There are some days where you just wish you weren't born. Got late to office because of an accident and got yelled at by your boss for no fault of your own? Or burnt yourself while making your favorite meal, so you had to order in something else? Life throws a number of things at us every day. So, how do we cope with life without getting frustrated while still being grateful? Do we stay asleep under the sheets and hope the day passes, or do we suck it up and face it? Let's look at 36 ways to turn a bad day around :
1. Go for a walk:
This is one of the simplest ways to improve your mood. If you manage to take a friend along, even better.
● You can even vent to your walking partner about the things frustrating you.
● Walking produces endorphins which better your mood and reduce stress levels. This will help you feel better.
2. Make a gratitude list:
Our mind space immediately improves when we remember and feel grateful for the good things in life. Being thankful must be done on a regular basis through journaling.
● You can make a list of things that make you happy or the people or things you are grateful for!
● Going back to this list time and again and even updating it will put you in a good mood.
3. Exercise! exercise! exercise!:
This fact cannot be stressed enough that regular exercise keeps you healthy and happy throughout your life. You release endorphins while exercising, and that, my friend, will make you super happy and improve your mood by bounds.
4. Bad mood through another lens:
Professor of psychology at the University of San Francisco, Gerdenio Manuel, says that over-generalizations made by people like "I'm bad" or "I failed" just get a person down without any solid outcome.
● We can always change ourselves with a little bit of work and patience.
● Nothing is ever set in stone; change is constant. Whatever we are facing now shall also pass.
5. Ring a friend:
So you got turned down for a promotion you worked hard on or did not ace that interview? You can always phone that 3 a.m. friend you have on speed dial and speak to them. They will bring you up and make you realize your worth and how it isn't dependent on material things like office and promotions. You are much more than that!
6. Indulge in me-time:
The power of self-help has its own magic. Others can only help you so much. Sometimes it's just good to take a break from others. Self-care is a real mood lifter; you can:
● Snuggle in with some favorite foods and watch an episode of your favorite show.
● Spend the day at the spa pampering yourself with a nice, quiet solo dinner at your favorite restaurant.
7. Take a nap:
Never underestimate the power of sleep. Whenever you feel low or are having a bad day, a quick power nap will help fix your mood. Studies in 2005 show that a regular short afternoon siesta helps improve the mood, regulates your emotions, and refreshes your mind. As Dr. Kevin Gilliland, PsyD, says, "Sleep is medicine."
8. Look for silver linings:
In every situation, even the most hopeless ones have lessons to learn. So no matter how bad your day feels right now, it's better to look at the positive side of things. You can look for:
● What can I improve to make sure things turn out better next time?
● Are there any lessons I can take away from this situation for the future?
9. Write yourself a plan:
Today may have gone all hotch-potch, but tomorrow is a new day, and you can always write down a plan for it. Writing your goals for a new day and the hope that comes with it can bring a smile to your face. This will make your day much better.
10. Use relaxing aromatherapy:
Certain relaxing fragrances like lavender and vanilla are known to relax and refresh the mind. They are also used during meditation.
● On a bad day, take a break and go into a quiet, darkroom. You can light scented candles and meditate to relax.
● You can also light these scented candles or keep fragrant potpourri on your bedside to end the day on a relaxing note.
11. Hydrate yourself regularly:
Sometimes, dehydration or less hydration can be a major cause of mood swings and irritability. Drink water at regular intervals to keep anxiety and stress levels in check. Sipping water throughout the day also keeps your mind fresh and alert and makes you feel less sleepy.
12. Adopt a furry friend:
Studies show that pet moms and dads have much better days and their moods are also better than average.
● Cuddling with your furry friend is the best form of therapy after a tough day.
● Your pets can sense when you are low and can be a great source of comfort when you feel lonely.
13. Tackle a task:
As they say, "A busy mind is a mind distracted from problems and focused on the outcome." According to the associate professor at the University of Denver, Mark Aoyagi, "Negative emotions can actually be useful sometimes in accomplishing certain tasks."
