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Hands up if you are a person who is so balanced that you have NEVER had a Blah Day in your Life.
If your hand went up, then please share your Secret Sauce with me!
I still remember that day in March 2014 when I had an epic Blah Day – the seeds of which had been sown a week before. If you are a long time reader of my blog or know me in person, then you know that I’m usually on top of my game armed with my daily ritual which includes Chakra balancing, meditation and walking Coco. But guess what? Blah days happen to everyone, and I’m no exception.
On the Friday preceding Blah Day, I got pushed very badly by a fellow resident while out walking Coco. In my attempt to protect Coco, I took the fall that set off spasms of pain in my lower back. Things got bad enough to rush to the Emergency OPD by Sunday morning.
I was still alright, I guess but my tolerance levels were slipping thanks to the painkillers. I systematically did all the Maintenance Tasks that I could do and selected the Productive Tasks based on immediate priority for the periods when I could sit up.
Then the Blah Day happened
My mobile service provider had outsourced a new verification drive to a Third Party that was supposed to collect some documents. They did not keep their appointments. I called the service provider and they told me that there was no drive and I should not hand over my documents to anyone.
The next morning, I got a text message to immediately deliver the documents for verification with the ultimatum that non-compliance meant discontinuing my service. This was just as I was preparing to go to the hospital for a check-up.
I called, I emailed and suddenly it appeared that I had to submit the documents. No explanation of having told me earlier that I did not have to. Fortunately, the franchisee of the service provider in my locality with whom I’ve been doing business for more than a decade reassured me that if I got the documents delivered in the afternoon, he would do the needful.
Then we got to the hospital and when I came out to drive home, someone without a car plate had blocked my car! It took us 45 minutes to locate the owner who did not bother to apologize.
I got home; started receiving calls from the service provider who had not read my complaint letter properly and packed them off to read it. Just as I thought I needed to lie down, my customer service officer at my primary bank called.
It was not to inquire about my health but to tell me that he wanted to teach a customer how to use online banking for placing fixed deposits and could I go online and place a deposit for testing?
He persisted with his request and I finally growled a firm no and shot him an email telling him that this was a breach of client relationship. I got an immediate apology and good wishes for a speedy recovery.
I concluded that the world had gone crazy and I was transforming into the Red Queen ready to shout “Off with His Head”.
It was time to take a breather and work out what was happening.
These things happen and given a back problem, I knew my resilience was low.
I realized that the area of injury corresponded to my 2 lower Chakras – the Root (which was caused by my health concerns and pain) and Sacral (caused by the heavy painkillers) Chakras. With these 2 Chakras out of balance, my energy was blocked and to compensate, my Manipura or Solar Plexus Chakra was going into overdrive and manifesting as anger, helplessness and irritation. I was out of balance, even if temporarily.
It was time to put the Karmic Ally Coaching 4 Step Action Plan to work
Within 30 minutes, I was back to normal. Here’s my 4 Step Action Plan that got me back in balance. You can use it too even if you don’t have a back problem.
Step 1 – Contemplate
Make an honest evaluation of the situation and note how you are feeling and if you are feeling any kind of heaviness in the body. This will give you an indication of which Chakra’s energy may be blocked or out of balance.
Step 2 – Prepare to heal thyself
Still your mind with breathing and grounding exercises. My post titled Breathe and meditate to manage stress shows you how to do it.
Step 3 – Action
Now you are in a place to take course corrective action.
Awareness – Identify the specific feelings that you are experiencing and
Acceptance – However painful, accept yourself and your feelings. You are human and you have permission to feel. You also have permission to be kind to yourself.
Chakra Exercises – Meditate on each Chakra where you have identified the sense of blockage. For this, with eyes closed, visualize a white ball of light descending from your crown or top of the head and flowing down your spinal cord to the location of the concerned Chakra. See it turn into the color of the Chakra and visualize the Chakra rotating at the right speed.
