Spend Time on Activities that Feel Good

Some activities make us feel empowered, strong, and happy. Others drain us. And it might seem obvious which activities are which, but sometimes, you will find that you are surprisingly disempowered or drained by activities you initially engaged in to feel relaxed.

Here are two examples: Watching television and spending time on social media.

If you watch television to relax, make sure that you haven't started watching shows that make you feel anxious. For example, I stopped watching the nightly news years ago because I found it depressing and anxiety-producing. Now I get my news from other sources that do not make me feel so disempowered.

If you spend time on social media to feel connected, make sure you aren’t engaging in arguments that leave you feeling disconnected or angry. Some people thrive on political discourse, for example, and there is nothing wrong with that. But pay attention to whether your time on social media leaves you feeling empowered or disempowered. If you find yourself getting upset or feeling disconnected from people you care about, shift your focus to something that replenishes your spirit.

Remember, resilient people stack the deck in their favor. They seize the opportunity to stack a couple of minutes of happiness and strength on top of another minute of happiness and strength. They understand that the moments make up a life, so they pay attention to how they feel and waste as little time as possible choosing to feel bad.