Dealing with downers

When dealing with a bad day, I think it’s helpful to go out of your way to treat yourself well. If your friend or family member was having a bad day, what kind of things would you do to cheer them up? A lot of times if something bad happens, we seem to blame ourselves and it leads to more irritation. But if we had more compassion with our own mistakes or struggles then maybe we would end up in a better place. Having compassion for others when they make your day more difficult can help – try to wish them well or pity them. Sometimes I try to decide to be positive and think of how many blessings I am ignoring, or if it’s a train wreck of a day I try to look at it with humor. Leave work stress at the door, and rinse it off in the shower or by meditating. After a rough day I can treat myself by buying a nice meal instead of cooking, scheduling a massage, or buying more plants. (I have a tendency to “stress buy” plants.)