Alternatively, visualize the light descending to that Chakra as you inhale and releasing any negative energy on exhalation. Do this for a couple of minutes.
You can enhance your actions by keeping a crystal related to the Chakra in your palms while you meditate or a Clear Crystal Quartz – the all-rounder crystal. Affirmations that resonate with you and lighting incense also help with the breathing. Learn more about using crystals in my post The Magic of Crystals -especially for the Solar Plexus Chakra.
If you want a complete set of Chakra Balancing Exercises that are good for overall balancing, my ebook Stress Management with Chakra Balancing Exercises is a good resource.
Step 4 – Check
Having done step 3, assess how you are feeling and if the sense of heaviness has gone. The final part is to forgive the person or situation that brought on the imbalance and show gratitude for all that you have.
That’s what I did too. I was grateful for the franchisee who got things sorted out and for the faith that my customer service officer had in me that I would help. I forgave the document collector who was only doing his job as well as the banker because he later realized that he couldn’t force a customer to place a fixed deposit to teach another customer.
I was grateful for the emergency help I got at the Hospital OPD that kept me going until my personal Orthopaedic Surgeon was back in town from his lecture tour in the USA and could help me with my new back problem.
I often find that even if the actions have not been done correctly, the simple acts of gratitude and forgiveness help to release these temporary energy blockages and prevent long-term illnesses.
I haven’t experienced such a nightmarish day since or felt like the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland (or even the Grumpy Kitty) but I know better and take five if my health is not up to par and my resilience is at a low. That’s a better way to manage life.
Have you ever had my kind of blah day or any kind of blah day that was nightmarish? How did you cope with it? I’d love to read your personal coping tips!
PS. This post originally appeared way back in 2014 in my original blog Vatsala’s Tips for a Stress Free Life and the links for the 3 Chakra’s discussed are to posts at that blog.
Forgiveness and gratitude are miracle workers. Thank you for sharing your story as a way to help others. Tips and tools and how we may all be similar and have those similar days helps us all to feel less alone.
We are all similar, Heather Maria, and we all have blah days. Knowing that one is not alone in experiencing this makes it easier to take action and control the severity of the day.
It is certainly true that “when it rains, it pours.” When I see the day going down the tubes, I back up, sit down, catch my breath, and spend the rest of the day in meditation and positive practices. There is no point pushing on if the energy is low and dark. Sometimes that means I push all my “to-dos” to the next day and just rest.
Same here, Barbara. If the day is going from bad to worse, I immediately shift gear and get what needs to be done out of the way and reschedule other tasks because I know my effort won’t give results and only add to my Grumpy Kitty mood.
Everyone has had a blah day, I know I have. Great tips Vatsala! I practice acceptance and reassure myself it’s just an hour, a day etc.This too shall pass. Many Blessings to you and your family, Lisa
Thanks Lisa. Reminding ourselves the situation will pass helps to stay strong when the situation is outside of our control.
Vatsala, you are just what the doctored ordered. I was wondering what to use for the solar plexus and you have kindly provided the answer. I have various crystals and keep amethyst on my desk and rose quartz next to my bed. I can see by adding forgiveness and gratitude how it can change the whole energy dynamics. I know going to change my idea of “bad” days into days of deeper learning.
You’ve made my day, Joyce. I’m happiest when I know I’ve helped find a solution to a problem. Amber is a great stone for the solar plexus area. I love amethysts and red garnets. The former is a wonderful crystal for spirituality and sleep and the latter helps me to keep myself grounded. Reframing bad days into days of deeper learning is a great idea. Finding the silver lining in the dark cloud. 🙂
I know those blah days too and like you have found ways that allow me to step away, contemplate and regroup. it wasn’t always that way a blad day could be a total disater day that took my right off track. love you 4 steps
thank you xx
Regrouping for strategy is the best way to make the most of a day which otherwise feels like its heading for the drain, Suzie. It’s up to us to stay on top of our game with resilience building exercises.