5 Simple Ideas to Get Through a Difficult Day
5 Simple Ideas to Get Through a Difficult Day
(taken from FEELING Good: 35 Proven Ways to Happiness, Even During Tough Times)
- Get outside. Spending just 5 minutes outside can elevate mood and help you get through the day. Go outside for a few minutes during your lunch break. If you can get outside and spend some time in nature, that will have even more of a powerful impact. (Ch. 2 Get Outside in Nature).
- Do something that brings you joy. Have something to look forward to at the end of the day. Get together with or plan a phone call with a good friend. Read a good book. Watch your favorite movie. Engage in your favorite physical activity. Eat a good meal. (Ch. 30 – Do What Makes Your Soul Happy).
- Remind yourself of all you have overcome. You have been through difficult times before. You are the same person, and whatever qualities helped you to get through a difficult time in your past is still part of who you are. (Ch. 32 Focus on How Far You’ve Come)
- Think about what you are grateful for. The easiest way to shift your thinking, energy, and mood is to use gratitude. Keep it small and think about what simple thing you are grateful for. There is always something to be grateful for, even on our worst days. And when we focus on it, we do feel better. Don’t save gratitude for your good days. Gratitude is truly most powerful on your difficult days. (Ch. 27 Develop a Gratitude Mindset).
- Remember that whatever difficulty you are going through will not last forever. Often when we are going through a difficult time, what can make it feel worse are thoughts that the situation will never improve. Remind yourself that whatever difficulties you have experienced in your past have either gone away, or you have learned how to cope with them. (Ch. 21 Know That the Toughest Days Will Pass).