Keeping Your Spirits High
Staying focused, balanced and joyful during unexpected times can be a challenge! Here are a few tips to help you feel a sense of calm and to find new ways to add happiness to every day.
Keep Up Your Daily Routine
We are truly creatures of habit. Routines promote health and wellness through structure and organization. When things go off track, leaning into a daily routine can help restore a sense of normalcy and allow you to keep living your best life.
Go at your pace. Take your time, and enjoy each task while trying to stay in the moment. Be sure to give yourself positive encouragement. You’ve got this!
Stay Positive
Experts often say that our thoughts help create our personal reality. Perspective has a bigger impact on us than we may realize, not just psychologically, but physically as well.
A negative attitude promotes fear which can leave you in a constant state of fight or flight. The brain can’t tell the difference between a perceived threat and an actual one. A positive attitude does the exact opposite.
Studies have shown that developing and maintaining a positive attitude increases all facets of your health and makes your view of life feel full of possibilities. Need help? Try some free positive affirmations or guided meditations online or on streaming services like Spotify!
Keep an Attitude of Gratitude
Buddha once said happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have. According to positivity strategists, what you focus on tends to grow. That’s why developing a gratitude practice can make a big difference in your life.
Some of the benefits include lower blood pressure, improved nervous system and hormonal balance, and improved brain function. Best of all, cultivating gratitude creates an elevated feeling that makes us feel deep joy and connectedness.
It’s a skill, and developing any skill requires practice. Start by taking five minutes to think of all the blessings you have at this moment, including things you may not be paying attention to or overlooking.
Count your blessings, including your friends, family, teachers, pets, and all the things that bring you comfort and happiness. Write down and share three things each day you are grateful for with someone close to you. Or try any of these 40 great ideas from Lifehacker!
Do a Good Deed, Lend a Helping Hand
When we help others, we help ourselves! There are many ways to do good deeds, from offering your time or expertise to listening and letting someone else know they are not alone. When we focus on helping others, we are more inclined to set aside our own worries, which naturally helps us to feel better.
But wait … there’s more!
Studies show that helper’s high, the uplifting feeling that people experience after doing a good deed or act of kindness, is real. We get a genuine endorphin high from helping others. Scientists believe that it is hardwired into us by evolution to ensure our species survive through cooperation.
Stay Connected
Keeping in touch with the people who matter most is a terrific way to lift your spirits and keep them up! Technology has made it easier than ever to stay connected through video chats, social media, phone calls, texts, and more.
Don’t wait for someone to reach out to you. Call first, text, message, and let them know you are thinking about them. You’ll be surprised how good it feels to connect more frequently with the people you care about most.
Get Physical
Exercise is a proven treatment for stress and depression. Endorphins are a natural mood booster that can help pump up your mood. Just make sure to go slow and ease into a physical routine. Stretch and warm up before you exercise, then cool down after for maximum benefits. Don’t forget to drink plenty of fluids, and have fun!
Let It Go
Hard times come and go. Learning to weather life’s storms and find the silver lining in any situation will help you enjoy life to the fullest. Sometimes it really is as simple as just accepting things as they are. From a relaxed, positive perspective, you might be surprised to discover that you have a greater clarity.
As the American Buddhist Jack Kornfield once said, "You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf!"
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