What do you do when everything seems to be going wrong?
Have you ever had one of those days when nothin’ goes right?
— Paul Thorn
Every once in a while – thank GOD not every day – I have one of those days when every little thing goes wrong: I fall back to sleep after I turn off the alarm, the coffeemaker doesn’t automatically brew, my hair’s a mess, my clothes don’t feel good, the outfit I’d like to wear isn’t clean, I can’t find the keys – and that’s just the start of my day!
When that happens, I feel a little like the scene in Romancing the Stone (It was “our” favorite, laughing out loud movie.) when the heroine slides down a wet slippery slope into the yucky mucky mud… I just want to wallow in a private PITY party for a while… but the day demands that I go on, NOW!
How ’bout you, been there, done that? If so, how’d you get on with your day? How did you turn it around and make it work?
Here’s What Our Readers Tell Us
In one of my previous posts, Snap Out of It! I offered several suggestions for getting beyond the aggravations of the day and two of our readers added the following:
LifeBricks said:
It always seems to be the “little stuff” that sends me into that “GRRRRRRRR” moment… like a bad hair day! I guess that’s cuz the “big stuff” has pushed me to the edge and I just need a “little stuff” nudge to send my “tude” toppling! I used to growl, stomp my foot and throw the brush when my third try at a good hair day failed. Re-di-cu-lous, YES… but all that drama did serve a purpose. It was a polite warning to hubby to stay away… for a little while at least!!!
I’ve now learned to take a deep breath and walk away from the brush (or, any other “little stuff” trigger)… kinda like a self imposed “time-out”. I would distract myself with another necessary 10-15 minute task (putting on my “face”, gathering my laptop & files for the day or other such low wattage activities). Then, I’d take another deep breath and try again for the good hair day! By then I’d usually changed my perspective on what would constitute a good hair day, TODAY!!!
With a new attitude and expectation of the end result, I would give it one more try… 98% of the time, resulting in success. Seems superficial, but a good hair day can really get me on the right track so it’s always worth one more try!!! And, if it fails AGAIN…it’s time to put on the “Rose Colored Glasses” and throw the hair up in clips cuz there’s work to be done ~ DAMNIT!!!
And Freddie added this:
I would get so frustrated at the little stuff and end up doing something stupid like throwing out the soap dispenser until I made it a habit that when I’m at the point where I want to throw it out or give up, I have to laugh at myself. I thought about it one day how silly I must look to anyone on the outside who couldn’t see why I was frustrated. Now I will spontaneously burst out laughing at stressful things which can lead to some awkward situations but it makes me feel better and changes my frame of mind and allows me to deal with the situation at hand.
Boy-Howdy, They’ve Got That Right!
The Norwegians have a saying, “He who laughs, lasts.” And I’m convinced that a sense of humor (as demonstrated by both of our readers’ comments) can turn around most any “bad hair day”.
But I got shorted in the humor department (that and in the height department, but that’s another post) … Even on my best days I’m a comedian’s worst audience. It’s not that I never laugh out loud, I do. But I’m not quick on the uptake – I probably miss 2 out of 3 good guffaws ’cuz the joke just goes flying right over my head. I’m even slower with a repartee, and please don’t ask me to actually tell a joke – at least not if you want the punch line delivered intact. Still, I’m learning to laugh at myself when I get into those re-di-cu-lous predicaments. So when I ran across this quote, I resolved to hold it in my heart for those days when things are just about to tilt into a snafu state:
Swallow a toad in the morning and you will encounter nothing more disgusting the rest of the day.
— Nicholas Chamfort
I mean, visualize that – swallowing a toad. Eee-Eee-Yew! Double-Yuk!!
Priming the Laughter Pump
If you too have a humor deficit in the face of a day-going-bad, or if you just can’t come up with a good laugh at yourself, then perhaps you can find the humor in other people’s predicaments.
If I knew you were coming I’d a baked you a cake:
Or, this will put a smile in your heart: on TerryHershey.com’s Facebook Page he recommends taking a “pause” to unwind and revel with Giggles.
Or, if your misery loves company, HilarySheperd.com offers up these sad but ironic vignettes:
So You Think You’re Having a Bad Day?
The average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon Valdez Oil spill in Alaska was $80,000.00. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were being released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers. A minute later, in full view, a killer whale ate them both.
Are Ya OK Now? – No?
Two animal rights defenders were protesting the cruelty of sending pigs to a slaughterhouse in Bonn, Germany. Suddenly, all two thousand pigs broke loose and escaped through a broken fence, stampeding madly. The two helpless protesters were trampled to death.
What? STILL having a Bad Day?
Iraqi terrorist Khay Rahnajet didn’t pay enough postage on a letter bomb. It came back with ‘Return to Sender’ stamped on it. Forgetting it was the bomb; he opened it and was blown to bits.
There now, Feeling Better?
If your answer is STILL, “no”… then it’s time for you to let down your hair and listen to Paul Thorn’s “It’s a Great Day”. (With my apologies to all those with sensibilities – the song’s raunchy-raw, and better for it, with the singers having waaay too much fun… but then, it was one of those days! Hope yours go better than theirs…)
Laugh at yourself and at life. Not in the spirit of derision or whining self-pity, but as a remedy, a miracle drug that will ease your pain, cure your depression, and help you to put in perspective that seemingly terrible defeat and worry… thus freeing your mind to think clearly toward the solution that is certain to come.
— Og Mandino
[italics mine]
I guess the old adage is true, laughter is the best medicine. Get you some!
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LOL … so, the “teaser” on my FaceBook caught my attention, made me log in and take a deeper look-see! AND, what do I find … there in the middle of the article are my comments from “Snap Out Of It” … made me live them and belly laugh all over again … AT MYSELF — and the realistic post of my everyday life! I also love the “swallow the toad” guote. I can’t tell you how many times my manager has said … “J—–, just swallow the toad and move on with your day, you’ll feel better for it” … soooooo true!!! Of course, I’m still for the mini “pity party” here and there as long as you support the “pity parties” of others AND you pick yourself up (or, help others pick themselves up) and travel forward!!! Thanks for a great reminder Ellie!!!
Ellie, great article…who can’t relate to this – especially we “moody types”. Gadzuks, I have BHDs every other hour!!!
My solution is opera (talk about a bunch of people having a collective Bad Hair Day!!!) So, when I’m faced with life’s little aggravations, I create a spontaneous, made-up opera and sing it to myself in the mirror (if one is available).
I sing all the parts (including narrator and chorus) and do it as dramatically as possible. In no time I’m laughing and thinking about the next chorus and have forgotten about the “issue”.
This may sound like a complex solution for a simple problem, but that is exactly the point. For me, it brings home very quickly the silliness of my reaction to my BHD. Before I know it, I’m over my cheap self.
shoal
Thanks, Ellie! What a great quote (Mr. Toad) … And, if I have a bad hair day I’m gonna check out that video of Mum and her bad day! Could things go worse for the weary? Doubt it!
Only thing different about me and “mum” would be I’d be laughing my socks off.. OH MY GOSH.. that was such a funny video! You two are a wealth of gobsmackin’ chuckles! Hugs♥•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨*•♥