Bad days. They’re unavoidable and depending on how terrible of a mood you’re in or the extremity of unfortunate events that follow you throughout the day, bad days can be debilitating to your psyche and physical health.
It’s easy to sulk away the day in bed, allow that scowl to remain a permanent fixture on your pretty face, and plead with the heavens to grant you a respite from your seemingly miserable existence.
The challenge lies within shunning the dark matter from your mind, shrugging off the bad juju that weighs you down, and reassuring yourself the light at the end of the tunnel is not as far out of reach as you’d like to believe. Here are several tips to punch your bad day in the throat:Hugs Over Drugs
Hugging increases levels of oxytocin, which is affectionately referred to as the love hormone. Simply put, a good hug is the fastest way for you to get oxytocin flowing in your body. Oxytocin calms your nervous system and boosts positive emotions. It lowers your blood pressure and is especially helpful if you’re feeling anxious. It lowers your cortisol levels (the stress hormone), enabling you to have a good night’s rest. The action serves as a win-win deal for you and the person you’re hugging it out with. If you’re going to attempt to keep positive, you may as well spread the good vibes in the process.
Pump Some Iron
Exercise has been revered because it prevents memory loss and alleviates symptoms of depression, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, and more. When I was diagnosed with clinical depression, bad days happened to fall on every day of the week and the psychiatrist overseeing my progress constantly stressed dedicating a block of time every day for exercise. Although most days it was hard and sometimes nearly impossible to drag myself out of bed, when I did push myself to at least go for a brisk walk I never regretted it.
I empathize with the feeling of your body locking in place and refusing to go anywhere because “what’s the point?” The point is, when you go outside for a run or you pick up a set of free weights, your brain recognizes a moment of stress. As a result, to protect yourself and your brain from stress, your body releases a protein called BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor). This BDNF serves as a protective and reparative element to your memory neurons and acts as a reset switch. That’s why we often feel so at ease, acquire a sense of clarity, and most importantly, feel happy after a good workout.
Put Down The Phone For A Hot Sec
Though you may think it’s wise to go looking for love or support in your favorite feed, a lot of the time this can lead to a despondent feeling upon realization that real, true human interaction is lacking. It’s also important to realize that running to greener, digital pastures for a trip down the ‘Feel Good Trail’ may seem like a quick fix, but ultimately your happiness needs to be something that you seek out and procure inside yourself—without the aid of digitally-generated happy pills. Take a step back from the Likes and the Favorites and scroll through your mental Rolodex for a memory, something happy that you never shared with your followers. Replay that in your head from start to finish and relish the fact that it is yours and yours alone. It will help.
Treat Yo Self
This suggestion is especially useful if you’re cooped up and sour in the office all day. It’s Wednesday, the weekend is a distant mirage of expensive cocktails and questionable decisions, you’ve just been slammed with even more paperwork to complete by the end of the day, the turbulent flow of e-mails won’t give, and your coffee buzz is wearing off. It’s the type of day where if you’re not experiencing it, someone else in your workspace is. The solution consists of three words, my friend: Treat. Yo. Self. Whether it’s ordering greasy take out, splurging on a new handbag you’ve been eying for the past month, or getting the pedicure you’ve been putting off for weeks, rewarding yourself after a particularly rough day is a surefire way to lift your spirits.
Over time and depending on the amount of bad days you experience on a monthly basis, you’ll develop a pick me up routine unique to only you. The list presented here is not by any means exhaustive. Binge-watching Netflix, prancing around in cotton pajamas all day, whipping up your favorite dish just because you can, sharing a good laugh with a close friend, and punching your pillow into oblivion are all techniques for detoxing negative energy from your system. The bad days will pass, the exceptionally good ones you’ll learn to appreciate even more, and that light at the end of tunnel will never waver, fade out, or be extinguished in a sudden moment if you remember to let your hands drop from in front of your eyes.
Feature Photo via My Hub