Tips: How to survive a lousy bad day!

Did you ever have one of those days, where nothing is going right? You feel like the universe has got it in for you today, no matter how hard you try to make them otherwise, some days are just awful. They start off bad, they never get any better, and they end on a low and sometimes even gloomier note.
What do you do at these times? How do you handle the 'bad' days? What are good strategies to make these days go away or, at the very least, lessen the pain, confusion or drama associated with them?

The key to dealing with this kind of day (or week or month) is to remember that it is only temporary. No matter how bad it is, it will eventually be over. Even if you are dealing with an ongoing problem, remember, at some point it has to end! It may not seem like it, you may not be able to see any light at the end of any tunnel, you may feel like your life is one big mess, and that this problem will never go away, but none of these things is true. This problem, too, at some point or another, will pass.

We all know the prescription for a healthy life - pray, eat healthy foods, exercise, maintain a good weight, etc. And those things are great, in their proper context. Right now, however, you need something that will get you through right now. Today, With the hope that tomorrow will be better.

What To Do
Your hormones are raging, your mood is in the toilet and there is no relief in sight. What should you do?
1. Have that pint of ice cream you are so desperately craving. Why? The body is seeking a chemical remedy to counteract its feeling 'down'. Your body knows, and you instinctively know, that that ice cream cone, cookie, brownie or bag of potato chips will cause a sugar rush which will help you temporarily feel 'up.' For that moment, at least, you will feel better and that may be all you need to get through that hour or that moment when things look so bad.

2. Seek inner peace through outer order. Soothe yourself by tackling a messy closet, an untidy desk, or crowded countertops. The sense of tangible progress, control, and orderliness will lighten your mood. This always works for me – and fortunately, my family is messy enough that I always have plenty of therapeutic clutter at hand.

3. Do something nice for someone else. “Do good, feel good” – this really works. A friend going through a horrible period told me that she was practically addicted to doing good deeds; that was the only thing that made her feel better. However, don’t put too much pressure on yourself now. Don’t start planning an elaborate surprise party; email some digital photos to the grandparents.

4. Go ahead and lie in bed all day. You were probably tired anyway and too busy 'multi-tasking' to notice. Your body is a finely tuned instrument and it needs fine care and attention. How have you been treating your body lately?

5. Think long and hard about all the bad things that have brought you to this day. Who did what, what you did wrong, what you didn't want to or have refused to confront, etc., etc. Cry if you need to. Get mad if you need to. And then make efforts to change those things that you can. Accept the things that you cannot. And live with all the rest.

6. Exercise is an extremely effective mood booster – but be careful of exercise that allows you to ruminate. For example, if I go for a walk when I’m upset about something, I often end up feeling worse, because the walk provides me with uninterrupted time in which to dwell obsessively on my troubles.


Stay positive!

The reason it's okay to be temporarily 'down' is that it helps to remind you of a simple truth - most bad days are the result of bad months, bad years, bad choices and bad situations. And being 'down' is a good time to acknowledge that truth. Sometimes you see more clearly in the midst of pain than at any other time. Most 'bad' days are not the result of any great mystery - there is usually a sound and concrete reason why this day is the day to end all bad days. Something, somewhere in your life has gone out of whack and you need to fix it. Ignore these signals your body and mind are sending to you on these days and miss out on some important clues about your life. Your body and your mind are trying to tell you something. Are you listening?