8 Ways to Get Back in the Groove

We all get out of the groove every once in a while. Long days at work, fights with friends and other sources of frustration can leave one feeling very lacking in gusto for life. And there is one thing every personal development expert knows: a positive attitude is vital for happiness and success. So how do you jump that gap from pessimism back to optimism? Here are some simple ideas that will do the trick:

1) Meditate

It does not matter how you do this. At the very least, just sit in a quiet place and try to focus on your breathing to keep other thoughts out of your mind. Keep doing so for 20-30 minutes and you will come out of your trance feeling MUCH better.

It was recently proven that meditation reduces anxiety, depression and high blood pressure. Plus you get an amazing body high after doing it for over 5 minutes (like a runner’s high, but without physical exhaustion). Meditation is great for your body and mind and hey, who doesn’t need some quiet time each day?

2) Get Amped Up

a) Do the exact opposite of quiet meditation. Get EXCITED. Listen to the loudest, badass song you can think of. Drive your car really fast while you listen to it. Jump up and down. Even drink a Red Bull if that will get you in the mood. Do whatever get’s you the most pumped up!

b) All the while, think about all of the most positive things in your life. Pretend it’s Thanksgiving and ask yourself, “What am I thankful for?” Then when you have a couple of images, focus on them intensely and revel in the positivity.

c) The combination of  positive thoughts, serotonin (happy hormone) and adrenaline will leave you feeling like a Neo from the matrix (badass). Looks like it’s working pretty well for this guy…

3) Visualize

This is meditation except the entire time you focus on the image (or movie) of your goals being reached. See yourself getting being successful with that company or getting that girl. Feel the pure bliss that you would experience as if it were actually happening. The more you do this, the more vivid and real-feeling your sessions will get.

Not only will this leave you feeling like you’re already living your dream, it will also bring you that much closer to actually living it.  By visualizing your desires, you are communicating them directly to your subconscious. If you don’t know what I mean by that, read about the Law of Attraction. Belief is a very powerful thing. If you can already see yourself succeeding, you  have already established a strong belief that your goals are realistic.

4) Work Out (like a beast)

Pretend like you’re this guy ..or maybe not.. —>

Go wreck your gym. Attack the treadmill and annihilate the bench press . Use your frustration as fuel for your iron-pumping. You are an angry beast and you are stronger now than ever before. It burns so bad but it feels sooo good. After you’ll feel so worn out and full of dopamine that you won’t be able to help but feel fantastic.

Plus working out is like a project: you feel very accomplished when you are done. You feel healthier and more capable because of the work you just did and that’s a great feeling.

5) Watch Tyler Durden’s Speech From Fight Club

Brad Pitt’s character in Fight Club has some very truthful and eye-opening things to say about society. This might not be the perfect cure for your particular sentiment, but it will certainly jumpstart a lot of people out of their slump. Best line: “You are not your fucking khakis.”

6) Take a Nap

It’s difficult to want to go out and conquer life if you’re not bursting with energy. Plus it’s well known that just 30 minutes of sleep resets your brain and mood. Toxic by-products build up in your brain throughout the day and cause you to be increasingly sluggish and moody. A 30 minute nap won’t get rid of all of that like a solid night’s rest, but you will still feel a huge difference upon waking.

7) Re-assess Your Goals and Dreams

Chances are whatever is getting you out of the groove is also the only thing on your mind. But logically, you must realize that focusing on the past is completely futile. Instead, get your mind on the present and future by writing/typing out your goals and dreams, both short-term and long-term.

Even if you did so rather recently, your priorities may have changed drastically without you even realizing it. Nothing is more unproductive than working towards something that you don’t truly want anymore, so make sure you’re up to date with your desires.

Go the extra mile and write them all out on separate notecards and, if you’re up to it, glue some pictures next to the words. From now on whenever you become unfocused, pull out the cards and give them a quick run-through. There is just something about concentrating on your dreams that can wake you up from your out-of-whack sleep and get you back on track.

8) Conquer The Problem

If you just can’t get passed whatever is keeping you out of the groove, tackle the issue head on!

What do you need to do to solve the problem? List out plausible solutions and figure out the steps that need to be taken to rid yourself of the little demon. Use that list to see how truly solvable your issue is. Belittle it in your mind! The more logic you apply, the smaller and less present the problem will be in your head.

Once you’ve done this and can focus your attention on other matters, use one of the methods above to pull yourself completely out of your momentary lapse in optimism. Your goal now is to become as excited about life as possible (which should be easy since, as you know, life is fucking awesome).

What do YOU do to get back in the groove? Shoot around some fresh ideas below!

Photo by LugoLounge