There is nothing more difficult than experiencing a day. First, it has to begin, then you have to do all kinds of things, only to look forward to the brief respite that is doing something else at night. So how do you savor those brief moments where you’re happy that the day is almost over before you’re soon overtaken by sadness that another whole day will inevitably happen? Here’s how to transition from day to night to day without totally fucking losing it:
Try to live in the moment.
This can be hard, especially if you’re a planner or fatalist – but when five o’clock is coming near, try to make the most of the last moments of work by chatting with a coworker on Slack, finding something funny online, or taking some time to find something you’re grateful for right now. Inevitably, the thoughts of emails you have to respond to tomorrow will creep in and ruin everything, but the more you practice being in the moment, the less you’ll want to curl up in a ball and cry knowing tomorrow is only 16 hours away.
Plan one thing in the morning you can look forward to.
One great way to dread the inevitable passage of time a bit less is to plan something special you can enjoy every morning. Whether it’s a morning walk, a special cup of coffee, or a chat with a loved one, you can plan happy moments throughout the day that will protect you from the dark cloud of dread that is knowing that you will be working almost every day of rest of your life. Maybe you can fix it with a little latte or something?
Shift immediately to being happy that the following night is also coming.
If nothing else works, try transitioning from being happy that the day is almost over to being happy that tomorrow will inevitably also be almost over. That way, you can perpetually look forward to the evening and just block out whatever else happens in between. People will start wondering, “Wow, how is she so happy all the time?” The answer? Skillful dissociation!
So if you’re wondering how to make the road from happy to sad a little less bumpy, try out these methods to smooth things out a bit. You may never truly eliminate the inevitable depression that stems from knowing morning will always come. Good luck!
