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
How To Not Feel Like Roommates
May 8, 2023
Jordan Gray
How To Not Feel Like Roommates
Over the last 15 years of working with people on their relationships full-time, one of the most common sets of questions I get is around 'How do I bring the spark back to my relationship that sometimes feels like we're just roommates with responsibilities?' And this is a valid question. As the...
Continue Reading
Why Self-Help Doesn't Work
May 18, 2013
Jordan Gray
Why Self-Help Doesn’t Work
Self help can suck. Helping yourself is noble and can be effective to a point... but that's one of its drawbacks: it's limited. No matter how many books you read on self-development (motivation, attraction, and so on), you can only grow so much by teaching yourself because 1) you don't know where...
Continue Reading
The Best Type Of Partner For An Entrepreneur
Mar 11, 2014
Jordan Gray
The Best Type Of Partner For An Entrepreneur
Undoubtedly by this point in your life you have realized that many of society's rules don't apply to you. The structure of school didn't work for you… You didn't fit the mold of the corporate world… And your dating life has always been a bit of a unique one. You didn't blindly accept one...
Continue Reading
Exploit These 3 Cognitive Biases To Fall More Deeply In Love
Apr 15, 2021
Jordan Gray
Exploit These 3 Cognitive Biases To Fall More Deeply In Love
Everybody needs love and connection. It has been repeatedly proven to be the biggest defining factor in long-term happiness. In an 80-year-long study, scientists at Harvard University tracked 268 students as they carried on their journeys—hoping to collect hard data on what really makes a great, satisfying...
Continue Reading
Ladies, Stop Expecting The Worst Of Men
Feb 19, 2015
Jordan Gray
Ladies, Stop Expecting The Worst Of Men
This article goes out to all of my (hetero) female readers… On average, I get about ten messages per week from my female readers around the world along the lines of “Where have all of the good men gone? Where are the guys who will open the door for you? Why do men only want to hook up and not have a...
Continue Reading
The Most Challenging 48 Hours Of My Life (A Year In Review)
Jan 1, 2014
Jordan Gray
The Most Challenging 48 Hours Of My Life (A Year In Review)
I was at one of the lowest points of my life a year and a half ago… I was depressed, unfulfilled, and having frequent panic attacks. I was in a relationship that drained me, a job that I resented, and felt incongruent with who I was and what I was doing. One morning, I woke up and decided that...
Continue Reading