Learn to Respond Not React
Do you find that people and situations influence your mood? Do you wish that you could be the you that you want to be ALL the time, regardless of what is going on around you?
Here is a quick daily practice that helps you to regulate your response throughout the day.
First thing every morning (before you even get out of bed is best of all) do these two things:
Think about the highlight of your day yesterday. Sometimes this may be obvious, sometimes you may have to search through your thoughts, that’s ok. Replay your day in your mind with the intention of looking for highlights, kind of like a movie trailer showing the very best bits of your day. Your highlight can be anything, catching up with a friend, that delicious pumpkin spice latte, breaking par, a long bath, or simply that the sun was shining.
Consider what you are most looking forward to today. Run through the things that you know you have planned, looking for the best in your day, and pick out something you are looking forward to. Maybe you have a pedicure booked, a movie date, leftover pizza for dinner, or time for a relaxing lunch.
Repeat this exercise when you go to bed. Reflect on your day picking out a highlight and think about what you are most looking forward to tomorrow.
Bookending your day with gratitude primes your brain to look for the positive in situations, which means that you tend to be less triggered.