meltdown

 

{sad}

i am generally a joyful girl.

alas, every now and then i have a meltdown.

today was that day.

i had a good solid sob fest this afternoon.

sometimes frustrations and challenges pile up and i just have to let off some steam...

{time for some tea}

after the cry, i needed to pull it together and move forward with my day.

here is a list of a few things i do that help me dust myself off and carry on after an emotional episode of this sort...

• get present and stay in the moment: i play the environment game. it's a simple meditation. i mentally take note of all the details of my surroundings, focusing only on sensory information - blue sky, warm breeze, sound of airplane overhead.
• give my dog a smooch: i kiss my pup. there is no possible way for me to do this and stay sad. she is happiness in furry form.
• play really, really good music: i choose the most powerful tunes i can find and connect with other people through lyrics or beats. this almost always lifts me out of a funk!
• list things that are great: i practice gratitude. out loud, i state things that are awesome.
• treat myself to small pleasures: this differs depending on the day. today i filled my favorite cup with extra cold fresh iced tea and carried it with me everywhere. seriously, it's incredibly hot here this week!
• reach out and connect with others: i make an effort to reach out to people rather than hiding in my snail shell.  this afternoon, i tweeted for ideas on how to cope and got lots of love back. it felt so good to know that i'm not alone in these moments of madness.

it was a rough afternoon, but thanks to some small rituals and lots of love i feel good tonight.

so now, i'm curious...

what do you do to help yourself feel better after a meltdown?