Sarah Barr from the New Beginnings Counselling Service shares tips for feeling better when life gets you down.

Life can be tough at times, and we usually feel when one thing goes wrong, everything goes wrong! Or we might say, ‘I am having one of those days’ or ‘I can’t seem to do anything right today’.

We may feel anxious, stressed, annoyed and short-tempered, often taking it out on those closest to us. Or we may feel overwhelmed, and cry. We all have days like this. Life can be hectic, busy and crazy at times. If we find it difficult to stay on top of things, it can feel like we are losing control. All these negative thoughts, influence how we feel about ourselves and this usually affects how we behave.

So how can we stop having a ‘bad’ day? Here are some tips that may help:

STOP and BREATHE.

1). Take five minutes.

Go somewhere quiet, your bedroom, the kitchen or even a bathroom. Sit down and breathe. Take it slow and focus on your breathing. Breathe in and hold for four seconds and then breath out. This will help to relax you and lower any anxiety you may be feeling.

2). Figure it out.

We can go through our day in a bad mood, often not knowing why. Writing it down can help you understand why you are feeling down. It can help to sort through thoughts and feelings. Ask yourself, ‘What happened today’, ‘Who did you see’, What did you hear’ or ‘What did you think’. Figure out the trigger. Remember once you become aware, you can never be unaware. So if you know what or who influenced how you are feeling, you will be able to sort it out.

3). Change your focus.

By changing what we focus on, can change our thinking and therefore how we feel. Look around and ask yourself, what are you thankful for? Your health, your family, your job, your friends or your home are all examples. Sometimes we can be guilty of getting caught with what is going wrong in our lives, we forget about what is going right.

4). Go easy on yourself.

Everyone has a story, everyone has bad days. What we see on social media, can sometimes be exaggerated or simply fake. So try to stop comparing. Focus on you. Be gentle on yourself. Sometimes the way we speak to ourselves, can be so cruel. We would never imagine saying those things to others. So why say them to yourself?

5). Try something new

Join a local group, meet new people, take up walking or running, or learn a new skill. Ask yourself what would you like to do? and do it! By stepping outside of your comfort zone, making a change and being brave are all pro-active steps in helping you feel better.

 

I hope these tips are helpful. Remember you are not alone. If you feel that you cannot shake feeling low, help is out there. Talk to your doctor, friend or contact a counsellor.

Take care,

~ Sarah

New Beginnings Counselling.