Simply Citified!

Have you ever been in a situation where you are just feeling so absolutely down and disappointed and no matter how badly you wanted to cheer up you just couldn't? When you feel this way, it's almost certain that that day is going to be a total waste of time, because all you feel like doing is just procrastinate and complain all day, and drag yourself down even more. 

It could be because you're really stressed up or because you're tired. Sometimes it can be simply because your body or mind just wants to have a break. BUT, in our super fast society, it's not that easy to take breaks, is it? 

If you're working full time, you may not be able to get off work so easily. Some companies are liberal and understanding but some aren't. So what can you do to lift up your spirits? Or rather, is there anything at all that you can do to feel rejuvenated??

As it turns out, there is! In fact today was just that kind of day for me. I was in a total potato mood. For me, it was simply because I had a lot of things to do and felt like I wasn't scheduling my work properly. I was pretty stressed up. But work was work, and I had to do it no matter what happened. Out of desperation, I started looking for ways to feel better.

And these are what I found helpful:

1. Take a power nap

It is possible that you're feeling this way due to lack of quality sleep. A power nap usually does the trick, but for others it might worsen your day. The latter is especially so if you are prone to bursts of headaches after taking a nap. I have been suffering from migraine for some time now, and I have been told to take a medicine every night to induce sleep. Not that I don't sleep well normally. This is just to make sure I get sound uninterrupted deep sleep. The downside? I can hardly get enough of sleeping now. I have always been a sleep-addict, and this has made me worse! Today I woke up with that feeling of not having slept enough. So I decided to take a power nap and thankfully it worked. It was just a short nap that lasted between 1/2 hour and one hour, but that was good for me.

2. Take a break and concentrate on something else that you enjoy. 

Don't worry about not having enough time to do this, because if you don't do something to get yourself back on track, you're not going to get anything done anyway. Or, you might finish your work but it won't have the quality and standard that you expected. This can make an already bad day worse. Which do you prefer? If you're at work, just slip away for a bit and walk around. If you're a smoker, do something else. Don't smoke when you're stressed up - you'll only end up smoking more. Take a coffee break maybe, or watch a movie. You can listen to songs, dance to yourself, or even go for a short work out. Perspiring can help some people. You know what you enjoy best, and this is your life - when you need a break, you need a break - so do it.

3. Meditate a little

Meditation does wonders if done the right way. Plenty of meditation music can be found online. Choose one and play it softly. Sit up straight, close your eyes and take deep breaths. While doing this, make sure you're not thinking of the things you have to do before the end of the day. Just keep your mind blank or think of yourself in a place that is free of stress. Imagine a sense of peace and calm wrap around you. As you exhale, imagine yourself letting go of whatever is troubling you. If you're doing this the right way, you will realise after a while that your body is actually tensed up from the stress you had. When you realise this, loosen your muscles. This will enable you to relax more and rejuvenate your mind and body. You can choose how long you want to meditate for, whether it's 5 minutes or 1 hour. Once you're done, open your eyes slowly and do some light stretching exercise. Then have something to drink - plain water would be the best. Now look at the work you have to do, and pace yourself out. You will be able to plan your work well and work better.

4. Do you feel like eating? Yes? Then enjoy some good food!

Forget about that diet you're taking for a while. You're controlling yourself a lot as it is - that's why you're feeling down. So let it go for a bit. Shake it up and live a little, okay? But don't eat too much. Eating too much can make you feel bloated and ruin your day instead of making you feel better.

5. Finish one item in your list of things to do. 

Yes. As hard as it may sound, this is actually pretty helpful. Just take a look at your to-do list and identify the one that's the easiest. It may be just calling a person and setting up a date, time and venue for a meet up, but you don't feel like doing it because you're feeling all down. You just don't feel like doing anything! But take a tiny bit of effort to straighten up and actually get this call over and done with so you can strike it off your to-do list. Many people say that accomplishing something from their long list of things to do, actually lifts their spirits and makes them happier. It's one less thing to do, and it shows that you didn't waste your day! You accomplished at least one thing, so that's something to give yourself a pat on the shoulder for. 

These things work for me. What about you? Are there other tips you use to lift your spirits when you're feeling down and grumpy? If so, share them with me. Leave a comment or two. :)