Fighting Negative Emotions


If you fight a negative emotion rather than face it, you may let it grow. You should face the emotion immediately and settle it once and for all. If you ignore the terrible emotions, they could think that they are winning. It is all right to let yourself feel and work through things.

Try some deep breathing techniques. These or other grounding techniques should help you return to your present moment. Also, try talking to someone you trust. When burdens are shared, you have more ideas and ways to cope. A shared burden almost always feels lighter.

Whenever you face your burden, remember it is never an “I failed.” You are turning that saying into “I learned.” Engage in creative expression. Use art, music, journaling, or your forte to help release built-up emotion.

You need to help build self-compassion. If you treat others with understanding and compassion, Why would you not treat yourself the same way? Treat yourself the same way you would a dear friend going through a tough time.

Celebrating Everyday Happiness

Not everything needs to be big and extravagant when you want to find happiness. Take time to notice the small joys you experience every day. It could be a good cup of coffee while you watch the sunrise from your kitchen window, a kind word or two with someone you see on a walk, or even just a quiet moment enjoying the warmth of the sunshine.

Try keeping a journal where you can write down everything you are grateful for. Gratitude is the key to happiness. Write down three things you’re thankful for daily.

While a big win is good, you should also celebrate the small steps that brought you to the pinnacle. Remember, every step, no matter how small, matters.
Start the day knowing what you want and intend to accomplish. As you run your morning routines, smile in the mirror and think of a positive affirmation. A smile and good thoughts will help you get going.

Have mini celebrations for the steps you accomplish. I have taco Tuesdays. Yours can be anything you like: a free concert in the park, a pizza night, or anything you find happiness in. Everyone involved feels good if you share that joy with others, even if it is saying hi to a stranger or sending a kind message to a good friend.

Happiness at Home Alone

When your life has drastically changed, it can be hard not to fall into ruts. I have some suggestions that may help you compensate and avoid ruts.

Set a plan of what you need to do daily, weekly, and monthly. I like to stack habits. That way, I can get many things done in a short amount of time. It’s not that I want to skip chores; I just don’t want to spend all week picking up after myself.

I have started to make the house more comfortable for myself. My extended family and my kids helped me declutter a lot. Rearranging some furniture and changing some things have helped improve things for me. Photos and special moments make me feel a little better in the house.

Don’t spend all your time cooped up in the house or apartment. Get out and enjoy time with other people you know. Talking with others is a good time to practice active listening. Good discussion helps create deeper bonds and prevents minor issues from growing.

Show appreciation. Simple “thank yous” or compliments often uplift the day for all who may drop by. Encourage Those you know and talk with to pursue something they love and share their journey with others.

Happiness Through City Nature

Sometimes, it is hard to get away, even for a few minutes, to do something good for yourself. Yet, if you do not take time for yourself, how will you keep your mental equilibrium intact? Sometimes, we just need to carve out 10 to fifteen minutes to take care of ourselves. Believe it or not, it is easy to do.

If you are sitting in an office, take a short walk (10-15 minutes) once or twice a day. If your building has an atrium or a courtyard with some greenery, that would be a perfect place to walk. If not, walk around the block or someplace close to your work where you can get some sun and exercise. The trade-off will be that when you get back to the desk, you will feel better, and your work will be faster and better.

Suppose you cannot get away from your building, practice mindfulness. If there is a balcony or an open window, take a few moments to feel a nice breeze, watch a bird, or breathe deeply. It is remarkable what a minute or two a few times a day can do. Suppose you are allowed to bring a houseplant to your desk. Plants do help to improve your environment.

These are suggestions, and I hope they help you have a better day.

Beware The Rut

Routines are like habit stacking. Every Tuesday, I do this, and every Thursday, I do that. I know in advance what I will be doing and usually when. It is a sound system, yet sometimes, it can become a rut.

If you feel your system is becoming rutted, try changing things up occasionally. Ruts are not good because the deeper you get into them, the harder it is to see the outside world. You start feeling trapped and often lonely.

Doing different things can get you out of the rut, and being with friends and family can help. If your change affects others who count on you for something, be sure to let them know what the changes are and see if you can change what you do for them to a new time or day.

 Nothing works forever, and trying new things helps with monotony. When you try new things, start in small steps until you know they are right for you.

