57. My Popular 24-Hour Rule: Relieving Sadness with Mindfulness
My 24-hour rule can help you in relieving the stressful state that you’re having trouble getting out of. Learn how to tell your mind to chill out and give you some space. Allow yourself to feel your emotions, and do nothing about it, and then take a step forward.
Are you feeling down and overwhelmed? Do you have a hard time finding joy in your life? Meditation is a natural and effective way to overcome sadness and open up to more fulfillment. This episode will show the 24 hour rule, and how to practice meditation techniques to soothe your mind, body, and soul and break through feelings of sadness.
Don’t let sadness control your life. Take the power back and find your own peace and joy. Listen to this episode to learn how meditation can transform your life and break through feelings of sadness. Take this opportunity to learn tools and strategies to help you achieve true happiness and fulfillment.
MINDFUL ACTION: Use the 24 hour rule any time you are having a bad day, experiencing a bad mood, or feeling heavy emotions.
MANTRA: This is how I feel today, tomorrow will be different.
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24-HOUR RULE PODCAST TRANSCRIPTION
I’m going to give you an insider strategy that I talk often about with my mindfulness and meditation clients. It is the 24 hour rule. And I want you to learn it, practice it, and see how it changes your perspective on good days and bad days. Let’s get to it.
The 24 hour rule. When you are feeling down, or depressed, or anxious, or just, whatever you feel when things seem like an awful, very bad, no good day. Give yourself 24 hours before you try to tackle it.
It’s actually not as harsh as you may be thinking. In fact, it allows you to be kinder, and more accepting toward yourself and your emotions.
Are you ever in a bad mood and you’re just like, ugh, all I want to do is just sit on the couch, zone out, eat bad food, and sulk today. I don’t want to try and be better. Great, fine! Do it! Do nothing. When you’re just feeling all the feels, let it happen. For one day. Allow yourself to sit with those emotions because not every day has to be a good day.
Not actively trying to resist the bad days, will make them easier to get through. I’m not gonna lie, who doesn’t just love a cozy, bad mood, tv watching day at home every once in a while. Sometimes that’s EXACTLY what you need to get yourself out of the funk! You do not have to be hard on yourself because things went poorly and you feel crappy some day. Or many days. It’s part of the ups and downs of life.
Now, after those 24 hours, though, don’t worry, you’re not expected to instantly feel better and have everything figured out. After those 24 hours, that’s when you just simply start the work of trying to pick yourself back up. The next day is when you say to yourself, ok, I gave myself time to just soak up the bad day vibes, now I can try taking one step forward. By doing as much or as little as you feel like you can do to start to turn things around.
If you were feeling so awful the previous day that you couldn’t even get out of bed or shower, just get out of bed or shower the next day. But sometimes, by allowing yourself to be present and feel the bad mood in your mind and your body, you may even wake up the next day totally motivated to do all. And that’s ok too.
The point is, after you give yourself 24 hours to sit with a set of emotions, get in tune with your mind and your body and see what you need then. If you try and tackle it too early and try to push yourself out of the bad mood, you’re creating avoidance and the feelings are likely to come back, possibly stronger and deeper the next day which is how we kind of start to spiral.
And when you go to practice this the next time you’re in a bad mood or having a bad day, remember you may need to communicate this process to others as well. Sometimes I have to say to my husband, you know what, I’m in a bad mood. I don’t really want to talk about it or try to figure it out, I just need a little bit of space to sit here, read my book, and I will probably feel a little bit better tomorrow. And if I’m still bummed tomorrow, we can talk about it then.
When we say communication is key to any growth process, it doesn’t always mean having to talk through things and express how you feel right then in that moment, sometimes communication in the growth and healing process means hey, I’m trying this thing, give me some space to figure it out. Oh and yeah, this can be an internal conversation you have with yourself as well. Tell your mind to chill out and give yourself some space.
So, your mindful action may or may not happen for you within this next week. But I want you to keep it in the back of your mind. The next time you are in a bad mood or feel some heavy emotions coming on, give yourself the 24 hour rule. Allow yourself to feel it and do nothing about it for 24 hours, and then after that you can start considering different ways to move forward.
This rule is not a miracle worker. It does not automatically make things better, but sometimes it just makes life’s emotional rollercoaster a little bit easier to handle. Instead of scolding yourself for having a bad day and being in a bad mood. You accept it, and then move on one single day at a time. And those small steps might not seem like a big deal, but it’s worth a try, because it could possibly prevent a downward spiral.
The mantra we will say in our meditation is: this is how I feel today, tomorrow will be different.
Now let’s get comfortable, pause your day, and focus inward.
MEDITATION SCRIPT FOR RELIEVING SADNESS
Just breathe. Pause and breathe. You are safe here in this moment. You are calm. You are supported. You are a light shining in this world. You are free to be.
Find a comfortable position. As you breathe deeply, and focus on your breath, close your eyes and place your palms on your lap. Settle into this space and mindset for one minute.
Now bring to mind any emotions that you may be feeling right now. Allow yourself to fully feel these emotions, without judgment or resistance. Just notice how they feel in your body.
As you continue to meditate, allow your breath to be your anchor. Notice the sensation of your breath moving in and out of your body. If your mind begins to wander, gently bring your focus back to your breath and your mantra. Allow your mind to refocus as many times as needed.
Our mantra for today is: “this is how I feel today, tomorrow will be different.” Use this mantra to acknowledge your current emotions, while also reminding yourself that they are only temporary and will change with time. Let’s go ahead and repeat this mantra 3 times, followed by 3 minutes of focused breathing.
this is how I feel today, tomorrow will be different.
this is how I feel today, tomorrow will be different.
this is how I feel today, tomorrow will be different.
[pause for 3 minutes]
Gently begin to awaken your mind and your body with small movements. Take in a deep breath and come back to the present. Softly opening your eyes. Observing yourself in the space.
Remember that it is okay to feel a range of emotions, and that by accepting and acknowledging them, you are better able to move through them. When you are ready, slowly open your eyes and return to your day, feeling more grounded and at peace.
Peace, love, om.
Copyright © Mindful Actions, bethbackes.com, 2023. You may use this meditation script for your own practice but may not record, reproduce, publish, or offer it in a paid setting such as for a class or workshop.
