Some days, you wake up with enthusiasm and energy abounding.
You power through your task list – and even manage to squeeze in 15 minutes for yourself after tucking the kids in at night. Nothing can stop you!
Then, there are those mornings that seem to disappear before they had begun. Those meetings that don’t go to plan. Those afternoons where you manage to kick your toe three times.
This, dear friends, is a bad day.
We have all had one; we will all have one again. Be prepared – read this article. Your future self will thank you for it.
How to conquer a bad day
Stick to your routine
A bad day often means that you feel like you are getting nowhere. You have barely touched your to do list, and the tasks you have attempted have panned out all wrong.
If this rings true, strip your day back to basics and try to stick to your routine – no matter how late in the day it is.
Even if work has been a total shamozzle and your to-do list at home has sat untouched, make time for your evening walk. Read your book for 15 minutes before bed. Pop on your night-time load of washing.
This will give you something to salvage from your bad day and make facing tomorrow that little bit easier.
Phone a friend
You know that one person in your life who always knows the right thing to say? The one who can calm you down, give you a laugh and help you see clearly in less time than it takes to make a cup of coffee?
Give them a call. Now.
When left to our own devices on a bad day, we can easily dig ourselves into a rut. We come to expect that things won’t go to plan, and can sometimes create our own problems as a result.
By connecting with your friend you will remind yourself that you are supported and loved. And that someone is on your side!
Listen to music suited to the mood you want to be in – not how you feel right now
When we start to feel frustrated by the trajectory of a bad day, it can be easy to indulge this feeling through music. We put on a ballad and concentrate on how crappy and pointless everything has become.
While digesting your emotions has a time and a place, this focus on negativity is of little assistance on a bad day.
Instead of picking a melancholy playlist, turn your day around by listening to upbeat tunes that pump you up. Music really can have an extreme influence over our moods – use it to your advantage!
Find a simple but satisfying job
If you are feeling overwhelmed, calm yourself down by simplifying your day.
Look at your list of tasks and find something that you can handle. Something methodical that requires little thought and constant action. Smashing out a task efficiently will give your brain a break and settle your nerves.
Better yet, it will help you to regain your momentum and renew your confidence to tackle the more difficult tasks ahead.
Treat someone else
Treating yourself on a bad day can feel like a luxury that you don’t have time for – or deserve. Something more rewarding that you can justify is treating someone else.
This might be as easy as grabbing your co-worker a coffee while you are out on lunch or picking up a small gift for your partner on your way home. Bringing joy into someone else’s life in simple but meaningful ways will make your bad day still seem worthwhile.
Knock over a task that has been bothering you
A bad day isn’t always brought on by external factors. Sometimes the underlying tension comes from anxiety about a task you have been putting off.
If your day has so far consisted of guilt and procrastination, it’s time to sit down, suck it up and get into that job. Start your tax return, post that package, clean out the garage.
While the day itself may not be too thrilling, the feeling of satisfaction it delivers will turn your bad day into a productive one. This will ultimately lift a weight from your shoulders and allow you to face tomorrow with a better outlook.
Go to bed early and start fresh tomorrow
Most women are tired 90% of the time. Putting water into your cereal instead of milk? Forgetting to set your alarm? Sending an email to the wrong person at work?
The little mistakes that make up a bad day can often be put down to a simple lack of sleep. Your body is telling you that it’s time to put your own well-being first. Listen to it.
