Bad Day Remedies

(Image courtesy of https://www.songfacts.com/facts/daniel-powter/bad-day)

Bad Days are unavoidable. As much as we all would love to nail every presentation or score any goal, we are human and bound to make mistakes. I had one of those days today. Last night, I did a presentation deck last minute (I was working on another assignment for another class) and made not one nor two but five spelling errors. These spelling errors were easily avoidable. If I had the chance to recheck my work, I would have made sure that they would not appear. Yet, I did not double-check, and I was humiliated.

I know what you might say, " Five words, Rachel, you got upset over five words." At this time last year, I would have laughed at myself too. But as I began to learn more and more about the communications industry, I realized that words are our currency; my spelling mistakes on a presentation would equate me having five rounding errors on a company audit before submission to the SEC. I am aware that this was a school assignment, but it was about a project I spent three months working on. I was annoyed with myself, to say the very least.

Whenever I am having a bad day, I try to do two simple tasks to make my day better.

1. Play with my dog:

There are numerous benefits of having a dog in your life. Science Insider creates a video that describes the physical and psychological impacts of having a dog. See below!

One of my favorite things to do with Oliver is going on a walk. My program is still remote due to the pandemic; thus, I constantly sit in front of my computer. Having Oliver gives me a chance to get some fresh air and have social interactions. Here are some pictures from our walks.

( Oliver and Me on a walk behind Breakaway Cafe in Chapel Hill with Christina and her pup Jersey)

2. Watch a great movie (or two)

Movies allow viewers to escape from reality and traverse space and time. My go-to bad day movie is Legally Blonde. The iconic 2001 film stars Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods, a go-getter who becomes a Harvard Law student. Woods' optimism and drive in the face of adversity have cemented her in the hearts and minds of Millennials, Zillennials, and Gen Z. Birgit Wolz, PhD., MFT believes in cinema therapy which is the belief that watching a great movie can have health benefits.

According to Wolz, PhD., MFT, " Cinema therapy can be a powerful catalyst for healing and growth for anybody who is open to learning how movies affect us and to watching certain films with conscious awareness. Cinema therapy allows us to use the effect of imagery, plot, music, etc. in films on our psyche for insight, inspiration, emotional release or relief and natural change." For more information about Cinema Therapy go to https://psychcentral.com/blog/how-watching-movies-can-benefit-our-mental-health#1

(A photo of Elle Woods and her dog Bruiser Woods. Image courtesy of https://www.amazon.com/Legally-Blonde-Reese-Witherspoon/dp/B000VCLGBY)

Safe to say, I will forever check my spelling and grammar before giving a presentation. But the next time I will have a bad day, I will take Oliver on a walk and watch an American cinematic classic or two.

(gif courtesy of wix.com)