You know how sometimes you just have a totally shit morning? You somehow manage to spray your smoothie on the ceiling, you can’t find any clean underwear, you miss your train and when you arrive at work everyone else has called in sick? Then you forget about that report you were supposed to have finished and the internet isn’t working and your boss is being a total butt head?
These kinds of days suck balls but they only get worse if you indulge them. Sometimes you just need a few little things to help you get back on track…
Move slowly
People tend to speed up all their actions when they’re stressed. Think about when you’re running late. You’re throwing things around, trying to find your keys, knocking over cups of tea, stubbing your toe, forgetting your wallet, running back upstairs to grab it, locking yourself out of the house. It’s a disaster. The same thing happens when we’re stressed at work. How often have you been cramming to finish an email or project and just deleted the whole thing minutes before it was due? Or sent a report to 50 people with a horrific spelling mistake in it? Rushing feels like it’s going to help you achieve things more quickly but really all it does it stress you out and make you suck at everything. Slow down and move thoughtfully. You don’t have time to clean up additional messes this today so don’t flap around and create extra work for yourself.
Let it go
Tomorrow is another day. Think of it this way – can you remember the last time you had a day that was this bad (barring actual tragedies)? No? I guarantee this day won’t even be on your radar this coming Saturday night. Time heals all wounds. Especially shitty day wounds. And a fabulous Saturday night can fix (almost) anything.
Don’t sweat the small stuff
No one is going to call the police if you don’t mow the lawn this week and your dog won’t die if you give him that flavour of dog food he hates because you forgot to go to the shops to get the flavour he DOES like. Banging on the steering wheel during a traffic jam won’t make the cars move faster and huffing and puffing in line at the bank won’t make the line vanish. Just breathe, stay calm and don’t waste any anxiety or stress on things that you can’t change.
Get out (if you can)
I’ve found myself in many jobs where I wasn’t the boss of my own time, in particular, teaching. In these kinds of jobs you can’t just leave, you have to stick it out until the end of the day. However, once I’d been in the job long enough, if I’d had a bad day, I’d just politely inform my boss that I couldn’t attend that afternoon’s meeting because I had a terrible day and needed to leave. I didn’t do it often and I only called that card when it was super necessary but I never had a boss question me on it. If you can leave, do it. If you can’t, find a way to get out as soon as you can. Getting home to your comfy clothes, favourite dinner and the couch as fast as you can is the best way to get through a bad day.
Tell someone you’re having a bad day
Some will people will notice but there’s no shame in having a shit day and telling people about it. I find that if I tell people I’m having a shit day most people rise to the occasion and buy me a coffee or send me videos of cats falling off tables. Be vocal about it – you might get a glass of wine and a giggle out of someone for your efforts!
How are you at rescuing a bad day? Are you able to do it? Or are you more likely to sit in a hot bath and melt the horrible day away?
P.S Also you should totally sign up for my newsletter. It’s full of cool stuff.
P.P.S Don’t forgetCrochet Coach has a free trial offer period at the moment so make sure you sign up!
2 Comments
-
Working at a school with little to no chance of leaving till the day is done ( as I take it you know, who will look after them?) I’ve found a good cry in the ladies loos can do the trick when desperate! Sometimes another lady with red rimmed eyes will be leaving as I enter. On a positive note, sometimes I’m on my couch by four 😉
-
Author
I’m always sensitive to teachers/nurses when I write stuff like this because they don’t have the option of tapping out of the day!
-
