It can be easy to spiral into a ball of negative energy when life happens. And getting out of that funk can be difficult, we know. Here are some things you can do – from little pick-me-ups to bigger life adjustments – that will help you beam sunshine and positivity always.
It can be easy to spiral into a ball of negative energy when life happens. And getting out of that funk can be difficult, we know. Here are some things you can do – from little pick-me-ups to bigger life adjustments – that will help you beam sunshine and positivity always.
1 Buy yourself some flowers Place some colourful blooms on your work desk or by your bedside!
2 Remind yourself to be kind One way to spread positivity is to always remember to treat others with kindness. “When I remember that everyone is fighting a battle within their own heart and soul, I am more positive and listen more carefully, objectively and empathetically without being defensive,” says Dr William Wan, the general secretary of the Singapore Kindness Movement. “It helps me to not be judgemental.”
3 Along the same lines, be kind to an a**hole (even though he or she might not deserve it) Dr William has the following advice: “Take a few deep breaths to centre down. Objectify the encounter by seeing a person in need rather than a difficult person. Respond with kindness and empathy. See yourself as a friend helping him to overcome his problem.” But if their d-bag score is off the charts, just walk away. “Sometimes, it may be just as kind to simply disengage. There are some battles and arguments that cannot be won.”
4 Make a playlist Clinical music therapy is an actual thing! Music can be a mood regulator, so it helps to have a feel-good playlist in case of bad days.
5 Bake something Feel like a domestic goddess by baking sweet treats for yourself. Share them with others for extra brownie points. Everybody wins!
6 Do something altruistic This one’s actually backed by science: a psychological study found that those who participated in meaningful activities felt that they were leading more purposeful lives which, in turn, made them happier. To put it simply, spending a few hundred dollars to treat your parents to a nice meal can make you happier than buying another designer bag. #truestory.
7 Set aside time for personal reflection and appreciation Psychologist Robert Emmons did a study that showed that keeping a gratitude journal can significantly impact your satisfaction with life and overall well-being. Oh, and it also gives you a stronger immune system and lower blood pressure as well. Yay!
8 Join a Thankful Thursday Meeting If you find point number seven hard to do by yourself, why not attend a Thankful Thursday Meeting? Started by community platform The Hidden Good, these sessions are basically feelgood get-togethers, and the best part is, everyone is welcome to join! Says Wu Jiezhen, director of The Hidden Good: “We always end off each meeting with a round of appreciations, where we write down something we’re thankful for on a post-it and share it with the rest of the group. This simple activity makes such a big diff erence – it creates a community of appreciation, gratitude and positivity that can turn anyone’s day around!” Find out more at www.thehiddengood.com/thankfulthursday
9 Put on some red lipstick Nothing says “I’ve got my sh*t together” quite as effectively as a pair of bold, matte red lips.
10 Put on a face mask Feel good and look good!
11 Have some wine Apparently, drinking causes your body to release endorphins into the pleasure center of your brain, which kinda explains why you always feel like you need a glass after a tough day at work.
12 Book a holiday When life hands you lemons, say “screw it” and hop on the next plane out of here.
13Try a pole dancing class There’s a reason why we still put up with heels even though they hurt our feet. Experts reckon it has something to do with powerdressing, because not only do heels elevate us, they also make us feel more confident. Take it to another level with pole fitness, a new exercise trend where sky-high heels are encouraged. “Wearing seven-inch heels naturally makes you feel sexier, plus pole fitness gives you a really good workout. Just let your hair down, and come shake those hips at SLAP Dance Studio!” says Vanessa Garnell, pole fitness instructor. For more information, Visit Slap Website.
14 When the going gets tough, remember to look for the silver lining “The practice of gratitude enables us to see the bigger picture. Even in the most challenging moments, choosing to look for the good and what’s working – instead of everything that’s going wrong – enables us to shift our perspective and look for possibility.” says Jiezhen.
15 Masturbate No boy? No problem.
16 Lend someone a listening ear Sometimes, people just need to get a load off their chests without any interruptions or judgement. Says Dr William: “Today’s world is extremely noisy, and we’re all out to persuade or convince others of the value of our products, services and other propositions. So listen actively. By listening, you’re valuing the person. You’d be surprised at how much that can make someone’s day.”
17 Say “Thank You” more often Say it when someone holds the door open for you. Say it when the cleaning aunty is wiping off the table for you at the hawker center. Say it whenever Zac Efron takes his shirt off on screen.
18 Sign up for some volunteer work Remember what we said earlier about how doing good actually makes you feel good? Choose a cause you’re passionate about, whether it’s helping out at a local animal shelter or landing a hand at an elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai (www.elephantnaturepark.org).
19 Flood your Instagram feed with eye candy CLEO highly recommends the following accounts: @hotdudesreading, @menandcoffee and @menwithpups.
20 Aim to spread positivity always “A strong philosophy that forms the basis of what we do at The Hidden Good is that ‘doing good’ or spreading positivity does not have to look a certain way,” says Jiezhen. Here are some tips they’ve created with appreciation expert Stephanie Pollack on how you can spread the good vibes:
-Don’t underestimate the power of social media – sharing a positive post, writing something nice on a photo that someone else posted, or sharing something good that happened to you that day can change the conversation online to be more inclusive and positive.
-Compliment people for things you appreciate about them.
-Leave a surprise note for someone telling them how awesome they are.
-Share about the good things that other people do.
-End all meetings and interactions by thanking someone and appreciating the time you spent together.
