Bad days. We all have them and unfortunately no matter how positive or optimistic you may be, they are unavoidable. Over the past couple of years, I have come to a realization about something…most of us don’t know how to properly deal with our bad days.
If you’re anything like I use to be, when you’re having a bad day you probably allow it to turn into a negative ripple effect that may result in you having a bad couple of days, a bad week, or maybe even longer than what it really should be.
Here’s the thing. Bad days are bound to happen every once in a while, no matter how well things may be going for us. What we fail to realize in the moment is that a bad day is just one day.
That’s it.
It’s just one day.
And that one day does not define the rest of our lives. So, we shouldn’t allow that one bad day to create a negative ripple effect that lasts for a period of time. Instead, we should acknowledge that today isn’t our day, take things as a sign of changes that we may or may not need to make in our lives, and just strive to have a much better day the following day.
Easier said than done trust me I know! But as someone who has had many bad days, and many negative ripple effects as a result of one bad day, I’ve picked up some tips to help me bounce back from a bad day. These tips not only help get me through the day, but they also help me set the intention of having a much better day the following day.
I’m talking putting that negative ripple effect to a stop immediately!
Today I’m going to share with you a few of my favorite tips that help me bounce back when I’m having a bad day. I hope you enjoy!
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Tip #1: Accept everything that has and will happen to you with grace
There’s nothing more defeating than having a plan and being forced to watch that plan fall apart. I had to learn the hard way to not marry any plans that I may make for the day because life is unpredictable, anything can happen at any moment, and my plans may not always turn out the way I may have intended them to as a result of this.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make any plans, just don’t marry them. Instead be open to the idea that you may have to alter them, and understand that altering your plans doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world.
So what do we do when our plans get spoiled, and as a result of it we just end up having the worst day ever? We just go with the flow. Don’t fight back or try to push against the things that are happening to you. You got a rip in your jeans? Accept it. Server got your order wrong? Accept it. You got a parking ticket it? Accept it.
Accept the things that are happening to you with grace and simply keep pushing forward. I know this can be hard to do. We always want to take back any control we may have felt that we lost as a result of things not going as planned. However, I’m here to tell you that bouncing back from a bad day isn’t about having control. It’s about being able to keep moving forward no matter what life throws at you.
The minute you are no longer able to do that, that is when you have truly lost all control and the chaos around you has won.
This isn’t to say that you can’t make right any wrong either, because most of the time you are able to. Server got your order wrong? Accept it and then make it right. Simply let the server know that the order they have given you is not what you have order. Re-submit your order and then patiently wait for them to give you the right order.
Small acts like these can shift our focus from the negative and allow us to focus on the positive that can result from taking action to make right something that was wronged.
And if it’s something that you can’t make right, like getting a parking ticket, don’t trip! While it sucks and no one wants to be in that position, fussing over it and allowing it to make you angry is the quickest way to ensure that the rest of your day goes badly. Instead accept it and keep moving forward. Maybe there was something that you missed and was the reason for getting a parking ticket, or maybe you know exactly why you got the ticket.
Either way don’t fight against the things that are happening to you, you’ll only make it worst. Accept it and keep moving forward with a positive spirit and an optimistic mindset. This will help your bad day turn around sooner rather than later.
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Tip #2: Re-shift your focus to the near future
One thing that was always such a big struggle for me was finding things to focus on that I knew would put me in a better mood. I’m the type of person that gets so caught up in all the bad so easily, that I become blinded to anything good that I know may be coming my way. I had to learn how to re-shift my focus on things that were in the near future in order to help myself get through my bad days.
To re-shift your focus all you need to do is to have at least one thing that you are looking forward to, and use that as motivation to keep moving forward. This can be anything that you know will help put you in a better mood. So maybe you’re looking forward to spending the weekend with your best friend after being apart from one another for an entire month. Or maybe you’re looking forward to seeing the latest action movie that will be in theatres soon.
Whatever it is use that as motivation to block out any negative thoughts and feelings that may begin to stir inside of you as a result of having a bad day. I find that it’s easiest to know what activities you are looking forward to doing when you have it all written down somewhere where you will be able to see it.
So maybe that’s in your daily planner, on sticky notes that you have placed on your computer, on your bathroom mirror, or even on your kitchen counter. It really doesn’t matter. What matters is that you have things that you are excited to take part in that can serve as a motivator to help you overcome all the bad experiences you may be having for the day.
All you need is one. Re-shift your focus from your bad day to those positive and exciting activities and I promise you, your one bad day won’t seem so bad anymore.
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Tip #3: Take advantage of every moment to show yourself compassion
Perhaps the hardest thing for us to do as emotional human beings is show ourselves compassion. We have such a hard time loving ourselves, praising ourselves, and being kind and gentle to ourselves. I don’t really know why that is, but I do know that self-compassion is something that we all need to practice more often.
Especially on our really bad days.
I find it best to show myself some compassion by practicing self-care. This is by far the easiest way for me to center myself and keep my spirit and mind hopeful and positive. It’s so easy to slip into a depression and just automatically assume that our lives our going to shit when one bad thing happens that was completely out of our control. However, when you let that one bad thing have control over your thoughts and emotions, you are surrendering the greatest part of you.
Your happiness.
So instead of tossing that away even for a second, hold tight to it and do everything that you can to keep it sheltered and protected. Sit and mediate for 5 minutes. Do an hour-long yoga session. Sweat it out at the gym or at home. Go for a long walk. Do anything self-care related to help yourself show compassion to yourself. It’s not your fault that you happened to have a bad day. It’s not anyone’s fault. It’s just life and it happens to the best us, some more than others, but it’s never a good enough reason to give up on yourself and your happiness.
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Conclusion
So the next time you are having a bad day remember that it’s just ONE day. It will not define the rest of your life. It will not control your experiences for the next hour, the next day, the rest of the week, or even the rest of the moth. That one bad day is the result of one negative experience, but it doesn’t have to consume you the way that we tend to let it.
Instead try implementing these three tips to help you bounce back from a bad day:
- Accept everything that has and will happen to you with grace
- Re-shift your focus to the near future
- Take advantage of every moment to show yourself compassion
It may not be a perfect system, but I promise you it’s better than nothing.
See you soon love bug!
-Xo
Kimora