Yesterday was so nice outside, with temperatures in the high 60s and low 70s. I am so ready for spring to get here. Just the sun shining makes me realize how gloomy winter can be after a long winter. The sun can make a gloomy day bright.

It has always been a belief of mine that you can add even the smallest glint of brightness to any day. Looking at the glass half full instead of half empty. Being positive in a tough situation.

What do you do when you aren’t having a very good day? When things aren’t going the way you wanted? I’ve learned that being proactive about how I am going to handle a situation that is unpleasant really helps. But many times, those situations just pop up that you didn’t know ahead of time you were going to encounter. Those are the tough times. I have had some really dark days when things happened out of the blue that can really rock your world and turn it completely upside down. I’m sure you have too. I completely understand.

But after encountering events in my life that happened suddenly, I have learned, over the last few years, what to do to help me to add brightness to my day. So I thought I would share a few of the things I do.

1. Change your mindset. I have learned to catch myself when I am getting sad about something, or bothered by something. I stop that thinking immediately, and revert my attention to something completely different.
2. Do something you love to do. I love to read, write, organize my clothes, or watch inspiring videos on You Tube. I highly recommend Lavendaire, which is a lifestyle brand by Aileen Xu. She has some great videos on mindset, choosing happiness, overcoming fear, or imposter syndrome; as well, as videos about organizing or decluttering.
3. Curate your life. This concept I will expand on throughout this blog. But in short, decide what you want to focus on, do everyday, and who you want to be. You call the shots for your life.
4. Create a plan for unexpected circumstances, and how you will handle any situation that comes your way. When you know that certain things are triggering for you, go ahead and decide ahead of time, what you can do to not let yourself be triggered. For example, say you are invited to a birthday party, and you know there will be a ton of sweets there. Think about it ahead of time, and prepare to be confronted with the sweets temptation. Don’t wish they weren’t there, just make a plan for how you are going to handle being around the sweets and not partaking. Maybe it will be to treat yourself after the party with a matcha or a latte. (These are just a few ideas). Envision yourself succeeding and how proud you will be when you don’t eat the sweets. Allow that to motivate you.
5. Buy yourself fresh flowers. Fresh flowers can almost always brighten someone’s day. Bring them home and clip the ends, and put them in a beautiful vase.

These are just a few ways to add brightness to your gloomy day. What are some things you do? Leave your ideas in the comments.

Libby