I’m reminded of the lyrics of a 70s song “Counting flowers on the wall; that don’t bother me at all. Playing solitaire ‘til dawn with a deck of fifty-one. Smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo… Now don’t tell me I’ve nothing to do…” Optimism, pessimism, good news and bad can hypnotize you to be happy or hypnotize you to be sad. The ball’s in your court.

So, here are some helpful rules of the road that keep you happy and sane in spite of negativity!

1. Say Nice Things to Yourself. Ask yourself, “What’s the most loving thing I can say to me in this moment?” Repeat your answer like a mantra… again and again… and enjoy the rush of good vibes as you reclaim yourself as your own best friend.  
2. Do It Now. Clean a closet. Weed the garden. Paint the fence. Organize your stuff. Now’s your chance! Today is the tomorrow you may have put off… How great will you feel because you did it.
3. Move. Movement reenergizes… stagnation is strange. Even thinking about moving is helpful because your brain reacts to real and imagined activity. Now initiate a nourishing action plan. Take a walk. Stretch. Join in a virtual exercise class. Play music and dance. Climb stairs. Chase the cat or the kids… Do anything that gets you off the couch, out of bed and away from the computer and television. Whatever it is, movement brings good feelings. So, decide what you’ll do and do it NOW. Oh, and while you’re at it, move your face into a smile… Even if you don’t feel like it; smile. Smiling releases feel good uplifting endorphins in your brain. 
4. Plan the Day. A plan gives you a sense of purpose. Will you read a book? Call a friend? Bake a cake? Paint a picture? Play a game? Any goal makes your day more fulfilling. Your plan or routine is fulfilling, and, at the end of the day, you know you are productive and have accomplished something.
5. Be Creative. Get out a paper and pen and doodle. Sort out old photos. Do an art project. Create something.
6. Reach Out and Touch Someone. Think of the pleasure you give someone when you contact them and the pleasure you give yourself when they reply! Even if you can’t meet in person, you can chat online or on the phone or in your driveway. A focus on happy and fun is sweet relief. 
7. Join Me. Feel free to join my Zoom “Happy Hour” Thursdays at 3pm pacific time (205 469 239) and share your uplifting ideas with the world. You will help us all to kick things up a notch!

Shelley Stockwell-Nicholas, PhD is the President of the International Hypnosis Federation and the author of 23 books including “WIN: Coaching Guide For Yourself and Others” and “Thrive: Medical Hypnosis For Yourself and Others” she invites you to join her Facebook page “free hypnosis- IHF.”