What do you do on days..

[Zerox]

..when absolutely -nothing- works.

Things you do daily, just doesnt work. You're anxious and need to do something, but it just doesnt work.
You try to play a game, you fail miserably.
You try to watch a movie, you cant focus and thus ruin the experience.
You try to work, make mistakes, gets headaches and everything just sucks.

Yet you have this strong feeling of having to do something.
But it doesnt work.

Im on my second day now and its really frustrating

I guess it could be described as a serious lack of energy.

[Dilman]

Do something you can't possibly fail at, such as going on a bike ride or walk.

[Dreamline]

I assume the universal source is trying hard to get my attention despite my unerring ability to not get the hint.

I do something completely off the wall. Whatever seems the least like me. Shake it up. Get in the car and go try anything new, weird, different. Try to intuit where to be.

Jennifer

[ssandra]

Maybe you should just go back to bed and sleep for an hour or 2 in the middle of the afternoon Go take a nice long shower or bath with candles.... do some shopping and buy something nice for yourself. Make yourself a great diner. Spoil yourself.

Don´t think about what you should be doing or how you should be doing it, just focus on total relaxation of the mind (without meditation, because that probable will not work right now).

Than just accept that these days have been wasted and let them go (you cannot change it anymore anyway), add 1 more day to waste and spoil yourself and you will feel like a new person.

[Gaz]

I tend to indulge in retail therapy. Of course, there are days when that fails miserably as well (you can't find what you want to buy).

I generally find that the best way out of this is to do something that can't possibly fail, but is still useful, like wash the dishes or clean the house or something.

[alainplus]

Lift weights, eat something, then get back to work.

[themaster]

Originally Posted by Zerox

..when absolutely -nothing- works.

Things you do daily, just doesnt work. You're anxious and need to do something, but it just doesnt work.
You try to play a game, you fail miserably.
You try to watch a movie, you cant focus and thus ruin the experience.
You try to work, make mistakes, gets headaches and everything just sucks.

Yet you have this strong feeling of having to do something.
But it doesnt work.

Im on my second day now and its really frustrating

I guess it could be described as a serious lack of energy.

Dude, you chill!!!!!

OMG.. reading your description reads like taking marzipan with some Quaaludes and a high dose of stress..

What should you do you ask??

Do something for you, do something fun and screw everything that gets in your way.. work, food, money whatever gets in your way ignore.. and regain some inner peace..

Originally Posted by Zerox

Yet you have this strong feeling of having to do something.

This is likely a belief or a definition.. do you find yourself believing these things?

- Hard work is its own reward
- I have to do something or I just don't feel good/functional
- Every day and in every way I am just trying to get in my own way

Originally Posted by Zerox

I guess it could be described as a serious lack of energy.

A lack of energy, definitely means you are going likely in a not good or stagnate direction.. take some time for yourself, find out what you want to do.. find out what is your fun and go towards and do your best not to let your fears or ego say some of these things

- I have no money
- I can't I have responsibilities
- I can't just go and do that I have to pay this bill and I have a doctor’s appointment and ..........

(bare in mind do to the random nature of these random throw downs they may not exactly fit your life) best of luck

[aggie]

i have days like that all the time...it is hard to ignore large things like messing up at work...but usually a step back and regrouping is a least a start...in the smaller things in life...everyday things...sounds corny...but as frustrated to point of wanting to hit somebody or scream...it really is about not sweating the small stuff and you will more than likely have another day to do it better...some days are diamonds, some days are dust: i think oh well and trudge on, because i cannot change it. exercise is wonderful...so is cleaning of some sort....very theraputic because you get instant gratification!

[Zerox]

mmm... Doing the dishes or cleaning the house sounds good..
As you said, you cant really fail at it.
You dont even have to focus, can just space out and disappear for a while.

Working out is a no go, you just dont get why and it all feels useless.

