Dealing with the crap

So, sometimes life can feel like this:

These people will have a very special place in hell.

At times like that, all you want to do is this:

I've been there....a few times

Or this:

LEAVE ME ALONE!!!! (Ala leave Britney alone)

This is incredibly dangerous, especially on the way to mental and physical health.  So what can you do? How can you turn around a day that feels like an ice cream and drinking alone kind of day into at least salad and water day? It is not easy. It can be incredibly difficult, and at times near impossible.  So this is my gift to you. I am going to offer to you a couple of tips I use to help myself on those days.

!!!WORDS OF WARNING!!!

These are just some of my tips. If they do not work for you, do not fear! Find what works for you! Also, there is a fine line between having a few bad days and depression. As someone who has (and still does) battle depression, please be sure to take a critical eye on your situation and decide when is the right time (if ever for you) to seek the help of a professional who can improve your life more than my little blog will EVER do! As always, take care of yourself first.

Now onto my tips!

Know your patterns

Connect the dots! Know yourself... and other profound stuff.

The best way to prevent you from falling into bad habits is to identify them. I personally have thought about the following series of question to identify my emotions and then help respond to them appropriately:

When I am feeling [insert emotion here], I want to do [insert activity here] to feel better.

After I have that statement I can look at whatever that activity is and decide if it is a healthy or unhealthy choice. Now, one key thing to understand is that there is a difference between unhealthy and bad. When I’m angry, I like to play video games to help release my anger. That may not be a “healthy” choice, but in moderation there is nothing bad about it. On the other side, “healthy” choices are not always good. If you get stressed and decided to run, that can be “healthy” as long as you don’t decide to run at top speed until you literally collapse. All things in moderation!

However, if my choice is both unhealthy and bad (I want a big bowl of ice cream when I’m sad. That is both unhealthy and bad) then I start thinking about what I can to instead that will still help me feel better, but be a better choice for me. In the above example, maybe I decide to have a dark chocolate dipped strawberry or banana. It is not the perfect choice but it is MUCH better than the ice cream.

Rejuvenate yourself

If drinking milk rejuvenates you then have at it! Also.... HEY LISTEN!

When you are feeling down, this can be the hardest and yet the best way to get out of it quickly. People generally fall somewhere on a spectrum between introversion and extroversion. For those of you that don’t know what that means, it just defines how you “recharge your batteries”. Introverts recharge their batteries in solitude. If you are the type of person who goes to a party, has a great time, but then needs to spend a day or two alone (or with just one other person) then you are an introvert. You still can enjoy public experiences, but you need alone time to refill your tank. If you are still happy after 5 or 6 days straight without being around a lot of people, you are an introvert. If you are the type of person who goes to a large party, then by the time the party is over, you are pumped up and excited and have more energy than at the start of the night, you are an extrovert. Your alone time is important but after a few days you will generally start to need that connection.

Whatever your “vert” is, make sure you use that to get out of your slum. If you are an introvert, spend a little time alone. Read a book, play some music, go to/watch a movie. Recharge your battery with alone time. Extroverts need to recharge their batteries too! Go to a concert, have friends over for a game night, go to a movie with a group. You can only make the uphill climb out of a pit if you have the energy to do so. Personally, I am very close to the middle between the two, but lean slightly more to the Extrovert side. When I need a recharge, I may have a game night with 4 or people, or do an online VOIP (Skype) game of Cards against humanity. If you want to play, leave a comment!

Let it happen

Unlock all the Chakras!

In my personal opinion, this is the one piece of advice that needs to be given out more is that feeling like crap is FINE! If I ever met ANYONE who was NEVER sad, upset, angry, or bad then I would not trust that person. They are ether not paying attention or are lying. Have your feelings. If you do not take the time to have your negative emotions, they will begin to bottle up inside and eventually overflow in an uncontrollable cascade. A life that is nothing but positive emotions is only half a life. Feel the darkness, allow it to come over you and understand it. Once you understand it, let it fade away.

I try to keep all of these in mind myself but remember it is okay to fall down. It is okay to try to make healthy choices but break down and eat that whole box of chocolates sometimes. If I had to make the choice (and usually you can have both) between mental and physical health, I would choose the mind 95% of the time.

What do you all do when you are in a bad place? Any tips for making it out? What about healthy alternatives to some of the bad choices? Let me know in the comments below!

Okay with not feeling great,

~Guppy

As always thanks to HK and ED for keeping my writing in a positive mood!

P.S. What do you want to hear about next week? Is there a topic or idea you want me to write about? Let me know below!