Getting Rid of ‘Meh’ Moments

We'll start with a short conversation: 

•          “How’s your day been?
•      “Meh”
•      “What do you mean?” 
•      “You know… Just ‘meh’” 
•      “I’m not sure I follow…”
•      “Meh”
•      “It sounds like you’re saying nothing.”
•      “Exactly.”

This word has formed part of my vocabulary for some time and has successfully satisfied when I’ve needed a description for a ‘nothing’ moment. When something is average or so-so or not-really-worth-going-into-detail-about. An alternative I’ve also used is Blah. “How’s life treating you?!” 

“Blah.”

I have recently discovered that ‘meh’ is in fact a real word. For so long I saw Meh as a sound more than a word. And yet whenever I’ve used it people have understood exactly what I meant. Imagine my surprise when Cambridge dictionary popped up among many other respected word books with recognition of this three-letter sound.

But while it might satisfy in some sentences and scenarios, the last thing we want to experience are moments we describe as meh. The more we say meh, the more empty, dissatisfying and bland our days must be. Often it might relate to work, when describing your day or your latest project, and this is something that needs turning around. Getting rid of meh moments is key to getting a more positive and fulfilling career.

Find a word that’s opposite to meh – for now, let’s use a simple one: ‘great’.

If we repeat the start of the conversation above:

•      “How’s your day been?”
•     “Great”
•      “Nice! What made it great?”
•     “Just everything… it was great”
•     “That’s great to hear.”
•     “It is great.”
•      “It sounds like you’ve had a great day.”
•     “That I have.”

The dynamic of the conversation is completely different and has a much more positive vibe, compared to the meh conversation which came across quite dull and lacking energy, even just reading it.

But how can we inject more of the positive and less of the dull into our days? Here are just a few ideas to get you talking more positively and therefore feeling more positive about your experiences:

• Change your vocabulary – like the above conversation example, if you consciously make an effort to use more positive words, even when you don’t want to, you’ll feel more positive for it.
• Think of the ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ concept. Say it until you feel it.
• When you feel like you’re having a meh moment, step back and see how you can turn it around – get outside, change the topic, work on another task, take time to do something you enjoy.
• Start the day on the right side of the bed – if you think you’re going to have a bad day, you’re more likely to have a bad day ahead. Think positive from the start and focus on what will make it a good day / week / month.

Check out next week's blog for more tips to enhance your career!

@theiamhub