5 Steps To Having A Better Day

5 Steps To Having A Better Day!
by Ishmael Mayhew of dope-ish.com

1. Center- Usually it's what we think about first that sets the tone for how our day is going to go. If we wake up with our thoughts first on issues like money, family issues, health woes and relationship trouble then, we can pretty much expect to have a crappy day. To alleviate this it's best to "center" yourself. It means that you set your clock earlier to allow yourself to unapologetically reserve 10-15 minutes of personal time for yourself only at the very beginning of your day (yup, right when you roll out of bed). Within that time you pray, savor your coffee or your favorite tea, sit in stillness, take a longer shower than usual,  ponder good thoughts or relaxing nature outside and allow no one or nothing to interrupt this period of time; for ANY reason. Center.

2. Allow- Feel it. Every bit of it. That's right, allow yourself to feel the emotions you have. Suppressing them is never a good idea. Don't run away from it. Sit there with your emotions and truly breathe it all in. Internalize what you are feeling. Consider it all. Ponder what you are feeling. Pray about what you are feeling. Then...breathe it all out. Let it completely go. Let it fade away like an ocean wave washing you. Let it disappear. Don't force it out or fake it away because if you do that then it will inevitably come back. Let yourself feel pain and let pain go.

3. Environment- We are often unaware of how important our surroundings truly are. No matter how strong you are, negativity and bad vibes is like a contagious infection and it spreads! Avoid negative people, places and things and actively seek out joyful ones. Avoid situations of even the lightest criticism if you can on hard days. Keep things as simple and light as possible if you can and postpone any mentally taxing situations for another day. Also, clean up! Studies have proven that hoarding is one of the largest signs of depression. It's an outward expression of an inward state. So crank up your music, light some candles, wash the dishes, make the bed, sweep, vacuum, disinfect everything and be happy. Who knew chores could be so uplifting?

4. Help-  Being there for others has always proven to be a fast way to feel better. The great thing about this is that it doesn't have to be big. Seeing someone smile because of a compliment or paying for someone's groceries in your line is a simple and easy way to give off good vibes and get double that in return. Maybe it's spending just an hour at your local homeless shelter volunteering or mentoring someone younger than you. All of these types of things will do your heart some good.

5. Interact- It's pretty clear that solitude helps as we explained in step one, however, there is a difference between solitude and isolation. Go outside and talk to someone. Call your best friend on the phone and go get lunch or coffee. If you isolate yourself you will undoubtedly be stuck in a depression rut and from there things could get much worse. You may not want to disclose what you are going through emotionally and maybe you don't have to but it always helps to talk to someone even if it's not about what is hurting you right now.