When I woke up this morning the sun was shining brightly over Lake George. I opened my eyes to one of my favorite sights and smiled that I was lucky to have that view. But after completing my morning routine of coffee and reading the newspaper I found myself in a “funk.” No real reason for it, nothing bad going on in my life. Maybe too much news, maybe boredom, maybe something deeper such as watching the days tick by but not being able to do the things I regularly like to do? Or the passing of Regis Philbin (one of the “nice guys” who made you feel like a relative whenever he was on TV). He always made me laugh. Being a Certified Mindset Coach makes days like today a paradox for me. I just knew I needed to find a way to change my day. So I wrote down a checklist of things that I would say if I was coaching me. Maybe they will help you as well! Have a great day..no matter what!

Tips for overcoming the “blahs”

1. Start the day with a moment of gratitude– Think of at least one thing for which you are grateful. Some people have a gratitude journal, I am not great at journaling but this may work for some.
2. Get dressed right away- I’ll admit it.. I struggle with this one. I like the idea of being in my robe, but it does lead to a feeling of no direction or commitment to the day.
3. Set SMART goals- Specific,measurable,achievable,realistic,time sensitive. So pick something for the day- clean a closet, re-arrange something, read a few chapters in a book. DO NOT make broad goals such as paint the house, renovate the kitchen, read all of your summer reading and write the reports for them. You will just shut down and feel overwhelmed if the goal is too broad or not achievable in a short amount of time.
4. Exercise or just breathe- Do a workout from You Tube.. or go for a walk or run. Or just go outside and get some fresh air. Look at the clouds for a bit with no thoughts in your brain.
5. Try something new- Maybe a craft you have been thinking about. I tend to over do this one as I get to Jo Ann Fabrics and get overwhelmed with so many ideas and then buy all of the supplies only to leave it sitting in the bag and have buyers remorse. I should refer to number 3 above! So keep it simple- maybe a new route on your walk, a new recipe for dinner.
6. Surround yourself with positive people– During Covid this has been difficult but find the time to FaceTime that friend that makes you laugh no matter what. Don’t call the ones who are going to just complain the whole or conversation or worse “highjack” your feelings and make it about them. We all have those friends..today is the day to avoid them- you need your gas tank filled, not sucked dry!
7. Stay off of Social Media- Seeing all of the activities and happy faces (fake usually because lets face it not many post themselves in their robe with a poopy face on!) isn’t going to help your mood!
8. Be Forgiving of yourself– THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE!!!! Its ok to have “a day” or a “moment”. What is not ok is to take it out on others, wallow in it or not know how to manage it.

GOOD LUCK