Moving Past Disappointment

Unfortunately disappointment is a huge part of life, as is frustration, but it never seems easy to deal with those feelings. No matter how much progress is made with positive thinking, sometimes it gets hard to deal with things when they go wrong. Yesterday I definitely had a frustrating day, one that reached the height of frustration when I found out from the doctor that I had carpal tunnel syndrome and I'm going to need surgery. I knew that I had a pinched nerve, but I was shocked to find out it was that bad and that if I didn't address it I'd begin to experience muscle atrophy. While I'm still shocked and overwhelmed by this information, I've found different ways to avoid focusing on it and stay positive.

1. Leisure reading: While I do enjoy taking classes and moving closer to my degree, I miss having the opportunity to get in leisure reading when I'm super busy with classes and school. Some light leisure reading always takes me away from my own stresses and keeps me entertained. I feel late on The Hunger Games series, so I finally picked up the first book so I could get out of my own world and into something new and exciting.
2. Treat yourself: I love a little retail therapy. I won't advocate going out and buying anything that's relatively cute or useful when you're upset, but it's nice to treat yourself to something you love. Yesterday I found the perfect Fossil watch for an amazing price and I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase. I also treated myself to some new running shorts and sports bras, which always puts me in a better mood.
3. Focus on a new goal: For me, it's usually fitness or sports related, but it can be anything! I also picked up a new soccer ball so I could get out and practice my shooting this morning. It felt great! I have a lot of work to do since it's been awhile since I played soccer regularly, but practice makes perfect and I just had a great time playing since it's something I love.
4. Get some good advice: One of my favorite inspirational blogs is Tiny Buddha. Whenever I'm feeling less than one hundred percent I can go to Tiny Buddha and find an article that helps me understand how I'm feeling. In the article "4 Steps to Deal with Disappointment", Raeeka gives great pointers to dealing and moving on from disappointment. 
5. Let it out: Talk to someone, whether it's a friend, family member, or a therapist. Talking to my parents, one of my close co-workers, and my best friend really helped me to get perspective and feel okay. Writing is also a great way to express the feelings of disappointment and frustration in a constructive manner.

Posted in: disappointment, emotions, health, mental health, positive