When You've Got the Blahs: Every Day Ideas for Getting Through a Bad Day

You know what I'm talking about. It's that wake up on the wrong side of the bed feeling. Not so much a sadness or depression. You just don't feel right. You're irritable and everything that comes out of your mouth sounded much nicer when it was in your head. It's a bad day.

There are many ways to get out of a funk. You might listen to music, go out with friends, or try something new. You may go with the feeling by having a temper tantrum or a good cry.

If you find yourself feeling blah, take heart. Everyone has a bad day. There are many ways to get through these little bumps in the road. I hope one of these suggestions will help you feel more like yourself.

All photographs on this page are the original work of the author. Copyright 2012 Melody Lassalle - All Rights Reserved

I call this mood the funkies. You may call it the blahs or being in a mood. You're not really depressed or even sad. You are at odds with the universe--or so it seems.

The funkies are a general feeling of being out of sorts...out of kilter. You don't necessary feel down, but you feel at odds with everything that is going on around you. It may feel like all your energy left town and it took your motivation along with it.

It often follows a stressful or tense period. Though, not always. As the saying goes, sometimes you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed.

These moods usually don't last very long. A day or two at the most. I'm always happy when they pack their bags and leave.

I've often found that we each have our own words and phrases to describe how we feel. I came up with the funkies, but there are lots of ways to describe this mood. They may be straightforward or colorful phrases, but they all mean the same thing.

These are some of the phrase people use to describe what I call the funkies...

~Bad day

~Bad hair day

~Bad mood

~The blahs

~Feeling low

~Grumpy

~In a funk

~Not myself

~Out of sorts

~Out of synch

~Out of whack

~Thrown out of kilter

~Under the weather

~Waking up on the wrong side of the bed

It's true...even I have bad days. That's probably no surprise to the people who live with me.

Recently, I went through a stressful period due to health reasons. I got back my test results and everything was fine. I felt so relieved.

However, the next day I found that I had no energy and felt out of sorts. I should have have been in a good mood since I didn't have to go back to the doctor. Instead, all that tension I was carrying around for a month sprung on me at once and I got the funkies. I just couldn't get interested in anything. Every time I opened my mouth the words sounded meaner than I had intended. It was time for a retreat, or at least, a change of pace.

I thought a change of scenery would help, so I took my dog for a walk. I came back feeling just as grumpy.

Then I tried to get something accomplished on the computer. But, I couldn't muster up the energy to start any of my many projects.

I sat down on the couch with a good book. However, my Jack Russell Terrier wouldn't let me be. We ended up getting on each others' nerves to no end. It appears she also had the funkies.

Finally, I gave in to the feeling. I gave the dog her treat ball to occupy her for a few minutes. I plopped down on the ground with my Nook Tablet, then clicked on Pandora. First, I tried some old favorites but that made me moodier. No, I needed something different. I put in Woody Guthrie and found some folk blues station with a bunch of songs I had never heard of before.

I sat on the ground listening to that crazy mix of earthy songs. It hit the spot. After about a half hour, I was starting to feel like myself again. The strange new music mix did the trick.

Scientific research is mixed on how weather affect our moods. There is the disorder SAD or seasonal affected disorder that hits people at the same time every year, usually in the Winter. It's a prolonged period of depression or sadness that occurs at the same time each year.

Anyone who has been stuck indoors several days in row due to the weather, knows that it can have an effect on your mood. I don't think this is the same as SAD, though. Usually the funkies move on after day or two.

Feeling blah on a rainy day comes more from that feeling of being trapped. One or two days of rain or snow might be exhilarating. Yes! You get to play indoors! After the 15th day, you being to feel like you're cut off from the outside world. You also notice that everyone around you is in the same kind of mood.

Sometimes when I am having a rotten day I take it out on my file folders and my closet. There is something about tearing up useless paper and throwing it in the recycle bin or loading up a bag with clothes you haven't worn in five years that makes you feel good. It's as if you take all that energy and you clear it out by cleaning up.

When I get in "that kind of mood" a stack of papers that has been piling up will start to get on my nerves. It's state of disarray reflects the disarray in my mind. It's as if it's existence on the corner of my desk is mocking me and I must clean it up NOW!

Boy, does it feel good to tear those papers up and put them aside for recycling. Oh, I could run them through the paper shredder, but that's boring and not nearly as satisfying. No, I must tear them up. Tearing them up feels good.