● Next time you feel sad, try to do the difficult tasks you may have been avoiding head-on.
● Whenever we are angry, we tend to direct our passionate energy stemming from the anger to the task at hand. This helps us complete it faster.
14. Random kind acts:
As they say, we always help ourselves by helping others. Doing random acts of kindness such as bringing food for a homeless person or buying coffee for the people behind you in a cafe line can be a great mood booster. Seeing others happy automatically makes us feel good.
15. Listen to your favorite tracks:
The power of music can never be praised enough when it comes to bettering your day. It's good to take a break from your busy schedule and unwind while listening to your favorite songs.
● Take a short break and go to a private area in your workplace to listen to music.
● Make a playlist of your favorite songs to listen to while doing your chores or at work.
16. Look at throwback photos:
Photos are the best way to capture awesome moments of our lives. It's really a boon to be able to relive those great times through our pictures.
● When you feel sad or tired, go and browse the albums of your favorite outings/vacations.
● The happy memories of that time will flood in and make you feel immediately better.
17. Clear out your email:
This is for people working in offices and having to deal with a lot of emails every day. Just seeing all those emails moving from the inbox to the archive folder gives a different level of satisfaction. Seeing an almost empty inbox gives a sense of accomplishment which can be a great mood lifter!
18. Meditate:
This may be the most famous way to make your day better! Meditation or mindfulness is a great remedy for stress and anxiety.
● Many corporate offices are adopting and dedicating timeslots for employees to meditate during the day.
● There are even separate spaces being built or allocated in public areas and workplaces where people can relax and unwind after a bad day.
19. Eat a small snack:
Eating your favorite snack, either junk or healthy, can be a good way to distract yourself from a tiring day. The burst of flavors in your mouth can serve as a good stress buster and make you feel good.
● Always keep a stock of your favorite snacks in your purse or office desk drawer.
● Eating healthy snacks can give you much-needed fuel while keeping you fit.
20. Drop activities from your day:
Once in a while, some major activities in your life might go astray, leaving you tired and stranded. On such days, you can remove any less important plans or activities from your schedule and postpone them for later days.
● Shiftless important tasks to freer days and take some time off that day.
● Take a break or the rest of the day off, depending on how overwhelmed you feel.
21. Make yourself laugh:
Laughter can get you in a better mood way faster than you can imagine. It is true, 'Laughter is the best medicine.'
● Watch a funny movie clip or standup video online. You can even read funny joke books or novels that make you laugh.
● Slowly you will collect enough funny things to think of when you feel sad or down during the day.
22. Take a shower:
A relaxing hot bath or a soothing quick shower is a great mood lifter.
● The hot water can immediately refresh us and send fresh blood into our brains, making us feel better.
● The sensation of the cool water against our skin while soaking in the tub can work wonders to relieve our stress. You can add aromatic oils like lavender or vanilla for more relaxation.
23. A short dance party:
Dancing is known to improve mood and reduce stress greatly. When you feel down, crank up some funky dance tunes and move to the groove!
● There are also many dance workouts and Zumba that can be fun to do while burning some calories.
● You don't need to be professional to do this. Just move any way that makes you happy.
24. Use your tools:
So what's in your magic box of self-therapy? Self-care routine, cooking, gardening, arts and crafts, puzzles, and quizzes? Choose the activities you like and drop everything on your busy day to just do them for a while! Doing so will make you feel much better and light your day up!
25. Stop forcing/willing it:
Sometimes it becomes much freer to just relax and let the day pass. This need to control every aspect of our life can become very stressful. It can also induce a lot of panics.
● It's okay to have bad days in between. This realization will make it much easier to accept your day the way it is.
● Stop pushing the boulder uphill and stop fighting the events of the day and just let it be. What has to happen will happen.
26. Give a hug:
As a healing therapy, the power of touch has been used by many physiotherapists with patients recovering from surgery. Whenever you feel low, draw your close one near and share a hug with them. When you hug your friends and family, you can literally feel the tiredness flowing out of your body slowly. It's a very soothing experience.
