I woke up feeling tired today. My face is puffy from too much salt at dinner last night. The weather is foggy so my joints are aching and to top it off, this has been my worst year for allergies EVER (red swollen, itchy eyes, and a raw nose). Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining here- these are all quality problems.
I would imagine you have days like this, too. Possibly your day is much worse due to a serious illness. Whatever the reason, we’ve all had days when we wake up and wish we could go back to bed and stay safely under the covers. This is where we have a choice to take action.
When I’m feeling down or blah one of the first thoughts I have is, “How can I apply the Serenity Prayer?” God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”
The good news is that I CAN take actions to change the things I can and make my day better!
- Drink water, eat a healthy breakfast and move my body– I know you already know this, but are you actually DOING it? Taking the actions of self-love, build self-love :). The health benefits…. you probably know them already.
- Wear color– When I’m feeling down, I tend to want to disappear and can be tempted to wear drab colors. This is the time to throw on a pop of my favorite color (blue)- a blouse, scarf or sassy accessory that makes me feel pretty and will brighten the day of those around me, too.
- Wear something special– If you’re anything like me, you have clothes in your closet that you’ve labeled ‘networking dress’ or ‘casual evening out’. I’ll pull one of these items ‘out of its box’ and wear it even if I don’t have a special event that day.
- Apply an extra coat of mascara– Author Janet Evanovich’s character Stephanie Plum is convinced that any day can get better if you add another coat of mascara. No surprise she’s from New Jersey! The moral… on those down days even if I don’t feel like it, I’ll take some extra time on my hair and makeup and end up feeling better.
- Smile– When I’m wearing a big smile I’m being a light to others and no one notices my puffy eyes. That alone makes me feel better!
My first action this morning was to write this post and explore the things I wear/do when I’m feeling blah. Now it’s time to apply them. I’ve got a glass of water right next to me. As soon as I hit the PUBLISH button on this post, I’ll make myself a healthy green shake and spend some time stretching. Even though I’m mostly working from home today, I’ll pull out my favorite scarf and hoop earrings to pair with my jeans and tee. I’ll even do a deep condition on my hair and a 3-minute mask to rev up my skin. I WILL apply an extra coat of mascara and a lip color that shines. I’ll practice smiling, beginning with a smile and kiss for my hubby right about…. NOW!
Big hugs and smiles to you today. YOU are worth taking the BLAH-BUSTING actions, too!!
What do YOU do to fight the BLAH?