9 ways to break free of the Craposphere

Do you ever have days (or weeks) where you wonder what the hell just happened? Where life seems to go sideways despite your best laid plans, leaving you with a bit of a just-hit-by-a-truck feeling?

 

I’ve been having that lately, and truthfully, it makes it difficult to want to write shiny happy posts. So in the interest of authenticity, today I’m jumping in and embracing the fact that I’ve been feeling crappy. I don’t mean embracing it like, “Whee-ha! Ain’t it great to feel crappy?!” I mean embracing the fact that getting stuck in the craposphere is a part of the journey that everybody encounters from time to time.

 

The big question isn’t, “Why is this happening to me?” Crapitude in some form happens to everybody along the way. It’s a part of life. The question then is, “What do I do about it?”

 

Here are some thoughts of what works for me. I’d love to hear what works for you as well.

 

Wallow in it

 

OK, I know this doesn’t seem like your standard happy schmappy self-help advice, but sometimes I’m just in too deep to want to start moving into a positive space. Sometimes the first step in getting out of the craposphere is just letting myself wallow in the muck for a bit.

 

When I do that, eventually my wallowing starts to run out of steam, and I get tired of it. Then I’m ready to move into a more positive and proactive state.

 

Express gratitude

 

When you’re stuck in a crapospheric orbit, everything looks bleak. It’s easy to paint the entire world with a broad negative brush.

 

Instead, spend some time focused on gratitude. What is good in your life – big or small? What are you grateful for? Recently, my friend Nancy Solomon encouraged me to make a gratitude list to help start shifting my focus. At the time I was still heavily into the wallow stage, and I didn’t really want to get positive. So I ignored her very good advice.

 

But she had planted a seed. As I started to tire of wallowing, I began thinking, “Well, what am I grateful for? What is good in my life?” My brain started picking it up at random intervals, taking inventory of all the really very positive things in my life. Bit by bit, color started coming back into my monochrome picture.

 

Reach out

 

When you’re stuck in the craposphere, it’s no time to grit your teeth and say, “I can do it myself.” Now is the time to reach out. You need to talk to mission control back down on earth. Tell your friends and/or family what’s going on, and what you’re feeling. Looking for a solution? Let them know. Not ready to shift into problem-solving mode yet and just want to blow off steam? Ask them to just listen and not try to solve it.

 

Take action

 

The craposphere feeds on inaction and a sense of helplessness. The more helpless you feel, the stronger its hold on you. To break free of the craposphere, do something. Take action. Take steps that lead away from where you are towards where you want to be.

Learn

Depending on the source of your launch into the craposphere, there may be something to learn from it. Rather than just bemoaning what happened, it can sometimes be helpful to spend some time exploring what you can learn from it, and how that better equips you to do things differently in the future.

Have healthy habits

 

It may be tempting to spend your time sitting on the couch, stuffing your face with ice cream and chips and watching mindless television, but that’s a recipe for locking yourself into the craposphere. Instead, look for ways to get active and eat healthily.

 

Try incorporating things you actually like and enjoy. If I had had to rely on going to the gym and riding a stationary bike, odds are good I would have gotten no exercise of late. But I love inline skating and dancing. They’re energizing and fun, even if I’m in a crappy mood.

 

On the food front, I recently discovered green smoothies. Yesterday I made one with an apple, a couple cups of grapes, a bunch of kale, some cucumber, and a few string beans (sounds vile, I know, but it’s actually really good). Throw it all in the blender and, voila! A healthy, tasty snack.

 

The way I make it, it ends up with the consistency and taste of apple sauce (most people make them more drink-like). I put it in the refrigerator and snack on it throughout the day. Because it’s sweet and tastes good, I haven’t had to force myself to get the fruits and veggies I need – I’ve just done it.

 

Focus on nature

 

The natural world can have a soothing, restorative effect. If you can, spend some time out in nature. Go for a walk in the country. If that’s not an option, find a park. You can even get a nature fix just by focusing on the plants and animals around you in the city.

 

The other day as I was sitting on my couch, I decided to focus on the two trees outside my window, enjoying a little sliver of nature. The windows were open, so I could feel a breeze, and I could hear a variety of birds. As I did directed my attention there, I could feel a growing sense of tranquility.

 

Look for sources of inspiration

 

Look for books and movies that inspire you. Fill your mind with positive stimuli. For me, books and movies about people who have overcome great odds or who are taking action to make the world a better place (or both) are always a good bet.

 

Let yourself feel

 

Finally, don’t stuff your feelings and pretend they’re not there. Let yourself feel. Expressing your emotions can be cathartic, and a vital step to leaving the craposphere behind and stepping back into life.

 

How about you? How do you break free of the craposphere?   

--

Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM