TheBanyanTree: When You Have One Of Those Days

[Pam Lawley]

Thank you Monique for validating 'those' days for me!  :)

On Wed, Feb 17, 2010 at 12:59 PM, Monique Colver
<monique.colver at gmail.com>wrote:

> 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
>