Blue Mood

You know how some times you get into a pattern where NOTHING seems to be going right? It can happen in any area of your life, of course, but when it happens at work, it seems to hit harder. I think it's because you have to continue to behave professionally to your colleagues, members, and corporate supporters (whereas your friends and loved ones will often give you at least some slack to pout, rage, cry, get even more excessively sarcastic and cynical than normal, etc., at least for a little while), and they really frown (at least at my office) on replacing the water in your environmentally friendly refillable aluminum water bottle with Bloody Marys.

So when that happens, what do you do to pull yourself out of it?

A few of my tricks:

• Music in my office. Help me, Thelonious Monk, you're my only hope.
• Reminding myself, on a minute by minute basis if necessary, that I can't control current circumstances or other people's reactions to them, but I CAN control MY reactions to them, I can choose how I respond, and I want to be able to be proud of being my best self in times of stress, not ashamed of how I took my stress out on other people.
• Taking a walk. Nothing like a little time away from the computer, phone, etc. out in nature to help provide perspective.
• Spending some time reading all your big thinkers and innovators in association management. It reminds me of all the good potential and good ideas in our world that sometimes get to win out.

What are your tricks for getting back on track when it feels like the universe has it in for you?