HOW TO HAVE A CRAPPY DAY

Do you ever get tired of having good days? Fortunately, I have had a lot of practice over the years in mastering the art of having a bad day. Here are some fool proof ways to guarantee your day will be miserable from the time you wake up until you struggle to sleep at night:

THINK ABOUT YOURSELF NON-STOP

The first thought when your alarm goes off in the morning should be - YOURSELF. When you do this consistently, you’ll find you can carry that mindset all day. It helps turn all of your energy inward and helps you to become more self-centered. If you carelessly find yourself thinking of others, always relate it back to how it impacts you.

DO NOT GET ANY EXERCISE

Exercising is one of the worst things to do if you truly want to have a bad day. Moving your body helps release natural brain chemicals like endorphins and serotonin which can improve your mood and help with stress. Even a short walk outside can make you feel better so keep that in mind when setting your daily goals.

FILL YOUR BODY WITH EMPTY CALORIES

Refined carbs and sugars will be especially helpful in pushing you further into creating a terrible day. Because they provide little or no nutritional value, you can munch through the day and have a “brain fog” set in that ensures the downward spiral. Chips, candy, ice cream, and white bread should be kept on hand for quick access, especially if you find yourself feeling content and fulfilled.

BLAME OTHERS FOR ALL OF YOUR PROBLEMS

This is one of my favorite methods of having a bad day. Whatever problems you’re having today, you can find someone else responsible for your misfortunes. Blaming others prevents you from taking ownership of your own behavior and keeps the liability squarely where it belongs - on the shoulders of people outside your control.

DO NOT HELP OTHERS

Helping someone else requires you to think of others’ needs and thus takes valuable time away from your number one thought for the day - YOURSELF. Being helpful to someone gives you a sense of purpose and contentment which will ruin your efforts to have a miserable day.

SPEND AT LEAST 8 HOURS OF YOUR DAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Spending the majority of your day on social media allows you to scroll through your newsfeed and have plenty of time to read all of the comments on controversial posts. It also lets you compare your reality to what others put out as the truth. This can lead to self-pity and jealousy which are vital elements when committed to having a terrible day.

LEAVE YOUR TELEVISION ON A 24-HOUR NEWS CHANNEL

Watching the news constantly can increase your level of frustration with the state of affairs and consequently fuel your anger towards others. This dovetails nicely with blaming others for your behaviors. Make sure you change channels frequently, so you don’t miss any opinions or arguments, but settle on the network that has different views from yours.

CLOSE YOUR MIND

Being open-minded can lead to understanding and empathy so it is crucial to continue to only see things from your narrow perspective. Truly listening to others and making an effort to understand why they believe and behave as they do can lead to compassion which will sabotage your mission.

BE YOUR OWN HIGHER POWER

Playing “God” is a great way to believe you have the ability to control and manage the world around you and decide what is best for everyone. When you master this way of thinking properly, you can then be justified in your anger when others don’t behave as you have deemed appropriate. Having faith and seeking guidance from a higher power can almost always ruin a day of gloom and despair.

LASH OUT IN ANGER WHEN DISTURBED

Reacting immediately with no cooling-off period or time for reflection is a great start to accomplishing this simple task. You can insert yourself into an argument on social media, call or text someone when you’re angry to let them know what they have done wrong, or take-out frustrations from the day on those you love the most.

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Although this list might seem absurd and quite ridiculous, it isn’t too far-fetched for me to realize this is exactly what I can do if I’m not careful. When my day takes a turn for the worse, sometimes a few simple things can get it turned around fairly quickly if I am willing to take the necessary action. Simple but not easy. Sometimes I have to hit a bottom before I will do something constructive. During the past year, I’ve gotten to this point several times. When I finally get sick of myself, I’ll admit what I’m doing isn’t working, talk with someone, and come up with a plan worth following. Usually within a couple of days I’m in a better state of mind. My friend and mentor always tells me, “Carol Lind, if you’re not the problem there is no solution”. I think she’s right!