TheBanyanTree: When You Have One Of Those Days

[Monique Colver]

I'm not having one, in case you were wondering, though I have been
struggling with this rather much lately.  One of those days where you just
can't drag yourself through the muck in any semblance of order, sanity, or
intellectual clarity. A friend of mine is having one. And what I say is,
just go with the flow. Have that day, and don't try to push it aside. Get
yourself through the day however you need to, and that way the day can be
satisfied. If you push it away and tell yourself it isn't important, it'll
come back on you. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe later today. It wants its day, and
it's going to get its day. The easier you make it for the day, the faster
you can move on towards the next day.

If this means shutting yourself away and eating cookies, then do so so.
(This is not a bad idea actually. I have some cookies on my desk . . . )

If this means cuddling with your dog and taking said dog to the park, then
do so.

If it means going on a shooting spree, you need medical attention, and
quickly. Call 911. They'll know what to do.

If you need to be sad, let yourself be sad. For a few minutes, anyway. Let
yourself be sad knowing that you're not going to let yourself be sad for a
long period of time, just a little while. (The time period invoked by
"little while" varies from person to person and can't be defined any better
than that.)

Seek out sun, if at all possible. In mid-February this may seem amusing more
than useful, but we do what we can. I know people who've had tremendous
success with light boxes.

Not me. I'm more of a vampire. "Close the blinds!" I screech, "The sun's
coming in!" As if I'm going to start smoking (my body, not me) and then go
up in flames.

I am, as you can see, a vampire of the old school variety, not the new.

But even for me, being out in the sun, when I do go out, forces my body into
a lighter place. Too much sun, and I'm back to, "Aaaahhhhh! The sun! Get me
out of here!" But some sun is good.

Don't forget the sun screen.

Exercise, if you can. This may sound odd coming from me, since I've managed
to convince people that I'm part sloth. But even I enjoy a healthy dose of
exercise from time to time. It makes my body think of other things, for one,
such as, "What the hell are you trying to do? Kill me?" (After a good
workout my knees, in particular, are quite put out for days.)

Go to a movie in a darkened theater where you don't have to interact with
anyone. Interacting with people can be very hard work, after all, and you
don't want to exert yourself.

Make plans to interact with people later, assuming you like this sort of
thing, so you have something to look forward to. (I like this sort of thing
when I'm not sulking, but most of my people are too far away to interact
with, so that makes me sulkier.)

Which is not to say that my sulking is anything like anyone else's inability
to deal with the day. In my case it just happens to be me sulking because I
know what the problem is and refuse to do anything about it. This, then is
sulking.

Weird word, sulking.

I feel I should offer a disclaimer. "Should you feel sad for an excessively
long time and hopeless on top of it, seek medical attention. Should you feel
fidgety and are considering harming yourself, seek medical attention
immediately."

But if you're just unable to deal with the day, call me. Or someone you
actually know, because you might not want to talk to a stranger. I'm just
saying. Have a cookie. Burrow, if you want to. Indulge your day. You are
more important than the things you were meant to do today.




-- 
Monique Colver