by Kacie Beeg

Created on: January 28, 2007   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

The every day blues are something many people struggle with on a daily basis. Sometimes, it's hard to know which way to turn. With the hustle and bustle of everyday living and the constant belief in today's society that money and status are everything, it's easy to begin to believe that our own individual lives are mediocre. We start to pick at the little things from the time we wake up, until the time we lay our heads back down at night. We find ourselves constantly unsatisfied with what we have because there's always something bigger and better out there than what we have as portrayed in the media or even in our neighbors' driveways and homes. Sometimes telling ourselves that "the grass is always greener on the other side" or "this too shall pass", or even stretching to say "someone always has it worse than me" does not cut it when it comes to shaking off that sad feeling on a day to day basis. The first thing to do is get with some gratitude. Making a gratitude list every day is an excellent way to chase the blues away. List each and every thing you are grateful for either when you wake up or before you go to bed, no matter how small it is, to remind yourself of the accomplishments, people, and materials you have in your life. Some things included on my gratitude list daily include that I am thankful I have the ability to make my own decisions, that I have the ability to walk, and that I am capable of gainful employment. it does not necessarily have to be all materialistic because when we focus on materials that automatically brings us to the ideas that we could have better.

Another great tool to use is a "worry chair". My therapist taught me this and it works wonders. All you need is a chair, paper, and a pen to start combating those everyday blues. Set aside just fifteen minutes in your day for worrying. The best time to do it is first thing in the morning so you are not carrying the burdens around with you throughout your day. Sit down with a pad and pen and write down absolutely everything that is stressing you out. You can include paying bills, finding a job, family issues, and relationship problems. After you write it all down during your "worry time", rip the page out, crumble it up and throw it in the garbage. It may seem like a stretch, but it truly makes the day smoother. you need to make a commitment to yourself that the rest of the day will be focused on positive things and perhaps fixing some of those worries. After it's thrown away, there's nothing else you can do. You've gotten rid of your worries and there's nothing else worrying can do for you, so just forget it and move on.
The everyday blues can be beaten, if you can look inside yourself and realize that you have potential and things in your life that are wonderful, no matter how big or small. When things go wrong in your life, put the "mental baseball bats" away and don't beat yourself up, give yourself a break. You're only human and you're living your own life the best way you can. If you don't sit and let these blues take over, and use tools, you will find that they fade and you're on your way to a happier you!

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