When I'm done, not only have I used up some time (blah days can move really slowly) but I've cleaned up a spot on my desk. There is something satisfying in doing something productive. And, that makes you feel better, too!

There are many ways to get over the funkies and get through a malaise. Sometimes it pays to change things up and do something different. Other times it seems that quiet time for self reflection is needed. You might need to work all the bad energy out or have a good cry. What works for one person, doesn't for another. What works for you this week, might be the wrong thing a month form now.

These are some ideas for working through a bad day. Give them a try. You might find something that works for you.

Take a walk...getting outside and getting some fresh air can do wonders for us. A brisk walk on a sunny day does a body good.

Go out with friends...being around people helps shake us out of our dark cloud. A little laughter or a shoulder to lean on can help.

Spend time in nature...do some gardening, taking a hike, sit outside, or do some stargazing. Connecting with nature can help us find our balance.

Play some tunes...music has the ability to make use feel a variety of emotions. You might match your mood or find some new music that lifts you up.

Read a book...some days the best thing to do is to curl up with a good book. The characters never demand anything of us.

Bake something that you enjoy...it's even better if there is dough to knead. You don't know how much aggression you get work out beating up on a blob of dough.

Watch a movie...Let yourself get wrapped up in a story for a couple of hours.

Do something for someone else...Research shows that helping others helps ourselves. Do something nice for a friend, family member, or stranger. It will give you something to fell good about.

Keep a journal...It can be hard to explain how we feel to others. This is where a journal or diary is helpful. Write down your feelings. You can always tear up the page after you're done.

Organize that mess...Clear your mind by cleaning your cupboards. I find that tearing up paper feels good in a destructive sort of way.

Have a good cry...You might have noticed that tears have the power to make you feel cleansed. Having a good cry by yourself (you can watch a sad movie if you like) might make you feel better in the end.

Make a song or chant about your woes...some people find it helps to make up chants, songs, and poems about their problems.

Learn something new...watch a documentary, webcast, or read up on something different.

Do something crafty...we gain a certain sense of relaxation when we build and create things. It takes your mind off your problems, too.

Sit still and do nothing...sometimes the best medicine is to do nothing. Feeling out of sorts can be a direct result of too frenzied a period. Take time to let yourself be. Sometimes you just need to be in a bad mood, let it pass, and then move on.

Does music soothe your soul? Many of the people I've talked to mentioned music as their number one way to get over a bad day. The style of music varied from classical to heavy metal.

According to Psyblog, music affects our emotions. They list seven ways that music affects us: entertainment, revival, strong sensation, diversion, discharge, mental work, and solace.

Music works most likely because it turns off that incessant chatter in our head. It's difficult to keep thinking about the same thing with all those musical notes floating through your ears.

The chorus of Daniel Powter's song seems to say it all, doesn't it?

Cause you had a bad day

You're taking one down

You sing a sad song just to turn it around

You say you don't know

You tell me don't lie

You work at a smile and you go for a ride

You had a bad day...

There's no two ways about it. Sometimes the best way to get out of a bad mood is to experience it to it's fullest.

We lead such structured lives. We know how we are supposed to behave and act. We put a smiley face on so as not to bring everyone else down. Cheer up, stiff upper lip, and all that.

But, sometimes the best medicine is to feel funky and revel in it. Have a good cry, crawl back into bed and pull the covers over your head, stomp around and show just how angry you are at the universe. Sometimes it feels good to be cranky.

Then, the next day you're done with it. You experienced it and now it's out of your system.

Sometimes when we put our feelings down on paper they are easier to deal with. Remember that diary with a lock you kept as a teenager? It may have helped get you through the worse of your adolescent years. Sometimes the only one you can reveal your thoughts to is a piece of paper.

You know, everyone gets in a mood. Everyone has a bad day. No one is Miss Mary Sunshine every single day of the year.

We can be the hardest on ourselves. Why can't I feel better? Why am I in a rotten mood? I should feel content, happy, or fill in the blank with another emotional state.

Truth is we all get out of sorts from time to time. And, that's okay. It's okay to just let things go and put on a good grumpy. I bet even the Dalai Lama has a bad day, though he can go off and pretend to meditate, and no one would be the wiser ;)

When I am in that kind of mood, it's usually because I'm getting to wound up. When I get like that, I try to remember this phrase:

I relax and let myself be

I've listed a few ways one might get through a bad day and get themselves back to normal. But, there are many ways to conquer a mood. How do you get through the funkies? Do you have a tried and true method or do you do something different each time?