Do you ever have days where you feel everything bad that can happen happens? Your alarm doesn’t go off, Your kids are arguing over who’s turn it is to sit in the front seat of on the way to the school bus stop, You’re late for an appointment? One can start to wonder, “Why is this all happening to me? What did I do to deserve this?” The answer is, you started selectively recalling all of the negatives that occurred, which then start to build on each other until you have a pile of negative thoughts and feelings in your mind. So what can you do to turn things around?
1) Start your day over. Everyone has the right to start their day over whenever they want. Just say to yourself, “I’m starting my day over from this very minute.” This allows you to stop dwelling on the prior incidents that seem to be causing your negative feelings towards yourself.
2) Phone a Friend. Feeling the camaraderie of a person in your life who cares about you can help when you are stressed. I don’t only mean to tell your friend (or spouse or parent or another loved one) all the horrible things that occurred that morning, but just talking to someone and reaching out can make you feel better.
3) Get moving. Take the time to get up, walk around, do 10 jumping jacks, take the dog for a walk, put on the radio and dance around to your favorite song. When you move around you are giving yourself the chance to change your thoughts as well as distracting yourself from whatever is stressing you out.
4) Meditate. This doesn’t have to mean to run to the nearest Yoga class. You can take a few minutes to sit with yourself and just “be.” Focus on your breathing and the moment. Stop ruminating over the past and worrying about the future. Just be in the present moment and breathe. I promise you will feel better!
Important Notice: The information presented above is provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for consulting a psychologist or other mental health professional to discuss your unique situation.
