gratitudejournal | Scrubs and Motherhood

Remove the negativity

Are you in FB groups that constantly have drama, you never post in them because you’re afraid of judgement, and if you REALLY think about it you get more negativity out of it than positivity? Remove yourself, or just snooze for 30 days and reevaluate.
Do you have a friend that is always a negative Nancy? Or maybe a friend that puts you down more than they lift you up? Reevaluate your friendships. Distance yourself from those that bring you down more than lift you up.
Are you addicted to true crime tv shows and podcasts? Yeah I was too. Take a break and replace with comedy tv shows/podcasts or positive mindset podcasts.

By nature, we tend to focus on the negative. The bottom line – you can’t change what has happened, but you can change how you let it affect you.
Make a conscious effort to take a negative thought and turn it into a positive. Start small. Ex: “I had a rough day at work, it was so busy, people were rude, etc” à “I’m lucky to have a good job, at least I get paid for today, I have job security in my profession. And the rude people don’t come home with me – I get to leave my work at work and come home to my family.”

Start your day by thinking of just one thing you’re grateful for. It doesn’t have to be big. But training your brain to start the day focused on gratitude puts your mindset in a positive mode for the day.
End your day the same way – this is also a good time to reflect on some negative thoughts you may have had during the day and think of how to turn them into a positive.
Over time, your brain will be trained to focus on the positive

Lacking motivation to get things done, then you feel lazy, then you feel down because your house is a mess, you felt unproductive, you feel bad about yourself, and it’s a snowball effect.
JUST START – getting started is the hardest part. Laundry to fold but you’re dreading it, feel like it wastes this precious small amount of time you have to yourself? Just get started – it usually ends up taking less time than you think. And once you get started, it gets easier to just get it done. Then you feel better about yourself and the mess!
Feeling sluggish, you know you need to get some exercise, but feeling lazy and don’t feel like getting ready? Just do it. In your pjs, who cares? Many times I’ve just thrown on a hoodie over my pjs and took a short walk. That small dose of vit D makes me feel more energized and is a huge mood boost! Now, if you sleep naked or in skimpy pjs maybe throw on a robe or something, don’t get arrested for streaking in your neighborhood. Does that still feel like too much work? Get down on your living room floor and do some stretching, sit-ups, 10-15 mins of physical activity – it will release endorphins that will improve your mood!

Those last points kinda go along with this – make it a habit to move your body every day in some way. Even for just 15-20 mins. Go for a walk, walk the dog, ride a bicycle, do some yoga in your living room, play with your kids outside.
Moving your body is not only physically healthy, but boosts your mental health. It releases those feel-good hormones that improve your mood and put you in a better head space.
Bonus tip: listen to The Mindset Mentor podcast while going for a walk – he has some amazing episodes, short and sweet, that are really inspiring and mood-lifting!