Bad day? Tips to cheer you up!

There's nothing like rolling out of bed and just knowing it's going to be a bad day. Talk about not starting the day off on the right foot! This spring I seemed to be particularly prone to bad days, so I got working on a plan to turn my off days into good days.

This morning, instead of following Jake out of bed, I just laid there for a bit. Boy, did I feel tired... I didn't feel like leaving bed all day. In fact, I kind of thought that just falling back asleep and staying curled up under the blankets in my warm, nice, cozy, accepting, comfortable, loving (can you tell my bed is basically a friend to me?!) bed was the ideal way to spend the day. Hmm. Doesn't sound like I would get much done there... Thankfully, today this idea wasn't even an option, so after a few minutes of contemplating going back to sleep, I pulled myself out of bed and went to the kitchen for some coffee.

By the time Jake was off to work, I'd compiled a list of things I knew I needed to do for myself today if I wanted to change my bad day into a good day. I jotted down eight things that I could do that would help turn my day around, and then I formulated my to-do list for the day. Now, I like to plan my happy-activities in with my to-do list, so then I actually make time for them. Otherwise, I'll prioritize getting the "important" things done and I won't do anything to make myself happy until those tasks are completed... but usually what that looks like at the end of the day is an unhappy Haeleah who got a lot of practical things done, but ran out of energy to do any fun things, and then when Jake comes home from work, Haeleah isn't much fun to be around. Hmmm... I don't like being that version of Haeleah nearly as much as I like being the Haeleah that mixes work WITH pleasure! Jake likes her better too ;) Happy wife, happy life...

I'll tell you what I did for fun today that brightened up my mood and turned my day around, but it's important to remember that what makes me happy isn't necessarily what makes you happy. Take a minute to make your own list of things that you can do, just for yourself, to brighten your day. Go for it! It's really a lot of fun to think about the nice things you can easily do for yourself; not only will you feel better, but you'll also be a nicer person to be around. I've experienced this firsthand!!!

So, I wrote up a "game plan to get-happy" that looked like this:

#1. Get outside

#2. Organize your space

#3. Do a face mask

#4. Watch a show while folding & ironing

#5. Listen to happy music

#6. Color something

#7. Enjoy your makeup

#8. Have another cup of coffee

Then, I assigned those "for-me" activities to my to-do list! So, while I organized my space, I listened to happy music; when I did the dishes, folded, & ironed the clothes, I watched a fun show! While I waited for my clothes to be done at the laundromat, I colored in my coloring book that I love! And you know what? I've had a productive day and I haven't felt unhappy since I made my list this morning!

Sometimes it seems like there just isn't enough time in the day to spend time doing nice thing for yourself. But even on a busy day, I think you would be amazed what you can squeeze in! Give it a try, it will work and you'll be a happier person because you did it.

Do you have things you do just to make you happy? If so, I'd love to hear about them-do tell!!! I think I'll look back on 2017 as the year I learned to make myself happy. I'm the only one responsible for my mood and emotions, no one else can make me happy all of the time, so I've got to learn how to do it for myself.