Turn Your Day around in 2 Minutes or Less

“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen

Ever started your day off on the wrong foot?

Maybe you woke up feeling moody. Maybe you had a difficult encounter with a loved one or a coworker early in the day.

Once things start to go awry, you may be tempted to think that there isn’t much you can do to turn things around.

But there’s much you can do to improve the outlook of your day. And you can do it in 2 minutes or less. Don’t believe it? Think about how instantaneously your mood can plummet when someone cuts you off on the highway or when rain clouds cover the sun.

You can regain control just as quickly as you can lose it.

How?

Here are seven things you can experiment with:

1. Confine the negative emotion

When things go wrong, we can struggle to regain control when we allow our negative emotions to have free reign – with no expiration. We can allow ourselves to experience negativity all day.

Sometimes we try to deal with our emotions by suppressing them or pretending to be ok. This suppression may actually intensify the negativity.

Instead, give yourself 2 minutes to experience your negative emotions. When the time is up, simply choose to let them go and move on with your day.

2. Allow yourself to smile

When we’re upset, the last thing we want to do is crack a smile.

But smiles are powerful. The act of smiling, even fake ones, can improve your mood and well-being. And as a bonus, when you smile, people will smile back at you. This will amplify the positive benefits of smiling.

3. Turn off the screens

When something in the physical world triggers our moodiness, we tend to retreat into the virtual world to find solace or distraction.

We mindlessly surf the web, check email, or spend time on social media. Engaging in these behaviors can actually cause us to feel worse.

Instead, turn off the screen for a minute or two and take a few deep breaths. Or get up and take a two-minute stroll around the house or office.

4. Say hello to a stranger

It may not be good for children, but saying hello to a stranger may actually be good for you.

A brief exchange may be all you need to be reminded that you are not alone in the world and that we need each other.

5. Make use of your bookmarks

Remember the last time you read an inspiring book? Remember how you highlighted the most impactful passages?

How many times have you revisited those passages? If you’re like most people, probably never. If you’re in a funk, try re-reading something inspirational that you’ve highlighted or bookmarked.

6. Give thanks for the present moment

Why stew over a fleeting moment that’s gone forever? Why deny yourself of the small pleasures that are happening to you at this very moment?

Can’t think of anything to be thankful for right now? Take a deep breath. Be grateful that your body breathes for you 24/7. Be grateful that your heart beats for you. Be grateful for all the ways your own body work for you.

7. Ask for help

Ever walked around a store the size of a football field just to find one item? Ever thought to ask a store clerk for help?

You’re not alone.

We don’t like asking for help to find things and we sure don’t like asking for help when we’re feeling down.

But asking for help can be as simple as texting a friend to ask them to keep you in their thoughts today. Or you could say a quick prayer for wisdom and strength in dealing with a difficult situation.

You can choose to turn things around

Tired of having your days derailed?

Take back control of your own emotional life.

Claim the power you have to choose joy every day.

Your time on this earth is way too precious.