How To: Turn a Down Day into a Good One

Do you ever just feel so…blah? Like you’re stuck in an inexplicable funk of blah-ness that just isn't you? You know what I mean. Sometimes you just can’t shake it. Everybody has those days (Can’t help but think of that old Hannah Montana classic just then — try your best to not shimmy away the sadness. Or you know, just carry on). In all seriousness, the funk is real people! Sometimes, life comes and whacks you hard in the face. Maybe it’s something more serious — the shattering loss of a loved one, the crushing pain of a broken heart, the helplessness of unemployment or eviction or failure or rejection. Maybe it’s a loss of hope, of faith, of courage. 

Or maybe it’s relatively minor — situations like these are what I’ll focus on for the sake of this post. Maybe you had a sucky week at school or a hard day at the office. Maybe you’ve lost your motivation. Maybe you’re feeling under the weather and are starting to think it might be good to just crawl in a hole and stay there, as long as there’s a fair supply of Kleenex at the bottom.

When life comes to whack you hard as it so often does, it’s natural to just take the blow and lie there on the ground. All you can focus on is the certainty of that moment: how sucky you feel, how “ratchet” you look, how much it hurts, etc. The last thing you want to do is think about the future. 

However, eventually there comes a time when you just can’t wallow any longer. There comes that moment when you realize you haven't left your bed in three days and you’ve got chocolate on your chin and you're hair is a mess and OH! Dear God, is that what you look like?! There comes that moment when you’ve just got to close the Netflix, crawl out of bed, and get on with life.

So what's the next step? Today I'll share with you a few of the things I do to turn a down day around.

1. Make your bed. Now that you've finally peeled yourself from those sheets and wiped the Dorito dust off your mouth - it's alright, I won't judge - give yourself a clean fresh start by making the bed. It'll make you feel better, I promise. For some reason, I need to have my bed made in order to get anything done. The room (and your life) will always feel messier when a messy bed is present.
2. Wash your face. For the Dorito dust. But also because nothing feels better than a fresh, bare face. Use a refreshing cleanser or mask - maybe something with a zesty fresh fragrance that is sure to leave you feeling squeaky clean and uplifted.
3. Write in a journal. If you can manage it, try to start keeping a journal. I started keeping journals a few years ago, and I can't tell you what a release it can be. It's not designed to be extra work, but if you can write a little bit every day, I guarantee you a clearer mind. Try to write about things you are grateful for - once you remember how truly blessed you are, a good mood and a smile isn't far behind.
4. Listen to music. Pump up the jams, pump it up. While your feet are stompin'. But really, turn off all the mopey shiz and turn on all your favorite upbeat tunes - preferably the nineties throwback ones that you can just solo-jam to in your room...like this and definitely this. Whatever your feel good song is, blast it and get the good vibes going!
5. Go outside. Take a quick walk outside to really clear your head. Go somewhere with friends. Anything that'll get you looking at something new, feeling something new. I find that going outside in the fresh air always has a positive effect - especially if it's a beautiful sunny day out. Seeing all the good around you, all the trees and the birds and the smiling people, can give you a whole new perspective. Witness all the life that has happened while you were shut up in your dark room, and you'll realize that time doesn't stop when you do.
6. Read a good (funny) book. Right now I am nose deep in Mindy Kaling's Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) and loving it! Definitely would recommend as a light, seriously funny read that'll have you smiling like a weirdo in public and drawing too much attention to yourself.
7. Find your mood switcher. For me, my puppy Cocoa (a tiny Yorkshire Terrier) can always brighten my day in an instant. She is just too freaking adorable - you can't keep a serious face around her. She doesn't live with me all the time though so, when I am not back home at my family house, I don't even know what I do. I am beyond obsessed with her, as those of you who know me already know, but I can't help it.

And there we have it - some of the ways I deal with a down day. Hope you've enjoyed this post! Until next time...