Reset Your Day

We’ve all had those days. The ones that seem to slip sideways despite our best efforts. You wake up refreshed, you have a positive outlook, you start your day with a smile. Then one thing goes wrong, then another. The kids are running late. They forgot to tell you about the snacks they need to bring to school that day. Traffic is horrible. Someone blares his horn at you for no reason. Before you know it, you’re happy, positive outlook is thrown out the window, and you find yourself frazzled and frustrated. 

That’s when it’s time to reset.

Like a roller coaster with no brakes, days like that can easily spin out of control. Before that happens to you, here are a few ways to press reset on a bad day.

1.      Meditate: It’s easy to make excuses not to mediate—I don’t have time, I don’t have a quiet space, I don’t know how to do it. The reality is that there is no wrong way to mediate. If you work in an office with no privacy, go out of your car and lay the seat back for 15 minutes. Close your eyes, calm your breath, and focus on the feel of the seat below you. Try and let any wayward thoughts float away like leaves in a stream. Focus on the present, what you hear, what you smell, what you feel. Try it, and you’ll be amazed by what a few minutes of meditation can do to reset your day. 

2.      Light a Candle: There is something unmistakably comforting about a candle. The calming smell, the flicker of the flame, even the quiet sound of the burning wick. There are times when just lighting a candle and sitting near it is enough to lower your heart rate, calm your breathing, and relax your mind.

3.      Listen to Calming Sounds: Not every white noise sound is comforting for everyone, so find the sounds that are most relaxing to you, whether it’s Buddhist chanting, Native American flutes, nature sounds, or all the above. Have the music playing in the background as you go about your day. You might not even notice the music after a while, but it will still be there working at calming you down even if you aren’t aware of it.

4.      Get Out in Nature: There is an inherently calming influence that nature has on us. The longer we expose ourselves to it, the more powerful the impact it has. And the beautiful part is that you don’t have to travel to the middle of nowhere to benefit from nature’s healing power. If there’s a park nearby, go there and just sit under a tree. Or walk barefoot in the grass. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds of nature all around you – the birds chirping, squirrels chattering, leaves rustling in the wind. The more immersed you can become with the experience, the easier it will be to hit the reset button and fill you with peace and positivity for the rest of your day.

5.      Go For a Walk: The simple act of walking does wonders for reducing stress. It doesn’t have to be a long walk, it doesn’t have to be at a brisk pace, and it doesn’t have to cause you to work up a sweat. Just walk. Even if it’s just around the block. And if you really want to get the most out of your walk, try to practice meditation walking. Feel each footfall as it hits the ground, notice the solidness of the ground below you. Keep your eyes focused on what’s right in front of you. Listen to the sounds all around you and identify them. The combination of practicing being present and the increased blood flowing through your body can have such a dramatic effect on your mood that you might find yourself doing it every day – even when you don’t need a reset. 

We all know that life happens. There are things outside of our control that can crumble the calmest moods and upset even the happiest of days. But just because you might not have control over the things that happen, it doesn’t mean that you can’t control how those things impact you. Be aware of when negativity seeps into your day and choose to hit the reset button by doing some small act that can have a huge impact on your mood—and the rest of your day.