What to Do

when you’re feeling navy blue

In my last post, I mentioned feeling navy blue. Even though navy blue feelings don’t dominate my life these days, I’m definitely not beyond having my bouts with them. In fact, I just weathered a weekend shadowed in the midnight shade due to sickness, canceled plans, and conflicting scheduling snafus. Nothing of which could be cured or fixed by anyone. Life just happens; and no amount of kicking against the pricks can change things. But I do have a few effectual tools in my Blues Box that always help me pull my petulant self up from the downhearted dumps! As an Enneagram 7 whose unhealthy stress instinct is to self-destruct, have major mood swings, and act impulsively, I used (and reused) each one this weekend with more or less success to keep from wallowing past the appropriate wallowing period. So, kudos to my sister for the suggestion and for the blog title, I thought I’d share them with you today in case they can help you rise up from a navy blue bog too!

• Vent to neutral parties who love you enough give you some sympathy, but will also tell you to “suck it up, buttercup!”

• Feel your feelings. It’s perfectly normal and human to be disappointed when things don’t go our way; it can be healthy to face the reality of the situation and admit like the quote by Raine Cooper that…

Today my forest is dark. The trees are sad and all the butterflies have broken wings.

• Tell yourself, “Life is NOT all about me, even though I live in it.”

• JOURNAL. Y’all know I’m gonna vouch for writing it all out! If it’s especially dark, you can jot on loose leaf paper and then give it a satisfying shred in the end.

• Say over and over, “Every day can be a good day even if it’s not a Plan A Day!

• Pretend you are a heroine in a novel; shout out loud, “PLOT TWIST!” as you pivot gracefully and go on about your day.

• Make a “Mad/Sad Jar” & a “Glad Jar.” Write the downers down and put them in the jar. Somehow it validates yet eases the disappointment. The caveat is that you also have to put something in the Glad Jar each time you make a Mad/Sad entry! (This is a new one for me! Debuted it just this weekend!)

• Remember to have humour and that THIS TOO SHALL PASS. Everything seems better after a good night’s sleep and a little more time.

• Indulge in a special sweet treat! I absolutely loved my Lucky Charms latte from Scooters.