What do you do when it is just "one of those days?"
- Schools call a snow day and you just can't miss another day of work
- You are stuck in a traffic jam and you are late for an appointment
- Your flight is delayed and you are sure to miss your connection
- The computer dies in the middle of an important presentation
I'm sure you can add your own disastrous experiences to the list.
The next time the unexpected happens, try the following before crying, screaming, or pulling your hair out:
- Close your eyes and take a deep breath.
- Concentrate on taking slow, deep breaths until you feel your heart stop pounding.
- Imagine your body and mind in "slow motion" to prevent it from going into frenzy mode.
- Ask yourself, "Is someone going to die (literally) because of this?"
- Assuming that the answer is no, the event now is put in perspective.
- Put a smile on your face to fool your mind into thinking things are okay.
- Act in your most efficient and confident mode and go to Plan "B."
Stuff happens all the time. If we let ourselves get carried away by the stress, exasperation, anxiety, or anger of the moment we will not be or act in a way we can be proud of after the crisis has passed. Self care is sometimes forcing oneself to act calmly and efficiently when we'd much rather fall apart!
