In the last couple days we’ve looked at the first 4 Warning Signs that you need more joy or a sense of magic in your life. In this final part of the 4-part series, we’re looking at the last of 5 Warning Signs. This one seems easy to ignore, yet has the potential to perhaps be the most insidious pattern if not addressed.
Warning Sign #5 – You find that you are continuously cranky around the people you love the most, and who you usually feel the most joy around. Have you ever had a "bad day" where you’re feeling cranky? Most of us have. By itself, a day of crankiness is not a problem. We trust that "this too shall pass." And for the most part, those we know and love trust that when the crankiness subsides, some sense of order will be restored. It becomes a problem when one day turns into weeks which turns into months, and before you know it, you’re like the cooked frog that we talked about in Part 1 of the series. Pretty soon you’ve forgotten how to ‘not be cranky’, or maybe even that any other state of being exists! People around you are sure to notice, and may start to alienate you.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I’m feeling cranky, it’s because I’m not taking care of myself in some way. Take a look and see if there’s something you really want or need to do to take care of yourself, but you aren’t allowing yourself to do it. Perhaps you need to set a boundary. Consider taking a mental health break and give yourself even 5-10 minutes of doing something you’ve been missing.
Giving yourself a 10 minute nap may allow you to feel cared for in a new way. Getting a massage or taking a walk are all activities that may help activate or restore a sense of loving joy or wonder and begin to dispel lingering crankiness. 10 minutes reading something that inspires you may help to draw you out of or away from your own problems, and allow you to reconnect with the world from a fresh perspective.
The idea is to be alert to continued crankiness (especially in response to people you care about the most) as a potential warning sign, and nip it in the bud before it steers you on a wayward track. Even small increments of self care may be just what you need to begin to restore yourself to a joyful, magic filled space.
To recap the 5 Warning Signs:
Warning Sign #1 – You are always stressed about time (and may even obsess about it!)
Warning Sign #2 – You find yourself continuously complaining that life is such a struggle.
Warning Sign #3 – You feel resistance to doing activities that you usually love (or have loved) the most.
Warning Sign #4 – You dislike most of the actions or options that are in front of you.
Warning Sign #5 – You find that you are continuously cranky around the people you love the most, and who you usually feel the most joy around
Learn to spot these warning signs and take actions that bring you more into alignment with your values and needs. Oh, and be prepared – you just might find yourself engaging more fully and sparkling in the richness life has to offer!
