A Formula for Better Days

I don’t know if it is just me, but small talk is getting a little bit more awkward every single day in this quarantine. I almost feel bad when I ask people how they are doing or how their week has been. Recently on a Thursday or a Friday, I went to the grocery store and I was making some small talk with my cash register and I was like “yo man did you have a good week?” It seemed like he was almost mad for a second, he was like “I guess I mean we can’t really do anything.” But I decided to ask a different question that made him light up. I asked, “what are you excited for this weekend?”

I don’t even remember all of what he said, but he was talking about how he ordered a laserdisc player or something. I was like “Dude that’s dope. I don’t even know what that is but it sounds cool.” Then he started going into the history of them and what they can do. He kept going on and on about how amazing his disc player was. I don’t remember all the details, but I do remember how everything changed.

That moment was inspiring to me because I realized how much things can shift when you ask people the right questions. It has been a hard few weeks, not just because of how I am personally affected but I also know my clients have also had to make adjustments. It seems like we are all picking up the pieces since Covid-19 hit and we have all had to make changes on the go. Everything about our society was rocked in some way. Now I love being able to hear the positivity and motivation in my clients voices and their eyes.

I want to teach you a formula that I have been using to help my clients get in the right headspace.

Find out what makes you happy and do it first thing in the morning. When I asked that cashier, “what are you excited about?” I was essentially asking him “what about this upcoming weekend is making you happy?” One of my clients, Sergio, really loves to do the animal flows that I showed him so now he does that or dances every morning and he says it has been a perfect way to start the morning. Make a list of things that make you happy and do that for around 15 mins before you do anything else. If you like to cook, you can plan out your next few meals. If you play an instrument, bring it out. If you love dancing, then make some time to dance.

The next list that I have them create is “what makes you mindful?” Some people define mindfulness as a being in the present.I find so much of our time is spent worrying about the future and reflecting on the regrets from the past. What are things that are going to bring you in the moment. For me it is going on a walk for 15 minutes without my phone or going on a quick run through the park. My cousin gets lost when he is playing the drums. What are things that are going to bring you into the present moment? What are the things that are going to get your focus out of your head and into your body.

The very last thing to do is figure out what brings you peace and do that at night. Create the perfect night rituals. What is going to help you find peace at the end of the day? For me it is thinking about and writing down the things that I am grateful for. It is also writing out content for Instagram at night. Journaling is a great night routine to have, but so is stretching. For some people netflix and chill might be the best option. The beautiful thing about this whole process is these lists are all about you. What is going to help you in that moment?

I hope this formula helps you, but the message of this all is: