Maybe it was something in my horoscope, maybe it was the massive snowfall that blanketed my entire globe following a couple of beautiful 65-degree days last week, but yesterday morning I simply felt strange.
Maybe it was simply the Monday blues—after all, it was a Monday.
Whatever it was, as soon as I woke up, my mind began to chatter nonstop, telling me that my house was a mess, criticizing me for all the laundry I neglected to do over the weekend and the stuff I forgot to buy at the grocery store.
And then there was that, and this, and the other thing.
You get tired of that kind of thing, you know?
I could generally watch and let go of the small chatterbox inside my skull, but no matter how hard I tried, it would not stop talking.
My mood suddenly soured, and there was it: a miserable, snowy Monday in March.
But don’t we all have those days sometimes, right?
At times, we can attribute it to Mercury retrograde and move on with our life. Other times, we can’t comprehend our problems by attributing them to any astrological explanation or other rational Earthly cause. Like any other close relationship in our human experience, there are moments when it’s just us and the mental dialogue we are having with our own consciousness that goes astray for the day.
Sometimes we just have to get through those days. We all have families, dogs, jobs, and other commitments, so whatever motivates you to get out of bed in the mornings will still exist. You just need to get over this tiny chatterbox and carry on with your life.
Pushing through is helpful sometimes, but not always.
To locate your inner zen, quiet your thoughts, and revitalize yourself so you can face another day, sometimes you have to go above and beyond.
Here are some activities to help you feel better on those days when you just don’t feel like yourself. You can always start small and work your way back up, even on the days that are naturally difficult. Maybe they won’t improve your awful employer as a person, but hopefully they will boost your self-esteem:
“Lighting someone else’s lamp will brighten your path as well.” Buddha
Smile and laugh, even if you have to pretend. The pleasant hormone, endorphins, are released when you laugh. Fake smiling is even said to be able to deceive your brain into believing that you are in a positive mood. Even researchers concur.
Grab the drink of the person in front of you at the Caribou (or Starbucks) drive-through. Then, follow my lead and leave quickly enough that they can’t catch up. In this way, you’ll appear to be a covert guardian angel who has restored someone’s confidence in people.
Take a stroll through the park. Take a look at some trees. Take in the scent of the blossoms. If there is snow on the ground, take in the beauty and uniqueness of each snowflake as it is perfectly formed. There are numerous proven therapeutic and restorative advantages to being in nature.
Think. In a place of quiet, pay attention to your breathing. Breathing slowly and deeply, then exhaling slowly and deliberately. Don’t attempt to ignore thoughts that come to mind. You cannot stop your brain from thinking; it is a responsive organ that processes 60,000 thoughts a day. Instead, just notice the ideas as a component of that mental organ while maintaining your focus on your slow, regular breathing. In spite of the background noise, concentrate on disengaging your thoughts from it. When you just need a few minutes to yourself, meditation is not necessary, although it is good in peaceful situations.
Give $20 to a cause that is important to you. Generosity and benevolence are beneficial to the soul. Imagine the good that money will do, the people it will assist, and the improvements it will make to someone’s day.
Play some quality music. Dancing in your kitchen to the sound of good music is an even better way to nourish your spirit. After listening to one or two of your favorite songs, you’ll be shocked by how much better you start to feel.
Play that song in your car and sing along with the magic onto the steering wheel. Most days, I do that on my way to work. I’m sure other drivers on Highway 169 who are heading south think I’m crazy, but I don’t mind.
Make your area tidy. It is going to be difficult to relax if your workspace is a complete mess, with heaps of documents piled up on your desk, your laundry piled high, dust all over the place, crumpled receipts in the bottom of your purse, and an overall mess. It matters what surrounds you. Spend some time tidying up your surroundings and arranging the items in your environment to help clear your mind of any clutter.
Cry into a cushion. Screaming can be a therapeutic release for those moments when we simply need a clean, unfiltered emotional outlet. Do not hesitate to scream into the air if you are in an area where you can do so without fear of your neighbors calling the police. Release all of your feelings, give them to the universe, and let the wind take them far, far away from you.
For twenty minutes, do nothing. Is your brain trying to convince you that not enough has been done? Is it sending you a monthly to-do list and putting internal pressure on you to finish it all at once?
Letting go.
Refrain from giving way to your inner anxiousness. For the next twenty minutes, promise yourself to do nothing. Set a timer. If you choose not to meditate, don’t give in to your ideas; instead, let your mind to wander. You can do whatever YOU want to do with these twenty minutes—you can sit, lie down, look into space, or do anything else.
Please just go for a little rest. Give yourself a break if you’ve been working on work, housework, or anything else for a few hours and the mental chatter hasn’t stopped leaving you feeling worn out and stressed.
(You realize that you are free to do that.)
You’re probably not working at your best anyway if you’re anxious or worn out. Our best work emerges not from stress and worry and the pressure we place on ourselves to be and do everything at once, but rather from states of flow, joy, relaxation, and being at one with our higher selves. Simply take a pause, give yourself the time you require to recover, and then resume your planned activity.
Make plans for a hookie day. I am aware that not everyone has the ability to play hookie every day. Some of us are responsible for others in one way or another, have children, or have occupations that require timely completion of tasks. However, you can definitely prepare to play hookie.
I committed myself last year to do this more frequently. I “play hooky,” blocking off days on my calendar roughly a month to six weeks in advance.
Depending on the situation, it could entail writing from home or taking lengthy walks while keeping my phone on silent. Usually, I determine what my spirit needs that day and go take care of it. Alternatively, I choose to do nothing at home since it’s also therapeutic for my soul. However, preparing it will increase the anticipation and give you something to look forward to, making that day much more satisfying when it eventually arrives.
Change up your routine. Everyday routines can make life feel monotonous and stress levels particularly high. If your current circumstances prevent you from becoming a total rookie, use one of your workdays to do something unusual.
I visited the mall a few months ago to exchange a pair of shoes I had received for Christmas. Since I had additional time, I decided to take some laps around the shopping center. It was Thursday morning, so not a lot was going on. I had an aperitif at Caribou and strolled about the brightly lit, open rotunda as people watched the few that were present. I had a bit more happiness by the time I arrived at work.
The next time your life seems too routine and hectic, schedule a morning when you get up an hour early and go out to breakfast rather than staying in. Alternatively, get a Caribou Coffee and take a quick stroll in a place you don’t often visit. This kind of routine disruption can be a great way to decompress in the middle of the week.
Write down your blessings and the things that make you so amazing. Gratitude notebooks are commonplace. It’s the first step toward manifesting the life you desire, according to every law of attraction and lifestyle guru. I promise you that practicing thankfulness has the potential to brighten any day.
Jot down everything that makes you amazing, along with the things you have in life for which you are thankful.
If you need aid, ask a friend.
To constantly remind yourself of the awesomeness you offer to the world, write out your list of your best traits and store it in your diary, on a piece of tape over your desk, or concealed in your wallet. We are all brilliant, sparkling lights that the world is so fortunate to have, and even on our worst days, when stress has us completely confused and our angry, reactive-brain thoughts are all kinds of disoriented. Never lose sight of that.