Bad days, we all have them but sometimes it can be hard to pull yourself out of the funk. This step by step will guide you through how to turn those days around...
STEP 1: RECOGNISE WHAT’S HAPPENING
One of the biggest challenges to overcoming a bad day is sometimes just realising what’s going on. It can happen so quickly; one minute you’re okay, then something doesn’t work out quite as planned, and next thing you know your mood is snowballing downhill.
Your best bet is to know your early warning signs, so you can try and turn things around before it gets out of control. Everyone’s different but here are a few things many people do when they're on the fast track to a bad day:
Think negative or defeatist thoughts (“I can’t do this!” or “I give up!”)
Become short-tempered and get snappy with your loved ones
Look for quick fixes to boost your mood like unhealthy snacks or mindless shopping
STEP 2: PRESS PAUSE
Once you realise what’s happening, the next step is to press pause; you need to get out of your own head and, if possible, out of your current environment.
Go outside, escape to the bathroom, or–if you’re really stuck—just close your eyes for a few minutes. Take a few deep breaths and try to forget about everything but the present moment. Don’t think about what’s gone wrong, don’t think about what you have left to do, don’t even think about trying to turn around your mood.
Just breathe until your mind starts to quiet.
STEP 3: MAKE THE CHOICE
While of course, there are unfortunately some truly bad days in all of our lives, the good news is most of the time “having a bad day” is more of an attitude choice than the result of our circumstances.
The bad news, however, is that changing your attitude can be much harder than you might initially think. It requires letting go of whatever it is that triggered you in the first place—hurt, anger, or disappointment—and making an active commitment to move forward.
Some days you may just need to sit with whatever is upsetting you so that you can make peace with it. There’s nothing wrong with that - it’s just part of being human.
If this is where you are right now, it’s okay to write off the rest of the day and start again tomorrow.
But if that’s not what you want—if you want to turn around your bad day—then you need to commit to your choice. There’s no doing this halfway; accept that whatever has happened is in the past, draw your line in the sand, and get ready for a fresh start.
STEP 4: RESET
How this next step plays out will vary a lot from person to person but the idea is the same for everyone; once you decide you’re ready for a fresh start, try doing a short “reset ritual” to signal to your body and mind that you’re starting over.
If you’re short on time, it could be something as simple as applying a fresh coat of lipstick or making a hot cup of coffee. If you’ve got more time (or if you’re having an especially bad day!) you might want to take a shower or go for a run.
It’s completely up to you what you do but once you find what works for you, stick to it and make it a habit every time you find yourself in this situation.
STEP 5: MOVE FORWARD
Now that you’ve decided to move forward, the final step is to make the most of your fresh start! Make a conscious effort to be intentional with your time and energy and to make today a good day by doing something that feels good.
Again, there are endless possibilities and you need to decide what works best for you (in fact, it’s not a bad idea to put some thought into this before you’re having a bad day!). To inspire you, here a few things that you can try:
Check something off your to-do list—the sense of accomplishment will always lift your spirit!
Get moving (go for a walk or do some yoga)
Catch up with a friend or loved one
Make a plan - arrange to do something you really want to do, something to focus on and look forward to.
BONUS TIP: BE KIND TO YOURSELF
On a final note, you may notice that a lot of your bad days are caused because you're too hard on yourself—usually a mix of unrealistic expectations and perfectionism. See our post on Self Love for some tips on how to be kinder to yourself.
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