You know those days; you wake up and you stub your toe on the door frame on the way to the bathroom. You stumble and proceed stand on the tail of your cat who was attempting to hide in the dark and then burn your toast whilst trying to get toothpaste off your new shirt...yes, those days. We all have them and as unpleasant as they are they can get better.
This has been something I have been working on for quite a while now, and while everyone is different I thought I would share some tricks and tips that I have found helpful. The following tips are action based and realistic. I have a lot of tips I use for when I am at home and have the ability to get up and walk away, but more often than not I am out or at work when these days strike. Not everyone can get up from their desk and walk outside for 15mins to clear their head.
Write a gratitude list
I have read about these before but never quite understood what to write. I could only ever think of the obvious: my family, my partner, my cats...and that's where I got stuck. But the more I tried to write them, forcing myself to look around me at even the smallest thing, the more I found I was grateful for. Here are a few examples to get you started; the smell of freshly made coffee, the sliver of sunshine peeking through a cloudy sky, hearing someone's infectious laugh, the fact that libraries exist (borrowing books for free? Awesome!), being given a free sample of something, delicious home-made soup.
♥ Sometimes I notice that I am more interested in listing the things I love, so I do that instead. The idea is to get your mind to start thinking positively, soon enough there will be no room left for negativity.
♥ I would consider Gala Darling one of the queens of gratitude lists but she also does variations like 'Little things that made me smile.'
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Steer away from Social Media
When you are in this sort of head space, reading or listening about the latest political/cultural/environmental problem is not going to help you feel better. I found that I was almost seeking out negativity in order to justify my crap mood. When I realised this I decided that the News, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr was out of bounds until I could be a bit more rational.
♥ One idea I really like is having a social media free day. Make a date where you consciously don't go near social media.
Build a small collection of inspiring quotes to keep in your bag/wallet
This is one I have only started this week but have already grown to love. I recently bought a Red Metropol FiloFax and it has turned into a hub of positivity with quotes, good advice people give me, inspiring images and anything else I can think of. You can use whatever medium you choose. If you have a smart phone or i-phone then you can store quotes on there. If you are a post-it or scrap paper kind of person, maybe find a colourful little zip pouch like one of these to keep it all organised.
Here are a few of my favourites that I take with me everywhere:
♥ "Life is a gift. Never forget to enjoy and bask in every moment you are in." - Celestine Chua
♥ Have a scroll through 101 Most Inspiring Quotes
Keep the music light
This one requires you to plan ahead but it's totally worth it. When things go wrong, I am drawn to listen to music that reflects how angry or upset I am; bands like Slipknot or A Perfect Circle are usually a good sign that I'm not having the best day. What I have since done is create a list (one that I keep adding to) of songs that make me happy, or want to jump up and dance. You can create a playlist on your phone/ipod/mp3 player or listen to them on Youtube if you have Internet access. Just remember that it doesn't matter what it is you listen to; just make sure its your 'feel good' music.
Here are a few which sit on my list:
Treat Yourself / Pamper Yourself
This is by far the one that has worked best for me. If your day has not managed to improve despite your efforts, this one is particularly important. Why not have that bubble bath you have been thinking about for weeks but never got around to having? Why not buy yourself that second coffee in the afternoon? I find it's best not to try something new on these types of days. If it doesn't work out it will only feed the negative thoughts in your head. However this is only what has worked for me, you may want to try something new but I suggest to keep it simple. Don't go expecting to learn to knit or paint a master piece in one hour, it wont happen.
If you just too busy, grab a yummy and nutritious lunch instead. If you are short on cash, use that obnoxiously pink nail polish you have and brighten the rest of your day and days to come.
The main thing to take away from this tip is that you must make time to look after yourself, and it is never more important than when you have days like these .
I hope these tips are helpful and just remember - you CAN turn a bad day into an awesome day. It just requires that extra bit of effort, and I promise you it is so worth it.
Rhiannon xxx
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