Groundhog Day

Feeling like a hamster on a wheel?  Like your mind keeps grinding out the same movie in your head, on one continuous loop?  You’re stuck in a pattern that’s stressing you out.

When I get into a funk, I start focusing more on all that I’m grateful for…be it a loving husband, my dog, or the random bird soaring above me in the sky.  Putting our attention on more positive things will give us a boost.  Even if it only lasts a few minutes, at least you’ve interrupted that film.  It’s like changing the TV channel.  If you don’t like what you see, and it’s bringing you down, then it’s preventing you from feeling just the tiniest bit better.

The object is to take baby steps…don’t try to convince yourself that everything in your world is great, because that won’t work, and you’ll find yourself descending into an even darker pit. 

Think of something (or someone) that brings an instant smile to your face…now focus on that for 10 seconds…maybe even longer if you can…how does it make you feel?  Has your face softened?  Has your heart lightened a bit? 

Allow that feeling to wash over you and take with it the dark cloud of heaviness weighing you down.  Then you can focus better on a solution to whatever it was that had you on the never-ending treadmill to begin with…or maybe it’s not a solution you need, but a burden to be lifted…if you can let it go –in increments– then try it.  You may find that the more time you spend (literally) smelling the roses in the garden around you, the more your shoulders will lift and take you to that next destination of relief.