8 Ways To Turn Around a Bad Day

Your morning has started off rough..the kids gave you a hard time, you’re tired, out of coffee or your clothes don’t fit quite right…we’ve all been there.  And if you’re like me, once you’re having a bad day, it seems to perpetuate itself and things continue going downhill.  However, you CAN turn that bad day around.  Here’s how:

1.  Stop and recognize you’re having a bad day.  Sometimes we just keep racing from one thing to the next and we think we have no time to breathe.  Just take a few minutes, collect yourself and then move on.

2.  Contact a friend.  You may not have time for a full phone call, but chat with someone you care about for five minutes or so.  Text them and tell them you’re having a bad day.  Just a few minutes speaking with someone who supports you and understands will be helpful.

3.  Move your body.  Go for a walk, move around the office or hit the gym.  All of these things are guaranteed to make you feel better.  I like to keep a pair of sneakers with me, pretty much at all times.  If all else fails in my day, I take a short walk and come back to my desk with my head clear.  Want some bonus happiness?  Take a dog on your walk.  They will be so happy to be out with you, it will be contagious.

4.  Read a book.  I bet you think you don’t have time for reading.  However, it uses different parts of your brain that the television does not.  Getting lost in a story can help you change your thought process and get things off your mind just long enough for them to seem manageable.

5.  Write it all down.  Getting things off your mind can be as simple as putting them down on paper.  If you write things down, you don’t have to worry about remembering them.  Clear your mind….put it in a notebook.

6.  Meditate.  I don’t have a ton of time in my life for this either.  However, just five minutes of deep breathing, stillness and thinking of what I have to be grateful for in my life, can change the whole day.

7.  Do something for yourself.  Sometimes, I’m racing around and my hair is in a “bun”, my face is plain and my clothes are comfy.  While it works most of the time, some days I want to feel special…so I take the time to use a headband, put on some lip stick or wear a pair of strappy sandals.  It’s easy and fast to do and you’re ready to tackle the world with a little more attitude.

8.  Help someone.  Is there something you can do for someone else today?  Pick up their kid from school? Bring them cookies?  Order takeout?  What can you do to make someone else smile?  I promise you’ll smile too.