how to: snap out of a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day

June 28, 2011

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This past weekend was wonderful. It truly felt like summer and I feel like I did so much to enjoy every minute of it. Matthew and I went to the dog beach with Ginger, soaked in some sun, roasted marshmallows on the grill, watched some of our favorite shows and just relaxed. Yet, sometimes these weekends that can seem so perfect can leave you feeling down in the dumps. I don’t know how to explain it, and I’m not sure if any of you understand, but last night going to bed I was so sad. I was sad thinking that the weekend was over, that Matthew was going to work and that I was back on my job search, sad that it’s already the end of June and the wedding and Italy seem so far away now. A disappointment with the weekend being over turned into so much more and before I knew it I was just a mess. I was in this dejected funk and thankfully Matthew insisted we stay up, watch some of the BBC version of Emma {I love it!} and drink some sleepy time tea. It made me feel a little better and before I knew it I fell asleep. Yet, today I felt like this dark cloud was still over me. I couldn’t shake it all morning and afternoon, and I still haven’t. This happens every once in a while where I can’t help but focus on all these negative things. In case any of you have ever felt this way and know what I mean, I thought I’d share some of my best tips to snap out of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad mood:

1. Take a walk and get some fresh air. Sometimes seeing the sun shining can kick that cloud out of there.
2. Look at your schedule and make lunch/dinner dates with friends. Friends help!
3. Make a list of all the things you are thankful for. Sometimes in this state of mind I can forget. 
3. Do something for you whether it’s getting a massage, a manicure or a hair cut. Do something that will give you some extra confidence and make you smile. (I’m getting my hair cut tomorrow..it’s been 6 months, can you believe it?)
4. Make a list of things you want to get accomplished each day. I’ve been so overwhelmed with apartment searching and job hunting that spending more than a couple hours on one or the other can make me lose all energy for other things I need and want to do.  This is kind of silly but I’m trying to put my days in a class format– Apartment Period, Cleaning Period, Blogging Period, and Job Period. I try to break up the tedious things with something fun, like blogging or emailing a friend. 
5. Listen to upbeat music and hopefully it will make you want to dance 🙂
6. If it doesn’t make you dance, do something active. It’s so hot now that working out doesn’t sound very appealing but yoga in a cooled studio sounds a little better. Or go on an early morning walk or hike!
7. Do something good. I donated a bag of clothes to the Goodwill for my last week’s little resolution. It helped me get outside of myself and remember that there are other people in need. It helped give me some much needed perspective. 
7. Play with an animal. When I was sad last night I picked up Ginger and almost immediately started to smile! Why are dogs so amazing?

If any of your have some suggestions for getting out of a bad/sad mood, I’d love to hear! 
Regular scheduled programming tomorrow, I promise 🙂
xox
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