“It just hasn't been a good day,” we sometimes bemoan, shrugging our shoulders gloomily. After all, sometimes things happen that are entirely out of our control, and some days all of them seem to happen at exactly the same time – making us wish we’d made the decision to simply stay in bed! Nevertheless, there really are steps we can all take to turn those challenging days around, finding purpose and meaning within our challenging experiences.
The next time you find yourself spiraling in pessimism because of the circumstances of your day, try these self-care tips:
Take it one task at a time. Multitasking is highly overrated! Usually the sense of having a terrible day ensues from being overloaded and taking on too much at once. Establishing some boundaries to focus on only one task at a time can improve productivity and provide a feeling of accomplishment.
Try distancing. The art of distancing takes practice to develop, but may be extremely useful in keeping things in the proper perspective. To begin with, look at the impact a specific frustration you are experiencing may have a month from now – or one year from now. Then, think about the advice you’d offer to a pal in a similar situation to generate an objective solution.
Be thankful. It’s challenging to hold onto negative thinking when you make a conscious effort to realize the positives, no matter how seemingly trivial they may be. End every single day with a self-reminder regarding the top five things you experienced throughout the day. Keeping a log is a good solution to bring positives back to the forefront of your mind on particularly tough days.
Create “me” time. While it can seem impossible to actually take time for self-care with so many other priorities vying for our attention, it is imperative to both our mental and physical health. Schedule blocks of uninterrupted time for you to enjoy a calming activity, and stick to those times like you would any other important to-do on your agenda.
Still feeling overwhelmed by your most challenging days? Independence-4-Seniors Home Care of Hinsdale can help tremendously by partnering with busy family members to deliver safe, expert senior care services that allow for a healthy life balance. No matter if the need is for just a few hours of respite care to supply some breathing room for family caregivers, full-time, around-the-clock care to incorporate maximum safety, or something in between, contact us at (630) 323-4665 to learn more.