Mindful May: Day Four - Rewrite Your Day

We all have those days where nothing seems to be going our way. Maybe we are feeling under the weather, emotionally exhausted, or are overwhelmed with responsibilities.

Deciding that our day is a “bad day” may feel right, but it is not always true — probably, no day is 100 percent bad. There's almost always something good, even if it's something small.

You can train your mind to recognize both the good and the bad in your day, so that you can be aware of the good moments during the day and also be aware that none of these moments is permanent.

When you do have painful moments, you can respond with compassion and rewrite the story of the day.
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Day Four: Rewrite the
Story of Your Day

Find a quiet, comfy space and give yourself a few minutes to sit in silence.

Close your eyes, and begin settling into your body. Notice how it feels to connect with the chair or sofa or cushion you're using, and the way your  body moves as you breathe.

Think about something difficult or stressful you experienced today. You can remember a specific event, a general feeling, or whatever comes to mind.

As the feeling of your bad day comes back to you, pay attention to what that experience is like.

Instead of picking it apart, tune in to the general experience and emotion. Ask yourself how it feels to be having a tough time today.

Offer yourself some compassion. Say something like, "I'm sorry you've had such a bad day," or whatever would be comforting to you.

After a few minutes, think of something that  brought you joy or contentment today. See how many moments you can remember that weren't so bad.

As something comes to mind, connect with how the experience felt. Take a moment to appreciate it.

You might even express gratitude for it. As each good memory comes to mind, sit with it for a few deep breaths and appreciate it.

Then, reflect for a minute on the whole of your day. The rewrite includes acknowledging that it wasn't all bad, and feeling thankful for the moments that were good.

This is something you can do each time you have a day that doesn't go so well.

Finally, mentally release the bad moments with love and breathe in a feeling of peace to replace the negative feelings that acoompanied them.
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