My Top 10 Strategies for Conquering a Meh-day

We all have them.

Even those people you think of as super heroes.

Every now and again we have a day where we really can’t be arsed!

Often these days see us doing stuff which is a total waste of time, which leaves us feeling even more ‘meh’ than we did to start with.

Whatever you do, the key is to recognise that you are having a meh-day, accept it and deal with it. That doesn’t mean you need to give yourself a kick up the arse and get all perky. You can still feel ‘meh’ and achieve stuff. And the fact you have achieved stuff, no matter how small, will make you feel a wee bit better about life.

The worst outcome of a meh-day is that you not only achieve nothing, but you don’t even get to enjoy doing nothing!

So here’s my top 10 strategies for coming out of a meh-day feeling a little bit better about life

1. Do some boring admin tasks

If you are at work, the chances are you will spend a me-day achieving zilch, while browsing the internet. I used to work in an office and had many such days!

This is where it’s great to have a stand-by list of boring admin tasks.

Things like changing passwords or unsubscribing from email lists. Things that do not require too much brain power, but are easy to tick off a list.

Everything you can tick-off a list on a meh-day will make you feel better about life!

2. Take a walk

If you can, get out into the fresh air and take a walk. Just put one foot in front of the other and breathe. It doesn’t matter where you go, just get outside for a bit. Even just 10 minutes outside is better for your head than 10 minutes staring blankly at a computer screen.

3. Read a book

Chances are that from where you are sat you can reach at least one book you have been meaning to get around to reading. I normally have at least 3 or 4 stacked on my desk.

If you are not achieving much then this is a great time to have a read.

Again, even 10 minutes or so with your nose in a book is a great way to spend some time on a meh-day.

Even more so if it’s a non-fiction book that you are learning something from, but my fall-back meh-day book is this worn out Jilly Cooper

4. Review your ‘Vault’

Do you keep a list of things you may or may not get round to doing someday?

If not you should!

I call mine ‘The Vault’ and it’s where I write down every idea that comes to me, no matter how wacky.

I review it regularly, to see if any of my wacky ideas are ready to make it off my some-day list and out into the world.

A meh-day is a great time to review a list like this. You may find something that inspires you, or just makes you laugh.

If you are not achieving anything today anyway, then you can research that book idea you had about Indian Basking Weaving, eh?

5. Tidy your work space

I love the idea of a clean desk, but I am basically a messy person.

At any one time my desk is littered with receipts, mail, stuff to file, and random stuff like nail varnish and magazines.

A meh-day is a great day to have a tidy up. Filing stuff, binning stuff or putting together a bag for the charity store are all tasks requiring little brain power that’ll make you feel like you have actually achieved something

6. Learn something new

There are so many resources online these days to learn something new. From languages, to crafts to time management techniques? Science, History, howstuffworks.com?

If you are going to be surfing the inter-web try to make sure to get something out of it!

If you learn to say ‘thank you’ in 5 different languages I can guarantee you will feel better about yourself than if you watched 5 videos of cat’s fitting and sitting in boxes.

7. Get Creative!

If your work doesn’t normally give you the opportunity to get creative, then today is the day.

Put the other side of your brain to use and do something creative.

Doodle, draw, arrange post it notes in a pretty pattern.

If my mention of getting creative brings you out in a cold sweat, then I highly recommend the book “Doodle Revolution” In it you learn that anyone, yes anyone can draw, and how doodling can help in a variety of work environments.

If you fancy learning a variety of skills from calligraphy to Instagram layouts, screen printing to video editing, then I suggest checking out SkillShare.

If all else fails there is a reason why Adult colouring books have become so popular!

8. Have a nap

I am a great believer in the Power Nap.

While it’s pretty hard to pull off in the office, when you get home after a ‘meh’ day try a power nap instead of just hitting the sofa for the whole night.

Set your phone alarm for 22 minutes. You will wake up feeling fresh as a daisy!

Check out another post I wrote about napping, along with a cool infographic here. After you have finished reading this post of course!

9. Meditate

Hahaha, no, seriously

Check out this great app called Buddhify

It has guided meditations for different situations. I’ve been traveling up and down the country a lot by train this year, and found some of the ‘when travelling meditations’ very good for calming my mind.

Again, Just 5–10 mins can help you refocus, calm down and put your day into perspective?

(This was recommended by Emma at The House and The Hill — thanks sweetie, mwah!)

10. Do nothing

It is possible to ‘do nothing’ badly. You know, when you ditz about all day wasting time and achieving nothing, and wish you had just sat on the sofa and intentionally done nothing?

So, if your situation allows it, do nothing properly! Intentionally! Kick back, relax, and know that you’ll live to fight another day.

But seriously, we all have meh-days, and it’s OK. Don’t stress, don’t think you are filing at life because you didn’t put inspirational pics on Instagram or post about how happy you are on Facebook.

In fact, I’d make the Number 1 way to feel better on a meh-day to staying off social media altogether!

And if all else fails on a meh-day, just take things one step at a time, and just keep going

For more about lists, The Vault and other task management wizardry from me, be sure to checkout 10minuteplanner.com