Skip to main content

How to overcome a dull day?

Ever had a dull and drab today where your zeal was at an all time low and then suddenly:

  1. An old friend rings you up out of the blue OR
  2. A curious message pops-up OR
  3. An appreciative email arrives OR 
  4. Your social media post receives an unforeseen response OR
  5. Your favorite movie crops up as an OTT recommendation OR
  6. You get invited out for a sudden plan
Wouldn't we all want to have such external things motivate us time and again whenever we are down?

Looking elsewhere for motivation seems easy but we keep forgetting that:

  1. Nobody has time for us  The same people who thronged to our side when we are popular and successful also limit their interactions when their priorities change. Over time any tête-à-tête with such people becomes ponderous and only adds to our discontent   
  2. Diversions aren't a long-term remedy An edge-of-the-seat OTT series, a heart warming movie, an inspiring win for the side you are rooting for, an evocative trip with buddies. All of these provide much needed shots in the arm for a short while but what happens when the routine resumes. Sure, you can hunt for something more stimulating to watch or plan more outings with buddies. What happens when they get over too? What happens to the life that happens in-between these plans? Will your life be all about finding exits for the tedium you encounter?
  3. Idle mind is devil's workshop
    Managing ourselves on the days we have work is fairly easy as our schedule takes care of our sluggishness. The holidays and days-off are a different matter altogether. We are more susceptible to negativity when we are not occupied with our mind wandering off into pointless analyses and futile comparisons. Instead of wasting an entire day reimagining what could have been its healthier to refocus in the direction of what's next. 
Make a dull day count
Make a dull day count <Credits: Siavash Ghanbari>

Life is all about making dull and drab days work for you. While there could be a multitude of external motivating factors, you should also try looking within for the boost to rev up your life's engines. Next time, you come across a tedious day: 
  1. Think of one thing you can get right on that specific day
  2. Tackle at least one of the items on your backlog - Specifically take on that item which you have been putting off for a long time. Try to fix/get it fixed such that you don't have to come back to it later
  3. Evolve a plan for achieving a goal on your bucket list - If you don't have one, start building a bucket list. Activities like this help you fight negativity and move your focus away from the past events.
  4. Make a list of people you need to thank for moulding your life in the right direction
  5. Make a list of all the fortuitous factors which got you this far
  6. Surprise yourself by doing something unexpected - Jolt your routine and spice it up
    1. If you are a movie buff go watch a play
    2. If you are an outdoors person stay indoors and 
    3. If you are an indoors person go out for a trek 
Finally while doing all of this, do cultivate gratitude for the life you are experiencing coz there are many others who are not nearly as fortunate as you. Remember it's up to us to infuse life into each day we are afforded. Next time, don't let a dull day overtake you. Fight it and make it count. 
 
Until Next Time,

Your dull day fighter,
Chaitanya J.J. 

Comments

Popular Posts

Zamarrud Theatre Hyderabad

More than two decades ago a 5 year old boy (yours truly) found himself in Abids which was certainly then the microcosm of Hyderabad. Abids in the 80s <Courtesy: OkaTeluguAbbayi > The occasion was a family outing to Zamarrud Cinema. And we are stepping out for not just any movie my friends, my parents decided that nothing less than the Raj Kapoor blockbuster Chori Chori was good enough for us. To be honest I wasn't exactly enthused about watching a black and white film of a bygone era even though the movie had all the credentials of a classic. But that was before I saw Zamarrud, the theatre where the movie was being played. Nested in the heart of Abids, Zamarrud was the perfect amalgamation of Hyderabad's old world charm and new fangled ways. Zamarrud was not just any theatre, it was one of the first air conditioned halls in Hyderabad, a premiere cinema hall which used to host the best of what the film industry had to offer and the place to go for Hyderabad...

10 Random Things about the First IPL

It's IPL time, the time of the year where cricket turns from a gentleman's game into a three ringed circus for the stars, the people and the players. It's hard to believe that it's been 10 long years since the IPL started but I just seem to remember it like yesterday. As soon I thought about the first IPL I remembered some tight finishes, some great performances, raw emotion, glamour that was on display and some utterly forgettable moments. So here are 10 random things I remember about the first IPL: Teams of the first IPL <Courtesy: Reddit > Akshay Kumar , the brand ambassador (Oh! the brand ambassadors was one way franchises burnt their hard earned money during the first IPL) for Delhi Daredevils (DD) zip-lined his way into the ground for an IPL match. DD followed his example of daredevilry all throughout the league phase before their stunt went all wrong crashing them into the ground in the semis .            Ricky Ponting (yes he p...

The Punisher (2004)

There are very few movies which make for a fun repeat watch. The 2004 version of ' The Punisher ' belongs to this rarefied category. I watched the movie almost 10 years ago and then caught up with it again last month. The plot twists were familiar the second time around but the fun was still the same. That's what probably got me started off on this movie review.    Tom Jane as 'The Punisher' The Plot:  When the younger son of mafia boss Howard Saint ( John Travolta ) gets killed in an FBI operation headed by Frank Castle ( Tom Jane ), Saint swears revenge and wipes out Castle's entire family. Castle himself barely survives before emerging from his injuries as the crusading 'Punisher'. 'The Punisher' resolves to extract payback from Saint and proceeds to punish everyone on the wrong side of law with his brand of justice. Will 'The Punisher' succeed (Of course he does)? Watch this lesser talked about installment from the Marvel Cinematic Un...

A walk along the Ocean - Stanley Park Seawall

On a bright May afternoon I found myself on the Stanley Park Seawall in Vancouver facing the Pacific Ocean . This was the ocean hike that I was most looking forward to. Now before I go any further you might ask me. What is the Seawall? There you go, the picture below should answer your question very well 👇 Stanley Park Seawall (Courtesy: Tourism Vancouver) How did I get there?  Simple via public transport ( TransLink ). In front of me was a 10 KM hike right next to the Pacific Ocean and I was grossly unprepared (didn't even have a bottle of water with me). But water or no water I wasn't about to back out from exploring this beautiful waterfront trail . My first pit stop allowed me to take in the sights of Vancouver downtown along with the  docks . Vancouver Downtown Vancouver docks and the Pan Pacific Hotel Pan Pacific Hotel from the top (Courtesy: BC Ferries Vacations) The next sight to behold my attention was the 100 year old Brockton P...

Mahabharata by C.Rajagopalachari

There are books which you read and then there are books which make you read them and change your life. Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari's (Rajaji's) Mahabharata belongs to the latter category. Mahabharata introduced me to the joy of reading books as a kid and today I couldn't have picked a better topic for my 25th post. I cannot describe what a pleasure and honor it is to extol the virtues of this classic book during this holy festive season of  Makar Sankranti . Mahabharata by C.Rajagopalachari The story of Mahabharata is as old as the mountains and has been retold several times. Mahabharata by Rajaji however stands out in my mind because here is a story which is spiritual yet not religious, is thought provoking yet not preachy, is compelling yet not tedious. The story left an indelible impression upon me for several reasons which are: Rajaji uses extremely simple language to convey some of the finer aspects of the saga. I was 10 years old when I read Mahabharata ...