Ready for a miracle! 4 weeks before New Years. Relax and cheer up
Step 1: Smile all day
Think this is an easy task? And here it is not. As soon as we stop controlling ourselves (and this happens very quickly), the smile slips from the face and the mask of a busy (and possibly tired) person again takes its “rightful place”. And it’s good to smile. Any neurophysiologist will tell you that mimic muscles are connected with the cerebral hemispheres. When you smile or frown, you send a signal to the brain that coincides with feelings of happiness or sadness. That’s why smiling actually creates a good mood. No tricks, pure science. So let’s get started.
Remember the day when you woke up in the morning truly happy. Maybe you had to catch an early flight to go on vacation. Maybe it was your first day at a highly anticipated new job. Or perhaps your wedding day or birthday. We bet you woke up long before the alarm and in a great mood? This experience should be repeated throughout the day (or better, the whole week). Try it. Not only mood will improve, but also well-being.
Step 2. Get rid of negative emotions
Negative emotions are much more dangerous than physical trash. Bags of clothes and extra utensils are meek and uncomplaining guests. But what about the garbage that you throw at the threshold of your consciousness every day? Part of the negative is messages from childhood. The other part is the echoes of outdated beliefs. The third part is public installations.
Imagine: the day was long, you are tired. And then a big bag of doubts and self-deprecating thoughts appears on the threshold. “Only a complete idiot can lose a credit card! they sneer. What kind of slut could live in such a mess? Nightmare!” We do not even notice how daily we broadcast such messages to ourselves.
When we get rid of the trash, we say to the anxious thought in our head: “Hi, anxiety. I know you showed up because you want to tell me something. But there is no place for you. And I don’t have time to deal with you. And even more so, I am not obliged to give you a permanent place of residence in my house.
Step 3. Meditate in bed
If you wake up in the morning and feel sleepy, tired, depressed, or agitated, there is a surefire way to get out of the spiral of stress that spun you around at the same time as the alarm went off.
Observe how your mind immediately begins to act, think, comment, analyze and give advice. Faced with the daunting prospect of a new day, notice how your thoughts go round and round and tell you what to do.
Take a break… Do nothing… Lie in bed, let the morning sounds and impressions wash over you. No rush, no purpose, no chakra breathing… Just relax. You are not required to do anything.
Imagine that your bed is floating on a river and carrying you downstream. Be yourself. Release your mind. Let it drift.
If you wait a little, a spark of inspiration will appear that will tell you how to live this day.
Letting go of total control
In an effort to control what is happening, we fall into the trap of anxiety and worry. What a festive mood! By trying to predict what might happen, we are preparing for situations that most likely will never happen.
The danger of this habit is that you will gradually come up with more and more potentially unpleasant situations and begin to limit your activity so as not to accidentally encounter all the “horrors”. As a result, your own world will become smaller, and more and more dangers will appear. The only way out is to stop controlling everything. And then all the knots and problems will unravel themselves.
Step 4. Get enough sleep
A great way to boost your mood is to get some rest. Take this weekend for yourself. Do what you love, take a walk, and then get a good sleep. Sleep keeps the immune system healthy and helps the body heal itself. The cells of the body are regenerated during the day, but during sleep, the body can focus all its resources on their “repair”. In addition, sleep allows the brain to maintain the normal functioning of such cognitive functions as speech, memory, innovative and flexible thinking.
When we suffer from lack of sleep, we become irritable and feel overwhelmed and find it difficult to concentrate. And this is not the best pre-holiday state, you must agree.
Step 5. Hug and chat
The main way that provides a surge of oxytocin (the hormone of happiness and love) in the brain is touch. Hugs, especially long ones, are very helpful (as are orgasms). Even gestures such as handshakes or pats on the back or shoulders make a big difference. People who regularly spend time with understanding friends, family members, or colleagues tend to be more resilient to stress. Don’t forget to spend time with your kids. Call your parents and close relatives. Simply understanding that your emotions are heightened merely by fluctuating levels of oxytocin will help keep things in check.