It was just one of those bad days. Work was stressful and busy and I had no time to take a lunch break. By the time I got home, I was in a bad mood and defenses were on high. Immediately when my fianc� said something to me, I interpreted it as a personal attack and snapped at him. With no appetite for dinner or desire to be around people, I went to lie in bed. As I lay there, a bit of self-awareness poked through into my consciousness. I realized that I needed to take action to cut through this foul mood. I knew dwelling on my thoughts would make things worse, so with all my willpower, I dragged myself up out of bed and to the gym for a good run on the treadmill. Not 1 minute into my run, my iPod died, but I pushed myself and kept going. It took a good 10 minutes, but eventually the blood was flowing, good chemicals were pumping through my body, and the distraction of exercise changed my mood.
I wasn’t always able to take action to combat my moods, but by developing greater self-awareness and knowledge that ACTION was what I needed rather than rumination, I have much more ability to control and change my moods.
Self-Awareness: recognizing your current state–physical, emotional, and mental.
How can you increase your self-awareness?
1. Meditation
2. ABC’s–understanding how Adversity, Beliefs, and Consequences (behaviors and emotions) are interrelated
3. Cues like saying STOP to interrupt negative�thoughts
4. Learn from experience and practice over time
Action
1. physical exercise affects moods and thoughts
2. JUST DO IT and don’t over-think things
3. Let your gut decide
4. Make a decision and move forward–leave the past behind
5. Learn what actions help boost your mood and worsen your mood
0 comments:
Post a Comment