chief happiness officer......

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  From the moment Alexander wakes up with gum in his hair, things just don't go Alexander's way. When Alexander gets out of bed, he trips on the skateboard and drops his sweater into the sink while the water was running. At breakfast, Alexander's brothers, Anthony and Nick reach into their cereal boxes and find amazing prizes while Alexander ends up with cereal.

At home, the family has lima beans for dinner (which he hates), there is kissing on TV (which he also hates), bath time becomes a nightmare (too hot water, soap in his eyes, and losing a marble down the drain) and he has to wear his railroad train pajamas (he hates his railroad train pajamas).

At bedtime, his nightlight burns out, he bites his tongue, Nick takes back a pillow, and the family cat chooses to sleep with Anthony. No wonder Alexander wants to move to Australia.

Sound like your day?  (or have you just read this book?)

Ok... let's fix it.

Try this first: Talk To A Good Friend
Here, the emphasis is on good. Trying to find support from someone with poor listening skills or who really doesn't want to support you can make you feel worse, as can someone who will engage in co-rumination instead of trying to help you pull out of things. (The best balance is someone who will listen to your feelings, empathize, and then help you look at things you may be missing or help you get into a new frame of mind in another way. Sometimes even the listening and empathizing can help you pull out of things on your own.)

Ok... that didn't work??  Take a Mini-Meditation Break
Meditation can be a great tool for helping people get into a different frame of mind. Even a 5- or 10-minute meditation can give you a needed break from what's stressing you and help you come back with a new perspective and a fresh start. It can also turn off your stress response you you're physiologically back to normal.

Still miserable?  Well then.... Count Your Blessings
Gratitude has some wonderful benefits for stress management and well-being. It's also hard to focus on how bad things are when you're focusing on how good things are! Counting off 10 or more things you're grateful for, or really dwelling on 2 or 3, can get you into a whole different place, and turn a bad day around!

alright.... if all else fails..... CHOCOLATE!
One small piece of very good chocolate, savored with a cup of green tea and a quiet break from stress, can help me feel a little pampered and do wonders for my mood if all else fails.

Today, it was the talk with the good friend that helped me pull out if it. (That and just focusing on getting work done.) Other days, other things work well. What helps you shake the negative energy of an 'until-now bad day'?

Choose to be happy. Choose to be carefree and enjoy life. Choose to laugh even more than you do. Replace any worries with happy thoughts.  My guess is that you’ll be very glad you did. And, you’ll live not only a longer..... but also a much happier, rewarding life.

Now.... who took my chocolate??