The Joyless side of the Bed

I woke up the wrong side of the bed. You know the side where everything looks the same yet for some reason it is all so very annoying. The side of the bed where the sounds you hear daily and normally don’t notice are so loud and give you a headache. The side of the bed where people who normally only slightly annoy you suddenly are intolerable and need to be abolished from your presence. The side of the bed where your hair does not act right, your clothes don’t fit right, and you just don’t feel right. The side of the bed where you feel weepy and anxious and don’t know why. The side of the bed where you look down and discover you only have polish on 9 of your toes. The side of the bed where all your mistakes at work rise to the surface to drown you in stress. The side of the bed where you pay $384.40 on your cell phone bill instead of $38.40. The side of the bed where you gain weight instead of losing weight. Are you familiar with that side of the bed? That is the side of the bed I woke up on this morning.

What I probably needed to do was just get back in bed, lay there a little longer, maybe even get some more sleep, and then get back up on the right side of the bed. Alas, a Monday morning does not allow for that. So up and at them, facing the day on this wrong side of the bed. Since I am an adult, I am aware that the way things seem on the wrong side of is not necessarily how they are in reality. No one is laughing and pointing at me so my hair and clothes probably look ok. The girl with the annoying voice is not talking any louder than usual. Severely overpaying the cell phone bill does suck now but will be really sweet when I don’t have to pay it for the next few months. And leaving the house with pretty pink polish on 10 toes and only to discover you only have it on nine toes is actually a little funny, or at least it will be tomorrow when I get up on the right side of the bed.

So, like I said because I am an adult, and am aware that the view from the wrong side of the bed is a little obscure, I will not act out on any of these feelings. I will not talk negatively to myself about my hair, weight, job performance, or anything else. I will not snap and pop an attitude with the people who annoy me. I will not walk around with a scowl that will cause people to feel either uncomfortable around me or compelled to ask me what’s wrong. I will not slam things, curse, yell, or in any way act like a total Biotch!

What I will do is stay to myself as best I can at work. I will turn my ringer off and respond to messages as people call so I can familiarize myself with their issue before talking to them to keep down my stress. I will ask my fellow Joy Chasers on FB and Twitter for advice on what to do when you’re not feeling your most joyful. (Actually just communicating with all you positive people clears some of the shadow cast by waking up on the wrong side of the bed. Joy Chaser suggestions included saying a prayer for calmness and peace, visiting the site http://www.thereifixedit.com/, and watching my favorite comedy on TV). I will also amuse and cheer up myself by coming up with this list of things to do and not do upon discovering that you have woken up on the wrong side of the bed. (remember I told you I love making list)

• Do avoid eye contact with people you do not want to talk to. Eye contact is the precursor to every conversation.
• Do not give anyone any sort of relationship advice. Parent/child, boyfriend/girlfriend, employee/boss it does not matter your advice will not be level headed nor reasonable and if they take it they may get dumped, disowned, or fired.
• Do not perform any sort of performance evaluation on a subordinate
• Do pick this day to encourage your kids, spouse, roommate, friends, etc… to do that activity that they love, but you hate so they will get far away from you.
• Do wear your headphones at work to drown out the annoying chatter around you.
• Do not listen to a bunch of gangster rap or other high testosterone music that will get your more fired up.
• Do reach out to a friend who knows how to listen and what to say to make you feel better
• Do not bear your heart to your judgmental self-absorbed friend who will somehow make it all about her (or him).
• Do allow yourself to indulge in a piece of chocolate, glass of wine or something that you consider a special treat.
• Do not indulge in a box of chocolates, bottle of wine and every treat within reach. This will only lead to pants that won’t zip and more days of waking on the wrong side of the bed.
• Do have a cry if you need to get it out your system.
• Do not have a cry while sitting at your desk surrounded by all of your annoying co-workers as they point and stare in horror.
• Do go to the gym and run, lift weights, or hit a punching bag to burn some aggression.
• Do not run over, punch, or throw weights at anyone. This = jail which = endless days up on the wrong side of the bed.
• Do something fun like create your own list of things to do and not do when you are not feeling your usual joyful self.

How do you get through those rough days so you can quickly return to Chasing Joy? What is on your do and don’t do list?

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