10 Things To Do After A Bad Day
September 19, 2013
So you say yesterday sucked, huh?
The planets weren’t aligned in your favor?
You dropped 45 pounds on your foot, your dog got sick and almost bit your face off, you got gluten poisoned, failed a new recipe, and watched your ex’s wedding video on Facebook?
Maybe that was just my yesterday.
But you know those days—the ones when life is just not working out and you’re left standing in the middle of your living room screaming upwards, “Why universe? Whyyyyyyyy??”
Most self-help gurus will tell you to recount all the things you’re thankful for.
Or get out and volunteer.
Or make a list of all the things you’re grateful for (semantics).
Thankfully, I’m not a self-help guru so I’m not going to tell you to do any of those things.
I’m just a real person with periodic strokes of bad luck and a learned tendency to pick myself up and continue onward.
I’d say I have a bad day at least once a week. So far that hasn’t quelled my desire to achieve greatness (hello
Dollop Book of frosting!).
It’s taken
years of practice though. And pouting. Lots of pouting.
And flailing, screaming, crying on the floor in fits of my life being
ovaaaah…
And some days (in all honesty) there is still no saving me (apologies to my friends).
Since I’d like to think I’m a semi-expert at recovering after a bad day, I’ve compiled this list.
(Sidenote: Last night was a full moon, which according to ancient folklore is the time to banish unwanted influences in your life, release old patterns, and open the door for healing. Do with this info as you wish.)
Ten Things To Do After A Very Bad Day
- Wake up early. I don’t care if you’re a morning person or not. This is very important. Awakening by 7am is optimal. You need to get an early start to this magnificent day-after-bad-day.
- Pet your dog. Don’t have a dog? Go outside and find a dog. Can’t find a dog? Watch a YouTube video of a dog and run your finger across the screen.
- Make coffee. Then drink it. At least three cups—anything less is half-assing it. We need to be alert today! Eyes wide!
- Punch the sky. Get that blood flowing and activate that coffee in your blood. A side benefit is you’ll feel like Rocky for just a minute (sweat band optional).
- Make a list of the five things you want to ask the universe for. Ok, so it sounds a bit hokey and self-helpy but you need to get those wishes out there somehow, right? Think of it as buying a lotto ticket. You can’t win unless you play. You can’t receive unless you ask. When you finish your list fold it up, kiss it (just do it), and put it in a drawer somewhere.
- Do something you don’t usually do. Go to a farm market on your lunch break, draw a picture, go to a coffee shop and people watch, wash your windows, visit the cemetery where your family is buried, or pick someone random and email them a funny story. Choose something spontaneous and something that lights you up. Chances are you’re not going to feel like doing it at first but in the spirit of Nike, just do it.
- Be vulnerable. Tell a friend how you’re really feeling. Tell a stranger a secret about yourself (maybe while you’re people watching at that coffee shop). Go on a message board and tell your story. Verbalize something deep.
- Do something you’ve been putting off. Been meaning to break it off with that guy you’re casually seeing? Rip the band-aid off. Have a pile of laundry sitting in the corner of your bedroom? Wash it already. Does Grandma keep saying that you never call her? Pick up the phone—I know you hate talking on it but it will take you all of five minutes.
- Bake something. Not a baker? Bake something. Stop questioning me. Slicing slabs off a roll of cookie dough and throwing it in the oven doesn’t count. You need to either be creative in your baking or at the very least take raw ingredients and mix them together to become a baked good. It’s the act of creating something. The Peanut Butter Granola recipe on page 150 in the The Dollop Book of Frosting: Sweet and Savory Icings, Spreads, Meringues, and Ganaches for Dessert and Beyond is perfect for this. In fact, I made it yesterday. It’s quick, easy, tasty, gluten-free, vegan, and paleo-ish. It covers all bases—no excuses accepted. Allergic to peanuts? Use Almond butter. Hell, use nutella if you’d like. Just bake something.
- Go to sleep early. You woke up early, remember? Seems so long ago, right? I know, I know—you’ve had such an awesome day that you don’t want it to end. But luckily for you, there’s always tomorrow.
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