Using Visualization and Affirmations for Motivation 

When you want real motivation to do something or make it happen, Start with good visuals of the outcome. You need to be able to visualize the experience. Making a visual picture, like a collage, of what you are trying to achieve adds to the visualization. Every time you look at it, you will renew your desire to be there doing what you see.


You want to ensure that you engage all your senses. Find ways to incorporate all your senses into the work. When you work with visual cues, the sounds of what happens, and all the emotions at play, the results may make the experience feel real.


Use affirmations to help make your desires a reality. Act as if everything is already happening. You can not just mention affirmations once and have everything fall into place. You want to integrate visualization and affirmations into your morning or bedtime routine for consistency.


You may start with affirmations, and you want to reinforce the mental imagery with real-world steps to bridge thoughts and results from the mind to real action.

 

The Power of Habit Stacking 

When you attach a new habit to an existing routine, you are doing habit stacking. Habit stacking can allow you to do more things in less time because you are doing the routines in one place, and they are done without leaving and coming back to do the following action.

When you do this, you should start small with easy-to-do tasks. Slowly add tasks, ensuring you do not become overwhelmed by taking on too many new ones simultaneously.

Use one task to trigger the next task. I shave in the morning. It reminds me to comb my hair. Which in turn reminds me to put in my dentures. Three tasks boiled down to a simple five-minute routine.

When you do this, start with a way to track how it is going. Sometimes, you may forget to take a step or do it out of order. If it happens, just remind yourself it is only the beginning, and as you do the habits, more things will usually work out.

If habit stacking in one area works well, try it in another. Pretty soon, you may have the whole house organized and running smoothly.

Identifying common fears you may face and how to handle them.  

Identifying common fears you may face and how to handle them.  

You do not heed to fear anything. Take stock of what bothers you, try to understand why, and work on solutions to help you overcome the fears.

If you are afraid of guns, snakes, knives, and many other bad things, you are in the majority. Sometimes, a healthy dose of fear is good for us. For the things less leathel, try the ideas below.

Acknowledge and Define – Identify specific fears, procrastination patterns, or lack of direction to address them effectively. Use the WWWHW method.

Who: Is it a particular person or something that they do?

What: Is it something that you have a problem using?

When: Does the problem happen more at a particular time or during a specific event?

 How: How does the fear or problem manifest itself?

 Why: Why do you think it bothers you so much?

Reframe Your Mindset – Shift perspectives by seeing a problem as a barrier to growth opportunities,
rather than fear.

Break It Down – If the problem is overwhelming, divide it into smaller tasks, with manageable steps, to reduce hesitation.

Own Accountability: Partner with a mentor or accountability buddy to stay on track.

  •  Having someone in your corner will help you solve the problem and achieve better results.

Celebrate Progress – Reward small achievements to build momentum. The reward will reinforce positive actions.

The Happiness Hormone: Serotonin’s Role in Joy

Please remember I am not a doctor. Yet, in my reading, I have learned that Serotonin is suitable for regulating the brain and helps with joy. Here are a few ways to get some natural Serotonin and find a little more joy.

Please remember, all things in moderation.

  1. Serotonin helps to regulate:
    • Mood, anxiety, and overall emotional balance.
  2. Higher serotonin levels are linked to:
    •  Feelings of calm, contentment, and happiness.
  3. Sunlight exposure naturally:
    • Serotonin production, which improves mood.
  4. Healthy gut bacteria contribute to:
    •  Serotonin production, connecting diet to happiness.
  5. Low serotonin levels:
    • Are associated with depression and mood instability.
  6. Exercise, meditation, and social connections all:
    • It helps increase serotonin,

How Physical Activity Fuels Emotional Well-Being

When you exercise, it boosts your endorphins, which naturally improves your mood and reduces pain. Pain usually makes you feel bad, so less pain equals better feelings.

Movement reduces stress hormones like cortisol. Exercise leads to lower anxiety. Less anxiety getting in your way each day makes life a little better.

As you engage in more physical activity, you actually increase your self-esteem by improving your body image and confidence, helping you improve your mind and body.

Physical activity promotes better sleep. Better sleep gives you the good chemicals we have been talking about this week, which enhance emotional regulation and happiness. 

Exercising outdoors can increase vitamin D (we get it from the sunshine), which is linked to mood stability. People in northern climates with fewer hours of daylight during the winter need to use special lamps to help with vitamin D.

Regular workouts create a sense of accomplishment and reinforce a positive mindset. In doing so, you are building good habits and helping the body improve and care for itself.