Hello my dear friends, how are you today? How’s this new week started for you? Can you believe that we are already in April 2021. I can’t believe that 2021 is going this fast. I still remember the way we were waiting for 2020 to be over. Now we are well into 2021, days are becoming longer and warmer here. I am loving all the spring bloom that I see around my home now. I love Spring and Summer a lot.
Somehow, I feel a boost in my mood and productivity. The other day, I was taking a walk with Maitreyi around our neighborhood. That’s when we noticed the first signs of spring. The trees have started blooming. Little pink flowers are showing up through the leafless trees. Tulips have started blooming again. Almost all the snow has vanished from the ground. We were able to see that green grass after a long time. It seems as if life has started again. Spring is considered to be the season of new beginnings, new ideas, new dreams and new hopes. It really feels like that. I can feel the soothing smell of fresh air, freshly cut grass and lightly rained down soil. These are some of my most favorite scents. We felt so energized after taking that walk. Spotting the first signs of Spring was definitely a moment to cherish for us. This was definitely my happy moment of the week. What about you my friends? How’s the weather where you live? I heard my friends from India are facing a heat wave and it is extremely hot there. But don’t worry soon it will be alphonso season and then my favorite, monsoon. Till date I miss India’s monsoon so much. It is my most favorite season and I have so many fond memories of monsoon. Anyways, it looks like I am in a chatty mood today. Today, I want to talk about some quick ideas to turn your day around.
Not all days are the same, right? Not all days are sunny and bright, there are days filled with grey clouds. There are days when you feel charged, happy and ready to conquer the world but there are some days when you lack the motivation to get anything done. There are days when you wake up fully rested but sometimes you wake on the wrong side of the bed and it is hard to even get out of the bed, am I right? There are days when you keep your cool and power through all your tasks with a bright smile on your face, but the other day, you just can not keep it together. There are days you are epitome of calmness and there are days when it is better not to face you. There are days when you feel there is something off, you can not really pinpoint the reason, but you feel it, those beautiful eyes fill with tears without a reason, there is some sense of heavy heart and your mind starts searching for answers but somehow you can not find the reason for this feeling. You got my point right? Told you I am in a chatty mood. What to do when you feel defeated by the day, should you just feel sorry for yourself and for those around you, should you just power through, ignoring your feelings? I know for a fact if I don’t work on these unknown feelings soon, they will snowball into a complete dull and crappy day. So, before this blah day turns even more dull and crappy, I like to do a few things that can turn my blah day into an awesome yeah day. Come, join me today to find the ways to turn your blah day into an awesome yeah day.
Step 1 : Honor the blah
It is extremely important to honor your feelings. Don’t shove those dark and dreary feelings deep down, instead, let them surface, let them see the light of the day, acknowledge them. You are having one blah day, you are getting out of it but for now, if you are feeling down, acknowledge it first. I think these days are reminders for us to slow down, to take a break from the hustle, from that busy life. These days remind us to take a break from all those ‘have tos, shoulds’ . Let your mind decompress, let it feel the stillness. I understand that you can not run away from the responsibilities and piles of chores. But can you listen to your inner self just for a few moments? Acknowledge that your mind, you soul needs healing. It needs your attention. If you listen closely, you might be able to find what your mind needs. But there is a good chance that you might not find the reason. These are very abstract feelings. That is the reason to be gentle with yourself. I know on such days, you feel like curling up on the couch and watching Netflix for hours or scrolling through those funny instagram reels till your eyes give up. But trust me, it is better to turn off that TV, put down your phone. Listen to your inner self. Find ways to simplify your busy life just for that day. Take the burden to do everything off of your shoulders. It is okay to acknowledge that you are having a blah day. It is okay to feel defeated and confused with all sorts of emotions. These grey clouds over your mind will vanish and you will feel cheerful and like your normal self, but give it some time. Till then, just honor your blah day.
Listen to your body -
This might sound too basic and yes it is but this is oldie but goodie tip. When you feel not at your best, the first thing that you need to do is to listen to your body. It might be telling you how exhausted it is with daily hustle and grind. It might be telling you how drained it feels after having that emotional roller coaster time. Don’t ignore that little nudge from your body. Don’t shove your feelings in that ice-cream tub you have been eating. It might give you momentary relief from that blah feeling. But think about the things that give your life meaning, purpose and joy. Think about the small things that bring you a real sense of contentment, Try to find the things that bring you joy that you can sustain throughout the day to come out of this blah mood. Take a nap if you need to. Turn off all those noises in your head, those buzzing whats app messages, those blinking notifications, those tempting binge worthy shows and just give your body and mind the rest that they deserve. Take a rest, have a quiet nap and see if you feel refreshed and recharged after you wake up from that nap.
