We all have off days. As we discussed in a previous article, “Check Eeyore at the Door,” there are a number of ways to ensure that your off days don’t negatively affect your work environment. These methods included: Understanding the Outcome of Your Negativity, Looking for the Good, Resisting Sarcasm, and Making Positivity a Priority. While all of these techniques are certainly effective when you are already at work, what can you do to prevent yourself from getting to that negative mindset in the first place? What little things can you incorporate into your daily life to boost your levels of happiness and, ideally, keep you from turning into Eeyore? We recommended five ways to help maintain a certain level of optimism that you can incorporate into your daily life:
- Do Something to Brighten a Loved One’s Day – Have your husband’s coffee ready for him when he wakes up, pick a flower for your wife, give your mom a call just to tell her you were thinking of her today, or tell your kid how much they mean to you as you send them on their way to school. Random acts of kindness can change someone’s mood from down in the dumps to hopeful and positive.
- Open the Shades – It is a scientific fact that sunlight, good ‘ole Vitamin D, does wonders for boosting your mood. From the moment you wake up, open the shades and let the sunlight stream in. Eat breakfast near a window that allows for plenty of daylight and open the blinds in your office to take advantage of natural lighting. Sunlight can be beneficial in positiviely affecting moods, sleep, and alertness.
- Take a Minute to Help Someone Who Needs It – Good deeds are good for the soul. Do something nice for someone in need, be that helping an old woman load groceries into her car, or holding the door for a parent pushing a stroller.
- Savor a Happy Memory – Take a moment and close your eyes. Take some deep breaths and relive a happy moment in your life. Replay a pleasant experience, go back to a serene setting, and inhale and exhale slowly. Little moments of meditation can help with levels of stress and anxiety.
- Walk Around the Block – Many of us skip physical activity when we are batting the blues. Take the time to take a quick stroll around the block on your lunch break, before work, or before bed. View these mini walks as mental recreation rather than exercise.
Small, little changes can do wonders in helping boost happiness and moods, which in turn keep you from having to work harder to change a foul mood into a good one in the work place. It isn’t easy being upbeat when life wears us down. Things like work deadlines, weeks of dreary weather, and conflicts with friends or family members can easily cause your mood to sink rather than soar. Little feel-good moves throughout the day can help alleviate stress and can help you maintain a mood that will, in turn, positively impact your work life and the moods of those around you.
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