icky – not sick, just sort of a lingering malaise that you can't quite
shake. Something caused by nightmares or a kink in your neck or a
headache. And then when you start totackle your to-do list for the
day, it feels like you're swimming through molasses. In January. With
cement shoes. In short: no bueno .
Next time you have a day like this, step back for a moment, and
pause. Breathe . And then, reboot your day. Start over with a clean
slate, consciously andintentionally, and see where this new day takes
you. Here's some tips:
Stop what you're doing.
Especially if it's making youmore frustrated. Just stop. Turn it off,
walk away fromit for a while, physically remove it from your sight if
it will make you calm down more. If you were working on a computer,
turn off the monitor or shut your laptop.
Eat something.
Without any distractions, preferably in silence or listening to some
of your "happy" music. Low blood sugar can make you crankyand sluggish
(ask me how Iknow!), not to mention give you a wicked case of brain
fog. And all too often,we rush ourselves through meals, thinking about
whatwe should be doing or where we should be or watching television
insteadof focusing on the food. I wouldn't suggest eating anything too
sugary, because that'll just cause another blood sugar crash before
too long – try something like oatmeal or peanut butter on toast. Eat
it slowly, in peace, and just focus on the food in front of you and
how it tastes, without worrying about anything else.
Take a walk or do yoga.
Both of these activities are relaxing and will help get your blood
flowing + fresh oxygen to your brain. Sometimes, getting out of the
physical space you're inis a necessary step to changing your current
mood.
Do something simple & easy that already needed to be done.
This gives you a feeling of accomplishment, however tiny, and helps
get you out of that "this day is worthless" rut. A few of thethings I
do are unloading and reloading the dishwasher, or declutteringmy desk.
You might clean something or organize something – as long as it
genuinely needs to be done, it's good!
5-10 minutes of meditation/quiet.
Or however long you feel comfortable doing so, evenif it's just for a
moment . You might just sit and listen to a calming song in silence,
or write a quick list of all the things you're grateful for. It does
us all good to say "thank you" every once in a while.
Resume working with a clear head, a peaceful heart, and the feeling
that this day won't be a waste after all!
Take a nap?
If this works for you, go ahead and do it. I have mixed results with
napping, sometimes waking up totally refreshed and sometimes waking up
with a thumping headache. But there's been studies out the wazoo that
say naps are freakin' fabulous, so don't feel guilty about itif you
choose to do so.
And there you have it – one fresh new day for you to do whatever you
wish with! Doesn't that feel delicious? The only thing left is to make
sure you put it to good use!