by Zara Carbonell
“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” – Brene Brown
This March, as we celebrate women’s month, we stand with women who take courage in showing up. Whether it’s speaking your mind, learning to welcome your feminine energy, or acknowledging that you’re not having such a great day – it takes courage to show up.
This is the very essence of learning how to #WomanUp! To take space and allow yourself to flourish, wherever you are. It’s easy to to #WomanUp on days that you feel great and empowered and all sorts of being a strong, independent (and sassy) woman. But what do you do when trying to feel great just doesn’t feel great?
Stay away from anything that triggers negativity.
As anything – take a step back, slow down, and reroute!
Surround yourself with good energy
It’s no secret that energy flows wherever you go and when you’re feeling like you’re in a rut, surround yourself with good energy. That could mean picking up the phone and calling someone you love, or doing something that makes you feel good about yourself. We all cope with bad days differently, it’s a matter of knowing what you need and focusing on the good. Call up the girls for a day under the sun, or stay in bed in your coziest PJs and turn on your favorite movie. Point is – stay away from anything that triggers negativity.
Be productive
Sometimes “to be happy” is such a tall order – especially on days when you feel low. There’s no shame in admitting that you’re having a bad day. Let’s face it, some days, everything just feels as if it keeps falling apart. And any attempt to fake it ‘til you make it becomes a major fail.
Instead, give yourself 3 goals to accomplish within the day. It could be as simple as cleaning your room or taking a shower. Just get 3 things done. Choosing to be productive, puts you back in your circle of control. It reminds you of what you actually have control over and gives you a chance to succeed at that.
Clean up your room
Speaking of cleaning your room, there’s more to it than just finding your long lost favorite pair of jeans. Often, when our surroundings are cluttered, our mind feels cluttered as well. That puts us in a state of helplessness. We get overwhelmed by the fast movement of the world. One day you know what you’re doing, the next day it feels like everything’s coming at you from different directions and all at once. *panic*
But that’s why cleaning your room is such a good move, it declutters a certain space in your life and allows you to declutter a space in your mind. And as we know from experience, gaining a little headspace only means good things. When you feel a little more free to be and to breathe, you’ll feel calmer and get to make better decisions.
Be grateful
As cliche as it sounds gratitude is a great tool to overcome your lowest days. When you recognize all the good things going right in your life, your energy shifts. You focus on what you want (and eventually receive more of that), instead of focusing on what you don’t have – yet.
When you feel down, try count your blessings, literally!
Think of 5 things you are grateful for and remember why you’re grateful for them. Counting your blessings reminds you that while you’re not having the best of days, you are also lucky to simply be breathing. There are ten million other ways your life could be spiraling down, and yet you are where you are.
That muscle and mind connection doesn’t just work for athletes! It’s true that when you look good you feel good, the same way that when you feel good your energy radiates outwards and you glow. If you’ve ever wondered why people say “you’re blooming!” when you’re in love – now you know.
When you’re going through a rough patch, it’s easy to just give in to that bad day. But at least try to show up and when you do, try to look your best. Maybe pull out your favorite outfit, do your hair and put on some make-up if you’re into it, sing in your room, spray some of your favorite perfume on yourself and show up fabulous! This is where fake it ‘til you make it comes through. Not because you’re having a terrible day means you should look the part right? Get cute for yourself! Because when you see yourself happier and in a better light, you’ll instantly feel better about yourself.
No matter how great of a “self-lover” we are, we will never be immune from having bad days. And while we can’t control everything in the world, we do have a say in how we react to it. Instead of letting the blues get in the way, why not come up with a survival routine that works for you for days like these?
There’s a beauty in knowing the many layers you have. Get to know the things that trigger you to have bad days and avoid those. And when you’re faced with them anyway, be prepared with things that help you.
For some people, it’s hitting the gym and shutting all the noise out. For some it’s writing, for others its cooking, and some even become overachievers at work. To each is their own and that’s okay! At the end, it’s a matter of knowing what works for you and being prepared to whip it out anytime the bad days strike.
Think about it, what are your automatic mood fixer-uppers? Make a list of things that put you back on track and have it ready for when you may need it. And on days that challenge you and prove to be more difficult, I hope you show up.