Themaster, I do believe that second thing. I have to do something or I'll feel completely useless/not functional.
And on days when nothing works there you are, feeling crappy~

Good thing this only happens a few times a week.

[Remiel]

Been there done that and I think what I ended up having to do is to look inside of me and find out what it is that I really want to be doing. What is my heart trying to tell me? When it happened to me I was going down the wrong path and had to look inside to figure that out.

[themaster]

Originally Posted by Zerox

Themaster, I do believe that second thing. I have to do something or I'll feel completely useless/not functional.
And on days when nothing works there you are, feeling crappy~

Yah, my sister has to do that 2nd thing.. hmm.. wonder if it's taught at college?

My sister has likely been unlearning that idea for 1-2 years now.. it's not a fly by night drop of a belief that I know off.. (but it can be) (Since I have never had this belief it’s hard for me to give personal advice)

Well, I don't have much advice for yah.. my outlined above advice was the best I can muster.. Remiel's advice is good and is about the same equivalent.. here is my advice re-structured in a different way..

Live by:
- no expectations
- follow your highest excitement in every moment (if you find 2 things at the same level of = exciting choose either or)

[MartinP]

When you feel down on yourself, the best thing to do is write down your successes.

This article is a good summary of the concept:

The Kaizan Blog » How to Stay Confident When Life Gets Tough

after reading that I now keep a list of my successes in my wallet and also on my desk. it feels great to go over them, and I always feel more belief in myself afterwards!

[MagicalRealist]

When I have a dog gnawing it's own tail kind of day, it's often because I'm tired. Not dead-tired, but maybe I just didn't get enough deep sleep the night before. You know how cranky-yet-hyper little kids can be when it's past naptime? If I can identify with that, I go take a nap.

Otherwise, I put on loud, aggressive music (this is when I listen all that old Motorhead, Black Sabbath, and Judas Priest ) and do some filthy, dirty, utterly brainless job I've been putting off for a while. Last time, I pulled the washer and dryer out of their closet and cleaned all the accumulated lint and filth and fossilized lost socks from underneath. I've scrubbed soap scum off the shower walls. I've washed the kitchen walls and ceiling. I've taken the entire stovetop apart and detail-cleaned it. I've pulled weeds, I've washed the car, I've cleaned the fridge, I've hauled a load of trash to the dump. You get the idea. Brainless tasks.

It doesn't really matter what I do, or how important that task is to the overall scheme of my life; what it does is give me something specific that needs to be done, that I can accomplish in 1-3 hours, that doesn't require any complicated procedures or decision-making, and that will show a dramatic, visible result once I have finished it.

When I'm done? I'm sweaty, filthy, and have pruny hands, but there is no doubt that I've accomplished something. The shower sparkles. There is space in the garage that used to be full of junk. The refrigerator is no longer terrifying. And by then, all that frustrated energy has been spent and no matter how tired I may be I feel like a big weight has been lifted from me.

I haven't been stuck at work (especially in an office setting) on days like that in a very long time, but if you can't leave, maybe there is some mindless "maintenance" sort of task you've been putting off? Clearing out old files (both physical and on your hard drive), rearranging any pictures or personal items in your office or cubicle, admitting you're not in top form and asking for an idiot-proof task that genuinely needs to be done?

[Salivanth]

When I get a day like that, I generally laugh at myself. I say to myself 'Man: you don't manage this, you fail that, and now you can't even do Easy Task X!'. I know it sounds like self-loathing, but to me it's not: I'm happy to laugh at myself. Once I've done that, I generally get out of my bad mood (which often makes me fail the very tasks that piss me off) and try not to do something too hard for the rest of the day. Next day I get back into it.

And if the universe is trying to tell you something, it's probably something you know in yourself. So do some introspection until you find it.

