Every now and again we all experience a really crappy day. One of those days where everything and everybody seem to have conspired against you and nothing goes right. Your car breaks down, your daughter has a temper tantrum, your spouse is upset, you forget your umbrella and get soaking wet in the rain and on and on it goes.
Every now and again you may even feel crappy for no apparent reason at all and that can be challenging. I have certainly experienced it and really questioned my feelings, because there were no external circumstances that could justify my unhappiness.
Right in the midst of one of these terrible days, you may wish to bury your head in the sand and reappear tomorrow; you worry though that tomorrow may be just as miserable.
Here is my tried and true remedy. This acknowledgement really works and it can even be fun:
1. The first step is to recognize "I am having a really crappy day, ta da!" Acknowledge the obvious: "I am feeling really crappy, I wish I could stick my head in the sand and be gone."
2. Then get curious about crappy. Where do you feel it in your body? What is this sensation like? Is it tense, heavy, painful? What kind of pain? Is it dull or sharp?
3. Stay with the sensation and continue to be curious about it. As you stay with this sensation, does the sensation change? If so, in what way? Is it moving to a different part of your body? Is it becoming more or less intense? Is the quality of the sensation changing (e.g. from dull to sharp)? Simply notice what you are experiencing right now and stay with it.
4. If you are still feeling crappy, imagine giving yourself a hug, as if you were taking care of a crying child. Wrap your arms around you and embrace yourself in this state of unhappiness. Remember that no matter how unhappy you feel right now, that this too shall pass.
5. Then look at your day with fresh eyes, what is the next task ahead? Give this task your full attention.
You may have to repeat these five steps a few times throughout your day. Every time you do your day will feel a little less crappy, just like a heavy dark cloud lifting and drifting away with the wind.
Julia James, CPCC, PCC, M.Sc. is a multi-lingual certified life coach, award-winning author and international speaker. She helps busy professionals around the world achieve balance in their lives through individual coaching and workshops. Author of the book, The Mini-Retreat Solution and the audio CD series, Guided Mini-Retreats for Busy People, she provides tools to manage stress effectively and to relax and re-energize quickly. Julia has been featured on Joy TV, CBC News, as well as in The Globe & Mail, Glow Magazine, BC Business Magazine and The Vancouver Observer. For more information visit: http://www.juliajames.ca/
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