Lemonaiding

Shake Up Your Routine

Establishing a regular schedule can be beneficial for reducing stress and allowing you to feel more in control. Kerry Kinney, PhD, a psychologist and assistant professor at the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, shares with SELF, “However, at times, routines can begin to feel repetitive.” Dr. Gallagher explains that varying your routine can change your perspective and allow you to see things differently. It can also stimulate your brain to release dopamine, a pleasure-related neurotransmitter. She highlights that this positive effect can occur when you engage in new activities. You don’t have to abandon your schedule to experience this effect completely; even minor changes, like taking a different route to work or trying a new coffee in the morning, can make a difference.

According to Dr. Shen, another advantage of this technique is that it encourages flexible thinking. As a result, if you encounter unexpected situations in the future, you may find it easier to manage them positively since you’ve trained yourself to approach things from alternative perspectives.

Concentrate on the Present Moment

People often tend to obsess about the future. Dr. Gallagher notes that individuals frequently view situations negatively when something unfortunate occurs. For this reason, Dr. Shen suggests trying to stay present and actively involved in your actions. She advises, “Focus on how thoroughly and actively you participate in activities instead of merely going through the motions.” Consider changing the question from “How productive was I?” to “What enjoyable moments did I experience?”

Changing your perspective in this way can help redirect your focus to the enjoyable experiences you’ve had, such as sharing a funny moment with a friend or successfully reserving a spot in a frequently booked gym class. Reflecting on these positive events can serve as a reminder that your day also includes terrific moments. Dr. Gallagher states, “It’s impactful to acknowledge the positive moments you can easily recall consciously.”

If you’ve tried lemonading and it doesn’t seem to resonate with you, that’s perfectly fine—Dr. Gallagher emphasizes that you shouldn’t pressure yourself to feel happier. Remember that this process can take varying amounts of time for different individuals. Dr. Shen notes that the goal isn’t just to have more positive thoughts but to cultivate the capacity to actively envision and seek out positive opportunities while remaining realistically aware of potential obstacles. The strategies mentioned earlier can assist you in making this mental shift, increasing your likelihood of recognizing and welcoming positive aspects in the future.

According to Dr. Brier, engaging in self-care and interacting with others, as you have been all week, can boost your mood or help you return to a more neutral state instead of remaining sad. She notes that staying indoors could prevent you from taking a break from your thoughts. She advises taking actions that are contrary to feelings of prolonged sadness. This means you might want to dress up and attend a party, even if you’d prefer to stay home and binge-watch Netflix.