…is advice I got from the internet. It solves 99% of arguments, and resolves the majority of bad moods (from grumpiness, to angst). What is it?
Always take care of your basic needs before tackling any problems.
Fighting with a spouse? The old advice says never go to bed angry. But the majority of fights are minor issues, and can probably be solved by following a checklist:
-Eat something (protein rich or whole grains)
-Drink some water
-Take a nap
-Sober up
-Use the restroom
-Unwind/let out stress
And I’d like to add: check yourself for small injuries or inflammation (including acne). Your mind will probably put it on the back burner: that inflamed nail, the paper cut, the breakout, the throb where you stubbed a toe. We don’t think of any of these as requiring immediate attention, but if neglected, they’ll kind of swim in and out of our attention.
Occasional throbs of pain, or an undercurrent of pressure where the skin is swollen, and of course, if you get upset and your blood flows, you’ll really feel it.
So, if you find yourself grumpy, follow the checklist. Are you sleepy? Hungry? Take care of it! Then consider that you might be the lion with a thorn in his paw—and give yourself a once-over. Redness, pain, and swelling are signs of inflammation. It’s your body’s way of fighting off infection.
Beside giving you a chance to care for it—applying pain relief, a clean bandage, or supporting your immune system with MesoSilver—you’ll know to watch out for infection, which can follow unattended inflammation if you’re not careful (especially any open wound on your foot, like an ingrown toenail).
Here’s something else you’ll have a heads up on: MRSA. MRSA often starts as a small, ignored red spot. Like a random spot of acne, or an inflamed cut that lasts a little too long. Checking yourself out allows you to keep track of it, and prevent it from going too far, as well as being able to tell your doctor how long you’ve had it.
After all that, most problems will resolve themselves without a second thought. You may go to bed grumpy, but you’ll wake up with it barely a memory (far better than getting in a circular fight—nothing will be resolved if the real problem is you’re hungry or sleepy!).
You’ll also save energy on problem-solving, since what’s left will just be the big stuff.
Have you ever tried this method of problem-solving?
