Ever had one of those days?
Mine actually started in the middle of the night, when I couldn't get comfortable. I was too hot with the sheet on, and too cold without it. When I woke up I was fuzzy-headed from lack of sleep, and everything I tried to do took twice as long as it should have, which got me out of the house late for a mid-morning meeting.
On the road I got stuck behind a series of drivers who couldn't drive the speed limit. It didn't matter if I changed lanes or not. At the meeting I slid into a seat with seconds to spare. Afterwards I stopped in two stores looking for clothes. Nothing I tried on inspired me and I left empty-handed. Then I navigated through a jammed parking lot at Costco, only to find out that the line for gas was six cars deep at every pump. (I moved on.)
By the time I got back home I was ready to scream and throw a tantrum.
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But before I embarrassed myself I remembered an article I read last week that said a better idea would be to Rip My Troubles Apart. I followed their directions for a simple coping activity. In the words of the author:
- The next time you feel negative emotions welling up inside, write your thoughts down on a piece of paper.
- Take the paper and rip it to pieces. Focus on the sound of the tearing and the feel of the paper shredding between your fingers.
- Take the tiny shreds in hand and release them over a trash can to symbolize the release of your stress as they drift downward.
The activity actually worked! Each time I tore the piece of paper I imagined it was one of the things that had gone wrong earlier in the day. By the time it was mangled into tiny bits I was ready to let go of all of them.
Five years ago: Frog Fear
Glad this worked for you!
ReplyDeleteI would be ripping reams of paper!! My go to destressor is writing. Writing it down and reading it back to myself always makes me see some humor in it. Washing dishes also works for me and when upset I do a really good job of cleaning that kitchen from to to bottom!
ReplyDeleteMy kitchen de-stresser is cooking. I do not like the cleaning part :-)
DeleteHopefully Tony never stress you out. But if he did then we would get to see you on Dateline or 48 Hours.
ReplyDeleteHA!
DeleteThat is a great tip, thank you. Im sorry though that you had a bad day, but I know from a lot of experience that not enough sleep can ruin a good day easily.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteEasier to use a paper shredder.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
But not as much fun.
DeleteI am feeling like that. I may have to try your activity.
ReplyDeleteI see where you are currently having hotter temperatures than we are. That may be the impetus for the bad vibes. If you have a hotter-than-normal summer, you might try my method of handling it---all trips, tasks, chores completed by noon, or earlier---so you can remain under the air conditioning in the heat of the day. It helps with one's mood.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought about the weather being a contributor, but you might be right. I'll keep your wisdom in mind.
DeleteMy de-stressor is usually taking a nap. If it's late in the afternoon it might continue to night sleep.
ReplyDeleteGood for you. If I took a late afternoon nap I would NOT be able to sleep through the night.
DeleteThis is very interesting. Thank you for sharing it. Wishing you well, my friend. Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteWow! I'm going to have to try that next time I'm obsessing over something out of my control! I'm glad it worked for you!
ReplyDeleteI love how we learn from each other on the Internet.
DeleteSounds like a good coping strategy. Wishing you comfortable nights and bright days ahead.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteThanks for sharing the blog so well and I hope you have something new for me to study.
ReplyDeleteភ្នាល់បាល់ អនឡាញ