We have all had them—you wake up late, cannot find anything to wear, break a heel off your shoes on the way downstairs, cannot get your kids up on time, find out that you are out of milk when you open the refrigerator, notice that the cat has thrown up on the entry hall floor, spill your coffee as you are locking the front door—and this is all just in the first hour of the day. It is rare for a day that starts out with this caliber of bumpiness to turn around (although it happens) and you just know you are in for one of those horrible, stressful days…
Most of the time, I feel pretty darn good. In the months immediately during and following my divorce (and leading up to it, actually) I remember having far more bad days than good ones. Now, those horrible, “off” days come rather rarely—but they seem to hit with force when they do. I cannot help but wonder when I wake up having a horrible day from the very first step onto the floor—what in the world is going on? Why me?
Something might be going on, but I don’t think it does any good to dwell on it. Instead, trying to interrupt the negative energy and even having a sense of humor instead of getting more aggravated and more stressed seems to work better for me. These are the very days when I take myself out for lunch or look at my schedule and see if there is anything that I can chop off. Do I really have to go grocery shopping tonight after work or can I leave it until tomorrow? Think of it as interruption and regrouping. Be nice to yourself, share your woes with a friend or coworker, and have faith that it is temporary—it is not a sign that the universe hates you, it is just a bad day.