Having A Bad Day?

Are you having a bad day?

Take heart, we all have bad days from time to time.

It doesn’t take much to get sucked into a whirlwind of stress and overwhelm.

But the key is to recognise when we’re stuck so we can take measures to get out.

As my Mother says, “Worry is like a rocking chair, it never takes you anywhere.”

The antidote? Nothing restores confidence and relief like the simplicity of action.

So, if you’re feeling a bit stuck today, this might help.

Here’s a small exercise I do to help me snap out of myself when I feel that rut coming on.

Armed with paper and pen, I tackle this with force.

1. Throw a Pity Party …just for you!

Time to vent. This is where I cut loose and write out what is really on my mind, what’s bringing me down or stressing me out. This may sound like a negative rant, but in fact it’s an important part of the whole exercise.

What we feel is what we feel, after all. But it’s no good mulling it over and over and over like a broken record. We have more important things to do.

So this first step acts as a form of permission to simply acknowledge what I’m feeling by writing it all down and getting it out of my system. I can then assess what’s going on and, subsequently, determine what I can do about it.

Don’t hold back, just get it all out. Be honest. This is for your eyes only so articulate why you’re upset, anxious, stressed, whatever.

Include the facts about the situation. What are the events or circumstances causing you to feel distressed?

2. Million Dollar Baby Pep Talk

If you’ve ever seen the movie Million Dollar Baby, there’s a scene when Hillary Swank’s boxing character, Maggie, is fighting another boxer who’s younger, better, more experienced than she. Just as she’s letting it get to her and affect her game, her boxing coach Frankie, played by Clint Eastwood, reminds her of those things but ends it with a question along the lines of, “those are the facts, what are you going to do about it?”

I love that movie and I love that line because it’s sobering and eliminates the excuses. The pity party is officially over, we’ve had time to air our dirty laundry but now it’s time to get on with it.

This is where I go back to each sentence I wrote during the ‘pity party’ and assign an action step.

For example: I’m feeling anxious because the deadline is Thursday and I haven’t started the project.

Great, those are the facts. Now, what am I going to do about it? Prepare a checklist, or research the information I need, or whatever next action is needed to get back in the game.

Working out what I can do to alleviate even the smallest stress already provides great relief. Of course, the real relief comes in the doing.

3. Go for the biggest sigh of relief first

By now most everything should be vented and out of your system. We’ve allowed ourselves a small, controlled rant. We’ve articulated what we’re feeling and what’s going on. And better yet, we’ve assessed what we can do about it all.

At this point it may be obvious where to start. But if it’s not, ask: “Which task would lift the greatest weight off my shoulders if I just did it now?”

Start there. With that task out of the way, or merely started, you’ll feel much better and able to concentrate on the rest.

As Dale Carnegie says…

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”

You’ll restore confidence and a sense of control. And the boost of taking action will go a long way towards putting a smile back on your face.

Do you have a method for dealing with a bad day? Please share!