I recently listened to a podcast with James Clear as a guest, where he was talking about building good habits. Something he said towards the end reminded me of how easy it can be sometimes to turn a mediocre day into a great one, in just a few minutes.

I sliced out the part I’m referring to, from the How to Be a Better Human podcast:

I often have times when I start feeling unfocused and disorganised, to the point where I can barely get anything done. For me, this usually happens mid-afternoon. On days where I have a lot on my mind in particular and I’m stressed, this happens a lot more.

However, I found some great ways to break that and start feeling good again. The most effective one for me is a breathwork session - I use the Wim Hof Method app, but I also like this 3 minute one from Othership. Other things include doing some pushups/pullups/air squats, spending 5 minutes in the garden or having a smoothie in the sun.

Sometimes, things are going wrong and you’re just having a bad day. But I think some bad days can be turned into good ones, maybe in just 5 good minutes.