Last chapter, I made it clear that I believe we can snap out of it, and despite my own ups and downs in the past seven days
– because I'm a human being – I still believe it. In fact, I believe it more, and understand it a bit better.
You know those situations where you get stuck in the mud? When you feel hopeless, or in pain, or miserable
– or all of these? First up, pat yourself on the back because (a) you're just like the rest of us, and (b) at least you can feel.
But, of course, that's no consolation. Who wants to feel rotten? Certainly not me. Life's too short for bad wine. How good would it be to be able to snap out of it on demand? Wouldn't you love to be able to snap out of it absolutely and perfectly?
Well, you've come to the wrong place. 
No one can do that, at least not all the time. If they did, they'd be God. Remember, I didn't promise perfection.
I can promise, though, that if you work these precepts you will find progress. How much progress, and how much increase in feelgoods and happiness is up to how well you
practise (sorry, that's how we spell that verb outside the USA; we spell the
noun 'practice'). If you want to excel at this, you'll be re-reading and practising. You'd do it for your basketball coach, so please do it ... not for me, but for you.
Before we learn how to snap out of it
Snapping comes next week, otherwise this chapter will have too much and we'll both get confused. I get very easily confused so please don't ask more of me. Right now there's something else I would like you to follow closely.
First up, we need to be aware that our feelings might be on a downward slump simply because of some physical factors, and other things in our lives that we have to attend to immediately. You don't need to be Albert Einstein to know that
– you know it already.
But we do so often forget, do we not? Perhaps I'm not teaching you a thing, but I bet I'm reminding you of a few. (Just writing this is reminding me too, so I'm not too smug about it. I need reminding all the time.)
Next week we'll get into some simple 'snapping out of it' techniques, and I think you'll find them amazing. You'll learn them in ten minutes, and be able to use them from Day One. If you practise them, they'll be in your toolkit for the rest of your life, and you'll become brilliantly adept at them. I amaze myself now at how quickly and efficiently I can snap out of it, all because of what's in next week's chapter.
The Big Check List
But first, when we feel rotten, we need to do a basic check list on the physical stuff. Do this first: when you feel blue, ask yourself all of these questions before moving on to the snapping-out techniques I'll share next chapter. Here goes. Write them down and keep them in your handbag. Guys, you might prefer to put them in your wallet. But handbag will be fine.
What sucks?
Have I walked today? If not, why not? We need to walk every day. The German philosopher, Nietzche, said that the best ideas come after a good walk. (Well, if he didn't, he should have.) You know this to be true from your own experience. Nine times out of ten, a brisk, 20-minute walk will get rid of all the blues entirely. You know that. Don't underestimate the power of simple techniques ... it could save you a fortune in therapy or workshop bills.
What action do I need to take? More on this later, but you might recognise now that you'll feel better immediately if you act immediately on something. I might need to apologise to Fred, or ask Frederina for a date, mow the lawn, or do the tax documents I've been procrastinating about. Maybe I need to give Fred a piece of my mind. Maybe I need to ask him for a piece of his.
Am I uncomfortable? Maybe I'm driving all tensed up and trying to hold a hamburger at the same time. Maybe my shoes are too tight and I should take them off. Maybe I shouldn't wear polyester shirts (like, no one should, man).
Have I had too much caffeine today? (For most people, if you've had more than three cups of coffee, then the answer is yes, and it's making you feel jittery, blue and tired. Resolve to cut down
– and do it!)
Is some physical condition hurting me? For example, are my feet killing me after a day in the city? For me it can be sinus congestion headaches, or indigestion. What is it for you? Attend to these things immediately.
Or am I just being stupid? I mean, am I acting as though I have limitless time on Planet Earth
– enough to waste a day or even an hour in misery? Have I been in denial about something? What can I do to be smarter about my behaviour and thinking? Am I wallowing in self pity? Am I forgetting all my wisdom? Am I feeling guilty because I was stupid yesterday? How can I rectify that situation? Am I hungover from last night? Well that was stupid, wasn't it, possum?!
The items on The Big Check List are called the WHATSUCKS, from the first letters of each word:
Walk
Hungry
Action
Thirsty
Sugar
Uncomfortable
Caffeine
Killing
Stupidity
You'll need to practise and memorise them.
I wanted to put "Tired" in here too, because it's a real biggie. But I couldn't make the cute slogan work with two T's. Damn!!
So, next time you're blue, ask yourself "What sucks?" and when you've cleared up all nine of them, only then are you ready to move on to the snapping-out techniques. Because it would be so self-indulgent to think that we need something airy-fairy or esoteric to do to feel better, when the whole problem is that we're wearing shoes that are too tight and we owe Fred an apology.
We can't afford to be that stupid. Being happy is not hard, and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to get it ... but if you're really a few sandwiches short of a picnic, better not go forward to Chapter 7 for some very important stuff on how to
Feel better 
Think better Act better
Dramatically 
easily quickly
Chapter 7 contains a few absolutely essential things to do if you still feel blue after doing the WHATSUCKS.
And remember ... nothing sucks-seeds like a budgie without a beak.
Abundance and gratitude,
Pip
PS: Here's a nice treat: You can
The
FeelGood Manual is now
available as a printed book
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