Three Tip Sequence That Can Help Make Your Bad Day Easier (Especially if it's Monday!)

Sometimes your day isn’t going well at all. You know what I’m talking about. That day when all the troubles start in the morning and then they tumble down until the evening, creating a snowball effect that you can’t wait to get out of. The only solution you see is getting to bed and starting fresh the next day. I used to think the same untill about ten minutes ago, before starting this article.

The point of this article is that of sharing and possibly helping you if you happen to be in a similar situation. It’s Monday afterall. Although I don’t believe the urban folklore about this first day of the week, I find it pretty ironic to have a bad day precisely today.

I thought to myself “What if I just stopped everything I was doing, got outside, breathed in some fresh air and enjoyed a bit of sunshine and then have a 10 minute stretch and breathing session? Will that change anything?” 

I went at it with massive doubt, given the day I’ve had so far, but guess what? The brain can be fooled. Not in a bad way, but it all has to do with shifting your mind from one way of thought and on to other. What you focus on is what you get.



Today, I was thinking nothing is going to turn out right, because the morning was a semi-fiasco, the hours passed so quickly and I was still at the last part of the morning routine, all of it thanks to what my mind thought was a generic “bad day”.

The funny thing happened and as I relaxed and accepted what was happening, it all gradually started to fall into place again. As I’m writting here, I’m feeling more relaxed and able to get on with the rest of the daily tasks.

So, from my personal experience today, here's the sequence that really seems to work and can help you get out from under the “bad day cloud”. 


First of all, find a safe and quiet place. This might be your office, an empty room there, a place in your home, find a place where you can safely and quietly spend 10 minutes relaxing without being interrupted.

1. TAKE SLOW, DEEP BREATHS WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED

Close your eyes and breathe deeply a few times. Feel your mind relaxing. Don't think about anything, just breathe. Fill the lungs with air and then exhale slowly, through the nose.

2. DO SOME LIGHT STRETCHES

Stand up with your legs hip distance appart, inhale while raising your hands above your head, stretching the body. Exhale as you fold forward, as low as you can without bending the knees. After 2-3 breaths, bend the knees gently and release your weight equally onto the feet and let your hands hang loose. As your head is upside down, the blood flows in the opposite direction, the hamstrings are being gently stretched and your brain gets to focus on the movement rather than the troubles of the day. Slowly crawl back up, following the body. When you get back up, rotate the shoulders a few times, take 2-3 long breaths and other moves that feel good to you;

3. DRINK A TALL GLASS OF WATER

One of the reasons why our bodies feel tired and sluggish is because we sometimes forget to hydrate them as we should. Drinking water throughout the day is always a helper.

Now you can resume your day feeling a bit more relaxed and refreshed. At least you got out of that constant tension and snowball mindset.


Sincerely,
Alexandra