10 Simple Daily Rituals That Will Put You in a Good Mood
If you want to be in a great place in life where you feel positive about the world and your future, a few simple daily practices can help transform your outlook. Even when adversity strikes, you can train your mind to handle the setbacks with grace and optimism. Here are a few tips to help put you in a fantastic mood every day.
1. Wake up on time feeling rested because you went to bed on schedule the night before. To start the day off right, you should spring out of bed before your alarm clock even has to ring. Although that may not happen every morning, you can put a greater emphasis on going to bed when you need to in order to get a full night’s sleep of rest and rejuvenation.
2. Eat a nutrient-rich breakfast full of natural goodies and lean proteins. Fresh fruits like berries and orange slices can be tossed into a low-fat Greek yogurt and served with a side of whole grains like oatmeal or whole wheat toast. Greek yogurt tends to offer double the proteins compared to its regular ｃounterpart so you can feel fuller longer. The carbs and fiber in your breakfast will, respectively, also help give you energy and keep digestion on track. Start your day off with a healthful breakfast and continue on the path to success by eating a similarly-nutritional lunch and dinner.
3. Give yourself time to get ready for the day
When you run out the door in a rush, you often forget to tend to the finishing touches required for looking your best and being prepared for the day. When you forget to put on your mascara or you end up leaving your report on the ｃounter, you’ll easily wind up just wanting to hide out later on in the day when a cute co-worker stops by your desk or when the boss comes out of his office and asks if everyone has met the deadline. On the other hand, when you give yourself enough time in the morning to prepare well, you can feel empowered throughout the day because you know you’re ready for everything.
4. Listen to something positive on your way to work
If traffic is always terrible and your commute is a big pain in the rear, make sure you keep yourself in a great mood by listening to something uplifting. You may like to sing along to your favorite tunes or ponder the words of your favorite motivational speaker. Whatever works for you is great just plan ahead so you’re not stuck listening to some annoying infomercial on the radio that gets your blood pumping for all the wrong reasons.
5. Think something nice about everyone you meet. If you really want to be happy, you have to learn how to avoid entertaining negative thoughts, which means when rude and criticizing thoughts pop into your head, you have to replace them quickly. You don’t need to live in la-la land and pretend that everyone and everything is perfect, but you can avoid dwelling on the negative and start looking for the positive. Even when the barista messes up your hot chocolate, identify something complimentary about her even if you keep it to yourself. When you train your mind to see the good, it’s easier to stay in a cheerful mood all day.
6. Find some small act of service to perform each day
Whether you make cookies for a neighbor, babysit your nephew for free or take out the trash at work even though it’s not your job, identify some way to provide service every day. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel and your act can be as simple as smiling at a stranger, but it’s still a sure-fire way to start feeling better about life.
7. Get your heart rate up
Do a little bit of exercise everyday even if you don’t have time to go to the gym. Walk around your neighborhood for fifteen minutes or have a dance party for one in your living room. Just do something enjoyable that helps you stay active and produce those mood-boosting brain chemicals that can’t be beat.
8. Eat a family dinner together
If you don’t live with family or friends, you may have to resort to implementing other together-time strategies for making sure you don’t feel lonely such as inviting someone over, chatting on the phone or going out. The important part is surrounding yourself with loved ones even if you don’t have anything grand planned out. Daily affirmations of caring about one another can make a world of difference to help us each feel validated and appreciated.
9. Meditate, pray or read something that stirs your soul
To avoid getting weighed down by the daily grind, take time each day to lift your spirits through pondering the facets of a better world. You may be inclined to offer prayers and participate in scripture study or engage in yoga or some other form of mediation or commｕnion.
10. Write down something you’re thankful for before you go to bed. If you really want to be in a great state of peace, an attitude of gratitude is the key to help you feel good no matter what is happening around you. Keep a gratitude journal that you record in every night concerning something good about life that you appreciate. Try to write about something different every
evening so that over the course of a few years, you can amass over a thousand things that make you feel great. When you’re ever having a hard time, flip through your old journals and revel in all the blessings you’ve had in your life. Outside of those who suffer from severe mental health problems, happiness is really a choice. You can try to map out your day to help enhance your mood, but regardless, the end decision is yours to make on whether you want to be in a good mood or if you want to let other people get in your way of feeling content.
Use your agency for good and choose to be cheerful. Good luck!
VOCABULARY:
1. Meditate [med-i-teyt] verb - to engage in thought or contemplation reflect.
2. Gratitude [grat-i-tood, -tyood] noun - the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful:
3. Ritual [rich-oo-uh l] noun - an established or prescribed procedure for a religious or other rite.
4. Affirmation [af-er-mey-shuh n] noun - the assertion that something exists or is true.
5. Reinvent the wheel (idiom) - waste a great deal of time or effort in creating something that already exists.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. From the list above, which ones do you practice? Discuss your answers.
2. When was the last time you did something nice for another person? Include details.
3. Do you think happiness comes from the outside or does it come from within?
4. What is one thing right now you are grateful or thankful for?
