10 Ways to Help a Bad Day
Navigate the storm with my savvy tips! Discover practical and uplifting ways to help a bad day and find your silver lining.
Has anyone else been having more bad days than usual?? You know, those days when anything someone does gets under your skin, your kids are talking too loud, and nothing goes right? That’s been me the last few days (months). Then I realized that it is already 2024 and I have wasted so many days feeling bad! That’s why I made a list for myself of 10 easy and simple things to do to help a bad day.
Before we move on to the list, I wanted to say something quickly about persistent and consecutive days of feeling bad. Please, please, PLEASE get help if you need help. Constant bad days and bad moods can be an indicator of a bigger problem. Mental health is so important and if you feel like you can’t overcome your bad days on your own, please talk to someone! As someone who has done therapy during a particularly hard time in my life, I want to vouch for the help that it provides.
However, if your bad days are sporadic and somewhat controllable, here are some tips to help a bad day and feel like yourself again!
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Ways to Help a Bad Day
Change your Environment
Sometimes, just a new view can help you feel better! If you’ve been cooped up in your house or office all day, get outside! Simply changing your environment can help offer new perspectives and clear your mind.
Light Exercise
Get off your booty!
I know that when I am sad and having a bad day, I want to snuggle in a blanket and hide from the world. Although there is nothing wrong with snuggling in the blanket, I’ve found that premature blanket snuggles during a bad day can actually make things worse! Going outside for a walk or doing some light exercises will get you out of your current environment and help provide some clarity to how you are feeling. If you have kids, playing with them most certainly counts as exercise! They will love it and you can get in some good family bonding as well.
Shower and/or Get Ready
This one doesn’t really work if your bad days are not at home, but since many people are still at home the majority of the time due to the pandemic, this one may be a good one for you. I’m not saying that you should get all done like you’re going to a formal event, but getting ready for the day is HUGE in helping you get into the mental state to tackle any problems or disappointments that arise in a day. If you don’t need to shower, don’t! However, as I always say, there is nothing that a hot shower can’t cure. I mean, who hasn’t had fake conversations and ended up solving world hunger in the shower?
Meditate
Full disclosure, I don’t really know how to meditate. What I do seems too simple to be it. But it is a buzz word and I shall use it. Take some time to just relax and think. Sit cross-legged or lay down. Heck, you can even just sit where you are. The point is to just take some time away from your computer, the TV, your phone, or whatever, and relax. Close your eyes and take some deep breaths. Try to reset yourself and try to clear your mind.
I know there are some guided meditations on YouTube that I will link here that are pretty popular and can walk you through the process if you find yourself wanting some guidance!
Tackle a Small Project
Some of my bad days have to do without things outside of my control that end up controlling my life. Why not tackle something that you can control to balance it out? It sounds silly, but I have started doing this all of the time and it’s provided such a relief. Some examples of what you can do include:
– Doing the Laundry
– Making a Meal or Dessert (I made a loooooot of bread during quarantine)
– Doing a small puzzle
– Reading a book
– Finding toys your kids don’t play with to donate
– Cleaning out that one, catch-all drawer
I would recommend doing things that you can finish within your allotted time or day. The reason I say this is because you want to gain the satisfaction of having accomplished something, no matter how small it is. However, that’s not to say you can’t start something bigger that can give you something to look forward to. You know yourself better than anyone!
Drink a Cup of Water (or 8!)
This is so important and so overlooked. A lot of my bad days are made so much better when I am well-hydrated. It sounds so weird and too simple, but research backs me up! Water is so good for your mental well-being, but so often overlooked in the complexities of everyday life.
Organize your environment
Sometimes, a bad day can be made better simply by organizing! I’m not saying go Marie Kondo and clean your entire house and office (unless you want to!) What I am saying is to make sure that the environment in which you are in the most is organized and feels clean. Clutter can increase your stress levels without you even realizing it!
Talk to a Friend
Talking to someone is so good during bad days. And always to be honest with you. Just make sure that you are not only talking about your problems but that you can talk about other things as well. Talking about your problems or why you are having a bad day is so good, but be careful that it doesn’t become you dwelling on them. The point is to overcome your bad days, not make them worse. Ask your friend about their days, talk about their latest show binge, or their kids. Talk about happy and fun things and watch your mood change.
Listen to Calming Music
Calming music is different for every person. Some may fancy rock music to help them relax and calm down, while others may want to listen to a little jazz. No matter what your preference in music may be, find what speaks to you and take some time to listen to it. The power of music is real and helps improve your mood, or even empower you to take the day by the horns! (that’s the saying, right?)
Put your phone down
Best for last. Put your phone down! I wish I could make every person a T-shirt with this on it. Very few bad days can be cured by staring at your phone. I, of course, don’t mean to not use your phone because how else would you talk to your friends or play some cool music? What I am talking about is using it as a distraction – a way to help ‘cure’ your bad day.
If I could have a dime for every time I got on social media when I was having a bad day to ‘look at pretty things’ and make my bad day even worse. Or playing a game on my phone only to come out an hour later and realize how much time I have wasted, making myself feel even worse! Put your phone down. Be present. Allow yourself to feel your emotions and overcome them rather than trying to mute them.
That’s it! I would love to hear which of these has helped you or if you have other tips on how to fix bad days! Just remember, bad days happen. They are the worst, but they happen. They sure make the good days even better though!
