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Mental Health

Woman shares genius hack to turning a bad day around. It's easy and free.

Leave the world a better place.

Photo credit: Canva

Having a bad day? Try this easy hack to turn it around.

Having a bad day or even week is inevitable if you're a conscious human on planet earth. Bad days have no age limit or gender. They happen to the best of us even when we're doing our best to keep everything running as smoothly as possible. But the universe isn't set up to allow anyone to have complete control over everything happening in their lives. It will rain on someone's wedding day and Alanis Morissette will sing all about it.

You will will spill coffee on your shirt right before an interview or your new puppy's potty accident will collide with your well meaning robot vacuum. There will always be one seemingly small inconvenience that sets off a chain of events solidifying you in the bad day category. But when that happens, how do you turn it around?

One woman has found a simple solution to hack the bad day blues and it just may work for you when you're having a glum day as well.

Gigi Peache has been open about her struggles with different mental illnesses including severe bouts of depression so the Aussie is no stranger to bad days. After a more recent encounter with sadness, Peache did what she has done for quite a while, but this time she decided to share her secret in hopes to help others.

woman looking at the floor Photo by Tiago Bandeira on Unsplash

"Do you ever have a bad day? Because I have a lot of bad days and this is one thing I like to do when I'm having a bad day and it's come to my attention that other people don't do it because whenever I say it out loud they're like, 'oh, what?' And I really want to share it with you because I think it'll be beneficial because it's a nice way to put something positive back out into the universe," the woman says before further explaining that it's a way of making the world a better place.

Already, whatever Peache is going to say sounds promising since most people do want to make the world a better place, even if it doesn't always feel like it. So if someone is giving you a simple key to make the world better while also pulling yourself out of a sadness slump, people might be inclined to listen.

a woman looking out of a window with blinds Photo by Joshua Rawson-Harris on Unsplash

Peache then shares something so sweet she can't help to be giddy about it, "so what I like to do is, I like to call and leave a compliment. Where do I call? Anywhere I've been! If I've been to a cafe and the girl that served me just...she just did her job, I'm calling, I'm talking to the manager and I'm leaving a compliment. 'Kelly did an amazing job. I'm blown away."

Through giggles the woman shares that she doesn't care where she's been that week, if she's having a bad day she will think back to anywhere she's gone and leave a compliment with the manager. She says she even does this if has no idea what the person's name is.

"It's just a silly little thing and I know and I know some people when they're having a bad day they want to talk to the manager and they want to complain, but no no no no, turn it around. Call and leave a compliment," Peache says before adding. "For all we know, that person was this far away from getting a promotion and now they've got it. For all we know they were this far away from getting fired and now they're not."


@gigi.peache How to have a slightly better bad day 😇🥰🌻 #kindness #badday #mentalhealth #goodvibes ♬ original sound - Gigi Peache

People love the idea, with one person writing, "omg I love this , I try to compliment someone when I'm out shopping etc when I'm down but this is even better."

Another person shares, "this is a great idea, I love it! plus, managers DO tend to want to know positive feedback because customers are far more likely to take the effort to leave a complaint rather than a compliment!"

"I’m going to start doing this! Adding it to my MH [mental health] Toolbox now," someone else says.

woman in gray hoodie smiling Photo by Brian Wangenheim on Unsplash

"LOVE this idea and will definitely be trying it out! So much negativity in this world - positivity is the way to go," one person chimes in.

"This is the sweetest thing & such a good mood booster," another writes as someone else points out an alternative for those who don't care for phone calls, "also, leaving good Google reviews and putting in the employees name, if you're too anxious to call. That's great as well!"

This trick may seem like it's not a big deal or something that isn't going to work, but it's free to try and the worse that happens is you make someone else smile.

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Mental Health

3 signs you might need to take a mental health day and how to talk to your employer about it

Mental health days can be very good for business.

Cliff Booth|Canva and Silviarita|Canva

3 signs you might need to take a mental health day from work

People are starting to take their mental health more seriously and utilizing mental health day. Some companies have even started offering mental health days for their employees on top of their regular sick and vacation days to ensure their employees needs are met. But how do you know it may be time to take a mental health day before you're burned out completely?

One of the coolest things about our bodies is that it gives us cues on what it needs. We're used to the loud physical cues like a grumbling tummy that lets you know it's time to eat or excessive yawning and dry eyes that tell you its time to sleep. But there are other cues that we have either overlooked or haven't quite learned to recognize what our body is trying to tell us and those have to do with needing a mental health break.

When we think of our mental health, we don't often think about the physical symptoms that can be a precursor to emotional symptoms. It's the emotional symptoms that generally get our attention that say something may be bothering us, but our bodies give us clues. Maybe we should listen a bit more closely.

1. You're always tired.

It doesn't seem to matter how much sleep you got the night before, as soon as you get to work, you're exhausted. All you can think about is going home and crawling back in bed. But when your shift is over, suddenly your energy rebounds and you feel like you can do everything you want to do.

2. Frequent headaches

It's normal to get a headache every once in a while but for some reason you seem to only get them when you're either at work, thinking about work or are getting ready to go to work. Could it be that work is giving you the headache? Possibly. Instead of stocking up on Aleve, you might just need a staycation for a couple of days to reset.

