Five Things you can do to Change your Mood
Since I have been a student and teacher of personal development, which has been my whole life, I keep coming back to one thought that influences everything. No matter what is going on in your life, how you view it is determined by the meaning that you give it. For example, one person might see the ending of a relationship as a devastating blow. For another, the ending of a relationship might be seen as a ticket to freedom and an opportunity for a better life.
In the workplace a job ending could be considered a big loss for one person and or for another an opportunity to find something better. Whether something is a disappointment or an opportunity is your attitude toward it. And what distinguishes a problem from an opportunity the attitude you bring to the situation, rather than the event itself.
Lately there have been many articles and books written about the Law of Attraction, which essentially is that we attract to us what our dominant beliefs are. So if we believe that it’s going to be a good day, it most likely will. By the way that’s where the highlight of the day comes in that I wrote about in the last blog.
Let’s go one step further and agree that the Law of Attraction works. So if our dominant beliefs determine our experience of life, what happens when our beliefs are negative on?. What happens if we doubt whether we can make it or it will work out?
I’m not saying the goal is to remove all doubt. We’re always going to have a degree of doubt and that’s probably healthy. It gives us an edge, which in many situations motivates us to be at our best.
With all of the negativity out there, it is challenging to remain positive. Yet there is no question that we tend to be a little bit more negative that we need to. So if our beliefs are so crucial, how can we change them?
Our beliefs are directly linked to our attitudes. If we have a positive attitude we’ll believe we can do almost anything. So the question then becomes, if Attitude determines everything, how do you change it? For example, you might be in a bad mood and don’t feel like doing anything; or you might be worrying excessively? How do you get out of your funk? Here are some practices that have helped me from time to time. First the obvious ones.
1- I always look at my diet. Usually caffeine is the culprit. Then I’ll add some fresh squeezed juices and make sure I’m eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. And it goes without saying that you want to minimize red meat and chicken.
2-At least once a year and usually two or three times, I’ll cleanse my system. I follow the recommendations of the Stanley Burroughs Master Cleanse for approximatelyy five-eight days. I just finished my spring cleanse and feel great. Believe it or not the first time I heard about cleansing was when I was in Law School and I have been cleansing ever since.
3-Another inquiry I make is to look at my activity level. Usually when I get in one of those moods I’m not exercising. I have found from working with many different people that getting enough exercise is perhaps their biggest challenge. I guarantee if you exercise regularly you won’t stay in a funk. It’s impossible to stay down when your heart rate is in your target zone.
4-Of course I make sure that I make time for the morning program, which I wrote about in the March issue of Letters on Life. Wondering about the highlight of the day is a great inquiry. It creates a positive expectation. You can ask this question in almost any type of situation. Let’s say it’s an event that you don’t want to go to. You might ask yourself the following question: “I wonder who I’m going to meet and what the highlight of the evening will be.
5- Music is a great mood changer. Almost instantly it gets me going…it’s hard to be down when you’re dancing. i remember when I was a trial lawyer. I compiled a group of songs that inspired me before beginning a trial. The music from “Rocky” was one of those pieces.
These are just a few of the things that have worked for me in the past. Hopefully I keep learning.
JOURNEY ON
MARK
THERE’S NO BETTER TIME THAN NOW. There will always be something that holds you back; an excuse to put your life on hold. JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow ,JD, is an Executive and Life Coach, who inspires others to believe in themselves. A former successful trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He also publishes, Letters on Life, an inspirational ezine. Signup! http://www.inspirepossibility.com.