We’ve all had those days, you wake up just in a funk and you can’t seem to shake it. Whether it is a bad nights sleep, too much sleep, overthinking or something else, we all have bad days and they can be the hardest things to turn around. I’ll admint that some days I actually enjoy just embracing my bad mood and starting again tomorrow, but when you have a full time job and a flatmate that’s not always possible or kind, bad moods can spread like wildfire and even though the winter blues have hit us all HARD this week there a few tricks I keep up my sleeve for pulling myself out of a stubborn funk.
Sweat
This is my top fix, for me if I need to clear my head or get myself pumped up a really intense workout is the best way to do that. I prefer to do a class rather than just workout on my own, normally I go for a spin class to help me feel better. Focusing on the music and the instructor is a great way to relax. Plus Elle woods said it best, exercise gives you endorphins and endorphins make you happy. I’ve never regretted a workout and it’s definitely one of the healthiest ways to let out your stress and frustration. 30 minutes later and I feel refreshed, re-motivated and at the very least I’ve had a 30-minute distraction and some good exercise.
Podcasts
Podcasts have become so popular and it’s not a new thing, there’s a podcast for everyone and every mood. Some of my personal favourites are; Coffee with Chrachel, The Guilty Feminist, At home with and the amazing Emma Gannon’s Ctrl Alt Delete. Podcasts are a great way to make you laugh, to make you think and to put your rubbish day back in perspective, some of the guest speakers on these podcasts are truly inspiring people who have battled through so much to be where they are. Sometimes it feels good to wallow in your bad mood and to just allow yourself to be grumpy, but that can’t last and it’s not always healthy when you’re out and about with other people, don’t be the one to spread bad vibes. By listening to a podcast I’m isolating myself by sticking my headphones in so I know I’m not going to bother anyone else and it’s a great distraction to lift your mood.
Shower
Depending on how much time you have, and 30 minutes is really all you should need, a power shower can wash away getting out of the wrong side of the bed. It can reset your day and make you feel fresh and awake. Shower thoughts are a real thing and if you’re having an issue or you don’t know what to do next, a long hot shower with some uplifting citrus-scented body wash can change your whole outlook. If you have the option I’ve been known to go and sit in the steam room at my gym and just sweat out my issues till I feel better, focusing on my breathing and my surroundings really helps make everything else seem so unimportant, obviously this one is probably not such a great middle of the day type fix but to make sure you’re don’t wake up feeling as rubbish tomorrow or to stop a bad day before it even gets started.
Ring a relative to tell them you love them
Nothing stops a bad day in its tracks like your parents, I don’t know about you but my parents are the king and queen of putting things in perspective and giving me good advice, even when I’m trying to wallow in my misery. My best advice is to ring someone else, someone you love and ask them about their day and how their life is going, when you wake up in a grump it’s very easy to look inwards and make everything feel all about you. You don’t need to tell that person you’re having a bad day, but checking in with them not only puts your issues in perspective but you’ll get that feel good feeling for doing something for someone else.
So there we have it, my top, slightly less conventional ways to battle a bad day and with winter going strong and Christmas over it seems everyone got the winter blues, try and push your energy away from yourself and give back to someone else.
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