Have you ever started your week feeling cranky? Was it left over from the week prior, the weekend, etc? Did you ruminate for days and it’s the brain worm that just won’t leave? What to do? How do you get your mojo back? I had that Monday and felt my telomers unraveling.
Julie Kliger posted an article on LinkedIn and part of that article were her 10 tips for happiness. I like combining her tips to the concepts of BJ Fogg’s behavior change methodology. He is a proponent of baby steps to tiny habits leading to structured behavior change. I find this approach is helpful to getting rid of the “cranks”. Just a few days ago he tweeted “In Behavior Design, you don’t motivate an aspiration (eg “reduce stress”); instead, you facilitate behaviors that lead to aspiration” . If I look at t he 10 Action items that Julie Kliger promotes – I get stuck and overwhelmed by reading all 10. It’s like someone saying “it’s not so bad”, or “get over it”; or any other help someone is trying to offer.
Managing the cranky moments is just as important as managing your exercise – all interwoven in our journey toward health. If our mind is not healthy, our body has a hard time as well – they are like conjoined twins – separate people, but still connected (often to survive).
Here’s an alternative approach.. Take 1 of the actions (I took her concept of simple exercise and changed it to breathing) and take a baby step. Take 3 deep breaths. Another hour take another 3 breaths… now you are on your way from baby steps to tiny habits… and changing. THEN you can start working on the other items.
10 Actions to Try – From Julie Kliger
“So, in the spirit of creating “resilience” in the face of depression, sadness or anxiety, I’ve developed a Top 10 List. For those wanting to be happier—whether at work, at home or in life, I hope you will try to do some of these actions and feel better for it:
- Commit to doing one nice thing for yourself every day
- Try to look at the bigger picture
- Do some simple exercise
- Laugh AND cry if the mood strikes
- Eliminate toxic people in your life and workplace
- Prioritize your health
- Enlist a professional
- Dive into something creative like drawing, writing, painting
- Eat well
- Accept yourself as you are right now
My sincerest hope for anyone who feels vulnerable, sad, or alone is that they reach out to someone-anyone-to open a ‘curtain of light’ during dark times”.
P.S. I also like the one nice thing for yourself… Hmm let me think what that might be.
