Having an Off Day or Week? 2 Simple Solutions to Try

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel less than great. Crabby, grouchy, sad, and bored are all words you could use to describe what I’m like in those days and I’m probably not the best company. The thing is, days like those are part of the deal with being human – it’s not an elective. There will always be off days, and that’s okay.

But what happens when you get a whole string of those off-days, maybe lasting weeks, months, or even years? Too many of us say that we’re in a rut, feel stuck, burned out, or bored, and admit that we don’t want things to be that way, but we don’t know what to do to change. That’s the problem, when you’re in a rut, you don’t have the energy or motivation to change things for the better, and it’s tough to find the insight or resources you need to make that jump.

Here are two fun and easy ways you can use right now to climb, or better yet, leap, out of the rut and start to get something better for yourself.

1. Do Something Differently

Life tends to run smoothly when we establish systems and routines for things, but the problem comes when things run too smoothly and we become blinded to any ideas or choices that sit outside of our routine. All the stuff we do every day becomes the norm, running on auto-pilot, and it becomes our whole world.

Start with making one or two simple changes to your day – switch up your breakfast, your radio station, gym routine, route to work, lunch routine, etc. For example, my writing routine has become stale and stagnant. But I have found if I go to a bar or coffee shop with my computer, I can write; even with all the noise, it strangely helps. Don’t worry about what the changes are or whether they’re right or wrong, just make a couple of simple choices that will serve you well.

Doing something differently or changing parts of your routine, instantly takes you out of the norm and allows you to shake off the things that make you feel confined. Step out of your routine and you’ll be in a position where you’re able to make different choices, see things differently, and get a different result.

2. Use your Intuition

Your intuition is a powerful ally, and we all have it even though we might not recognize it. The dictionary says that intuition is:

·         The act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes; immediate cognition.

·         Knowledge gained by the use of this faculty; a perceptive insight.

·         A sense of something not evident or deducible; an impression.

I am still working on listening for my intuition and trusting it, but some people say one of the best friends you'll ever have in life is your intuition, and tuning into it and learning to trust it is something that can have some truly remarkable effects. Accessing your intuition is a bit like working and developing a muscle, but unfortunately, it can be harder to locate than a bicep or quadricep, which tend to stay in the same place. Here are some quick tips for accessing and trusting it –

·         Practice maintaining an open-minded, playful, experimental, non-judgmental attitude. This is the most fertile ground to tap into your intuition.

·         Practice making wild guesses in your everyday life. Guess what a salesperson's name is, what a new person or place will look like, or who's calling on the phone. Don't worry about getting it wrong, you're just working that muscle.

·         Try a few simple observation exercises in your daily life. Whether you're in a restaurant, on a train, in a bar, or out shopping, practice noticing non-verbal behavior in others. Look for posture, eye movements, vocal tone or tempo shifts, etc. Guess how they're feeling or what they're talking about.

This week, I did a workshop about intuition and how we sabotage ourselves by ignoring our intuition and desires. I definitely could identify areas in my life where I have sabotaged myself.

Challenge yourself to try one or both of these ideas the next time you have one of those off days, weeks, or months. Having a plan before you experience the rut is a good plan!

In the comments below, tell me what you do to get yourself out of these blah patterns. What’s your plan for the next time you experience one of these days?