When Nothing is Going Right...

My niece was wearing a sweater with this slogan on it: "When nothing goes right... go left."
I loved it, it's good advice. BUT, how do we actually do that? What does "going left" actually look like? Slogans like this, and inspirational quotes we see online are great, but how we use them to actually make our lives better?

Here are a few practical ideas for "turning left" when nothing seems to be going right:

1. Take 5 to breathe. - Stopping and relaxing even for 5 minutes can reset your outlook, and restore a little calm. You can simply take some belly breaths, or do some 4/7 breathing to tell the body to relax.
2. Is there another way of seeing this? - Ask a friend, or yourself, what other way a problematic situation could be interpreted? - We see the world through our own bias and our current mood, so we can interpret things with a negative slant. Perhaps that person who cut in front of you in the queue isn't really out to annoy you, but they're in a world of their own and didn't see you?
3. Remember that thoughts are not facts. Just because you think it, does not mean it's true. If your mind is busy evaluating you and finding you lacking, question it, it's very likely not true.
4. Reconnect with what's important. When we get caught up in the busyness of life we can lose sight of the bigger picture. Sure, Christmas can be stressful-- worrying what gifts to get people, worrying about how to pay for it all, battling through shops to get the shopping done, worrying about how to deal with THAT family member... When stress gets on top of you, see if you can remember what is important to you about this time of year. Maybe it's the joy of watching the kids open their presents, maybe it's sense of comfort and acceptance you get from being with your family (when you're not bickering over the remote), maybe it's the chance to catch up with old friends. 
5. Get back into the present moment by Noticing 5 Things you can see, hear, and feel.

Whichever method(s) you choose, the most important thing is to remember to take that step to the left, and ignore all the reasons your mind might have to not take that step!

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"An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching." - Mahatma Gandhi

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