Happy New Year, everyone. Welcome, to 2020. The holidays are past, and now it is time to set our sights on the upcoming year.
Some of us know that just because the holidays are over, it doesn’t mean our minds are clear. Stress is still there. Pressure can still mount. Even depression – whether seasonal or any other form – can linger well into the beginning of a new year.
This time of year can be rough. Things happen, that can leave us in a negative mindset. Loss of a loved one, loss of a job, maybe an illness in the family. Any of these things and more, can cause negativity that seems to drag on. Even though you know in your heart, you want to feel better.
So, what do we do about it? How do we get through the post-holiday slump? It’s simple, but not easy. Does that make sense? It’ll take some work, but with some easy steps, and easy actions, we can do it.
Think of it like this:
Part of the definition of depression is lack of motion. Movement, of any kind, can have incredible advantages in changing mood, thinking, and future performance. Some say you must think your way into new action. Others say you must act your way into new thinking. We believe it’s a bit of both. It’s going to take new thinking to drive some of that new action. But it will also take action, against some of your current thinking, to make some big changes.
Don’t be overwhelmed. We have been through this too. We have some ways to make even the tiniest tweak in your routine, turn into big changes going forward. These suggestions won’t interrupt your day, and we aren’t asking you to give up anything you need. Just make some changes to how you go about your day. Add a few small tasks that have been proven to boost your mood, and upgrade your overall outlook.
You know how you get one negative thought, and especially when you’re already in a sad space, it lingers. Well, that one thought can put a dark tint on everything else that happens throughout the day. One way we have found to battle that, is when you find your mind going into that dark space, having that bad thought, try to think of three things that make you happy. It can be as simple as pictures of your kids, pictures of your favorite hobby, baby animals, anything you enjoy that will allow your brain to convert to a positive place. Three positive thoughts will outweigh that negative one.
Reach out. When under stress, a barrage of the fight or flight hormones are released. One thing we have learned about that, is our body reacts in a way where we seek support. Now, a negative mindset will want to run and hide. But if you start to get into that, text a friend, call a friend. Do something to get in contact with someone. You’ll see that your mood will change, and that feeling of hopelessness is likely to go away.
Write. We know, it sounds daunting. But journaling about your day is a great way to get it all out on paper, so it’s no longer just in your head. Sometimes, when we reflect on our day like that, we see how silly our feelings were, as I’m reading them. But at the moment we have that negative thought or feeling, they are very real and serious.
It’s when we get them on paper, or typed out, we see that maybe stressing over something as little as the dishes in the sink wasn’t as important as we had thought. We allowed a candy wrapper hanging out of the wastebasket to take our joy for a few minutes, and they wanted to show me the thing they had just created. Our mind was on the trash, and not able to share the happiness of a child’s creation.
When we wrote about that, it alerted us to the fact that negativity, no matter how small, can completely erase happy moments, no matter how big. That was a great picture she made. Of course it was, she made it. But we glossed over it because of a candy wrapper. It makes us see things in retrospect that we weren’t able to see before. And now that we know better, we can do better.
We try to think of three things that day we are grateful for. Different things every day. That helps me remember the good things that happened, while also remembering our blessings.
So, take a look out the window, or a picture that gives you joy, tell someone about it, or what’s going on with you. Write it down, remember what’s important, and reflect on your day. These are just ideas gathered throughout a life where the ambushes were not dealt with in a healthy manner. I’m learning how to be better at it.
Now, they don’t mean you have to do all of these things on top of your daily activities, just try one or two. See how they help, and if they do, keep doing it. You’ll see in a few short weeks, the stresses of the holidays are not only gone, but you’ll be surprised at how quickly they disappeared.
Our speakers that live this life, can help bring these tiny tweaks from the thought process, to reality. Gabrielle Lyon talks about how exercise and nutrition are very important in maintaining not just physical health, but also mental health.
But any of the following would be great for you to hire for your next event:
- Using Emotional Intelligence to build the foundation of success
- Emotional Intelligence
- Emotional Leadership
- Motivation
- Effective Morning Routine
- Personal Development
- Entrepreneurship
- Circle of Influence
- Goal Setting
- CrossFit or Warrior Fitness
- Law Enforcement
- Mind/Body/Spirit
- Spirituality
- Overcome Mindset
- Self-Leadership
- Stress Management
- Health and Wellness
- Life Balance
- Inspiration
- Motivation