Five ways to slog through if you're having a hard day.
All the days can’t be good days. And whether you’re struggling with an acute illness, a long term illness, or something external or situational, sometimes the day is just bad and somehow you have to get through it. Here’s my disclaimer: This list is meant for those times when doing things is a struggle, but you’ve still got to show up, not those times when you’ve been put on bedrest or should be in bed or on the couch recovering. Got it? Good.
Make yourself as comfortable as possible. For example, if you have a headache, take the meds. I am one of the worst at this. I’ll sit around going, “Is this about to be a migraine? I’m not sure… should I take something? But what if it isn’t…” Just take the meds. Wear something comfortable. If you’re feeling awful, don’t wear that outfit that you only feel hot in on your best days. Don’t add to it. And wear comfy shoes if you can’t go barefoot.
Drink lots of water. It’s one of the simplest things you can do. It will help keep you from caving to cravings because your willpower is down and being dehydrated makes everything worse.
Set yourself up for success. Is this a one day thing? Do you have reason to believe tomorrow will be better? If so, look at your tasks for today, see which ones might be better served if they were shifted to tomorrow’s schedule. Pick a few simple ones to knock out. Clean the cat’s litter. Start a load of laundry. If you’re at work, get through some easy emails. Schedule meetings (for later) file, etc. Having made some progress, however slight, will ease the mental load.
Create a care plan for when the day is done. It can be tempting to look forward to a big glass of whiskey once you get finished with a day like this, but will that make things better or worse? Ask yourself early in the day what kind of evening would make things (honestly) better and plan for it in advance. Some tea in bed with a book? Do it. An early bedtime? Do it. If you’re a caretaker, this can be easier said than done, but try to do for yourself what you would advise someone else to do in your situation. We often give ourselves less slack and less permission to ask for help.
Give yourself a break. Everyone has a bad day. Do what you can with it and move on. Try to treat yourself nicely as you move through. Beating yourself up on top of things will only make it worse.
What are some of the things you’ve found helpful on bad days? Please share. I’m always happy to have more weapons in my back pocket!