What a tarot reader does when they’ve had a crap day

Lately, I’ve been what my mother would call “in a mood.” Grumpy. Lazy. Out of sorts. In a rut because I’m out of my regular routine.

Being on a quasi-hiatus/summer schedule has made me feel out of touch and rusty. And grumpy. Did I mention grumpy already? It bears repeating.

There’s only so much wallowing that a girl can take before it’s time to decide to claw her way out of it. It doesn’t take a minute or a moment or even a day. Sometimes several days of positive consistent action is needed to get out of the slump.

The following have been my attempts at getting out of the rut/funk:

• Read an inspirational book.

Recently I went on a book-buying spree and bought the following:

• Radical Self Love by Gala Darling
• Glad No Matter What by SARK
• Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper by SARK

I have a tendency (and I think I’ve written about it before) to read up to ten different books at a time in a bizarre quirk that I like to call Book OCD. Find me on Good Reads if you don’t believe me.

Other books that will jump-start you when you’re feeling not so hot:

• The War of Art and Do the Work by Steven Pressfield
• What to Do When It’s Your Turn (and It’s Always Your Turn) by Seth Godin
• Lucky Bitch by Denise Duffield-Thomas

 

• Have a meltdown about something that is in no way related to the reason why you’re feeling shitty. (generally not recommended!)

I’m grateful I purchased Glad No Matter What, because it talks about this very topic, but with regard to the concept of loss.

 “Even thinking about loss can bring more feelings of loss forward. I call it ‘loss multiplying.’ It’s where one loss reminds you of another, and another and it can multiply and become more than it even is.”—SARK

SARK calls it “loss multiplying”. I call it the Snowballing Anger Effect, because most of the time, when I am feeling shitty it’s not a sadness I feel… or even if it IS a sadness I feel, it quickly translates to an almost blinding rage. I become angry as a defense mechanism so I don’t have to feel the way I really want to feel: sad, frustrated, hopeless, or defeated. This results in a lot of hurt feelings (my own and others) and a whole heap-ton of projection. Hence why I say this approach is generally not recommended. Self-awareness is pretty key to keeping projection issues at bay (and tarot is an excellent tool for remaining self-aware!).

 

• Exercise.

Getting out of your head is easier when you put the focus on your physical body and its needs. The mind can convince us into and out of so many different things, but if you actually physically make the effort to start something (including exercise), after the first few minutes your body chemistry and mind may change from “I’m not in the right mindset for this” to “Okay, I got this, it’s already happening so I might as well see it through.”

 

• Do the exact opposite of what you’ve been doing.

Burnt out because you’ve been doing too many readings? Take a break. Not enough readings? Do one for you, for someone else… for free and out of the kindness of your heart if you want (hey, it’s that person’s lucky day if you happen to charge usually!). Moping around in your PJs? Take a shower and throw some clean clothes on, and see how you feel when you’ve done it. Still in the same mood? Then go outside, take a walk, or just sit on a park bench reading or observing the world around you.

 

• Make a gratitude list.

While misery may love company, so does thankfulness and gratitude. Remember what I said above about the “Snowballing Anger Effect”? This can work in reverse. Even if you don’t think you have ANYTHING to be grateful for, start with just one thing… and keep going. Even tiny things can have a big effect on us. Even if the list starts with, “I am grateful to be alive,” it is still a start. Now keep going listing everything you are grateful for. Write until your mood has shifted and you feel a smile (however small) on your face.

 

• Make a cup of tea.

Or whatever variation of this that will soothe you. My family is from England, so no matter what is happening, we make tea. Get bad news? Put the kettle on. Get good news? Put the kettle on. Company coming? Put the kettle on. You catch my drift.

A warm cup of something in your hands has the potential to warm your heart as well. Even better to share the moment with someone else, even if it is in silence.

 

• Eat something good for you.

We are what we eat. It’s a cliche, but it’s a cliche for a reason. Every time I give in to my junk food craving, the instant relief of grease and salt doesn’t end up outweighing how horrible I feel afterward.

Instant food = instant regret. Think about it the next time you feel the urge to “eat your feelings.”

 

• Eat something bad for you.

That being said, sometimes you need to just eat the damn chocolate chip cookie and be sad for a little while.

 

• Retail therapy

You don’t need to break the bank or make yourself feel worse by spending much. A splurge could be as little as a new tube of LipSmackers gloss or as big as a new watch or jewelry that makes you feel like a superhero when you wear it.

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Finally, keep in mind that a tarot reader is no different from the rest of humanity: though we have some pretty specific issues, we are all inherently the same, especially when we feel in a rut or a bad mood or that nothing we do is right.

For more tips, here is some further reading:
10 Ways to Get Yourself Out of a Funk

Get Unstuck

How to get “back on track” with a goal when you’re backsliding, hard.

 

Blessings,
~*~Hilary~*~
www.tarotbyhilary.com

What do you when a bad mood leaves you feeling sidelined? How do you mope? How do you climb out of it? Leave a Comment below and share!

Photo credit: Death to Stock Photography

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