Looking back at some of my recent posts it struck me that they’re tending towards the darker side of life. It’s an old habit I’m trying to break!! Not wanting to give a false impression and unduly spread gloom, I’m going off in seach of the lighter side. There is one! Trust me! I guess you know it already.
Taking responsibility for my life firmly in my own hands my mood is my choice. Here’s some things that help me turn on the light switch.
None resolve whatever underlies the dark, but getting in a positive frame gives me inner resources to identify what’s missing and do something about it.
1 Remind myself it’s a choice
On the dark side there often seems to be little choice. There is! It takes some practice but I remind myself how I react to what’s going on around me is largely, if not entirely, my choice. I can react pretty much any way I want. I can sink into a dark pit or I can press the button and illuminate. I’m fortunately living in a stable, peaceful place with little to get gloomy about – which certainly helps. I’m inspired by others who manage to keep their humanity in the most extreme situations. Read Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning
2 Music
I collect and listen to a lot of music and there’s definitely some mood changing qualities in it. I choose music to match my mood or to help change it. My current uplifting beats of choice are, for a reason that I’ve yet to fathom, My Chemical Romance and Muse.
3 Talk to someone
I don’t mean visit a therapist or seek a shoulder to cry on – just a good old fashioned conversation does it for me. I spend much time on my own and I like it that way! However, when I’m not in contact with others I have a tendency to slowly drift into the dark side. I have several shining people I can call on and I know we’ll talk about nothing in particular and with the lightest of touches.
4 Walk in the park
Works for me mainly in the Spring and Summer where there’s more life, colour and sunshine. Even in the Autumn and Winter the parks are so beautiful … and just touching the life there helps wake me up. Crunching through the snow on the ground or feeling the sun on my face always lifts my mood.
5 Read
I’m currently reading Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine
6 Clean up
There’s nothing like cleaning the apartment and throwing out stuff to brighten the day. I recently deleted my entire Email inbox (sorry if any of you are waiting for a reply!). One press on the delete button was a real flash and throwing out everything I’ve not used recently is a real brightener. There’s nothing like a clean start!
7 Do something for someone else
I’m not so attracted to buying stuff so retail therapy (for myself or someone else) just doesn’t do it for me. Giving some time and attention does. It could be a simple phone call or mail to say ‘thanks’, sending an article I think might be interesting or offering to do something with no expectation of return. It’s a reminder that my presence in the World might mean something.
8 Escape for a while
This is a last resort and usually involves switching off for a couple of hours and any film or TV show will do. I’m currently working my way through the X-files at the moment. 45 minutes of mindlessness works wonders. Writing this blog has a similar effect!
9 Go to sleep
When I wake up to the sunrise things always look a whole lot better.
“It’s always darkest just before the dawn”
10 …..
I don’t have a tenth and I’m really curious to hear suggestions … what do you do to flip the switch?
