“Being grumpy doesn’t serve any purpose… Find a way to entertain yourself. Be light.”

Do you ever find yourself reveling in being a grouch? Sometimes it just feels good, in a weird way, to be cranky. And sometimes we truly do need to be cranky in order to honor our authentic feelings. Sometime our hormones have taken over and we don’t have much control over being cranky. But there is a limit to the benefits of being grumpy. Even Sesame Street’s Oscar the Grouch can’t stay grouchy for too long.

On those days when you notice you’re grouchy, and you’ve made peace with it but are still hanging onto those grumpy feelings, check-in with yourself to see if that state of being is continuing to serve you. If not, remember you have a choice. You can choose to change your mindset. A technique that may be helpful is to vividly bring to mind an image of something you really enjoy. Choose an image that fills your heart with awe, peace, pleasure, joy. It could be an image of a loved one, or from nature, a pet, a wise person for whom you have deep respect, a time in life when you were doing something active and enjoyable. Bringing to mind an image, focusing on it, while breathing deeply helps to break that mental cycle of grumpiness. Also, if the opportunity arises, take a walk, outside if you can. The bi-lateral action of walking, and having air gently flowing past your face and body can also help break that mental cycle of grumpy thinking. Or start some sort of enjoyable activity. Continue being aware of your mood, and gently turn it away from grumpiness to lightness, then notice how you feel in your body, heart, and mind.

Keep the above phrase in mind as you meditate today, and throughout the day or week.

I’d love to hear how this or any of these techniques have been working for you. Post your thoughts at the Compassionate Balance Facebook page.