Often we think our problems are infinitely complex and unsolvable. But did you ever think the solution is only a gesture away? A movement away? An inch away?

Walk away from your desk (well read this first!), move around your office or room. Go outside, take a deep breath. Better yet, take a walk.

Our problems can gather weight the more we sit and mull. Often they need some air, some lightness, some movement.

So if you’re feeling stuck, try a little experiment today: just move. Get up and move around. Stretch, breathe, give your mind a break.

Now this is the important part: when you sit back down to work, notice any differences.

It’s important to break routines in order to break open answers!

Listen to Bob Marley’s Get up, Stand Up

Forced positivity has always made me deeply uncomfortable. “Smile!” “Just look on the bright side!” “It’s not that bad.”

Unfortunately, when you are feeling badly, those apparently well-meaning phrases can feel like a jab in your side. Not only do you feel down, but now you feel guilty for feeling down!

For me, I appreciate practical approaches to feeling positive. One lesson I’ve learned over the years is finding bright spots, literally and figuratively.

Literally speaking, finding a bright spot means getting outdoors and being in the sunlight. Being outside is a natural mood lifter. A friend of mine swears by this simple technique: look up. Look up into the sky for a moment or two. He believes it “opens up your mind and frees your spirit. It reminds you that your problems are small in relation to the vastness of the sky.”

Figuratively, finding a bright spot means noticing the smallest of things that lifts your spirits. Today, I saw a mimosa tree in bloom. The pink was so vibrant and eye-catching. Staring at it for a moment was like looking at a work of art.

Or perhaps its a positive interaction, albeit brief, with a person throughout your day; like a cashier or a passerby who smiles. If you take that moment in, for all it’s worth, you’ll be surprised at how much power a simple and seemingly meaningless interaction holds.

So find some bright spots today. They aren’t hard to find - they’re everywhere. But more importantly, take one moment to recognize that it lifted your spirits, even slightly.

by Beth Mann

Tekapo, NZ - a village among the stars