Once in a while, there are days when everything goes wrong: the traffic is never-ending, your boss figures out new reasons to yell at you, your girlfriend decides to make this day the most dramatic day of your life, you drop your phone to crack your screen, and the list goes on and on. These kinds of days are inevitable and could happen to anyone. The universe has a mysterious way of pouring every bit of bad luck upon us at times. And, as we continue to feel down and hopeless, it just so happens that it isn’t even the end of it.
Feeling bad cannot be helped. But, what we can do is perhaps change our attitude towards the matter. APJ Abdul Kalaam once said, “When it rains, all the birds seek shelter, but the eagle flies higher than the clouds and stays dry”. The lesson here is that the attitude is what differentiates the problem solvers from the tragic ones. This article has been written to help you deal with those days. Keep in mind that this is only about those regular bad-days, not someone in your family has cancer bad.
1. Keep in mind that luck does turn around
Growing up all of us have realized that things do change. So, when you are feeling like you are down on luck and nothing seems to be working out, the most important thing is to keep in mind that things do in fact change. In every self-help quotes, or articles, or books, one thing is always constant, i.e. to keep a positive attitude. Instead of feeling hopeless, just do your best to stay positive and make an effort to turn things around.
2. Be Gentle
It’s easy to be aroused with rage and anger when you are frustrated with your luck and not having things go your way. The vital thing to do is make a clear mind about being kind to yourself. While you are waiting for the universe to work things your way, be gentle.
The first step would be to start being gentle to people around you. Whether its friends, and families or random strangers, be gentle. Avoid the urge to shout back and explode. Instead, try and be patient. You will soon realize that as you start being patient and gentle with everyone, you will not be angered up with yourself for every simplest of mistakes you commit.
3. Treat Yourself
Science has proven that the surest way of feeling good is treating yourself. Imagine the pleasure you feel or have felt in the past when you were treated with gifts or food by your friends or lover. It is in fact that simple. Do not try and dream the impossible treat you are least likely to be able to afford. Go for the simple things.
Treat yourself your own favorite food, get that book you have always wanted to read or just buy your favorite hair product. It all works. As long as you do the simple things that make you happy, the release of dopamine will increase your resilience to get past the stressful days.
While you might feel like getting a Lamborghini, keep in mind that it’s not something you can cough up out of the wind. Instead, take a vacation. List out the things that are physically and financially possible for you.
4. Stay competent and careful about minute activities
In those stressful days, it’s easy to lose track of time, lose keys and get frustrated about forgetting to buy grocery. When you stop demoralizing yourself and letting the simple things slide by, you feel even more down. But, these things can easily be done. You just need to take control of your actions and equip yourself accordingly. Having mastered the simple events will definitely allow you at least an ounce of pleasure.
Keep your fridge full and fresh to avoid the increasing frustration. Back up your photos and videos and remember to charge your phone and tablet. When the minutest tasks required in the day-day activities get done, you are automatically more prepared for your battle with stress for the rest of the day.
5. Analyze the series of events
Getting out of any problem or at least getting into a solution mode requires a great bit of analyzing and accepting it. No matter what your issues are; it’s lot harder when your negligence is in quick successions and the events that impact your stress-levels are recurring. There are no random strings of bad-luck.
For instance, getting late for work will undoubtedly ignite a harsh response from your boss on top of your other stresses. When you have clearly analyzed each and every events, getting up early alone could solve one problem completely. Similarly, try and work out the solutions for parallel situations.