Use PLANK method to overcome a bad day
Quite often, I hear people saying, today has been an awful day; I wasn’t appreciated enough for the project I was working on, my day started on a bad note with an argument with my partner or I spilled coffee on my brand new shirt. At the end, it all adds up and makes us anxious, increases our stress level and seals a belief in our mind that the day surely was negative.
We all have good days and bad days in our life. The big question is, how can we handle a bad day? How can we convert a bad day into a valuable day? How can we restructure a bad day into a memorable day?
In this article, I would like to share my new acronym, ‘PLANK’, which has not only helped me overcome a bad day, but has helped me progress on the path of personal growth. I believe, for most of you, the acronym PLANK must be sounding similar to the plank exercise one does in gym to strengthen the core muscles. In some ways, the two are similar. In order to strengthen the core muscles, one has to regularly practice planking. Likewise, developing skills that help you overcome a bad day is like building muscles, which comes through regular practice.
Let me unpack PLANK for you.
Perspective (P). Perspective is such a powerful word. It is quite common that I hear people cribbing; the weather over the weekend was horrible as it was raining like cats and dogs or I had to wait for an hour to get into a restaurant or I was stuck in traffic for two hours. Think for a second, things could have been a lot worse. We live in a world, where nearly half of the population lives on less than $5.50 a day. So is it worth cribbing to wait for an hour (which probably is your choice) to get into a restaurant for food? When you think about the entire city getting devastated with floods, it probably will change your perspective that the weather over the weekend was not that horrible.
Learning (L). There is always an opportunity to learn from a bad day. The question is what did you learn? The learning, for example, could be as simple as to be consciously grateful of things you already have in life, rather than focusing on things you do not have. If you had a disagreement with your partner over an issue, there could be an opportunity to communicate better or understand the family member better.
Acknowledge (A). Acknowledge and accept the feelings and emotions you are experiencing on a bad day. They are your emotions. Own it and do not blame anyone. At times, it is perfectly okay to accept that you are not okay. Next time, if you are having a bad day, just remember and say aloud, that you have managed to get through every bad day in the past. You will make it through this one too.
Nature (N). Nature is a great recovery method. When you walk in the woods or by the ocean and feel the presence in the moment, it reminds you that a bad day is taking you to a better place. It might make you think that, calling it a ‘bad day’ may be your false belief. Always remember, life does not happen to you. Life happens for you, to make you a better person.
Keep a diary (K). Journaling is a great tool to process one’s emotions. From our childhood days, we have been trained to swallow our feelings and emotions. When we experience a bad day or disappointment, society says, be positive. Do not sit idle. Keep yourself occupied at work and you will feel better. I believe this helps, but only for a short period and very soon those negative emotions returns. It is like running away from one’s own emotions. Next time when you experience a bad day, feel and process your emotions. Open your journal and pour your frustrations and disappointments onto a plain white page. You will be surprised to see that in a short period, your toxic emotions will transition into positive emotions and you will start feeling strong.
The PLANK method has worked well for me, and I use this tool whenever I experience a bad day. It is not a one-size fit all approach. What works for one may not work for others. Try it.
How do you overcome a bad day? What methods or tools do you use to convert a bad day into an epic day? Feel free to share.