From Cranky Pants to Wonder Woman: 4 Tips to Turn a Bad Day Around

I woke up on the wrong side of the best this morning.

IS there a crankier color than brown?! I think not!

My plan was to rise early and make it to the gym for some squats and then hit up a class at my new sanctuary, The Bronx Barbell Club. "If anything's going to get me out of this funk, it's moving my body," I thought positively. In most cases, movement does work to pull me out of the doldrums. Unfortunately, this was not one of those times.

I forced myself out of bed earlier than I normally would because I was dead-set on being first to the squat rack. My mind was set on beating one particular dude who I know likes to hog the rack most mornings. Upon finding the rack unoccupied, I gleefully set up for my sets, unable to conceal my sense of victory as the dude shuffled in. Surely this small victory at my fellow gym rat's expense would shock me out of my bad mood, right?

Wrong.

I should have known better than to gloat! Maybe it was all in my head, but my subsequent session was totally off. My right knee kept acting up, I needed longer rest breaks than I normally do, and my mind refused to focus. I went from set to set thinking, "When is this going to be over?" instead of "Wow, I'm so strong and it feels so amazing to squat so much weight!" I completed my sets, and left the gym thinking that the damn cloud over my head just won't let me be...

...and that feeling followed me all the way to work :-(

"Enough," I finally said to myself. I didn't want the rest of my day to be miserable, so I took responsibility. I took a few minutes to think about why I might be in such a foul mood. This exercise was effective because it helped reinforce the power I have over my own perspective, while allowing me the freedom to show myself compassion.

After I sat with my bad feelings for awhile and explored them, I got to work on a list of things I can do--and you can, too!--to counteract these feelings when they inevitably creep up again.

1) Give yourself permission to have a bad day: Having a bad day is not only OK, it's to be expected. It's unreasonable to expect that you will operate at optimal levels of awesomeness, 100% of the time. Go so far as to give yourself a little time to wallow. Don't succumb to the feeling, but sit with it for awhile. Give credence to your emotions: don't ignore them or try to diminish them because they are a part of you. You're feeling this way for a reason, and suppressing it will only make it come out in another way, at an even more importune time. Get ready for a #truthbomb: The world can be very unkind and unfair, and a lot of things about life are going to suck and threaten to break you down and stamp out your light. Leaning into the discomfort won't further dampen your light, but enhance it. By doing so, you show as your most authentic and true self, and that, my friends, is true beauty.

Make like Miss Piggy and let your light shine!

2) Recognize the power of perspective: One of the best parts of being a sentient, advanced being (among many other things) is the power we possess over our thoughts. Too often, we feel besieged by our thoughts: more often than not, these thoughts are negative and critical. Existing in a space created by negativity and criticism does not leave much room for your light to shine! So consider this: negative thoughts are just that--thoughts! They are not real, and what's even better: you have the power to change them. You may not have control over every thought that crosses your mind, but you do have control over how you react to them. With practice--and it does take practice!--you can learn to shift your perspective about unpleasant situations which eventually changes your thoughts. The following books about mindset, perspective, and the value of positive thinking are currently on my to-read list, and may help illuminate some of these ideas for you:
     a) The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work, by Shawn Achor
     b) The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz
     c) The Slight Edge, by Jeff Olson

Simple advice, not so simply implemented. However, with
practice, ideas like these can take root and make a huge
impact on your life...if you're willing to do the work :-)

3) Make a list of things that make you happy and keep it with you at all times: I definitely stole this one from somewhere (I wish I remembered who so I could give them credit!). It's a simple, yet novel, idea: it costs nothing, and has tremendous potential to aid you in banishing useless, critical thoughts. Take 5 minutes to write a quick list of several things that make you so happy and joyful when you see/do/experience them. Maybe it's your kids, your parents, or your partner. Maybe it's a changing season, a delicious cup of coffee, or a beautifully-arrayed farmer's market. Maybe it's hitting a new deadlift PR :-) Honestly, whatever it is, write it down and keep that list on hand for whenever you're feeling crummy. I guarantee it will lift your spirits!

4) Build in a healthy reward for your efforts: External motivation is extremely effective. I believe in rewarding yourself for meeting milestones and benchmarks, but sometimes you just have to give it to yourself for simply showing up. Or in this case, for pulling yourself out of a crappy mood. Now I'm not saying go crazy and splurge on $150 lifting shoes every time you're able to make lemons out of lemonade! Rather, make it something easy, affordable, and accessible--after all, your reward shouldn't make you feel guilty; that defeats the purpose! Instead, try one of the following:
     a) Slip away from your desk for 15-20 minutes of alone time and take a walk outside and soak up some Vitamin D;
     b) Grab a coffee and browse a few shops;
     c) Steal a few minutes to read a novel or play your favorite game on your phone; or
     d) Get a quick manicure or pedicure--or both! Pretty nails always make me feel better!

Whatever you do, always remember that when you feel bad, it's temporary. It always get better, and while some moods are bleaker than others, rest assured that you always have a choice about how you react to a particular feeling. To me, that reminder is very empowering: in a way, it reminds me that I am in charge of my destiny and that makes me feel like Wonder Woman!

Have a great weekend, everyone! Go forth and shine your brightest! When you shine, you inspire others to do the same.