How to Turn Your Day Around

I am a woman of many hats. Sometimes they’re stacked and organized like the mustachioed dude in the children’s book Caps for Sale. Other times, they’re strewn around the floor and under the couch, hanging askew on lampshades and floating in the toilet. I don’t know who I am that day, or what I should be doing, so I don’t do anything.

I call these my “rough” days. I sink into them. I think on some masochistic level I like them. But at the end of these days, I feel awful. Sluggish. Unproductive. And still scattered.

Wasting a work day never feels good.

I realized recently that if I can just catch a rough day early on, and if I do certain things, I can turn it around. And while it may not be the most productive day in my arsenal, it is certainly more productive than if I did nothing.

So I made a list in my bullet journal. I call it my “So you’re having a rough day…” list. See below.

Drink a pint of water. Shower. Dress in something you weren’t wearing last night. Add earrings, and put your hair up. 15 minute clean.

These are my self care items. These are what I need to do to feel better about the start of my day (even if that start is 2PM). Most days, this reminder is all I need. It was all I needed today.

My list continues.

Then:

5. Do some work. Aim for the smallest unit of work. 500 words. A plot element. A chapter edited.
6. Keep going if it’s working. If you’re not feeling it, change your scene. Leave the house. Take a quick walk around the block.
7. If something is bothering you and you can complete it in the time you have today, take care of it.

These items are my items and not yours. This is a definitely “know thyself” situation. If you work in an office your list will look nothing like mine. I know I can’t work on my writing if I’m burdened by something, but for others, that bullet may derail them for days.

As I’m writing now I’m thinking of other items to add at the end of the day to ensure the slump doesn’t continue:

8. Plan tomorrow.
9. Talk to someone you love.
10. Go to bed on time.

But often, all it takes is the first four items for a quick reboot to the day.

I recommend it. Make a list. Write down all the things you need to feel human in a day, and if you feel yourself sliding, take out your list and do it.