This week – pay attention to what you love to do. The things that make you grin from ear-to-ear. The things that improve your mood, no matter where it started. Write them down. Keep adding to your list.
It’s remarkably easy to notice the things that you don’t like to do, the things that leave you cranky and irritable. It might be picking up the dog droppings in the backyard or scraping out the filter in the bottom of the dishwasher. You might even keep a running tally of all the things you did today that you didn’t like. If you’re ever in a great mood and want to bring it down a notch you can always find an unpleasant chore. (cause we all think of it this way…)
But what if you flipped it?
What if you kept a running tally of all the things you like to do, all the things that bring you joy? What if you when you were deep in the doldrums you could look at your list of joyful activities and gradually start to improve your mood by just doing one thing? Maybe it’s lighting a candle, turning on classical radio or classic rock, doodling, petting your dog, going for a walk in the woods, lifting something heavy, watching your favorite show (though maybe not binge watching it), baking cookies, pillow fights with your kids/grandkids/spouse.
When you are in a bad mood it can be hard to remember if any activities are fun, this is when an actual list is helpful.
So, go get your writing supplies and start writing!
