How to handle a crappy day
Some days are just plain hard.
Some days you have a legit reason to feel down.
And some days everything is seemingly fine, but you still feel like crap.
C’est la vie.
But what we have to remember is that it’s not the bad day that gets us into dark places.
What gets us into low and lonely places is when we turn a hard day into a thing…
… when we ruminate on how crappy we feel.
… when we keep identifying more things and more people to blame for a shitty situation or a bad mood.
… when we judge and ask ourselves over and over “What’s wrong with me? Why cannot I just snap out of it?”
This is fuel for your hard-day-fire!
It gets the hard-day energy all stuck inside of you instead of letting it move through you.
Here is what I suggest to do instead:
Acknowledge that you’re having a hard day, validate your feelings by saying “I see that I am having a hard day and that’s ok. Hard days are just a part of life, so I am going to let it be and stop ganging up on myself.”
Time capsule it: Give yourself a full day to just be in a bad mood. It doesn’t mean you’re allowed to snap at people, but you’re allowed to say “I am having a crappy day and I know it will be fine. I don’t need you to do anything, but I am just not on the top of my game today.” (If you’re a mom, adapt this formulation to your kids age level.) The power here is two-fold: You are no longer forced to pretend that everything is fine and the people around you can have compassion for you because you let them in.
Get off social media until you feel better. SM apps have never turned a bad mood into a good mood.
Do one very simple, compassionate, kind thing for yourself that softens you on the inside: A fresh piece of fruit before you get the kids, a solo stroll outside, a beautiful song while lying down with your eyes closed, fresh flowers, a warm bath… whatever helps you feel nurtured and cared for.
Go to bed early. Sleep is a miracle weapon when it comes to letting energy move through you and rejuvenating you on a cellular level. It will all be fine.
Love,
Caroline
