6 ideas to help when you're having a bad day

We all have to have bad days so we can appreciate the good days. But there are things you can do when you're having a bad day to help lift yourself back up. If it feels like you're having more bad days than good days, it may be a good idea to call a helpline such as Beyond Blue, reach out to your GP or health professional.

In the meantime here are some tips to influence your outlook:

1. You are influenced by those around you more than you think

"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with" - Jim Rohn

Analyse the impact your friends and family are having on you, and if it's mostly negative then seriously think about spending more time with uplifting, inspiring friends to balance it out. Also think about how you can shield yourself from negativity. If one friend is really pulling you down, you could try to invite other friends to be there at the same time to balance out the negativity, or perhaps you could arrange to meet for a walk in a natural environment instead of at home. Plan to structure your time together so it's more likely to be more positive.

2. Exercise plays a huge role in regulating hormones and mood

All of the research continues to tell us how important regular exercise is. From improving your mood to better sex it has a wide range of benefits. If you haven't exercised yet today go for an energetic 30 minute walk and get some fresh air. 

3. Motherhood can be lonely - make more friends

It can be really isolating and lonely when you become a mother. As lovely as it is to spend time with our babies, nothing really replaces the benefits of chatting to other people during the day. It's important to have some close friends that you can be authentic with, even it it's via social media or text messaging, and it's also important to meet up with people face to face. There are a number of options including Australian Breastfeeding Association meet ups for members, Playgroups, and finding Meet Ups in your area based on your interests. If there is nothing in your area, then create a meet up or playgroup and get out there! 

If all else fails, join some groups on Facebook relevant to your interests and start from there. Remember to go along to a new group for at least three meetings before deciding whether or not it's for you.

4. Take a deep breath, and do something for you. 

If you're feeling stuck at home with your kids and you're going bonkers, try running an aromatherapy bath for yourself and the kids (pull out some measuring cups and funnels for them to play with, or straws), or try doing a yoga video or exercise video all together (check out YouTube for free videos if you don't have any). You could even put on some uplifting music really loud and have a dance off! If you're dancing with your baby in the carrier it may even help put them to sleep!

5. Send a thank you message to your friends

Appreciating what we have and thanking friends around us can make us happier and help to reset our mind to focus more on the positives and less on the negatives. Try it! If you can't think of someone to send a thank you message to then focus on what you can do to brighten someone else's day... it might just brighten yours as well.

The word 'Happiness' would lose its meaning, if it were not balanced by sadness

- Carl Jung

6. Finally, trying looking at cute animal pictures

Watching videos of cute animals or babies laughing, or searching for "cute Kittens" can not only make you feel all warm and gooey inside, but can make you more productive. No really - it's true! Here's some to get you started.

Enjoy!