When Life Hands You Lemons…Make Jam!
We’ve all had those weeks when nothing goes right. Maybe it’s because Mercury is in retrograde. Maybe it’s someone having a bad day and taking it out on you. Maybe it’s none of the above. For some reason, you get lemons.
Staying Positive Feels Impossible Sometimes
Sometimes, being positive and upbeat can be nearly impossible. Every post on social media gets little engagement. Your Twitter feed gets hit by spammers, and Pinterest is deader than a DIY coffin made out of Mason jars and upcycled pallets. Whatever. You still have to be positive because that’s the kind of person you are–even if you do feel demotivated.
Turn Away from Social Media
Turning away from social media and doing something completely different for a day or two (or three) is just what the doctor ordered at times like that. For instance, making jam. You can always force it into a blog post later (ahem!). And besides, it’s July and there are beautiful Blenheim apricots. And also: when you’re done, you get jam.
Detour from social media for a few minutes…
It’s not a complete detour, though. To tell the truth, I found this great apricot jam recipe on Pinterest (where else?). It has no pectin, and only three ingredients (the results are pictured above). You’ll have fun making it, and you could even share it with friends that you met online, if you figure out a way to get it to them.
Then you could post a picture of them eating it on Instagram. All your other friends would be jealous. But nobody posts food pictures on Instagram, right?
Nature Can Keep Your Thoughts Positive
Hiking and Fresh Air
For me, hiking and fresh air and trees make me feel refreshed. You might have your own ritual that turns you from bitter to sweet. Writing is another way to process, especially if you have “introvert tendencies.” Turning that bitter into sweet is something we all have to master occasionally.
From Bitter to Sweet
I’ve found that staying with the negative feelings long enough to let them surface and dissipate is the best in the long run. Nobody can say how long that will take, or what will come up. Eventually, enough time passes and the bitter becomes sweet again.
The Happy File
Another way for me to turn around the negative is to go to my Happy File (yes, it is like a Happy Place–thank you for asking). I’ve got a file with great and uplifting things in it. One is a hard copy file, and the other is a board on Pinterest that reminds me of all that is good in the world. Also, I like the idea of reframing negatives into positives, as the third point in this Entrepreneur article, How to Train Your Brain to Stay Positive, outlines. And looking at my Happy File or board makes me smile–even if it’s the middle of the night and I’m up with a bout of anxiety.
What Do You Do with Your Lemons?
Do you have an easy way to get out of a funk? I’d like to know…maybe I could borrow an idea or two from you. Please leave a comment!
I’m so glad you wrote this post.
I like to go outside. Even if I can’t walk much (health) at least I can smell the ocean and feel the sun and hear the waves (I live near the ocean). I bribe myself with iPhone photography (not real photography, I’ll be reminded) but a distraction nonetheless and it has a lot less clean up than jam. :D
Best Sentence:
“Your Twitter feed gets hit by spammers, and Pinterest is deader than a DIY coffin made out of Mason jars and up cycled pallets. “
Hi Bridget,
Thank you for encouraging me to write this post. I never would’ve thought of it without you. But there were all those lemons, and…jam!
Even sitting in the car near the beach is better than no beach at all! Taking pictures right outside the car with your iPhone works, too!
Thanks for noticing the DIY-mason-jar-upcycled-pallet sentence. THose pallets and mason jars are everywhere on Pinterest! Hahaha!
Sincerely,
Carol
Ha! What timing! Wonderful and realistic share Carol. I often do head outside for those short term distractions but for a recent big one I spent two days cleaning our sunroom from floor to ceiling, attending to all the plants in there and rearranging plants and furniture. I took my time, took breaks and there were other distractions…oh look a book of pictures I haven’t looked at for a while. VOILA…I feel great and back at it.
Hi Patricia,
Hah! Sounds like we have similar ways of working through stuff. Spring (or summer) cleaning works here, too. Getting rid of piles of junk or unwanted stuff, going to the park, for a ride on the bike, and then feeling refreshed.
Thanks for the comment,
Carol