If I ever find myself in a funk, whether that means a feeling of being unfulfilled, experiencing overwhelm, feeling frustrated, or just being down in the dumps, I use the following checklist to ensure that my mental health baseline is covered. To me, it's kinda like taking an immune boosting supplement of echinacea or goldenseal whenever my throat starts to feel scratchy. I'd rather address the issue immediately, than let any unproductive emotions continue to stew. Considering these five questions lets me see if there are any quick fixes to get myself back on track.
1. Do You Have Enough Movement in Your Daily Life?
One of the easiest ways to affect your mood is to ensure that you have enough exercise and movement practices in your daily routine. If your average day is spent driving to work, sitting at a desk, driving home, and sitting on the couch eating dinner and watching Netflix, you are living a sedentary lifestyle that is slowly killing yourself. Our bodies are made to perform, to move in complex ways, to run and jump, to lift heavy objects, and to express ourselves in unique ways. If you aren't utilizing this machinery, you're going to have problems. Movement has a positive effect on our mood, so an easy fix for those less than delightful feelings is to get moving.
2. Is Your Diet Clean?
Mental fog can be caused by what you're consuming. If you're eating processed foods, no greens, or not staying adequately hydrated, then you're leaving yourself susceptible to unproductive moods or behaviors. Updating your diet to incorporate more whole foods, lots of vegetables, and making sure you're drinking enough water, can make you sharper, less irritable, and provide you with more energy. A good diet and plenty of exercise not only benefit the body, but also affect how your mind operates, and how you perceive reality. Before taking any more drastic measure to try and influence your mood, get your diet straightened out first.
3. Are You Working Towards a Goal?
If you're experiencing any feelings of meaninglessness, despair, or depression, ask yourself: what am I focused on building? Without personal goals, you'll begin to lack focus and drive, and that's a recipe for unproductive thoughts or behaviors. So, begin to consider what you can aim for. It doesn't have to be something big, either. What is your goal for this week? If that's too big, then just start with a goal for today, or this afternoon. From there, you can refocus your efforts around accomplishment. This is at the basis of self-esteem -- committing to something and getting it done. If you continue to set goals and achieve them, not only will you start to feel better about yourself, you'll also start having to make bigger and bigger goals!
4. Is There Any Unaddressed Baggage?
Sometimes negative emotions can arise from areas of your life that you are ignoring or have completely denied consideration. This can especially be the case if anything traumatic has occurred in your recent history. While it may be uncomfortable to consider some tender experiences, choosing to ignore them completely can cause unintended consequences. Instead of ignoring an unfortunate occurrence, consciously choose to close the door to this experience from your past life. Whether this means actually addressing the experience and whoever was involved with it, or simply just telling yourself "I no longer allow that experience to have any effect on me", make a concerted effort to tie off the situation and move on.
5. Can You Be More Grateful?
Gratitude is like cheap magic. There's a never ending supply of it, and it always has a positive effect. Simply reminding yourself of everything that is going right in your life, of the privilege that is inherent to every single moment of existence, of the vast mystery and wonder of the universe, and the great honor it is to be a part of its exploration and expression... this is a most useful daily practice. You are here to be amazed, to be curious, to learn and grow, to create and express yourself, to lift yourself and others, and expressing gratitude for this endless opportunity is your cosmic affirmation. So give thanks for your present moment and all that has occurred to place you right here, right now.
Take these five questions and try them out for yourselves. Let me know what you think and how you feel.
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