Ten Ways To Manage A Bad Day

We have all been there. We wake up early in the morning while savoring ever minute that there is to possibly savor, from that lovely snooze. As you get out of a bed, a sense of grumpiness overrides you for no apparent reason. Sometimes we have one of those bad days where everything we do just doesn’t feel right.

For me, that is particularly true when i come back from a long holiday or long weekend and have to get back to reality, the so called “real world”. In fact, i just had a long weekend as there was a public holiday (Chinese Chung Yeung Festival) on Monday. And trust me, I was not the happiest person when the thought of work came to mind.

Although i always believe that it’s important to remember to see the best in things during the worst in times. I truly think that is the key to having a balance life, especially during the hectic life styles that we live in nowadays. Actions speak louder than words, and with that, I have made a list of my top 10 tips for you to try in order to combat those bad days. Hope they help!

1. Embrace the sunshine

There is nothing better than to enjoy what nature has to offer. Sometimes we get so caught up with life that we forget to appreciate the simplest things in life, such as the warm sunshine that beams brightly onto our face to greet us a good morning.

2.Get a morning coffee fix

The morning coffee fix is a great and fast way to to battle your mornings ahead and to feel awake, thanks to caffeine! Although not the best and healthiest option, I will allow myself a cappuccino or latte on mornings where i’m super low on energy and need that kick start. For non coffee drinkers, i suggest a hot chocolate drink or herbal tea as alternative options.

3. Appreciate loved ones

I constantly remind myself of how grateful i am to have friends and families around that love me, and are always there for me. Try to stand still and notice your surroundings and you will find love everywhere. It could be that journey to work on a Monday morning, and you witness an old couple sharing a brisk morning walk while hand in hand, being ever as in love, just like that very first time they set their eyes on each other. It is these emotional moments that gets to me and makes me appreciate life and the power of love even more.

4. Call a good friend just because…

We are constantly caught up with our own things that we sometimes forget friends that we haven’t spoken to in a while. We keep saying we will contact them soon and before you know it, another few months or even a year has gone by. So go ahead and just give that good friend a call, even if it is just to say “hi”. I assure you that your friend will be happy to hear from you and that you cared enough to call. And who knows, you might have saved two people from a bad day, and that is definitely worthwhile.

5. Listen to your favorite tunes on the go

Pop on your headphones and select your favorite song and enjoy the moment. It’s amazing how music can change the mood for people, and that each music and beat is a different experience for every individual. As i once heard from someone, without music in the world then it would be like we are not living life.

6. Remember to smile

A smile will always take you far spiritually, if not physically. And good news for the singletons, smiling is also a physical attraction for some men and women. As research has found, a smile can be contagious and what better natural remedy to fix a bad day than having sharing a great smile?

7. Get out of the office and read a book over lunch

Take a break from the office and go out for some fresh air. Enjoy your lunch in a cafe or restaurant and enjoy a good book. It’s always good to give yourself a break from your desk and computer. Your mind and body will thank you for it.

8. Have a great work out

Get into your gym gear and get moving. Exercising releases endorphins, the happy hormones, which gives you that “feel good” factor and a natural high. Of course, even better, you are closer to getting that body shape that you been wanting. So not only do you feel good but you look good too. It’s a win win situation!

9. Arrange a chilled night out with friends

Try to be spontaneous and call out some close friends to enjoy a chilled night out. It can be a catch up over drinks, dinner, or even to the cinema for a comedy for a good laugh. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy because as long as you are in good company, you will have a fun time where nothing else matters.

10. Indulge in your favorite guilty pleasures

Dont’ be too harsh on yourself and allow one guilty pleasure every now and then, especially on a bad day. The key is to enjoy everything in life in moderation and that way, you will enjoy each moment that much more.

Photo source: weheartit

The Starbucks story

The clock struck 1pm at work, signaling lunch time, and off i dashed out of my office building and into the hot and humid weather outside, that awaited me merciless. My sudden thirst for an ice cold drink  came out of nowhere that day, and just like that,  i went to the nearest Starbucks for my ice shaken lemonade green tea.

With each foot step getting closer to Starbucks, small droplets of rain started to slowly fall down onto the pavement. As the rain gradually got stronger, I started to pick up my pace while holding tightly onto my brolly, and quickly ran into Starbucks for shelter. The cafe was bustling with men in business suits, ladies in corporate attires, and laid back tourists, where small chit chats filled the room. It was a typical busy lunch hour where staffs were working away like no tomorrow. I ordered my ice shaken lemonade green tea and within 10 minutes, i had my drink in hand and ready to go back to the office to dig into my lunch box.

