One of my favourite LOA mantras is “as within, so without”. It’s a reminder to me that whatever is happening outside of me in my experience is a direct reflection of what is happening within me, on the inside. My external reality is a mirror of my internal thoughts, beliefs, and expectations. So when I start finding myself feeling down or pessimistic about things, or when something I’ve come across in the media upsets me, I look for ways to shift my focus into a better-feeling place. Here are some of my favourite ways to feel better fast when I’m in a funk.
8 strategies to help you feel better fast
1. Be here now.
Focus on the present moment. When we feel bad, it’s usually because our attention is focused in the past or on the future. When something we find in the news is upsetting to us, for instance, it’s almost always because there is a kernel of fear of something similar happening to us or to someone we care about; it’s fear of something that will most likely never come to pass. When you worry about the future you expend a whole lot of energy imagining negative scenarios that are going to turn out better than you think they are anyway, so why bother worrying? Likewise, the past is over and done with. It cannot be changed, for better or for worse, so why let it bother you anymore? Grounding yourself in the present moment allows you to experience your life in the only moment over which you have any control: right now.
2. Be silly.
Give yourself permission to just be silly! Have fun do something you enjoy, for no other reason than that it would be fun, even if you’re worried you’ll look like an idiot. Tell your inner critic to take a hike, let the self-criticism, go and let yourself have a moment of pure playfulness and joy.
3. Practice “pivoting”.
Pivoting is a technique described by Esther Hicks and Abraham in the book“Ask and it is Given”. If you are focusing on or obsessing about something you don’t want, take a moment to write it down. Take a sheet of paper, fold it in half length-wise and on the left-hand side, write out a comprehensive list of all the things that you are worried about or angry about or frustrated about. Get everything out. And then on the right-hand side, next to each of your negative items, write down what is that you do want, instead of that item. So, for example, if one of your negative items was that you’re afraid your car is going to crap out on you soon, then on the other side, you could write down that you want a reliable vehicle that will get you from Point A to Point B every time. You “pivot” your thoughts from negative to positive.
4. Take a walk.
I find that when I’m having trouble concentrating, or just in one of those disgruntled “meh” kind of moods where nothing feels right and everything is slightly annoying, getting outside and enjoy some sunshine and some exercise really helps to settle things down and turn my mood around.
5. Lend a hand.
Helping other people helps to make us feel better, too. Not only does it feel good when something we can do helps others (helping makes us happy!), it actually has an impact on both our mental and physical health, too. Studies have shown that older adults who regularly volunteer, for instance, enjoy higher levels of well-being than those who do not.
6. Laugh.
Laughter, as they say, is the best medicine. And I firmly believe this. So much of what makes us feel bad in life can be cured by a good laugh. Even when situations are particularly bleak, if we can still find a way to laugh, things never seem quite as bad.
7. This too shall pass.
Sometimes it helps to remember that whatever is happening in our lives right now is transient. It won’t last forever, no matter what it is. So enjoy the good things, and don’t worry so much about the bad… they’ll all be memories soon enough, and new adventures await around every corner.
8. Indulge yourself.
What’s your “guilty pleasure”? Celebrity magazines? A long soak in a hot bubble bath with a glass of wine? The latest novel from your favourite author? Indulge yourself and take some time to do something that you enjoy, just because you enjoy it.
Next time you’re feeling down, give these strategies a try. Remember that like attracts like, and by boosting your vibe, not only will you start to feel better fast, finding that better-feeling place will help you to keep yourself aligned with all the good-feeling experiences and situations that you want to attract into your life!
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These are great! The problem with the first one is that the past continues to live on in the mind. That is the problem. If there were any way to delete it, that would be great.
We don’t need to delete past, we just need to stop reliving it. When we keep reopening old wounds, they never have a chance to heal. All our past experiences have served to bring us to where we are today. Even the bad ones. Forgiving what’s over — forgiving ourselves and others — is part of that process of healing. Remembering that forgiveness does not mean that you are condoning someone else’s actions or behaviour; it just means that you’re ready let go of whatever is tying you down and preventing you from moving on with your life.
LOA says you do not have to go back in time to do something, you can just feel good now, but that still does not change the situation, or does it? I guess LOA does not consider gaps ir anything like that. It is all about feeling good and that is it? You take it from there? I am still not clear on this.
You do not have to go back in time in order to feel better about something. What’s done is done. Again, letting yourself forgive all that happened back then is kind of key to being able to move forward. You can’t build a better future for yourself if your hands are full of yesterday’s garbage. One of the very first podcast episodes I ever did deals with the whole topic of forgiveness. Might be worth checking out if you’re having a hard time with it. (Which is very common, by the way, and something I used to struggle with a lot, too.)
I know and understand what you are saying Nathalie. And it is true. I get it and I have forgiven myself. But I can’t help thinking how I would not be in the mess I am in if I just took that opportunity when it came along out of nowhere. I would not be fighting with a sister now. She says very nasty things I never ever heard anyone else say, judges and criticizes, dwells on the past every time we converse, and thinks I am a derelict and thinks I should go study something else, she is not even willing to help out financially with when she tells me to my face how wealthy and successful she is. She is troubled and delusional and projects many things. I mean, does she even know what a true derelict is? I am nowhere near that.
Anyway, you can’t help but think what if I did that, I would not be where I am now. I would be elsewhere. It may not be good either, but it will be somewhere else.
The only thing I focus on is my faith and belief that everything will turn out okay regardless, becasue they always do and with the sister, the universe will keep me away from her uncalled for wrath.
The thing is, if you’re still stuck on “if I had only…”, then you haven’t forgiven yourself. Not really. It’s a feeling thing, not an intellectual one. You can tell yourself to forgive yourself as often as you like, and remind yourself of all the reasons why you “should”. But it has to be felt in order to be real.
Why do you need your sister to help with your dream? It doesn’t have to be her, and if she just makes you feel bad, then don’t go there. Be open to other ways in which the money could come to you, rather than expecting your family to pay for it. That’s just going to cause friction, especially if they are unable to understand why you want this so badly and what it means to you…
You are right. She is obviously not a cooperative component in my creations. I just do not know where all her negativity comes from as well as her lack of faith in me. But I do not need to, do I? I should just carry on regardless.