“Down” Days—Deal with Them and Stay UP!

Q. I’m usually an upbeat person, but there are days when I get really discouraged with the endless schedule of daily work: too many meetings; changing deadlines, demanding customers, boredom from having to do the same things day after day. I don’t want to dance on the production floor, but how can I better handle those periodic “down” days—when everything seems dreary? — Tom F.

A. Welcome to the real world. Everyone has “down” days. So, how to deal with them? First, try to spot it early when you’re “down” more than usual:

• You can’t seem to get going in the morning—everything takes longer.

• You’re tired of the clothes you’re wearing; your usual breakfast doesn’t taste good ; you don’t feel like talking to anyone.

• Your favorite radio station now sounds boring; your co-workers are saying more of the same things you’ve heard too many times.

Once you realize you’re well along on a “down” day, take charge and break the pattern: wear different clothes; try something new for breakfast, listen to a different radio station; take a new route to work; change the way you greet co-workers. Make your own happiness happen. This isn’t always easy to do right after the boss stopped by and dropped three more projects on your already overloaded desk.

You might think of “down” workdays as wandering through a desert: hot, uncomfortable, lonely, exhausting, discouraging— with no end in sight. What would you hope for in a desert? Finding an oasis: lush vegetation, cool shade from trees; delicious, fresh water, rest.

Create Your Own Oasis

Webster’s dictionary defines an oasis as a fertile or green area in an arid region;

something that provides relief from boring or dreary routine; a refuge—a place that offers shelter or protection. Your office water cooler area or break room probably doesn’t look much like an oasis. But you can make your own “oasis” in the midst of what can sometimes seem like an endless desert of work:

• Go to a telephone and call someone you haven’t talked to in a long time. Tell him or her why you haven’t called, and ask how they’re doing. Talk about things you both have in common. You’ll enjoy the warm glow long after you hang up.

• When you’re talking with someone, really listen. Don’t look over the person’s shoulder to see what else is going on. Look for positives in that person’s conversation—ways to appreciate his or her personality, problems, needs at that moment. Show you’re really listening by nodding agreement, asking questions, adding your own comments.

• Phone a friend—and just chat. Tell your friend why you especially enjoy him or her—why you value the friendship. Set a time to get together soon.

• Take five minutes of quiet time—even if you’re on your way to doing something else. Think of the good aspects of your job, your family, life, hobbies. Use that time to create your own “oasis of serenity.”

• Use your break time (or take time out) to re-load your mind with something different, like learning a foreign language. There are several simple language books available, like “French—in Just 10 Minutes a Day.”

• Make a list of everything in your career and life that you’re proud of. Write some positive action plans for the rest of the day, week, month.

• Keep some inspirational reading nearby, and take a few minutes to read it; think about the ideas, and savor them throughout the day. Check out Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff at Work by Richard Carlson, or Live for the Moment by Leo Buscaglia.

• If you’re allowed to use a small cassette player, take some time out to enjoy some music.

• Enjoy lunch or a coffee break with pleasant work associates.

• Learn something new about your product, your company or your job. This keeps you focused on growth, not boredom with stagnation.

• Try to solve a brainteaser throughout the day. It’ll stimulate your thinking.

• Cheer up a co-worker; brighten someone’s day.

• Make someone laugh with a funny story.

• Keep a plant or terrarium by your desk. Look at it. Enjoy it. “Garden” it.

• Keep a journal—a few minutes each hour—of ideas, concerns, wishes.

• Go to a workplace associate you barely know and introduce yourself; ask how his or her job relates to yours; look for ways to work together more closely.

You get the idea: get busy and take the initiative to change your pattern and put some new behaviors into your work life. You’ll have a lot less inclination to be “down.”