When I’m having a bad day

Let’s face it…NOBODY is immune to a bad day. Whether it’s caused by a sleepless night, your dog waking you up at 5AM to go potty (this happens to me all too often) or you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed, you can always make things a little better.

Here are some of my favorite “bad day” remedies:

1. BREATHE:

   While you may be sick and tired of the same old advice or the “breathwork” craze, chances are, when you give it a chance, you’ll understand why it’s so popular. It sounds so simple and almost silly to have to remind ourselves to breathe, but honestly, you’d be surprised how tense you are or how often you’re holding your breath throughout the day. Studies show that when you exhale for longer than you inhale, stress and anxiety can be reduced quite a lot, as it can enhance your Heart Rate Variability (HRV), which in turn can calm your nervous system. One of my favorite, simple, breathing exercises that I learned from my incredible Acupuncturist, Dr. Kim, is this: Inhale for 1, 2, 3 and immediately exhale (not pausing) for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (optional pause in between breath cycles). If you do this even just 3-5 times, you will likely feel a little bit calmer and maybe even a little more optimistic afterwards.

2. MOVE:

   Again, you’ve probably been given this advice before, but I am a firm believer in movement being the cure to a bad day. It’s crazy how much a simple 10-20 minute walk can turn around feelings of anxiety, depression, or even anger. When I’m having a bad day, I know that after walking, I’ll return with a clearer mind and headspace, at the very least. Another form of movement that is great for when you need a pick me up, is yoga! Below, I’m linking a few of my favorite yoga videos (free on youtube) for a quick pick me up:

10 Minute Stretch - Boho Beautiful Yoga

“Stress Relief” Yoga - Boho Beautiful Yoga

“Movement Medicine” Yoga - Yoga With Adriene

3. PODCASTS:

I don’t know about you all, but i’ve become a real podcast girly over the past year or two, and sometimes when I need a pick me up, putting on a podcast while i’m walking, working, or cooking has become a ritual! Some episodes in particular that make me giggle are:

Armchair Expert: Any of these episodes will put a smile on your face, but the ones that I find particularly funny/all around great are:

• Maya Rudolph Episode

• Arm Chair Anonymous: Babysitting

• Arm Chair Anonymous: Worst Job Interview

Tetragrammaton (Rick Rubin’s Podcast): These episodes made me smile, I found them to be more interesting than funny.

• Robert Downey Jr.

• 4 Readings with Patricia Sun - for my astrology lovers

• Nick Cave

There’s many more.. but I think we may need a whole podcast recommendation category….or a part 2..

Takeaways: We all have bad days, and maybe the most important takeaway from all this, is to be kind to yourself, and instead of trying to ignore or pretend you’re not having a tough day, just accept and acknowledge it, and then do what makes you feel good!

all my love,

Sachi