7 Things You Can Do to Stay Positive
Grace Duduit
What a whirlwind the past several weeks have been! Being surrounded by so much uncertainty can weigh on all of us and make it difficult to stay positive day to day. How do we fix this? Are we supposed to just stay in a rut until we can resume our normal lives again? Those questions have kept running through my mind on a regular basis as I'm exhausting my social media apps on my phone. Now that our stay at home order has been extended another month, I decided that I can no longer stay in the same headspace. I have got to find positivity somewhere!
At the beginning of the year, I challenged my AG gals to pick a word to essentially live by the rest of the year. I decided on my own that I was going to not only choose a word but set specific goals I knew were attainable for the year. The month of January and February I felt accomplished in my goals and that I was living by my word, victorious. Then March happened and while it started out good, as all of you know, it ended in our life being flipping upside down! I’ve reflected a lot the past several days and decided that even though everything around me may be negative, I am going to do tasks throughout my day that will make my mood positive.
Just like I challenged my whole team, I am challenging you to do these 7 things to feel more positive, motivated and accomplished throughout your day!
Set your alarm.
While it has been nice to catch up on some sleep I was missing out on, I find that when I wake up at 11:30 most of my day is already gone. For me, sticking to as close to my previous routine as possible, I am more likely to get the goals I have set for myself accomplished. Now, if I sleep a little past my set alarm time, I am definitely not too hard on myself!! Sometimes our body needs that rest time or let's just be honest with ourselves, sometimes our beds are just too dang comfy in the mornings to get up as our alarm is going off. Knowing I have tasks I want to accomplish the next day, I have to make waking up at a reasonable time a priority to get my day started off right! Have you been in a morning rut? Try setting your alarm and wake up feeling ready to take on the day!
Take 10 minutes to have time of gratitude.
There is so much going on around us right now, it can be difficult to remember how much good there is in our life! Treat every day like thanksgiving and be thankful for those around you! I find that doing this in the morning gives me a positive mindset to have for the rest of the day and things are often put into perspective. This allows my mind to not be overtaken by everything going wrong but be reminded of everything going right!! This is truly a time to self-reflect and mentally prepare for your day.
Drink a caffeinated beverage.
Even if you are not a coffee drinker, find something that makes you excited and puts your body into a routine. Like clockwork I will come down and turn my Keurig on before I even begin to start my task list. This part of my day is my favorite and something I look forward to every morning! If I don’t make coffee, I will make a green smoothie or a matcha latte. Often, I will combine 2 and 3 together and have my time of gratitude while drinking my coffee (it is the best combo).
Make two task lists.
Make a list of things you need to do for the day and things you want to do and choose some from each to accomplish. I don’t know about anyone else but looking at the several loads of laundry I have to do makes me not want to do them LOL. Some of the tasks I will put on my “want to do” list are taking a walk, watching an episode (or two) of my favorite show, Facetime some friends, or trying a new recipe. Finding small things to do throughout the day that makes you excited is an excellent way to stay motivated!
Dedicate time for yourself.
We have to remember that self-care is the most important, especially at a time like this! Grab your favorite face mask, read a book, meditate, or listen to some music. These are also great things to put on your “want to do” list for your day (hint, hint)! While this sounds simple, it is often overlooked.
Change your scenery.
It is so easy to become a couch potato, but to keep from that happening try to do your work at another location. Create a dedicated workspace, or if you’re able go outside and do work from there. I find that if I sit on the couch and try to do my schoolwork I get distracted and end up taking hours to do it. Having a dedicated workspace or changing up where I do my work keeps me organized and on task!
Find something to engage the whole family.
Keeping each other entertained is certainly a task in itself right now! Take this opportunity to have a game night, do a movie and a popcorn, or purchase a pizza making kit from one of the local pizza shops in town. This is a great opportunity to spend time with one another while keeping each other entertained. I suggest dedicating an evening to something different and again, this will have you looking forward to something throughout your day.
I know that everyone's situations are different right now and we are doing all we can to stay positive in such an uncertain time. My hope is that you will implement at least one of these into your everyday routine and it brings you positivity and a form of sanity. None of us are perfect and it is okay to not have a perfect routine every day. Let’s remember in the coming weeks that we are all going through the exact same situation and are all searching for some positivity!
Xo,
Grace