Just a couple of days back, I was having a similar blah day, I was busy with back to back meetings, and was navigating through one task after another. By the end of the day, I was drained out. I tried having a strong coffee to elevate my mood, tried watching a few minutes of Grey’s anatomy but nothing worked. I could hardly climb the stairs to even go to our bedroom to take a nap. I was clueless on how to get out of this blah mood. Then, I don’t know how but I thought of doing a quick workout on my elliptical. I was sure that I won't even last for a few minutes but still I wanted to try. I did not even change into workout clothes, I just got up on my elliptical, in my pajamas. You won’t believe it, but I completed 30 minutes of intense elliptical workout without stopping in between and most importantly I felt amazing during and after the exercise. My mood took a complete 180 degree turn. It was like magic. Workout, a long hot bath afterwards and then a hearty meal is my go to trio for fixing my mood. Next time you feel blah, try this magic combo, Rest, exercise, good food.
Food for your Soul
It always comes down to what you love the most, what you value the most, what gives you the purpose. When you feel not so good about yourself, it becomes even more important to connect with your inner self. Journaling can help you with that. If you have not yet listened to my previous episode, I highly recommend you to listen to that episode. It has tons of tips to start the habit of journaling. Journaling can help you feel good about yourself. It can help you figure out what you are really feeling at this moment. What soothes your soul? Few pages from your favorite book, positive memories with a photo album, a hearty conversation with loved ones, a phone call to your dear friend. Think about the small, trivial things that can trigger a mindset shift. Do you like to listen to your favorite music or dance to the tune of your favorite song, maybe craft or color? Think what brings your joy, what makes your soul happy. These days, I love to listen to Ted talks, especially the ones that cheer you up. I love to put on my earplugs and listen to audio books or TED talks while I work out. It makes me appreciate the good in the world. It makes me appreciate the knowledge and intelligence in the world. I immediately start to feel hopeful and grateful for having easy access to the bright minds of our generation. It immediately transforms my mood. I highly encourage you to listen to podcasts or TED talks that makes you feel good, refreshed especially when you are not feeling your best.
Plan/Organize/Clean
I know, when you are not feeling so great cleaning or organizing or even planning for the next day are not the things on your mind at all. I completely understand that. It seems totally out of place, right? But trust me, especially on the blah day, if you want to get out of that grumpy mood, give these things a try. Just get up and pick one small space to organize. It could be as small as your makeup collection or just one kitchen cabinet or your one small drawer in your dresser. It will start the ball rolling and you will forget why you were so upset. If you like to clean, just put on your headphones, listen to your favorite music, vacuum your floors. Seems to be draining? I understand, you might think, these are way to basic and trivial things but you know me, I am all about starting small, step by step, day by day, remember? Are you a planner? Do you like to plan your days? If so, pick out your planner and plan your next day. It will take you out of that dark place and help you look at the bright future. If you love to try out new recipes, go grocery shopping, maybe to the farmer’s market. Those fresh and colorful vegetables and fruits will fill your mind with happiness. Try new recipes, the aroma of freshly baked pie, or a cake or any of your favorite dishes will transform your mood. I know one thing for sure, if you are having a blah day, it is you who has to bring yourself out of that mood and turn the day into an awesome day. Don’t rely on external factors way too much. However good it sounds to just curl on the couch and binge watch your favorite schedule, it will never bring you out of that low feeling. You will still feel the same once you turn off your TV. Instead relying more on some soul soothing techniques will help you come out of that mood quickly. Trust me, it is always a good day to have a good day.
If you are having a blah day, don’t worry my friend. This shall pass too. I sincerely hope these tips help. I firmly believe that life occurs in a cyclical pattern. As we see changes in seasons, years after years, some days we are bright and sunny, and some days we are more dark and dreary. Neither is better than the other. They both have their purpose. It is you who has to learn how to navigate. Trust me, Blah will pass. Change is a surety. Wherever you are, all is well. Honor that place and learn to conquer the day. One of the good things about a blah day is that it is not your last day. The sun will rise again, the birds will chirp again and you will have your chance to have a better day. Isn’t that comforting? I firmly believe that everyday has something good to offer, we just have to look for it, some days it is easy to find good in that day, other days, we have to look harder but there is good in every single day.
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