[Talkofthatown919]

i say to myself you are causing this with your thinking so start thinking how you want things to go

[Zerox]

Originally Posted by Talkofthatown919

i say to myself you are causing this with your thinking so start thinking how you want things to go

You know thats my instinctive response.
And I usually take a moment for myself and start thinking of how it should be. Of how I want it -this- moment.

And then I go back to sucking.

I do believe IM has potential but either im not doing it right. Or it's not working as I've been told.
Wether its psychological or .. universal stuff.

[Remiel]

Oh and on some days I just stop everything and do a relaxing day. I simply do what I want to do instead of what I should be doing. As I see it I simply BE who I am instead of DO to create a better BE. It basically lets me recharge so I can keep going even stronger.

[Parthon]

I've found that this normally happens after a long period of work without substantial results. When you feel like you are 'spinning your wheels' so to speak.

The best thing to do is take a day off to refocus and reconnect with what's important. Remember why you are doing what you are doing and figure out what the next step to take is.

It's basically the inhale, before another long exhale, where you bring in more creative and productive energy before you expend it all again.

[RobbieInspired]

Originally Posted by MartinP

When you feel down on yourself, the best thing to do is write down your successes.

This article is a good summary of the concept:

The Kaizan Blog » How to Stay Confident When Life Gets Tough

after reading that I now keep a list of my successes in my wallet and also on my desk. it feels great to go over them, and I always feel more belief in myself afterwards!

This is a bit of a silly question, but when I keep things in my wallet, like lists of affirmations or like you suggest, a list of achievements, I forget that its there. What do you suggest for reminding yourself to look at it, even though its in your wallet!

[Bruce Achterberg]

Originally Posted by Zerox

..when absolutely -nothing- works.

Things you do daily, just doesnt work. You're anxious and need to do something, but it just doesnt work.
You try to play a game, you fail miserably.
You try to watch a movie, you cant focus and thus ruin the experience.
You try to work, make mistakes, gets headaches and everything just sucks.

Yet you have this strong feeling of having to do something.
But it doesnt work.

Im on my second day now and its really frustrating

I guess it could be described as a serious lack of energy.

Hi Zerox,

I know how you feel. I feel like that too, sometimes.

For me, sometimes the simple answer is just to rest. When I feel like you described, I intuitively have some idea of what to do, and I end up doing it if I just let myself (note: often what I end up doing doesn't meet my mind's criteria of "productive," but in reality--the place where I have a body that has feelings, emotions, levels of energy that can be depleted--it's plenty productive. If the mind had it's way, I'd go non-stop and never sleep; luckily my body kicks in and knocks me out into a deep slumber before that happens ). If I hang around in my head all day, completely obsessed with and stuck in thinking, telling myself I "should" be doing this or I "need" to be doing that, I end up trying to do those things, but not making any progress... at least, not the progress I want (or the progress I tell myself I need to be making). I do make lots of progress on becoming more frustrated and feeling even worse, so at least that's something.

When I get stuck in this pattern, I have to remember that I'm more than just a walking mind; I have a body, too. Ok, my brain is part of my body, but putting too much attention on thinking can create an unbalance, or just ware me out. Usually it's at times like these that I need to slow down, chill out for a bit, and regenerate my energy. Even (gasp!) put some attention into my body (i.e. how I feel; how nice it feels to be in the moment; what my hands feel like; etc. Generally, become more aware of the present and the things within it--including my body). Sometimes I just need to quiet the mental noise I keep creating so I can actually hear--feel--my intuition (which may arise internall, or externally; these days, I don't really see as much of a divide between my internal reality and my external reality... people, every day events, and experiences often convey useful insights. In other words, I "listen" for guidance--things that create shifts in my state and my thinking--both within and without).

