Remember To Still Do The Mundane Stuff When You’re Upset

When you’re feeling down in the dumps or upset about something, it’s incredibly easy to wallow in that. Derek Sivers reminds us that sometimes the best thing you can do to feel better is to keep up with your mundane tasks.

Picture: bark/Flickr

Sivers outlines several of his methods for dealing with being in a bad place, but he ends his list with a very simple tip:

When I’m upset, I don’t feel like doing anything but wallowing in it.

But despite feeling that way, I brush, floss, go to the gym, make healthy meals, take the kid out to play, do the dishes, clean the house, pick up clutter, vacuum, pay my bills, answer my emails, take my vitamins, do the laundry, play with the kid some more, brush and floss again, turn off the computer early, turn off the phone, and get to bed early.

It’s so mundane, but it really helps to feel on top of things. Things in life well-sorted so I don’t need to worry about them.

It sounds super obvious on the surface, but it’s easy to forget just how much better you can feel by simply going through the motions. Check out Sivers post for more tips for dealing with those crap moments in life.

Getting out of a bad place [Derek Sivers]