Aug 19, 2017

Feeling Sad/Anxious/Grumpy? Read This

Bad days happen. They are unavoidable.

But sometimes our minds take our bad days and make them appear much worse than they actually are.

Go through this series of questions, reminders, and action steps whenever you’re in the dumps and you want to get back to feeling grounded, connected, and content.

Reflect:

Did you sleep well last night?

Have you had water recently?

Have you moved your body much today?

Have you eaten anything in the last few hours?

Have you been working extra hard for the past few days/weeks?

Have you been spending more time alone than you usually do?

Have you convinced yourself that your life is always going to feel like this?

Reminders:

There are people in the world who love you.

This too shall pass. Whatever you’re feeling right now, it isn’t permanent.

You are safe. You are loved. You are supported. You are cared for.

You are allowed to have bad days. Your bad day doesn’t mean anything more than what it is.

Feelings come and go like the weather. There doesn’t need to be a solid explanation for your emotions.

Actions:

Take a nap.

Have a bath.

Drink some water.

Eat a big, colourful salad.

Take a few deep breaths down into the bottom of your belly.

Reach out to someone who loves you. Let them know how you’re feeling. Allow them to support you.

Leave your house (without your phone) and go sit in a public park. Observe the people around you. Remember the lives of others are also happening. There are others who need your love and support too.

Eat a meal with a friend.

Do something slow and simple. Lie down on the ground and be still for a few minutes. Stare at a flickering candle while you take a few deep breaths. Read a bit of a fiction book.

Your mood can be influenced by the smallest of actions. Start small, but start.

You will get through this. This feeling needs to be here for a reason.

It will pass when it is meant to.

Dedicated to your success,

Jordan

Ps. If you enjoyed this, you’ll likely also love reading:

7 Steps To Beat Anxiety Naturally

How To Manage Stress (Or How I Weathered My Sh*t Storm Of A Year)

How To Overcome Depression Naturally

Jordan Gray
About Jordan Gray

Jordan Gray has been a sex and relationship coach for over 15+ years, with his work reaching over 200 million people worldwide. His writing has been featured in Vogue, GQ, The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, and countless other publications around the world. When he’s not working with 1-on-1 coaching clients or writing a new article, he’s most likely to be found reading, chopping wood, or spending time with his wife on a little island off the west coast of Canada.

Blog

Related

See All
Does Therapy Even Work?
Oct 20, 2018
Jordan Gray
Does Therapy Even Work?
Does therapy actually work or is it just a bunch of hoity-toity bullshit for rich people who want to complain to a stranger about their problems? Myths and stereotypes abound about talk-based therapy. People think that therapists ‘shrink’ heads. Or that therapy clients are simply ‘na...
Continue Reading
Kill Stress, Boost Testosterone, And Have Better Sex
Feb 23, 2016
Jordan Gray
Kill Stress, Boost Testosterone, And Have Better Sex
There's a problem with how modern, western society is built up. And it's working against us. We're stressed out. We're increasingly socially isolated from each other. We are the most medicated adult cohort in human history. Our sedentary lifestyles, status-seeking culture, and improper food intake...
Continue Reading
You Aren’t Special (And Neither Am I)
Dec 20, 2018
Jordan Gray
You Aren’t Special (And Neither Am I)
You are not special. You were not put on this planet to engage in some extra special mission that will save all of us, forever. You are not inherently better than or worse than others. You are extremely normal. You are incredibly average. And, in a very comforting and real way, we pretty much...
Continue Reading
Thank You For This
Mar 10, 2021
Jordan Gray
Thank You For This
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you to the trees, and stars, and hot salty tears, And my childhood guardians who let me hold on to their thighs so that I got my daily touch. Thank you to the women who held me through my pain. To Libby and Linnea and Laura and Allison and Amy and all of...
Continue Reading
How To Finally Get Over Your Ex (Even If It Feels Impossible)
Jun 2, 2014
Jordan Gray
How To Finally Get Over Your Ex (Even If It Feels Impossible)
Having trouble getting over your ex? Do you miss the way that they looked at you? The way that they smelled? The way their hand felt in yours? Do you think you see them walking down the street when really it's a stranger? Do you still hear certain music that reminds you of them? When someone...
Continue Reading
How To Stop Hating Men
Jan 28, 2020
Jordan Gray
How To Stop Hating Men
(Note: this is a companion piece to my recent article How To Stop Hating Women. I also write the following article primarily directed at heterosexual women, since that demographic makes up the majority of my readership.) One of the most challenging, and often invisible, themes that keep people...
Continue Reading