7 Ways to Boost Your Resistance to a Bad Day

“We should count each day as a separate life.” - Seneca

My friend Tim Brownson at A Daring Adventure recently published an article providing seven reasons to be cheerful in spite of your circumstances.

On the particular day Tim wrote this article, he was experiencing the ultimate bad mood creator – transitioning all of his computer files from his old Windows-based computer to his brand spanking new Macintosh computer. Even though Tim is a very bright and capable guy, this exercise proved to be, shall we say, challenging for him.

At the moment of his greatest frustration, he happened to hear his wife break out in what Tim describes as “raucous” laughter. He followed the sound and found his wife watching the movie Hitch with Will Smith.

Soon, Tim found himself smiling and laughing along with his wife. In just a few short moments, his bad day had turned around and corrected itself. To be honest though, it was really Tim who made the adjustment, not the day at all. My friend just found a very good reason to reframe his bad day and then look at it from a different point of view.

All of us have this same ability, too. There exists in each one us the energy needed to reverse the negative circumstances we face in our daily lives and make them either more positive or adjust them. We also have the choice to accept the negatives, but then choose not to allow them to have any power over us.

It is possible to have a good day, every day. It does take practice and it takes effort, but over time the actions that contribute to making each day a good day can become a habit.

The following 7 Ways to Boost Your Resistance to a Bad Day are not complicated. You don’t need a special degree or any advanced training. You just need a commitment to open your mind to a new way of thinking. When you do, your whole life has the potential to change.

1. Start Each Day with a Creative State of Mind

As you open your eyes to greet the new day, spend the first few minutes thinking of the things that bring you the most happiness and comfort. It can be your family, your faith, or a special goal or project you have set for yourself.

In addition, spend a couple of brief moments thinking about the most exciting thing that happened to you yesterday. Savor this experience and allow the feelings to spill over into the new day.

Create a picture in your mind of how you want the day to unfold. Visualize it clearly and attractively in your mind. Imagine the people you want to meet, the things you want to accomplish or experience, and the fun you want to enjoy. Then, no matter the problems or obstacles you encounter, keep this mental snapshot with you and refer back it to when needed.

2. Begin Conditioning Your Mind for a Good Day, Every Day

Just like what we pay attention to grows, we also become what we think. Ralph Waldo Emerson writes, “A man is what he thinks about all day long.”

So the question becomes how can we learn to develop the right kind of thoughts to get the most out of each and every day? It begins with starting your day with positive thoughts. Then it becomes very important to condition you mind to keep doing this. Consider the following:

• Practice letting go of fear or any other self-limiting thought that keeps you from achieving what you want to have in your life.

• Practice replacing the negative thoughts in your mind with more positive ones. Fill your mind with what you want to have; not what you want to avoid. In fact, say aloud what you want. Allow your mind, and heart, to hear it.

• Surround yourself with positive people and activities. Attempt to avoid, or at least ignore, those folks and things that are toxic for you.

• Walk the talk: Be positive. Say nice things – and really mean them.

• Start each day with a prayer or a special request. You will be surprised how often you receive what you ask for when you condition your mind to focus on the positive.

3. Understand Every Day is a Gift

Make it a goal, a priority, to appreciate each and every day. Too often we get caught-up with planning and scheduling our lives, but not living our lives. Make a list, right now, of all of the things you want to see or do in your life.

Use this day to pick an item from the list and perform one action that will move you closer to achieving it. Confidence builds and motivation soars when we use our days to move forward to fulfilling our heart’s desire. Today is a gift we have been given. Allow this day to live within your heart. Allow this day to move you closer to your life’s purpose and passion.

4. Keep Your Emotions Under Control

Exerting your control is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when it comes to your emotions. The controlled person is a powerful person. He or she who always keeps their head will get ahead. I’ve seen numerous people ruin their whole day because of the lack of emotional control.

Pay attention to the times when you begin to emotionalize rather than to think. When you feel your emotions begin to trump logic, stop and regroup. Sit quietly and think: “What would a logical and rational person do in this situation?” You will get your answer if you pay attention and keep listening.

5. Do One Thing, Every Day, to Feel Healthier

There is a mind - body connection. It is difficult to have a good day when you do not feel well mentally or physically. Besides going to the doctor for check-ups and the like, there are emotional, mental and spiritual things you can do each day. Here are a few ways to begin feeling healthier today and every day:

• Think health, not sickness. Remember, what you think about grows. Stop looking for things to go wrong with your health or body. Instead, think positively about your physical health. Mental images tend to reproduce themselves.

• Attempt to free your mind of ill thoughts and attitudes. Learn to replace ill will with goodwill to create a healthier state of mind. The relationship between the mind and its influence on your physical conditions is significant. Purge your mind of resentment, frustrations and anger and you will release tensions that only exacerbate physical illness.

• Make one deliberate choice each day regarding what you eat and drink. Opt for water instead of a diet cola, for example. Go with the salad for your combo meal instead of the French fries.

• Add up every reason for being happy, thankful and healthy. Also, add up reasons for your health and happiness. You will be surprised at how many reasons you will find. Place these reasons in your reserve tank and tap into them when you feel your energy getting low.

6. Give More Than You Take

It is our responsibility to have a good day and to resist the temptation to surrender or simply give up. Just as we expect great things from Life; Life also expects great things from each one of us.

Think of your life as a bank savings account. Your job is to make meaningful deposits of love, grace and kindness every day. Your focus should not be in how much interest you are earning, but rather how many deposits you are making.

There will be come a day, however, when you will need to make a withdrawal. By giving more than you take, you will have all the resources necessary to receive what you need; when you need it the most.

7. Finish the Day Strong

It is important how we begin the day; it is also important how we end the day. Begin it right, live it right, think it right and end it right – and you can have a good day every day.

At the end of each day, imagine there is a large balloon in your stomach filled with all of the day’s activities. Practice feeling the sensation of releasing the air in this balloon and with it, all of your responsibilities. Allow your mind to rest while your body rests and feel the day’s tensions drift away.

As your drift off to sleep tonight, count your blessings and name them, one by one. Acknowledge them and give them life. When you do, these same blessings will be waiting for you tomorrow ready to help you get the most out of the new day.

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