No Negativity November

Every year, we see “No Shave November” and other variations of this challenge pop up around this time. I’m not personally interested in ditching my razor for a month, but one thing I am totally down to get rid of is the negative feeling that comes with shorter days, more darkness, and the heightened stress of the holiday season. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

It’s so easy to let one or two dubious thoughts pile up and ruin your whole day. Maybe someone made a comment that made you feel discouraged? Maybe you saw something that reminded you of a bad memory? Maybe you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed?

This November, I want to challenge myself to a month of “No Negativity”, and I hope you’ll join me. Every time you catch yourself complaining or letting hostile feelings creep up, stop and redirect! Replace thoughts of anger or irritability with thoughts of gratitude. Remind yourself that whatever it is isn’t that bad— and even if it IS that bad, complaining or being upset is not the emotion that will empower you to fix or change the situation.

If someone else is behaving negatively towards you, rise above it. You can’t control other people— only your reaction to them. Don’t let anybody else’s grouchy mood get you down too! Then there’s just double grouchies and that’s no fun. Lead by example and don’t perpetuate the problem.

You are the one in charge of your own brain, and the only way to break the cycle is to catch yourself and change your behavior. It takes 21 days to create a habit, so by the end of the month, you won’t even have to think about it anymore! Good luck and don’t be too hard on yourself if you slip up. Remember you can always take a breath and start again. Leave a comment to let me know if you’re completing this challenge with me and keep me updated on how you're doing!