At the core--at least, when this happens to me--I find times like this are caused by an imbalance between doing and being. But beyond that, usually I'm stuck on a treadmill of doing because something's bothering me. Simply put, I don't feel good, and so I'm seeking something in external reality to make me feel better. Nothing ever does manage to fill that void for me, though, mostly because there's no void in the first place. I don't believe anybody is ever "broken," and so when you see yourself as broken and try to look for a solution to that, it's no surprise that nothing works. You don't need to fix what isn't broken. Although sometimes I need to remember that I'm not broken, or connect with that part of myself that I'm sort of avoiding in my search for a solution to how I feel about something.

More recently when I don't feel good I just have to realise that, "oh, right, my focus determines how I feel," and then in a minor light bulb moment, I reclaim my power again and realise that "oh, that's right... I can stop thinking these disempowering thoughts and shift my focus to something more empowering."

If you feel you have a lack of energy, perhaps take a few days off to rest. I know, like me, you probably have all these thing you need ("need") to do, but I'm sure you can find a day or two--at the very least, a few hours; an hour; 30 minutes?--to just let yourself do whatever you end up doing when you stop trying to complete all your projects--including the project of "trying to feel better." (A project that can become quite the drain. Best to work on more interesting projects--even if that project is "sleep" or "rest" or "do something mindless while my batteries recharge.")

So this post of mine doesn't really have a specific solution for you, mostly because when I feel similarly to how you're feeling, a solution isn't what I need. The more I see a need for a solution, the more I perpetuate the belief that there's something wrong--that there's something I need ("need") to do (thus creating that reality... although I'm free to think different thoughts--or stop thinking altogether for a moment and just chill out--and create something--perhaps a moment, or a series of moments-that feel(s) better. Frames of minds--perspectives--manifest quite instantly). Sometimes not doing anything is quite an effective strategy that yields great results (this is definitely the case in some 2D fighting games I know of. And in my experience, what works in and what we learn in games has an uncanny applicability to life). And with that, I'll leave you with these two great articles if you'd like some further reading:

• The Art of Surrender | Shift Your Spirits - how to stop thrashing (i.e. getting in your own way) and relax instead of further freaking yourself out and going from not feeling that great to feeling even worse
• Where Anxiety Comes From | Shift Your Spirits - what to do when you experience anxiety--what to do when you feel bad. The answer is often more simple than it seems

Those articles were really helpful to me a few months ago when I was feeling quite bad and grasping for something--anything--to feel better again. My hat goes off to Slade, the author of those articles, since he not only writes damn well, but has lived what he writes about and manages to convey the lessons and insights he's gleamed from his experiences without standing above you--rather, he stands with you; beside you.

One final note: sometimes when I feel bad I tell myself that I need ("need") to be feeling 100% better. Often, from a place of feeling bad, feeling 50% better is all I can muster. Interestingly, when I accept that, often I make the jump to feeling 100% again because in accepting that "okay, maybe I don't feel 100%; maybe it's a bit challenging to feel 100% right now" I drop the story of "I feel bad" or "I need to feel better" and my attention goes away from my mind and into the present where I usually find myself feeling fine, despite what my repetitive patterns of thought would have me believe. I can justify a negative thought or pattern of thinking all I like--it might even be related to something true; something that actually happened--but the more I perpetuate that thought and choose to focus in a way that disempowers me, the more I perpetuate the bad feelings. As my KISS oracle card says:

Pay Attention To Your Thoughts

Thoughts have creative energy. Be sure you are thinking about what you "do" want, and not what you "don't" want. Should you notice your thoughts have wondered to a fear based position, just "cancel - clear - delete" them, and redirect your focus.

It's that easy.

[JacksEarth]

Bruce Achterberg speaks the truth.

Great post man. Love it.

[MartinP]

@RobbieInspired

This is a bit of a silly question, but when I keep things in my wallet, like lists of affirmations or like you suggest, a list of achievements, I forget that its there. What do you suggest for reminding yourself to look at it, even though its in your wallet!

Yeah, I always struggle with this one too! I think the main thing is that it needs to become a habit, so you need to put in the extra effort to make sure you start doing it regularly.

Anyone else have any good ideas?