"Living Under the Threat" - daily grades - 5/14/20

As I'm climbing into bed at night, I've started reviewing the day and assigning it a grade. I go over what was bad about the day, and then I outline what was good about the day. And then I think about how to make the next day better.

Here is the review from yesterday:

Grade: B-

The bad:
My presentation was marred by technical issues.
I was really tired.
My legs were hurting. I was in pain.
We didn't get some of the groceries we ordered.
I had to do my exercises late.

But here was the good:
I survived the presentation, and I was glad for the opportunity.
I was in pain, but I still took a walk, and I exceeded my step goal.
We got most of the groceries we ordered.
I did my exercises, and took all my medicine.
My roommate and I watched the season finale of Survivor, and we were satisfied with the outcome.
I read thirty pages of a new book. 

And my goals for today:
Drink more water
Do my exercises earlier
Eat more fruit
Find time to read

I start with the bad, and finish with the good, because that is important. We focus on the negative. We have a negativity bias. And focusing on the bad is terrible for us. It weakens our immune system. It affects our mental and emotional health. It can make us feel worse about ourselves and our existence. We need to focus more on the good. So I start with the negative and finish with the positive. And I try to have more good than bad points, even on a day that doesn't get a good grade. I think of the bad events, but then when I list the good events of the day, I'm turning some of the negative aspects into positive ones, such as "My presentation didn't go as planned, but I still did it."

Find a way to see the negative in a more positive light.
Doing this will reduce stress and anxiety -
And will build resilience. 

librarianintx