Almost everyone has probably heard that expression before. You feel grumpy or are having a bad day and someone says, “What’s wrong with you? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?” Although it doesn’t really matter which side of bed we crawl out of in the morning, you can always tell when it’s going to be one of those days.
Is it simply our mindset or a sixth sense when we awaken and can almost feel that gray cloud hovering above our heads, warning us that today will not be a good day? As you stumble to the bathroom for a shower, you look in the mirror expecting the word Stress to be tattooed on your forehead. You haven’t even ventured out into the living room or kitchen yet and you can literally feel the stress chemicals pumping through your veins.
Today was such a day for me.
*Eddie, our new dog, woke me up at 5:30am to go to the bathroom. After I let him out then back in, I tried with all my might to get another hour of sleep, but it just wasn’t happening. My mind started churning with all I had to accomplish once I got out of bed and started my day.
*At 6am I gave up trying to sleep and hopped in the shower. When I got out I noticed there were no clean towels left in the cupboard, although I had done laundry just days before. I had to dry off with my nightgown.
*My second daughter Beth called awhile later to say her lemon of a car finally died and she was stuck on the freeway. Being 3,000 miles away there wasn’t much I could do but lend moral support.
*The email system was being all funky today and wouldn’t send or receive messages for several hours. That meant I had a lot of backed up emails to tend to once it was finally functional.
*My brain was still in a fog and couldn’t come up with any ideas for blog posts so I busied myself with other chores for awhile.
*Around 10:30am my kids came home from college since they only had one class today and they entered the door in a flurry of arguments. It was over something ridiculous, but simply added to my stress level.
Each of these things are truly nothing huge by themselves, but we all know what it’s like to have little things pile up until we feel crushed under the weight of them. I knew I’d never get any work done being in the grumpy mood that I was in so I decided to take a few hours off. That’s one of the many perks of working from home.
Most of us know that stress can wreak havoc on our mind, body and soul. In fact, an article on the California State University, Northridge, website states that too much stress over a long period of time can break down the body and lead to chronic illness.
Some of the best ways to combat stress and nip it in the bud before it becomes something more serious is to try to remain optimistic, take time out for yourself, get good nutrition, and have a solid support system of friends.
When you’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed or are just having one of those days, leave the world behind for a few hours and spend time doing something more enjoyable. This can help you feel more refreshed and relaxed so that you can go back to your tasks later on in the day with more optimism.