Are you one of those high-energy people that can keep going through thick and thin regardless of the challenges, always with a smile on your face and some good-natured banter ready at all times, rarely in a funk and certainly not one to wallow in it
Well, I’m that person.
You know, the eternal optimist with never ending stamina and energy.
But then there are “those” days. Far and few between but they come on with a vengeance. Those days when nothing seems right, when crankiness is the prevailing mood and whatever anyone does is wrong.
What makes it even worse is that people never “expect” me to be anything other than energetic and happy, and of course, that makes it even more miserable.
I’m not a psychiatrist but I recognize that it can be self-destructive to engage in this type of negative behavior and as an entrepreneur I also know that I have to be “on” a good percentage of the time.
Self-preservation prompts me to do the following things. What about you? How do you handle those times when fear, loathing and plain old crankiness comes knocking at your door?
- I know the triggers that start me on the path to negativity and so I am very attentive to avoiding them as much as possible. I mean, if something gets you cranky why on earth wouldn’t you try to avoid the person or circumstance or simply change up the entire situation.
- I’m in a Facebook “gratitude group” and each day for the last three years I have posted 5 things for which I am grateful. Over time this daily habit has changed my perspective and kept me focused on all that is positive and good in my life and has reminded me to not dwell on the negative. The practice has been a game-changer.
- This might seem awfully simplistic but I make an effort to surround myself with positive people and stay as far away as possible from those that dwell on the negative. That doesn’t mean that I’ve shut them out of my personal and business lives altogether but I have made it a point to recognize how they can undermine my own sense of joy and enthusiasm.
- I’m not a “gym rat” or someone that craves her daily dose of exercise but I have come to recognize that 1) exercise is important to my health and 2) exercise helps me to feel better mentally as well as physically. When my mood starts to darken I make certain to build in time to get to the gym.
I hope these tips can help. After all even if you are the poster child for enthusiasm and overall bonhomie I know you have your dark times.
All of us do!
