They say tragedy plus time equals humor. They also say that laughter is the best medicine. I’ve also heard more than one motivational speaker suggest each of us look for humor in a situation. We need the humor-especially when we’re having one of those days.
And boy do I have a situation. Not only have I been having one of those days, it’s in fact been a crazy week.
In the last week, we went house hunting, found a great house, only to be told the project my husband is contracted to run should be done in 18 months. So relocate everyone for a year and a half or deal with the super long commute a while longer? Which is best? Or rather, which is the least bad?
Then I saw BabyGirl scratch her head. A lot.
She has lice. Quite a few. I counted about 16 live adults. We thought we got rid of them a month ago. I must have missed something because “they’re baaa-aack.”
So we checked everyone’s hair. I chopped off several inches of BabyGirl’s hair and it is now chin-length. Then I remembered. She used my brush without my permission. I finally check my hair at 12:30 at night. I found a louse. One lousy louse and some knits. I treated my hair and then changed the sheets on my bed too.
I think it’s around 2am when I finally get to bed. We have 9am church and we have responsibilities there.
After tag-teaming who is watching BabyGirl (so we don’t contaminate the whole church),’ we come home to mountains of laundry (Lawboy just came home from his second week at scout camp).
Sunday night I discover in addition to the multitudes of bug bites I got from being outside ever so briefly at dusk, I have a boil on my leg where and ingrown hair (from shaving) has become infected.
It’s like we’ve started on the plagues of Egypt in the days of Moses. Let’s hope it doesn’t get worse.
So when you having hone of those days, weeks or months like these, here is my advice.
1. Take a deep breath.
Before we get into the laughter, take several deep intentional breaths. Studies and countless experiences have shown conscientious deep breathing helps relax and calm the body and mind. It works. Do it.
2. Next, find something humorous to watch or read or look at (memes).
The Mayo Clinic among other institutions have studied what laughter can do for us. Essentially laughing has both short and long-term positive effects on your health and stress levels.
One of my favorite stories is of the killer ninja squirrel who attacked a big burly motorcycle rider. One of my favorite comedy sketch troops is Studio C. They have a lot of family friendly, clean comedy. Also, I’m posting one of my favorite memes below.
That just makes me giggle.
3. Make a desktop or bookmark folder that contains your favorite humorous stories, memes and links for when you’re having one of “those” days, in the future.
I guarantee you will have bad days again in the future. It’s much easier to go to an existing resource to find something to lift your spirits. I’ve turned to my humor folder time and time again.
4. Listen to music-and dance if you can.
Music has a visceral and very real power to change our moods. Dancing my feelings out-even if I look like a blithering idiot-helps me work out frustrarions and utilizes the “fight or flight” instincts we all have. Some of my favorites are “Why Can’t I Be You?” by the Cure, “Just Another Day” or “We Close Our Eyes” by Oingo Boingo and
Sometimes I feel a bit melancholy or wistful. When I hit that mood I often listen to Edgar Meyer’s “Short Trip Home” with Joshua Bell. It is beautiful and evocative and expresses my feelings in a deep way. Once I recognize those feelings I can let them go a bit and move on.
Sometimes I want my spirit to soar in which case I may listen to Handel’s “Messiah“, or an opera by Puccini. More recently I also listen to “This is Me” from the Greatest Showman. Incidentally the version I’m liking to is by the One Voice Children’s Choir. My cousin’s son, who also has Aspergers, has found his voice through music as part of this choir.
5. Find a few minutes of alone time to just “be”.
One of my favorite ways to do this is mindful walking. I practice being in the moment and noticing how my legs and arms feel, the sounds around me, and how my breath enters and leaves my body. I take in all I can about that moment and recognize time and seasons are temporary.
Often this is a good time for mental prayer. Don’t get me wrong, most of my prayers are on my knees, head bowed in supplication, but Luke 21 tells us to “pray always,” and I take that admonition literally. When I keep my thoughts aimed higher, I tend to act better than I might otherwise. This help me live my life with fewer regrets.
Getting on your knees after your walk and listening for inspiration is a good way to move forward too.
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So there you have it. Some of the ways I deal with the bad days. In the future I’ll post additional ideas. For now I have to go tackle more laundry.
Have a “bee”-utiful day!
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