27. Write or journal!:
There are moments in life that we are sometimes unable to share with even our close friends or family. In such times, it becomes much easier to pen our thoughts down.
● Maintain a journal or diary to outline your thoughts about events. Whenever you feel heavy, you can write down in these.
● Penning down our feelings about how our day is going can feel very relieving, and we feel much lighter afterward. It's like we have expressed our troubles to a friend and are free now.
28. Digital detox:
In today's world of social media, things can get overwhelming from time to time. The constant flow of information from Facebook or the constant scrolling on Instagram can cloud our minds with unnecessary information. This can also be very stressful for the mind.
● Sign out or deactivate all your social media accounts for a few days or weeks. Do other activities you like with the new free time you have now.
● Keep specific slots or time intervals in which you can access these different apps. This way, you won't feel overburdened with information.
29. Walk barefoot in nature:
According to Sirena Bernal, nutrition coach based out of Boston, grounding your feet in the grass can be very therapeutic and reduce stress.
● The theory is that the magnetic field of the earth reduces stress. Walking on bare grass also improves immunity and reduces panic attacks.
● Exposing yourself to nature and the sun for a few minutes every day can be a very healing journey towards improved well-being.
● During your lunch break or early morning exercise, for a few minutes, you can relax your feet in the grass while reading a book.
30. A fun makeover!:
Self-care can be an underrated weapon in the arsenal of feel-good activities to improve your day.
● Give yourself a manicure and pedicure and relax.
● Put on a face mask and watch your favorite movie with snacks while waiting for your mask to dry.
You might feel a bit superficial but looking good makes everyone feel much better every time!
31. Do nothing:
Sometimes, the best way is no way or, in this case, to do nothing. Just take a day off for yourself and spend the time watching your favorite shows or doing your favorite activities.
● Reading a book or watching an inspiring Ted talk can also be relaxing.
● This way, your mind becomes empty of the stresses of the day, and your day gets better.
32. Finish any pending work:
Completing a job is a good boost for our morale. It also makes you feel better!
● While we procrastinate over certain things, then it stays in our minds. The activity always nags at us constantly in the background.
● It's good to complete it as soon as possible and take one item off in the list of stresses.
33. Do some deep breathing:
Deep breathing can be very therapeutic and reduce the stress and anxiety felt throughout a bad day. Just close your eyes and inhale deeply for a five-second count, pause and exhale for five seconds. This technique helps awaken the parasympathetic nervous system and cushions the effects of stress.
34. Cry it out:
Oftentimes you just need a good cry to let it all out and feel better. You can find a quiet place if you are out or at work and have a good cry.
● Having a good cry in the sense of bawling your heart out can be very soothing afterward.
● You feel much lighter after letting all your feelings out, either to your friends or alone.
35. Dark chocolate:
We know this sounds a bit unconventional, but dark chocolate is said to have a mood-boosting chemical called resveratrol that produces the happy hormones serotonin and endorphins. You can buy a bag of dark chocolate treats and keep them in your desk or purse to have one a day.
36. Doctor on Demand:
There are many apps out there that will let you see a doctor without an appointment. You can book a slot on-demand with a counselor or therapist and discuss your days with them.
● Speaking to a professional is far better than venting your problems to your loved ones.
● Professionals can give you great advice on how to handle your day. They may have met many people like you who want to improve their day and know how to make it better.
Conclusion:
Life is full of happy and amazing moments. But there are also times when we get bogged down by the stresses of life and have a bad day. Luckily there are many ways we can improve that and can even end up flipping our day around! Walking on grass or taking a short nap are simple and easy things to try to refresh yourself and finish the rest of the day.
We must never forget the fact that nothing is permanent and that we all are just passing through this journey called life on this place called earth. It is better to live life to the fullest and avoid taking things too seriously because the people you love and the activities you like will always make your day better.