3. Muscle pain

For some reason your shoulders, neck and jaw muscles are always tight and you can't figure out why. You try working the knots out yourself and even trade shoulder massages with your officemate but it keeps coming back. It could be tension that you're carrying from work. Our shoulders, necks and jaws are places that tend to hold a lot of our tension so if you're noticing constant muscle tightness in those areas while at work, it's probably time to check in with yourself.

Of course, many of us ignore these physical symptoms of stress and push through, which can cause us to be more curt, snippy, easily irritated and flustered. Once you surpass the obvious symptoms that often feel like undue irritation, we can then slide into crying on breaks, heightened anxiety, feelings of depression, and more. Unfortunately, many people wait until they reach the more disruptive stages before recognizing they need to take a mental health break.

Now that you know the symptoms, how do you ask for a break? If you're not working for yourself, chances are you're reporting to a boss of some sort and will need to disclose you'd like to take a mental health break. If don't work for a company that offers them, you can send an email or ask for a meeting.

You could say something along the lines of, "I'm really invested in the success of the company and my role within in it. In order for me to continue being successful and showing up at my best, I'd like to take two days off next week to focus on my mental health and recharging my battery."

Depending on your company policy, you may need to give more notice. If it's an emergent mental health situation it's always best practice to be candid about your needs without disclosing an excessive amount of unneeded information.

This article was written by Jacalyn Wetzel, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and practicing therapist.

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Celebrity

A famous therapist says anxiety and excitement feel the same. People amusingly disagree.

Where'd she buy that anxiety? Is that on Amazon?

BBeargTeam|Wikicommons

Brené Brown's view on anxiety has people amusingly disagreeing

Imagine that you're about to head to the airport for a tropical vacation when suddenly you're so excited that you feel like you're going to die. Your heart starts feeling like it's rolling around in your chest, your hands are sweaty and your vision is going blurry all while you're trying to drive to the airport. That doesn't sound very exciting does it?

But Brené Brown, a famous therapist, is quoted saying, "anxiety and excitement feel the same, but how we interpret and label them can determine how we experience them." The quote is from her book, "Atlas of the Heart," where Brown is exploring 87 different emotions and experiences that comprise the human experience.

The quote, meant to be inspirational was shared to Upworthy's social media page and people have some distinctions between anxiety and excitement that they'd like Brown to know about. Their grievances were hilarious and valid.

"Cool so I’ll just tell my body I’m having an excitement attack instead of panic attack next time. Cuz the label will make it feel better," one commenter writes.

Is this sort of anxiety on sale somewhere? Maybe on Amazon perhaps? The level of positive thinking and self talk it would take to convince yourself that your anxiety is simply excitement seems like an Olympic level sport. If it were as simple as the short quote would have you believe then it would probably save people on unnecessary trips to the hospital.

"I’d like to experiment her kind of anxiety if it’s exciting mine lands me the hospital crying in distress. Wouldn’t say that’s exciting," someone else jokes.

"She's off on that one. Anxiety does NOT in any way feel like excitement. Excitement feels like excitement!!!!!," another proclaimed.

"Ummm excitement definitely doesn't make me feel like I'm going to pass out," one person wrote.

Bren\u00e9 Brown; anxiety and excitement; mental health; mental health awareness; anxiety disorder

woman in orange long sleeve shirt sitting on floor

Photo by Joice Kelly on Unsplash

Well, Brené the jury is definitely not out on this one. People cannot be convinced that anxiety and excitement are the same and while Brown's quote is often shared in this short form, it's important to remember that it's from an entire chapter from an entire book. The chances are very high that if quoted fully in context, it would make much more sense.

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Mental Health

Video explains how to navigate romantic relationships when your partner has bipolar disorder

They use their own diagnosis with the disorder to help others.

Milly Stone TV|TikTok

Video gives tips on dating someone with bipolar disorder

Loving someone with a mental illness can be a difficult journey, especially if you're not sure what's helpful and what's not.

Not only can mental illnesses be overwhelming for the person diagnosed but it can also be overwhelming for their partner. Every mental health diagnosis comes with its own set of challenges that require a unique approach but there are some basics that can be helpful to know.

One TikTok creator that goes by Milly Stone TV uploaded a video explaining how to be in a relationship with someone with a mental illness. Milly clarifies in the video that they have bipolar depression and is speaking from that perspective but what's being said can apply to other mental illnesses.

Though the video was made for Mental Health Awareness Day, it's useful information to have year round. In the caption, Milly explained what motivated them to share these tips.

"I saw someone said, 'we don't talk about being with someone with a mental disorder enough,' so let me just give some input," the caption reads.

Milly sits in the car with their laptop as they go into the relationship dos and don'ts, likely answering a lot of unspoken questions loved ones have.

"First and foremost understand, it's not a personal attack on you. Communication is vital and empathy is important. Understand that they are not your responsibility," they say bluntly. "A lot of people look at us and see us as liabilities that they gotta take on because they love us. No, I'm not your responsibility, I'm your partner, ok?"

If you love someone with a mental illness, Milly goes on to list even more tips in the video below.

@millystonetv

I saw someone said “we dont talk about being with someone with a mental disorder enough” so lemme just give some input #millystonetv #mentalhealthawareness #bipolardisorder #relationships #studsoftiktok #fyp #lgbt🌈 #love

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