It’s raining and gray outside, and the weather matches your mood. You’d love nothing more than to go back to bed, and start the day all over again. Most of the time, that’s not possible, and maybe not even necessary! With a few changes and small resets, you can always turn around a bad day and head home with a smile.
Take a Breather
As many people will tell you, deep breaths work wonders for anxiety and a fast-paced heart. Practice deep breathing in a spot that’s as close to quiet as possible, it will help clear your mind.
Change your scene
Take a break from your current environment if you’re able to. If you’re at work, take a break to walk around the block, go to the bathroom, visit a co worker to inquire about their own day.
Jot-Journal
Getting your thoughts out on paper can be a release for thoughts that fill your mind. Write down a few things that are on your mind that are bothering you so that they aren’t “on repeat” by doing a Jot-Journal entry. You don’t have to write out full sentences or long paragraphs of feelings. Write it in bullet format to make it super easy. For example, if you have a project that’s due that keeps looming over you, you can write “project overwhelming” instead of all the details that go with it. If your baby was up all night teething and you’re a zombie, you can write “exhausted” instead of worrying when his teeth will come in and if either of you will ever sleep again. Identifying over paper and bullet points can be comforting to get it out of your head, and then the problems look easier to conquer.
Decompress
When you’re having a bad day, your muscles can be extremely tense, aggravating your frustration. If you’re at work, do a light stretch, a brief eye massage to relax from your computer screen, and drink a big glass of water to rehydrate. If you’re working from home, hit the foam roller and do a few yoga poses. Physically relieving tension is the first step to getting your mood back on track.
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Coffee/Tea break
It’s called a coffee break for a reason! It’s like a little reward and incentive to keep at your day, and it gets you to think about something else. Taking a literal break from your situation can help you see it with a fresh pair of eyes. For even more warm fuzziness, try this coffee that helps give back and save lives!
Give a Compliment
Cheer yourself up by cheering a friend. Compliment a co worker, send an uplifting email, call your partner to say I love you, or your best friend to say how much you value them.
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Separate yourself
Place as much distance between yourself and “bad” events from the day as possible. For example, you can reassure yourself that it could have happened to anybody. Remember that this won’t last forever. Relate to a good event of the day.
Freshen up
Head to the bathroom and wash your face and pull your hair up. This is simple, but it echoes the “morning routine” and can reset your brain from starting fresh from the morning.
Share the Sweets
Small things can have a big impact. At lunch, treat yourself to a chocolate bar and share with someone. A kind gesture will put a smile on both your faces.
Spin it around
Put a positive spin on your problems. Some examples that everyone can relate to: a messy house to clean means healthy children that are able to run and play. Lots of homework to do means that you have academic abilities to further your education and career. Shining a different light on these issues can make you feel grateful to have these problems.
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Count your blessings
This is perhaps the most important piece of advice–a piece that puts your day into perspective and can put a smile on your face the fastest! Looking at all that you have already can make you feel accomplished, loved, and successful. It can give you the feeling of having a full life, and the things that were bothering you aren’t so bad after all. If you’re having trouble getting started, try scripture, prayer, meditation, or giving thanks to someone specific. This is a way to get into a positive upward spiral. Once you get started, you only go up from there.
Life is about rolling with the punches, and using resets to get you back on track. Love the journey–the good days, and even the bad days that you can turn right back around.
