Have you ever had a bad week, month or even year? Have you experienced those long stints of time when everything is going horribly wrong and you're in a negative state of mind that you just can't seem to shake? Then boy do I have a theory for you!
Okay enough with the sales pitch. On a more serious note, I believe that periods of (really high) highs and (the lowest of) lows are a part of the natural human experience. More than that, I believe it is something that we should embrace, even if those lows seem like something you'd rather forget. One of the most important things that I have learned to get through those difficult lows (and sometimes exasperating highs) is the regression to the mean.
The regression to the mean is the theory that ultimately, no matter how great things may seem, or how horrible life can get, you will always return to that "normal" state of being. During this time, there's probably nothing particularly notable happening in your life, no stressors or excitements. You're able to just go on living until that next peak or descent. That kind of makes it sound like regression to the mean is just a zombie-like state, and no one wants that! But I don't think that's true at all. I believe that these moments are necessary for us to "recharge" and reflect.
Without these moments I'd probably be exhausted, and feel as if I were in a constant state of flux between happiness and sorrow. I take those moments to plan ahead, and catch up on things that I may have fallen behind on during busier periods.
But to me, the most important thing about the regression to the mean is that constant reminder in the back of my head that eventually, no matter how long it may take, things will eventually be okay.
