Moving Beyond Daily Annoyances...
Posted on March 21, 2013 by Aliisa Hayes, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
It's hard to stay positive, but the results from being negative can be worse....
Bad days are a part of life, you know the ones where everything seems to go wrong and everyone annoys you. These type of days can often spiral out of control. It’s hard to maintain a positive attitude when a person cuts in line at the post office, after you’ve been waiting ten minutes or when you’re already late for a meeting and you have to stop for every traffic light. These everyday annoyances can add up quickly… Bad days can turn into bad weeks, months and years.
Focusing on these negative thoughts take a lot out of you physically and mentally. It gives the negativity in our lives a lot of power. Our mood and physical well-being can be altered by spending so much time on worry and resentment. Often times we can take back the power by replacing unpleasant thoughts with positive ones, seeing “the glass as half full”. Much easier said than done, but for those people who want to take back the power, it can be done.
Some individuals find creative outlets, that guide them:
1. Yoga
2. Meditation
3. Massages
4. Religious affiliations
5. Volunteer work
6. Motivational speakers/books
7. Journaling
8. Walks
9. Finding your sense of humor/laughing
10. Turning off the news temporarily
11. Aromatherapy
12. Daily gratitude statements
Most times commitment is the key. Dedicating yourself to change and maintaining awareness is the hardest part. That’s not to say annoyances won’t occur; but when you fail to notice that the cashier charged you double for a product, the duration and intensity of your frustration will eventually change.
At a recent Chamber of Commerce meeting, they handed out a simple card with the words “Just Breathe”. On the back was a set of instructions to help you “Breathe your way into Wellness”. The instructions were as follows:
1. Inhale through the nose, from the diaphragm, up through the lungs into your collar bones while counting to five.
2. Hold the breath to a count of three.
3. Exhale slowly and completely, to a count of five, through a slightly parted mouth releasing all of the air.
(for optimum benefit, schedule two, five minute segments of deep breathing exercises daily)
These concise and specific instructions were a great resource. It only takes ten minutes a day, but has a lasting effect throughout your life.
“Don’t sweat the small stuff” when you can just breathe through it!
