As much as we try to always have our lives together, let’s be honest—we all have off days. What separates happy people from everyone else, however, is how they choose to respond. You can let that one bad day define your whole week (or month, or year), or you can choose to flip the script and make a better tomorrow.
Here are five easy things that you can do to bounce back after a bad day.
Don’t suppress your emotions.
After a bad day, it’s likely that you’ll be left feeling mad, sad, or drained. With as much pressure as we feel to put on a happy face, there are occasions when we must let ourselves feel all our emotions. If we don’t do this and decide to keep things bottled up, it could turn into a much bigger issue over time. This could involve struggling with psychological issues or taking our emotions out on people who don’t deserve it.
If you feel like you need to cry, let it flow. If you feel like you need to scream, scream it out. Getting those emotions out will serve as a huge relief, and you will thank yourself later.
Exercise.
As much as exercise impacts your physical health, it can also have a huge effect on your mental health. After a rough day, it’s likely that you’ll want to go lay in bed with the covers pulled over your head and do nothing else. However, getting up and doing something active can be extremely helpful in getting you out of a slump.
Even just going outside for a walk and getting a little bit of air can help you clear your mind and gain some perspective. You could also try going for a jog or a bike ride around your neighborhood, if you really want to get those endorphins rolling.
Remember to be grateful.
Bad days can make you lose sight of the bigger picture. No matter what went wrong in your day, it’s important to remember all the good things you have in your life that you may be taking for granted.
Try grabbing a piece of paper and physically writing out three things you’re grateful for. This will probably only take you five minutes, and you don’t have to write out long paragraphs if you don’t want to. You could write that you’re thankful for your bed, or the good meal you had earlier. This exercise is an easy way to put yourself into a more positive mindset and realize that one bad day is just a tiny dot in the entirety of your life.
Do something for you.
One of the best ways to reset is to do something nice for yourself because self-care matters! This can be as simple as treating yourself to that five-dollar coffee you’d usually skip or going to watch a sunset.
Making time for something that brightens up your day will never be a waste of time. Sometimes, a little bit of self-care is all you need to get yourself back on track.
Seek professional help if needed.
Sometimes, it’s not just a bad day. There may be times when the feelings of sadness and frustration get so overwhelming that you feel you need to reach out for help … and that’s okay!
There are some great online counseling and therapy resources available if you find that you’re struggling. Of course, you could also opt to see someone in person if you feel that could be a better resource for you. Use this link to search your local area for a therapist.
There’s always tomorrow.
Bad days happen to all of us, but you can make sure that one bad day doesn’t snowball into a bad week, month, or year. You have the power to make tomorrow, and all the days following, better—and there are so many simple things you can do to make that happen.
Want more advice on making your days better? Read our blog post on how you can build a stronger mindset.