To my surprise, not only did the rain not stop but it started pouring down real bad, as if a typhoon was on its way. There were no empty seats in sight and as i busily skimmed through the crowd, i spotted this one empty chair that was situated opposite a sofa, where a guy was sitting, whom i shall name Mr. A. I politely asked “Is anyone sitting here?” and he responded with a brief “No”. I was in my own world, in a blur of random thoughts as I was fiddling with my iphone, and slowly tasted the icy and sourness of my lemonade green tea as it touched my lips. It was also at this moment out of nowhere that Mr. A asked me “So where are you from?” and he had the friendliest and biggest smile on his face. To say i was i caught off guard, was an understatement, because this has honestly never happened to me. I still remember debating whether or not i should make things easier and reply “Hong Kong”, with me being Chinese and all, or should i make things more complicated yet interesting and stir his attention, by saying “Denmark”. Within 2 seconds, Denmark came out of my mouth and i will never forget the response i heard next, where he still had his smile and said “me too”. My face looked like I was in disbelief, which I also confirmed with him later on.

Mr. A gave me his business card and we talked for about 30 minutes, and all along i kept thinking how surreal the entire experience was. I’ve never been the type who just chat with strangers in cafes and yet there i was, doing just exactly that, and it was an enjoyable experience. It’s an unexplainable feeling of feeling “home”. Our share of similar backgrounds, in terms of our childhood memories, such as food we loved and TV shows or music that we enjoyed, was quite unbelievable. And just like that, and after an exchange of a few emails that afternoon, we decided to meet up for dinner.

The night did not disappoint, where there was an endless flow of talk and lots of laughters, followed by delicious Italian food and red wine. The silence apart from our cheerful voices, filled the room, and we soon realized we were the last customers and the staffs looked desperate to close. We quickly got the bill and i remember thinking how i didn’t want the night to end yet, and that was when i suggested to go to a bar for one more drink. To my delight, his face looked more than happy by the sounds of that idea. I decided to take him to Al Pasha, a middle eastern theme bar. The setting was dark yet cosy, with friendly staffs, and Mr. A was beyond impressed as we got escorted to the patio outside. There were rows of green bushes decorated with sparkling lights on them, and these lovely wooden tables with candle lights shining from a far. It was the perfect ending to a perfect night. I found out later that night that Mr. A was in town for a business trip and had to renew his work visa. And up to this day, a month later, we are still in touch.

What are the odds of two people from Denmark to meet in a Starbucks, in Hong Kong? We both agreed on this and are very grateful that we met, especially under the circumstances that we did. Such encounters do not happen everyday and this really shows that you just never know what is around the corner. As for Starbucks, i will always see this place in a very different and positive way now:)

Photo source: weheartit

November moments…

It’s the last day of November and with that, it’s the ending of another month as we enter the festive Christmas month of December. With most endings, i’m normally sadden by the thought that something is over but as always, I remind myself with ever ending there is a new beginning! It’s also a time for me to reflect on the past and look forward to what lies ahead.

Of course, I’m already looking forward to all the lovely things leading up to the Christmas seasons, such as sipping on my fave Starbucks gingerbread latte, wearing my warm brown suede boots, lazing in bed for a few more minutes to avoid the morning winter chills, writing Christmas cards to loved ones, buying christmas gifts to families and friends, eating chocolates like no care in the world, shopping for warm sweaters to keep me warm, and the list goes on.

Whatever you all get up to, I hope you leave behind a memorable November and have a joyous December with your loved ones. Keep warm everyone!!!

Photo source: weheartit

Snapshots in a week…

I love it when i do spring cleaning and come across all sorts of gems that i have almost completely forgotten about. As i came to my senses and out of my laziness, i managed to do some spring cleaning this week with not too much of a success but i always say, every small effort counts!

To start off with, i was going through my make up kit and discovered that i had more than two lip balms and lip glosses and seriously, i keep telling myself i only have one mouth! I’m not sure what it but every time i buy a lip balm or lip gloss, i just seem to naturally take my money out without much hesitation and buy it. I suppose it’s one of those easy and affordable impulsive buys.  In fact, i only just bought a lip gloss last week!

Another thing that i buy on impulse is those glossy fashion magazines that just screams “buy me, buy me!!!” It was quite surprising when i found out that some magazines dated back to 2010. Honestly, how did 2 years go by already?!?!?

The thing is i always buy magazines and read bits and pieces thinking i’ll go back to it later. Of course, that mostly never happens. I think i may need to cool it down with the magazines but i do have a back up plan. I started buying the Cosmopolitan UK magazine online earlier in the year, which works out a lot cheaper as it’s in US dollars, hehe. I’ve only bought 3 issues so far and i think that is pretty good as we’re already entering the month of June. Self control is all i can say!

Lately i also believe that i have taken up on another obsessive  impulse buys on scarves. I never really bought scarves in the past as i always used my pink Burberry cashmere scarf and another cheap leopard print scarf that is totally worn out now.  However, I recently started to notice how easy it is to accessory an outfit with a scarf and so my shopping spree kicked in. I won’t say it’s too bad as i’ve only bought 4 scarves in the past 2 months and they are cheap as well. The most expensive scarf that i got was from H&M (the one to the far left) at HK$79.90. Not bad eh? I guess i’m a bargain hunter at heart and try to shop wisely.

Today was mothers day and to me, this is a special day where i show all my love and appreciation for my mom.  As i mentioned in my previous post, she is my best friend and she has always been there for me for good times or bad times and vice versa.

