Try Again Tomorrow

Sometimes the best thing we can do is hang it up for the day and try again tomorrow.

A Bad Day

This happened to me the other day. For some reason, it just seemed like everything was a struggle. I was feeling stressed about finances and our house renovations. Then, I was on the phone with AT&T for over an hour trying to figure out how to get our internet service moved to our new house. I was struggling to communicate what I needed to the person on the phone, and I ended the phone call frustrated and grumpy. And that feeling stayed with me for the rest of the day. Nothing terrible happened, per se, but I was cranky. I interpreted innocuous things that weren’t a big deal in a negative light. I didn’t put my best foot forward in my interactions with my wife. I just wasn’t my best self.

Then I started to get frustrated and upset that I was having a bad day, which only made me feel worse.

Caught in a Negative Cycle

It’s easy to get caught in a negative cycle. Something happens that puts us in a bad mood. Because of our bad mood, we aren’t our best self, and interpret things in a negative light. This creates even more negativity, which makes us feel worse, and the cycle continues.

Changing Your State

I wish there was a way to wave a magic wand and immediately change your state, but this isn’t always realistic. Sure, there are some things you can try. For example, check your body for physical needs. Are you hungry or tired? Try to meet the physical need, and see if that changes your state. You could try to “shock” your system out of its funk by doing something completely different—for example, engage in rigorous physical exercise or watch a comedy.

Try Again Tomorrow

Sometimes, however, none of these strategies work, and we simply need to try again tomorrow. Every day isn’t going to be an A. That’s just the reality of life. If we think that bad days shouldn’t happen, or start to get upset that we are upset, we can make things even worse. If you feel your day start to spiral downward, it’s not a bad idea to just call it. Tomorrow is a new day. Go to sleep, get some rest, and see if you feel better in the morning.