Everyone feels down some of the time, but I find that taking the first step or steps towards completing a task can sometimes help lift the mood and escape from any thoughts that are troubling.
But if one is not feeling good, the problem can sometimes be getting started at all.
I decided to look at this issue by considering how finding the right way of starting, organising or addressing a task can help to break out of a low mood and achieve a sense of wellbeing.
The following are my own thoughts that may or not help others, but are designed to start a conversation where others can find what works best for them.
Visualise what you want to achieve
One approach I find can help if I don’t feel like actually doing anything is to simply create in my mind’s eye what I would like to see happen and meditate on this for a few minutes. Whether it is tidying up, taking some exercise or anything else, this approach can help me to break out of a negative thought pattern, make me feel calmer and potentially help to get me started on whatever it is
Set yourself a little to do each day, with a short time limit of 5 minutes
The trouble with some tasks is that they can seem overwhelmingly large, and because of this one can feel dispirited before one even gets started. One approach that I’ve found useful is simply to say I am going to do 5 minutes of the task a day, and not worry about anything else or the bigger picture. I find this can work for anything from de-cluttering to writing fiction, and I always feel better even after doing such a small amount on a daily basis. Over time, it’s possible to get a lot done, but I find the key is not to worry about the bigger picture and let those larger objectives look after themselves.
Help others and the planet
There are lots of ways of helping yourself and others at the same time and finding ways of doing this can help to lift the mood and provide additional motivation for getting a task done. If you feel you need to exercise more, find someone else in the same situation and provide mutual support for both of you to achieve what you want. If you have too much stuff at home but have been putting off having a clearout, start by looking for those items you no longer need but can be used by others, and donate them to a charity shop.
Treasure your favourite possessions
Make a list of all your possessions that provide you with the most pleasure and happiness, and organise your home around them. This can be a good way of turning tidying up into a pleasurable activity.
Learn from monitoring your mood
Keep a diary in which you record how your mood has been helped by getting tasks done. If you are feeling stuck, look back at what you have written and see if this helps you to get started on a task.
Find the right time of day to do something, and adjust your routine accordingly
If there are certain times of day when you regularly feel less good and unproductive, try to find a task that is suited to how you are feeling at that time. I am not at my best in the mornings, but am a keen photographer and find the mornings are a good time for me to select and edit my photos, which is quite a routine and mundane task. This leaves me free to do other things when I am feeling more at my best, and at the end of the day, I tend to feel I have made better use of my waking hours as a result.
Hope some of this has got you thinking about what might work for you.