Even the most upbeat people can get stuck in a downward spiral when life gets crazy. How do you keep this negativity from affecting your family, your work–and even your health? Stay true to who you are by being proactive about the big things, and all the little things will just fall into line. You may not believe it, but if you try these few simple ideas on a daily basis, your smile will be bright again in no time!
Whether you need to make lists to keep things going, help others to bring needed perspective back to your life, do a little funky dance or just stop multitasking so you can focus, these ideas will help you stay positive when life gets just a little crazy.
Be Like Ferris Bueller and Just Dance!
Delight Someone Else
When your life is crazy and you’re feeling overwhelmed, the last possible thing you can consider is doing something for someone other than yourself. However, taking time for others can make you stop your hectic schedule for a moment and get outside of yourself, which may help you bring some of the smaller challenges back into perspective. No matter your flaws and imperfections, there is something that you are uniquely suited to do. Even if that’s just warming up some soup to take to an elderly neighbor for an hour, you’ll have made a difference in someone else’s life–which will bring a smile to your face and a lightness to your step.
Stop Waiting – Start Doing
Life is precious, and just because you put off doing something doesn’t mean it’s going to go away. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, make a list of everything you have to do. Yes, absolutely everything–from changing the toilet paper rolls (again!) to paying bills and taking your puppy to the vet. Putting everything out there on paper has the beautiful effect of taking it OUT of your brain, and putting it somewhere that you can prioritize and attack it as you are able. Think of something later? Add it to the list. An added bonus is that humans absolutely love to mark things off of a list. We love to complete tasks–why take that wonderful feeling away from yourself? You might also find that some of the things that were making your life crazy can be delegated to others, which will also lighten the load.
Just Dance
Sometimes, when life can seem completely overwhelming you just need to turn on some really loud music and just dance. Whether you’re dancing by yourself a la Ferris Bueller or grabbing the kids for an impromptu jam session, dancing brings out endorphins which lead to a positive uptick in your mood. Even 5 minutes of silliness can leave a smile on your face for the rest of the day. If you’re self-conscious, do some car dancing! It works every bit as well, and you’re much less likely to see shocked colleagues at work if you’re busting a move in the minivan.
Stop Multitasking
In the 80s and 90s, multitasking was billed as the way to get more done in a shorter period of time, but recent studies show that multitasking is simply a way to do several things poorly! Pick just one project or just one task and attack it fully, with all of your attention. When life is feeling crazy, you can reel it back in with a focus and dedication to completing some items and getting them off your plate.
No one is perfect all of the time, and we all feel stressed out, crazy and ready to explode. Don’t let those feelings bottle up and get to that point! Release some of the pressure and get your positivity back with these quick tips.
