What do you do... when you have a bad day?

tortoise

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How do you cope with a bad day - without emotional eating, impulsive shopping, or other non-SS comforts?
 

Trying2keepitReal

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I guess it depends on the severity of the bad day. A lot of walking in the woods takes care of a lot of stress, body pain and depression. In the spring, summer and fall-garden and chicken therapy is where you will find me most of the time because life is life and makes more stress than it needs to.

In the winter, I garden plan, page through seed catalogs, make dream plans. Also, wood hauling, cutting and splitting is amazing. The hard work is amazing and my mind can wander--it just goes to where it needs to and heals itself.
 

Trying2keepitReal

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Non SS comforts? That's a hard one... Hug a goat is one of my best comforts, but:

Take a walk, lie back and look at the clouds and/or stars, a walk, a nap, a good book, talk/whine/cry/vent to family/friends.

(or hug a goat)
I like the hug a goat option, that sounds like a great comfort/therapy

I would also say a hot bath, but I always get cold afterwards :)
 

flowerbug

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it really depends upon what the bad day is about. sometimes it might be as simple as that i'm hot, tired, hungry, thirsty or need a nap. sometimes it might be that i'm in pain and i need to take break to recoup. if it is emotional stuff or things i pretty much can't deal with i just try to stick to what i know i need to get done next and put one foot in front of the other until i can get to sleep. often by the next morning things feel a lot better and at least i've not wasted the previous day moping or trying to avoid things and often i also feel good about making progress and getting things crossed off my checklist.

today is kind of an example of how it is just important for me to keep going no matter what. i'm getting stuff done that needs to be done and it will be easier tomorrow or the next day to only have to clean what i don't get done today which also will be easier cleaning tasks. so i'm kinda over the hump as soon as i get my bed made again. that is if i don't throw the washing machine out in the road and run over it with the car a few hundred times first... heh...
 

tortoise

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today is kind of an example of how it is just important for me to keep going no matter what. i'm getting stuff done that needs to be done and it will be easier tomorrow or the next day to only have to clean what i don't get done today which also will be easier cleaning tasks. so i'm kinda over the hump as soon as i get my bed made again. that is if i don't throw the washing machine out in the road and run over it with the car a few hundred times first... heh...
Sometimes productivity IS self-care :hugs
 

tortoise

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it really depends upon what the bad day is about.
Agree. My bad day is mostly from not getting enough sleep. So I took a nap and tried hot to fret about "what's wrong?" I don't handle stress well, so the dog-attack-cat incident on Friday messed up everything - GI, sleep, allergies, muscle pain, and dizziness. 🤦‍♀️ I could fret about all of it or just focus on what I can do something about: eat fiber, take supplements, go to the gym (not many movement opportunities on my place in winter), and take a nap. Maybe a second nap too.
 

baymule

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I’m so resilient and positive, it’s hard for me to have a bad day. I have good coping skills. Even when my world blew up with the death of my husband, I was making decisions and doing what needed to be done. That BS about wait a year before making major decisions didn’t and does not apply to me. In that year, I sold a farm, moved, bought another farm and moved again. Still moving, I ran out of time before having knee replacement surgery.

I’m not saying I don’t fall apart-I do. But I don’t stay there. I get up and get back in life. I set goals, short term and long term. I may never reach some of them, some are only a dream, but it gives me reason to push forward.

I recognize what is a minor irritant and what is a real problem. A real problem is the fuel gauge in my truck not working, the light is on, it is stuck on empty and it buzzes at me. It will have to go to the shop and cost money to fix. Do I get down and depressed? He!! No. It’s a problem. I can fix the problem, ignore the problem and keep a close eye on mileage, it is a decision. Money is always a factor. Problems do not rule my life. I refuse to let them.

I practice the Attitude of Gratitude. Every. Day. I take 10 minutes and give thanks for good things in my life, from biggest to smallest. Thanks for trees, flowers, the lambs born today, the tech that fixed my flat tire, the lady that checked out my groceries, my kids, granddaughters, dogs, grass, blue sky, the 25 years with my husband, I had the Fairy Tale. I wasn’t ready for it to end, but all stories have a beginning and an ending. I choose to concentrate on the good things, acknowledge the sad and bad, but I don’t give into that. Often I give thanks for longer than the 10 minutes. It keeps me grounded, it keeps me positive, it keeps me happy. With all these wonderful things in my life, how can one or three things going wrong, get me down?
 

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