normal, though it can feel miserable. A great way to begin processing and managing these feelings is to identify each emotion.

For example, pretend your partner has made you incredibly angry because they promised to do something and then didn’t meet their end of the deal. Because they didn’t keep their promise, you have to clean up a big mess.

In the moment, you might feel like picking a fight with them because you’re so angry but take a moment to tear apart that anger and understand what else is fueling it.

You’re angry about them not keeping the promise, but you might also feel betrayed….someone you trust just let you down. You might also feel a little sad because you thought you could trust them, but they showed you otherwise. Often, our biggest and most reactive feelings have a whole package of different emotions behind them!

  • Trade your negative vocabulary for more positive phrasing.

Often, people make managing difficult emotions worse because of the way they speak to themselves about them. Having tough emotions is normal and being kind to yourself is one way to manage them.

If you make an embarrassing mistake, you may immediately think to yourself, “I am the dumbest person ever.” This negative self-talk is only going to stir even more tough feelings inside yourself. Instead, accept the embarrassment, but change your phrasing to be more positive and forward-thinking: “I made a mistake, but I will make sure I don’t do that again in the future.”

  • Don’t be afraid to reach out to somebody you trust.

When difficult feelings become too much to handle, it’s tempting to turn inward and try to fix the problems ourselves. However, this can be a dangerous move.

Hiding or suppressing difficult feelings and emotions can become a huge burden to bear alone. After a while, the balancing act of trying to keep difficult feelings tampered down can lead to negative side effects.

When your emotions and feelings become too big to handle alone, find a trusted friend you can talk to about them. Sharing your feelings with someone you trust can relieve some of the stress of those emotions from your mind.

  • Get comfortable with accepting (and even embracing) difficult feelings.

Unfortunately, life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. When things get tough, your emotions and feelings can be taken through the wringer, but this is totally normal. A good way to begin managing difficult feelings is to accept them.

Psychology Today explains that trying to brush difficult feelings aside to force a positive facade can be really damaging and dangerous to your health. Instead, learn to accept tough feelings so you can begin to process them more efficiently.

  • Find a way to keep track of your feelings and emotions.

If you’re trying to identify patterns and potential triggers for certain difficult feelings you experience, consider keeping a mood tracker or log. Keeping a physical record can make it easier to understand how frequently and when you’re experiencing serious emotional changes so you can learn your triggers and prepare yourself for future encounters with them.

  • Find a healthy outlet to release stored emotions and feelings.

Managing your difficult feelings should never involve hurting yourself or others. Rather than moodily picking an argument with a friend or loved one, learn to channel difficult emotions into an outlet of some kind.

Some people enjoy getting in physical activity to help calm difficult feelings. Others like to explore the arts and express themselves creatively. Some people find joy in speaking to professionals, such as therapists, to explore and manage difficult emotions.

5 Ways To Calm Frustration In Hard Times

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Everyone experiences hard times at some point in their life, it’s the inevitable part of being human. But it’s important to stay calm during these hard times even if you may be frustrated or stressed so you can manage the challenges which may come your way. Below are a few easy ways to help you calm your frustration in difficult times.

  1. Enjoy Your Favorite Activities

When you are facing a difficult situation, or perhaps a series of difficult situations, it may seem easy to allow the hard times to consume your thoughts completely. But don’t let this happen. No matter what may be going on in your life, make sure you take the time to enjoy your favorite activities, whatever they may be. This will do wonders to help calm any frustrations you may be experiencing as well as help keep your spirits up.

  • Search For The Bright Side

Whatever you are facing, there is a bright side, even if it may not feel like it. Even if it takes a little time, search out the bright side of your situation and focus on it. Whenever you feel the negative thoughts creeping in, stop yourself and think of the positives instead.

An example would be if you recently lost your job, you may be feeling like your future is pretty bleak. But instead of focusing on the job you lost, start thinking of all the amazing jobs and possibilities which are out there waiting for you to find them.

  • Use Stress Relaxation Tools

One of the easiest ways to calm frustration is by engaging in stress relaxation techniques. This can be anything from exercise, to meditation, or even maybe a spa day. Exercise and meditation ate techniques which are best employed when used each day, while a spa day may be something you engage in once a month. Of course, these aren’t the only stress relaxation tools, and you can use whatever technique helps you to relieve stress.

  • Spend Time With Friends And Family

Time alone during a crisis can only cause you to spend more time and negative thoughts on the crisis. Surround yourself instead with friends and family who love and support you to help keep your mind on the positives in life.

Sometimes it can help to share your trials with your social circle as they may have ideas of solutions to help you. But you also don’t have to, just spending time with those who you care about can do wonders to help calm your frustration and stress.

  • Look Forward Not Back

When tough times hit, it may be tempting to look back and think about all the things you could have possibly done differently, but don’t do this as it will only make your problem seem worse. Instead, think of the future, and all the amazing places you are going to go. If you don’t have a vision board, or written down goals, now is the time to create some. You may also benefit from journaling about your plans for the future and all the great things that you know you will accomplish.

Conclusion

When you are facing a difficult time in life, it can be difficult to calm your frustrations. But you need to learn to do so in order to face your situation head on and prepare for the future. If you struggle with calming frustrations, try to do activities you love, engage in stress relaxation techniques, and spend time with family and friends. No matter what you decide to try, just remember to always seek out the positive, and look forward towards your bright future.

