Attitude Adjustments

5 Ways to Turn that Frown Upside Down

I spent many years in the service industry. One of the busiest places I worked was a brewery in Hood River, OR, Full Sail. In the summer, from the moment we opened till we closed, the place was packed— balls to the wall busy.

Each server had an eight to nine table section. If you’ve served before, you know, that’s a lot, but with strong servers, it can be done. At Full Sail, we worked together. It was a tip pool and the whole thing worked brilliantly.

We made lots of money.

We also put up with a lot.

As a server, you always do.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great job and people are awesome for the most part, but they can be demanding and down right rude too. They can drink too much. They can be annoyed with their family and take it out on you. They can be hot and overly tired. All kinds of things.

This can turn a good attitude bad quickly.

You arrive to work with a sunny disposition and three hours in you’re ready to scream. Sometimes, you literally have to take a moment in the walk-in cooler to calm down.

At the brewery, we had another way to adjust our attitudes.

We’d take little shots of beer.

Was this legal? Probably not. But we weren’t drinking in abundance. Sometimes the bartender would just say, “You look like you need an attitude adjustment” and slide you a taster of something delicious. The sheer recognition and offering were enough to lift the spirits.

These days, I’m certainly not looking for that type of attitude adjustment, but sometimes you find yourself in need of a turn around— bringing a sour moment or day back to a sweet one.

There are great ways to do this without alcohol. In fact, they can turn things around even better than a taster of beer.

I’m currently working as a wine and beer rep. A total change of pace after 16 years teaching in higher ed. There’s a lot of driving involved. Driving is not my cup of tea. I find it to be the most dangerous thing we do as humans.

We give a great deal of trust to each other as we navigate roads at very high speeds. Often you look over, and realize someone who is driving poorly is on their phone.

This can also turn a good attitude bad quickly.

I find myself in this situation a lot now. As hard as I try to stay at peace while on the road, sometimes I feel like screaming.

It happened last week and I did something that totally changed the trajectory of my day— from frustration to fabulous by doing one thing. This got me thinking about different ways we can adjust our attitudes— simple effective things that brighten your mood.

1. Call an old friend you’ve been meaning to call. Just do it. Pick up the phone, dial the number, and press the green call button. If they’re not there, leave a message. If they are there, ask them how they’ve been. Shift your inner dialogue to a focus on your friend and not you and what’s going wrong with your day. Turn things around through connection. This is what I did last week. I called a best friend I hadn’t spoken to in almost a year because…life. I left a message and she called me back. We had the best talk and set a date to hang. My day definitely turned around.

2. Put on your favorite music and dance. Open Spotify or whatever streaming platform you use. Heck! Maybe you even have a record, tape, or CD player. Whatever you have that plays music and can deliver your favorite song, use it. Play that song or that album. Start by sitting and listening. As you feel the rhythm, get up and groove. Move your body. If you need to head bang, do it. If you’d rather, disco, go. It’s going to make you feel better. Music has that ability and when you move your body to it, it’s a win-win.

3. Go for a walk. Open the front door and walk out of it. Go down the street, around the corner, up the hill, around the block. Clear your mind. Look around you. Notice your surroundings. Breathe in the air. Whether you solve your problems or don’t think at all, it’s going to change your attitude. It’s going to make you feel better. Walking has a way of doing that. Hey! It’s good for you too.

4. Sit outside. Walk out to the porch or patio. Jump in the car and head to the woods, a lake, the beach, a park. Go outside, sit, and breathe. Focus on the sounds, smells, and sights around you. Feel the air. Look up at the sky. Watch a bird. Observe the bugs. Look for flowers or rocks or feathers or other treasures. Let the sun hit your skin. Be in nature. Your body and mind will thank you.

5. Write down what you are grateful for. This makes every mental health list because it works. The more you list, the easier it gets too. As you jot down all the things you’re thankful for, more and more things flow out of you. You’ll begin to realize all the blessings in your life. Focusing on these, instantly changes your energy. You begin inviting even more blessings in by channeling that energy. Gratitude truly is the ultimate attitude adjustment. This practice has turned my life around more than any other ever has.

We can all use attitude adjustments from time to time. Maybe these offered something new for you to try the next time you need one.

If you have others to add, please leave them in the comments. The better we’re all equipped to find peace, joy, and happiness, the better off we’ll all be.

Sending love with gratitude.