To celebrate such a special occasion, i decided to take her and dad to high tea at “the parlour”. My dad has actually never been to high tea in his life so he was really excited about it! Lets just say my dad normally hangs in his local town and eats his local Chinese food all the time. He actually likes western food a lot so i was looking forward to bring him along in case he felt left out, lol.

The weather was on our side and it did not rain, nor was it too hot or humid so it was perfect! As we arrived to “the parlour”, we were asked if we wanted to be seated inside or outside. Knowing my mom very well, i knew she would say outside and so we did. We ordered one high tea set and we especially ordered the Hullet House smoked salmon club sandwich with fries for my dad as he likes his “man food”. My dad ordered a cup of cappuccino along with his man food and he said it was alright.

It was a real relaxing day and it was just nice to be out with my parents and experience with them something that is very normal in my life style. We sat there for almost 2 hours where we were just talking and eating away, and there were many times that i noticed my dad was really enjoying his food! It just bought a smile to my face.

I suggested my dad to try the coffee as i know how much he likes his coffee and he ordered a cappuccino.  As soon as the cappuccino arrived, he just seemed really happy and he told me he felt like it was the good old days when he worked in Denmark and had his morning coffees.  Yes, that is how easy it is to please my dad, hehe.

After our much satisfied meal, we walked for a bit before we decided to call it a day and went home. Once we go home, i told her that i had to go down to buy something. Little did she know that i was actually going to the local flower shop to collect a bouquet of red roses that i had ordered the day before. My mom liked the surprise but being the typical mom that she is, she was saying that i wasted money, which is fine because i could tell she was happy and that’s what counts. There’s also a delicious mixed fruit cake waiting in our fridge right now but i’ve decided to save that for tomorrow because i am just too stuffed now.

Few of my favorite things…

I’m really tired today for some reason and so i’ve decided to post something a little bit more light. I love spending time alone and think to myself, and do my own things when i’m feeling all worn out.  Today is one of those days. Yesterday I had a day off work as it was a public holiday where we had to pay our respects to our ancestors. I went to ShenZhen with my family to send my blessings and prayers to my grandma who has passed away 2 years ago. To say i miss her is an understatement.  I just wish I had more time with her or to see her cute smile just once more. But i know she’s in a better place now and that she lived a happy life for 96 years.

Anyhow, i thought i would share a few of my favorite things that makes my “bad days” to “good days”.   Living in a busy city  like myself, I always feel that everyone is rushing through life every single day, whether it is to reach a destination or to get something done. I remind myself at times that we gotta slow down. We have to appreciate the smaller beauties in life such as catching up with an old friend over coffee, reading a good book,  or just simply buying ourselves  a small gift because we deserve to treat ourselves once in a while. 

Sometimes the simplest thing such as buying a new perfume and smelling nice is already good enough to make me feel happy. It’s amazing how the small things in life can make such a difference.

What small wonders makes your “bad days” into “good days”?

Catching up with friends over coffee

My love for Macarons

Taking a break from biking to enjoy the amazing view

Glossy fashion mags that keeps me up to date and in style

My happy readings

Lovely scented soap bars from AVOCA

Baileys on the rocks after a hard day of work

Beautiful clothes to make my day rock!

Random gift purchase for myself (2 sparkly rings from Folli Follie)

Life is a cup of joy:)

I was reading this month’s UK Glamour magazine when i came across an article that caught my attention, it was about 35 steps to happiness. Interestingly, it states  that happiness has to be sought and created by yourself, and i quote “You have to choose to be happy, to lift your mood and look for the positive” (page 110 if you still have the UK Glamour issue). I know its abit of a “duh” fact but hey, we need that reminder every now and then right?:)  So would you consider yourself being happy and content in life right now? I asked myself that very question and i was in doubt at first, but only for a split second.

Of course, i take great pleasure and joy in getting my nose into the fashion glitz and all, but i realised there’s a  more personal aspect to my life that’s become my happiness booster!  I’ve got great families and friends who love me, and they give me such joy and happiness in life. I love you all to death!!! I sure have my share of fun filled memories that i keep to my heart and it always puts a smile on my face:) So what better thing to do then share such precious moments with my fellow bloggers right?????;)  So here is a peek into my life, ready or not!

Froyo time at Yomama!

Sunset in London

In love with Paris

Coffee break

Brooklyn Bridge in black and white

Flower Festival in Canberra

Relaxed dinner with a lovely night view

Japanese food!

Colorful Macarons at the bakery

7am hike in Hong Kong @___@

Cova Blueberry Cheesecake for my bday:)

Shoeaholic!!!!

Chanel store in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Tiffany & Co X'mas tree in Taipei, Taiwan

Enjoying a glass of chilled Jap plum wine, ah....

Laser Beam show at the Victoria Harbour in HK (8pm every night)

Monty - the cuttest cat on earth!!!

Jelly Fish at Ocean Park, HK

Ispahan (Strawberry Macaron) at Sift

Jap Saki

On the Ngong Ping 360 Crystal Cable Car with transparent floor, HK

A walk in City Hall Park, NYC

P.S. I just realised there’s alot of food photos, i hope i don’t make your tummy grumble, lol