How to Relax When Life is Out of Control

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Stress is a constant companion, and most of us, through lots of practice, have become experts at elevating our stress levels. The ability to relax is an acquired skill too. Luckily, you can teach yourself to handle stress in a manner that minimizes it. However, the more stressed you feel, the more challenging it can be to relax.

Discover how you can relax your body and mind when your stress levels are out of control:

  1. Take a moment to stretch. Stand up for a few minutes and stretch your body. Release the tension and stress in your muscles. Shake your arms and legs individually and get back to work. Try this. It works!

  2. Exercise. If you have more time available, 30 minutes of exercise can work wonders. Avoid limiting yourself to the standard walk or jog. Play a match of tennis or attempt to break your personal bench press record. Consider whether you’d prefer to exercise alone or with others and make it happen.
  3. Listen to music. Music can be very soothing. The theme from Rocky might make you feel great, but might not be the best choice if you’re feeling agitated. Choose music that you find relaxing.
  4. Meditate. Meditation is simple, but challenging. You can learn to focus your thoughts and relieve your tension. Keep your thoughts focused on your breath and return to these thoughts whenever you get distracted. What could be simpler?
  5. Reach out to others. Some of us find relaxation in being alone, while others feel better with others. Reach out to your friends and family. You can discuss your feelings and the challenges you’re facing. You could also choose to use the people in your life as a distraction. Go out to dinner or watch a movie. Have a little fun.
  6. Laugh. Maybe laughter is the best medicine. Pull out your favorite video or spend the evening at a comedy club. Call your funniest friend for a chat. Read a book of jokes. Find something or someone that will make you laugh.
  7. Feel gratitude. It’s easy to forget about all the wonderful things in your life during challenging times. Make a list of all the blessings in your life. Focus on feeling gratitude. By reminding yourself of all the good things, the bad things won’t seem nearly as bad.

  8. Take a nap. One of the best ways to reset your nervous system is sleeping. Find a quiet place and lie down for an hour. A nap can be the best stress-buster.

  9. Think happy thoughts. Remember a happy, past event. Relive it in your mind. Creative visualization can be an excellent way to take a break from your stress. Be creative and enjoy yourself.

  10. Drop the caffeine from your diet. Caffeine and stress don’t combine well. Give your nervous system a reprieve and avoid caffeinated beverages. Do you really need to be any more stimulated?

  11. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds around you. You could also cover your ears and focus on what you see. You’ll just look sillier. Block off one of your senses and focus on your environment. This is an excellent way to be more present. Giving your attention to your surroundings will stop your mind from creating more stress.

Stress is a part of daily life. Learning to manage it makes life more enjoyable.

The best time to address stress is the moment it begins. There’s a momentum to stress. Once your stress reaches a high level, it’s far more challenging to reduce. Most stress-reduction techniques provide a small to moderate amount of relief. Use them sooner, rather than later, and prevent a meltdown before it happens.

6 Activities That Lift Your Mood

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How do you cheer yourself up and lift your mood when life gets you down? There are many possibilities to lift your mood in a fun and positive way. Taking care of your physical, mental, and spiritual health in all aspects helps you live your best life.

You can create your mood, and you are in control of lifting your mood any time that you choose to be. Let’s check out some great mood-lifting activities.

1.      Focus On Good Things

Focus on positive things. Focus on what’s good in your day. It does not have to be anything deep. It can be simple small things. Think about those things you are working towards, looking forward to, or striving for. Remember to focus on gratitude as well. Taking time to appreciate whatever small thing is good in your life does amazing things for your mood.

2.      Go Outside

A change of scenery and routine from time to time is a mood booster. Getting some new views and changing up your routine is a great way to feel happier, calmer, and better overall. Go outside, breathe fresh air, be happy. Outdoor activities are also often great exercise.      

3.      Go On An Adventure

Take a random adventure. It doesn’t have to be expensive, or complicated, just something that you don’t normally do. The change of scenery is a great way to lift your mood and experience joy. Get creative with planning for things that offer an authentic experience. Adventures don’t have to be expensive. Enjoy a new experience.

4.      Have Fun

Do whatever you enjoy that is good for you. Relax, snack, play, chill, hang out, see friends, go to the gym. Whatever your thing is. Do you. Guilt-free.

5. Focus On Others

Focusing on others can be as simple as helping out a friend. This could also be volunteering to do some good in the world. However, it goes, focusing on a task outside of yourself is good for the soul. Getting outside of your head, your concerns and your bubble is a great mood lifter.

6. Clean, Organize and Refresh

Yes, it’s time to get organized. Clean your desk or office. Clean your room. Clearing physical space can help you feel more mentally organized and productive. A great way for some easy mood boosting is accomplishing some of these often put off tasks.

Getting organized can be a mental relief and an organic mood lifter. Consider getting rid of, donating, or selling items that take up space but that you definitely do not use.

The Choice Is Yours

There are many mood lifting techniques, strategies, and options to create positivity in your life. Try out many activities until you find our favorite. The possibilities are endless. The important thing to remember is that a good mood is not like the weather. It does not come and go depending on the season.

 You have direct control over your mood. Even if there are times in life when this does not feel like the case. This means that on days you are not feeling great you can choose to do activities that make you feel good. If you are having a bad day it can be challenging to have this mindset. If you choose to, you will usually feel better after choosing to participate in mood lifting activities instead of dwelling in a funk.

Life can be challenging at times. Instead of being victim to your moods, consciously take steps to lift your mood. Just like building muscles in the gym, it is up to you to separate yourself from average.