by Valeria Maltoni (cross posted at Conversation Agent) and Geoff Livingston
Yup. Times are tough! Whether it’s yourself, a friend or family member, everyone knows someone who has been affected by the economic situation. Jobs are less secure and hard to find, every sector has been hit, the news is bloody awful from week to week, and the Wall Street – Capitol Hill mud fight is just downright painful. But that doesn’t mean your attitude has to go down with current events (image: Worry Face! by dogbomb).
In reality, successfully handling events like these often depends on your own inner solace. That’s not to belittle serious situations, and the somewhat contagious nature of down spirits and news. But as Abraham Lincoln said, “People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
We thought it would be really useful to provide 25 tips on ways to break out of “stinking thinking” and get your day back on the right track. Here are some of our preferred methods:
1) Go to the gym and exercise: It cleans your head out!
2) Step away from the big picture and ask yourself, what’s the next right thing I can do now? Go do it. Repeat this process until good spirits return.
3) Do some charitable service work, and help someone else out. Sometimes this reminds us others have it worse and we have a lot to be grateful for.
4) Write out a list of 10 things that you are grateful for…
5) Go for a walk and notice everything as if it were the first time you saw it.
6) Get out of the city/town/office/your house and spend sometime outdoors.
7) Have coffee with a friend who you haven’t seen in a while.
8) Spend some quality time with your loved ones and family members.
9) Plan a vacation!
10) Watch the sun rise or set. It’s hard not to see the beauty there!
11) Watch a movie. That’s an instant two hour form of captivated attention that will take your mind off things.
12) Eat a good meal deliberately. Take in the whole experience – appearance, taste, company.
13) If you are spiritually or religiously inclined, meditation and/or prayer can calm the mind.
14) Meet new friends. One of the best ways to renew how we think about ourselves is to have a brand new chance to make a different first impression.
15) Read more, especially good fiction. There is nothing better than a well-written story to get your creative juices going.
16) Be more available for last minute meet ups with colleagues, friends, and peers. Sometimes the best events are unplanned.
17) Write down your ideas. Put pen and paper in easy-to-reach places. You might be pleasantly surprised at the number that has potential.
18) Think positive! Use this as your new mantra: “Blame no one. Expect nothing. Do something.”
19) Ask for help. You’ll be amazed at how a collaborative effort energizes you.
20) Slow down. Sometimes we miss all the good stuff that happens in between point A and point B.
21) Discover classical music. Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Vivaldi, Albinoni, Chopin tell amazing stories with their body of work.
22) Take an improv class. Learning a new skill that can help you in presentations and public speaking will increase your confidence.
23) Listen more, speak less. It will help you learn to appreciate others in whole new ways.
24) Teach a class at the local community college/school/library. Sharing knowledge is very satisfying.
25) Sing along while you drive.
Happiness is a state of mind and a choice. When you step into the field of possibility, you can do anything you put your mind to. What are some of the ways you use to break out of “stinking thinking”?
Great list. Thanks Geoff and Valeria. BTW, just finished a new novel that I highly recommend (set in Hong Kong during WWII and in the 50s): The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee
A positive attitude is definitely one thing I’d recommend for anyone that’s going through tough times. I can say that it’s one of the top things that has helped me through my current layoff.
I’m an optimistic person by nature but holding onto this outlook, even if you were rejected by a couple companies, keeps your head in the game – and by taking these 25 steps to ease your mind, as well, will no doubt further help the situation and your attitude.
Great list, Valeria and Geoff.
Great mantra you suggest in #18. Here are a couple techniques I’ve found effective:
-Go on a news fast: Even those of us whose careers revolve around news can afford to abstain for a couple days. A news fast can help you recognize how much fear and anxiety stem from the information you consume and how you process it.
-Play with pets or children: It can be very centering to focus your attention on another living creature, especially one who derives great joy from simple things, like chasing a ball around the yard or building a lego spaceship. Don’t have a pet or a child? Visit a friend who does. They’ll appreciate it, too.
Great list. I’m still trying to figure this out, but exercise and positive attitude are definitely helping so far.
My wife and I are instituting “recession date night” by finding things to do for less than $20.
Geoff and Valeria — Thanks to you both.
There’s an anonymous quote that has helped uplift my attitude during tough crossroads.
Offering it to your list:
“Everything will be ok in the end; and if it’s not ok, it’s not the end.”
Meditating on this has often prompted a lighter, enabled outlook. Positivity & taking action came more naturally after reflecting on this perspective.