Feeling The Midday Blues?

Ways to combat it

Having a bad day? Did you start the day on a wrong note? Is this day going to be like “just another bad day”? Well, do not feel alone. We have all experienced terrible days.

More often than not, a day that begins on a note of pessimism gets worse as the day progresses, until things get out of control. It is just another “been there, done that” experience that everyone faces. Few people would dare question the reason behind the occurrence of these bad days. And there are several reasons for a day that starts on a bad note leads to a day of chaos and confusion.

The reasons for these are numerous. Most often, it is the “domino effect” that goes into play with one bad events leads to another, ultimately getting out of control. Some of the common experiences that you may experience on a bad day include the following:

• Pressing ‘snooze’ repeatedly to avoid the alarm call
• Traffic snarls that lead to reporting late at work
• Tussles with your boss
• Extra load of work

A couple of negative events at the beginning of the day can lead to a negative mindset. This can cause unnecessary and unwanted stress. Our interactions with people can lead them to be a little snobbish. We may thus perceive a feeling of hostility. An individual with a more pessimistic outlook toward life will concentrate on the negative events rather than the positive ones. Learning the highlights of optimism and pessimism will enable you to realize which side of the fence you belong. Everyone experiences some positives in the day. However, constant focus on the troubles of the day will only obscure them. A stress response that is triggered can turn the entire day into a nightmare. Such stress responses cannot be combated by a relaxation response.

Here are some of the ways to keep ‘one of those days’ at bay, so that they do not recur:

• Chat with close pals

  Here, the word ‘close’ is the catchword. It is futile trying to garner support from friends who only ‘hear’ and not ‘listen’. Friends who are unsupportive by nature and who do not go that extra mile can only make things worse. Empathy is the key word and friends willing to empathize and listen to your heartfelt feelings will help you develop a positive frame of mind. They may also help to fill in the gaps by pointing out things that you may be lacking.

• Enjoy a short meditation break

  Meditation is a time-tested and proven practice that can get rid of your negative pretensions and help you to relax. Your meditation sessions can be as short as five or ten minutes. This can significantly alter your perspective toward life and give you a fresh lease of life. Elimination of the stressors will eventually lead to the normality in your physiological well-being.

• Be grateful

  The art of being grateful has fantastic benefits on the overall feel-good factor and the effectiveness of the stress management program. When you count your blessings and the number of positives in your life, the negative ones unconsciously move into the background. When counting the number of positives in your life, if you reach to ten, nothing like it. However, even if you can recollect two or three of them, the bad day would just thin out into a positive one.

  

• Have a good workout

  Exercise can boost the release of endorphins in the body. This will eliminate all the pent up negative energy. Also, the benefits of exercise are not just limited to stress management. They go a long way in the prevention of life-threatening diseases.

• Dark chocolate

  This may sound contrary to the previous point, but it is not. A small bar of dark chocolate can boost the energy levels. It can work wonders for the mood and can give a sense of being pampered. Intake of green tea will double the benefits. Chocolate can work as a stress reliever, but not for all.

• Accept challenges

  The locus of your control is one factor that can make a huge difference in the experience of stressful events. This is irrespective of whether the situation is perceived as a threat or challenge. Initially, it may be obvious what the stressful event does to you. However, a slight alteration in the way you view things can change the stressful situation from an overwhelming and trapping one to an invigorating and revitalizing one. The fantastic thing about this technique is that you can experiment with it under all circumstances instantly and with ease.

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