The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
I met Alexander in 10th Grade Geometry at El Camino Fundamental High School.
First day of class my sophomore year, my instructor introduced himself and then pulled out the book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. He turned to page one and started reading it. He even lifted the book and showed the illustrations around to the class (can you picture that to a group of 10th graders?).
For those of you who haven’t met Alexander by reading (or being read) the story, here is a synopsis:
Alexander woke up feeling all wrong. He could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day the minute he woke up. For example, he went to sleep with gum in his mouth and woke up with it in his hair.
And, when he got out of bed, he tripped on his skateboard and then dropped his jumper into the sink. He just knew the day was doomed and it had only just begun. His solution? Move to Australia.
At this point, several of you just want to know why my Geometry Instructor decided to introduce himself to the class in this manner. Right? Honestly, I don’t know, the joke at the time was that he wanted to move to Australia.
Others want me to just get to the point. So here goes …
Today was a challenging day. Granted I didn’t wake with gum in my hair, but I did start the day with a mandatory software update that required another update right after it. After, it was just the succession of little things going wrong.
As I stepped through each one, I kept having these moments where, like Alexander, I felt my day slipping away and becoming a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
And, while I recognize that we can’t always control the negative circumstances – we actually do have the power to control (or at least influence) our moods.
So, today, I want to share with you a few things I did to get control of my mood:
- Smile - now before you mock me, studies show that smiling boosts your mood. So next time you are caught between a mid-growl or a frown, turn it around for an immediate tension release.
- Smell Citrus (or lavender) - my go-to for stress release. I keep a DoTerra Citrus Oil in my purse for moments when I want immediate calm. Again, studies show that citrus and lavender, both natural scents, have components that can release stress.
- Walk - sunshine boosts serotonin. Serotonin boosts your mood. It is that easy. So, take a walk! I did and immediately felt better.
The last thing I did today was take a moment to think of what I am grateful for in life. I even pulled out a sheet of paper and started writing them down. When I came upon a name, I decided to either call or write a note to share with that person my gratitude. When things are not going well, like today, I find that focusing on all the things that are good and right helps me get back into the right mindset.
We all experience these types of days and there is so much to learn about oneself when working through the emotions that come with days like today. One thing that gives me comfort is knowing I am not the only person who has bad days. We all have them and how we get through them is what makes the difference.
When you wake up, and like Alexander know you are in for a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day do you choose to tackle it head-on, or do you pull the covers over your head determined to sleep through it? Maybe you do something in between? Give me your coping mechanisms in the comments below or shoot me an email.
Wishing each of you a lovely, motivating, cheerful, very good day.
Happy Thursday all,
-srt
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