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6 Points to Help You Make it Through “One of Those Days”

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What Happens When Life Zigs…and You Zag?

What do you do when you have “one of those days?” You know the kind, we all have them. You feel yucky, drained, with no motivation and all your prior enthusiasm, brilliant ideas, etc., have vanished into thin air and you are reduced to hoping you can put one foot in front of the other until it’s time to go to bed. And then the prayer is that blessed sleep will provide a reprieve from the constant feelings of failure and opportunities lost or wasted away.

I recently had “one of those days.” What I’ve learned over time is when they hit, if I step back and do as little as I possible, you know get the main things done, but don’t take on the big things, I will come out of the “funk” much quicker.

I liken it to falling off a horse; if you roll with the fall (downward spiral) instead of fighting or bracing yourself against it, you’ll hit the ground with less force and thus be able to pick yourself up more quickly—as in tomorrow.

Here are six points to help you make it through and you’ll notice, one of them is repeated twice:
  • Be patient with yourself; give yourself the day.
  • Don’t accept, or turn down, any big commitments. Let people know you’ll get back to them tomorrow or later with your answer.
  • Get your small, routine, “doable” tasks done. This way you’ll feel like you are at least accomplishing something.
  • Talk to your “safe” people and avoid, as best you can, those who drain your emotional energy.
  • Create small spaces of time throughout the day to simply close your eyes and breathe. These “breathing breaks” will provide renewed focus.
  • Be patient with yourself; give yourself the day. :)
What are your solutions to those “funks” we all occasionally find ourselves in?

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Comments

  1. Terry McNicholsMay 20, 2012 at 11:12 AM

    Take a walk, turn on fast, favorite music, clean out a drawer -- just one is often enough to get me moving again, declutter, give myself permission to read a book all day, take a nap, go for a convertible drive (weather permitting)...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lindsay ColitsesMay 22, 2012 at 8:54 AM

      Cleaning, anything (desk, drawer, stack of mail...), at least makes me feel like I've accomplished something... and music is a must!

      Delete

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