Fake it Til You Feel It

Mantra of the day:

Since I got back from my vacay, I’ve been in a bit of a I-got-to-spend-an-entire-week-with-the-love-of-my-life-and-now-we’re-living-on-separate-continents-again funk. I’m fully aware of how lucky I am to have been able to meet up with him during this deployment, but reminding myself that didn’t prevent the sinking feeling I had in knowing I was traveling 20 hours back to San Diego in one direction, and he was going thousands of miles in another. As my grandma reassured me on the phone when I admitted to being a bit bummed, it’s okay to not feel awesome 24/7. So, I let myself be a little sad for a few days as I recovered from jet lag and got back on track with my routine & sleep schedule (well, sorta.. still working on that part). Then on Tuesday night as I was going to sleep, I told myself that the next day, I would make a conscious effort to snap out of it and get back into the swing of things. Here’s how I’ve psyched myself up the past couple of days:

Harley keeping her ball close during naptime

1.) Start my day off right: I begin my morning on a positive note, taking a few moments to read a couple of inspirational quotes. I remind myself of all the things I’m thankful for. Harley and I also go for a walk or run. Taking the time to get outside first thing to get a bit of exercise and fresh air immediately lifts my mood. It also seems to help me concentrate better on work when I get in my office. Plus, it results in a sleeping puppy, which allows me to be more focused as well.

2.) Make a Small Change: Speaking of my office, I don’t always work in it. It started when I got Harley and everytime she came in my office, she’d have an accident. All of the wires in here also make it a danger zone for her destructive behavior. So, I veered away from working in here when she was little and sort of just stayed with that ever since. But, I decided to move myself back into the office all of this week. I really have felt like making this little change and working at my desk instead of my kitchen table or living room couch has made a difference in my productivity. I also realized that I like sitting by my office window with the sun shining in better. And the dog hasn’t peed in here yet this week! So, the idea is to alter something in your life a bit. Maybe it’s taking a different route to work, having a different lunch routine, trying a new workout, whatever.

3.) Make Plans: I touched base with a few girlfriends and set up get-togethers. I love having dates with friends but typically don’t mind doing my own thing, but when I’m in a funk, I like to fill up my schedule. That way I don’t have time to wallow in my pity. Instead, I’ll be out having fun with people I enjoy spending time with!

4.) Eat Right: Shoving my face with crap certainly doesn’t help when I feel bummed. Trying to resist the temptation to eat my emotions away, I’ve been planning out my meals and making sure to eat wholesome, nutritionally dense foods. My vacation food coma is now gone, and I’m feeling good about the choices I’m making for my mind and body.

My favorite professor in college used to frequently repeat all of these one-liner life mottos. The one that sticks out in my mind the most is ‘Fake it til you feel it.’ I think the phrase is very applicable to me this week. Do I feel 100% absolutely amazing right now? Not exactly. But in my effort to get out my blah mood, I honestly feel better. And I’m going to keep at it, because all we can do is be positive and try to put our best foot forward, right?

Question: What are the things that you do to uplift your mood when you’re feeling bummed?

Off to go meet a friend for dinner! And in case you live under a rock, The Hunger Games is out and you better believe that seeing it is on my agenda this weekend!