Have a Bad Day Day

Today is Have a Bad Day Day, I wasn’t aware there was a specific date for this. I have bad days more than once annually, and I am sure that is not just me. I am beginning to figure out though, how to turn my bad days, into bad moments…

It all started when I considered the following: from time to time I’d walk out of the room in response to a joke from my partner. Not that the joke would be specifically hurtful (he is the master of sarcasm though), I just needed to get away. He would, of course, think that I was “in a huff” over his joke. So, once I would return five minutes later, right as rain, he would be confused and annoyed at my response.

So, what was going on? I did not feel like I was in a huff, or even really hurt. I would just get an overwhelming feeling that I needed to leave. After sitting in the bedroom for a few minutes, eyes closed, focusing on my breathing, I would be back in the driver’s seat. Once I explained it to my partner in that wording, I realised that his joke triggered PTSD. It would knock me off balance, just a little. Taking a 5-minute breather (literally) would get me back to centre. Once I realised and communicated it to my partner, there was no more need for annoyance.

As a bonus, I learned a new strategy. When I feel slightly off-centre, I head for a quiet room and do a 5-minute breathing meditation. More often than not, it stops the anxiety in its tracks. Instead of having a bad day, I get away with having 5 bad minutes.

Of course, it does not work every single time, but there is always Have a Bad Day Day for those times 😉

Fly Free,

Mags

Originally published at https://swanwaters.com on November 19, 2015.