Most people would characterize me as an optimistic, happy person with energy and enthusiasm to spare. I’d say they’re absolutely right, at least for MOST of the time. Like any human, however, there are those moments when I’m troubled with self-doubt and unhappiness. Feeling “down-in-the-dumps” can happen to anyone, no matter how overwhelmingly positive their life may be.
I don’t like staying in this dark place for very long, and I’ll make every effort to get out my funk almost as soon as I fall into it. This isn’t an article about clinical depression — a condition that should be addressed by medical professionals — and how to move past it. Rather, it is an anecdotal look at how this entrepreneur handles life when the bad and the ugly far outweigh the good.
I vent to friends, family, or trusted business contacts
Never one to keep it all bottled up inside, I find myself reaching out to others and asking for feedback, advice, or simply a few minutes for me to vent. I find that in the retelling of the situation I will often find the answer or the humor in what has been causing me grief.
I participate in a Facebook “Gratitude Group” to keep me focused
I belong to a Facebook Group called 90 Days of Gratitude. Each morning one of the first things that I do is reach for my phone and share five things for which I am grateful. It’s amazing how this daily habit keeps me positive, provides much-needed perspective, and helps to sooth the crankiness of even my darkest days.
I do something nice for myself
Treating myself is incredibly easy and often helps to shift my mood. Flowers, a massage or facial, a great book or tickets to a play—it doesn’t much matter what is the treat, because all of them will lift my spirits and move me past what was originally bringing me down.
I find a solution
The most important method I know of treating my blue is to come up with a solution as to what exactly is bugging me in the first place. I arrive at this point pretty quickly, and once I land on the answer to my problem I get to work and make it happen.
Once again I’m not a stress management professional or a psychologist. I know that these work for me but sometimes you just have to ride the wave and give yourself the freedom to feel bad while recognizing that the tough times will pass.