EP 22 – Your “Feel Awesome” List

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Episode Transcript

Welcome friends.

Be honest, when was the last time you had one of those days when things just didn’t seem to be going your way and it was really hard to be happy?

When I have those kinds of days it’s hard to stay focused on the things I can actually control and I find myself wallowing in self-doubt and self-pity.  I have a tendency to start listening to the inner critic in my head.

One of the Simple 7 Strategies for wellness is to “think well”. It is just as critical to health as our diet, sleep, exercise, and stress management tools are. So today, I want to give you some important coaching around this topic. 
Life can be so amazing and wonderful that it just takes your breath away. But, it can also be so overwhelming and challenging that we want to throw our hands up and check out. We all face this reality but it seems that some handle the vicissitudes of life a bit better than others. 

So, here’s a question for you: “What do you do when you need to feel more awesome?”  

That may not be a question that you’ve ever asked yourself before. When I’m feeling less than awesome I try to remember the quote from the late Yankees catcher Yogi Berra who said, “baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical.” I just replace the word happiness, with baseball. “Happiness is 90% mental and the other half is physical.” 

What do I mean by that? Well, when I’m feeling down, I usually find that it is my thoughts that are doing the damage. I’m in my head too much. I’m worrying about the future or fretting about the past and my thoughts are creating stories about my life that are usually not true.

In my experience, I’ve found that it is easier to behave my way into thinking differently rather than thinking my way into new actions.

Changing your physical state has a profound effect on your mental state. Research has shown time and again that physical movement is the best antidepressant. Creativity and fun can lift our spirits and help us make it through the challenges we face. Any sort of “state change” can be enough to break us out of a funk and employed consistently, simple things can even lift us from depression. 

So your coaching today is to be intentional about this. I want you to create your very own FEEL AWESOME list today. If your day is already not so good, you can apply this right now but even if you’re having an awesome day already, don’t wait for the “bad day” to be upon you before you create your solution. 

I’ll share the top 10 activities that Tammie and I turn to when we need a lift and need to remember that we’re up for the demands of life. 

Please use any that will help you and then brainstorm some of the things that personally help you feel awesome and create your own list!  

#10 – Get sweaty! Move your body and let the negative out in your sweat. 

#9 – Laugh! Search for your favorite comedian or movie clips to watch. Laughter is the best medicine. 

#8 – Take a relaxing bath 

#7 – Go for a hike or a nice walk in nature 

#6 – Think of three things you’re doing a good job at and say them out loud 

#5 – Create meaningful connections with someone 

#4 – Do something you are good at 

#3 – Create something 

#2 – Reflect on encouraging words from friends- I have a collection of thank you notes/texts/emails that people have sent to me.  I read those to remind myself that I offer to mean to life and am making a difference in the world. It’s kinda like a little highlight reel that makes you feel awesome!

#1 – Dance party! Turn on your favorite music and just dance. Fast dance or slow dance. Both are awesome.

Here’s a quick bonus tip for you today!

Remember, everyone goes through rough times. It doesn’t mean that something is going wrong. It is part of the journey. Failure is your friend. There are no mistakes, just lessons to learn. 

We need honest self-evaluation to steel ourselves from a life of self-deception. Sometimes we might hold a misconception that we are better and more virtuous than we really are,  but it is just as damaging to only see our limitations and weakness. This becomes debilitating. 

So in that sense, the inner critic in your head is either a liar or at the very least, an unhelpful pessimist who is unwilling to see the whole self, both the undeveloped, immature parts as well as the parts that we’ve already gained some mastery on. Pay attention to that voice and track the messages that you are repeating to yourself. Write them down and really self-confront. Ask yourself, “is this really true?” Choose carefully which messages you are going to believe. 

Okay, friends. That’s all for today. Come up with your own top 10 Feel Awesome List! Change your physical state to activate new possibilities for your brain to function better. 

Until next time, go out and do good in the world today!

 

Resources:

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