We All Have Bad Days. Here’s How to Recover From Yours.
“But I am very poorly today & very stupid & I hate everybody & everything. One lives only to make blunders.” ― Charles Darwin, The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, Volume 9: 1861
It doesn’t take much to turn a good day into a bad one.
A negative remark or rude bank teller. An unexpected bill or a rainy rush hour. Sometimes, it takes nothing at all. It’s simply just a bad day.
For me, a bad day always seems to compound itself. One negative thought triggers another, I’ll skip the gym which saps my energy and motivation, or I’ll eat poorly and feel even worse.
When at all possible, I’ve learned dealing with a bad day early and directly is the best remedy. It’s the exact opposite of our inclination, of course, which makes it that much harder.
When I’m in the midst of a bad day, tackling it head on is the least of my desires (which normally include Netflix, ice cream and possibly even my bed).
I’m realizing, though, a bad day isn’t nearly as unyielding as I’d like to believe. I’m not powerless, which means there are things I can do to turn it around.
“Maybe it’s not about having a beautiful day, but about finding beautiful moments. Maybe a whole day is just too much to ask. I could choose to believe that in every day, in all things, no matter how dark and ugly, there are shards of beauty if I look for them.” ― Anna White, Mended: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Leaps of Faith
The saying “this, too, shall pass”’ may seem trite, but there’s a lot of truth in those four short words.
It’s a reminder I give myself often, and not just on bad days. Knowing all of this will pass, the good, the bad, and everything in between, gives me a much-needed dose of perspective.
This is all temporary, every last bit of it. When I’m in the midst of a bad day, knowing it will be short-lived, is often all it takes to motivate me forward. It gives me a bit of hope, which I can then use to catapult myself into something more productive, be it a walk around the block, an hour of writing, or even folding the laundry.
The point is simply to recognize no matter what your current moment feels like, there’s another one right around the corner.
Beautiful moments can feel few and far between when you’re in the depths of a bad day.
I truly believe, though, we all find exactly what we’re looking for. It’s the law of attraction in action: what you think about is what you’ll bring out.
So go out of your way to ponder beautiful, hope-filled moments, and you’ll more than likely stumble upon one.
Whether it’s a child’s laugh, a smile between strangers, or a stunning sunset, fragments of beauty are all around us.
We tend to have the belief that we act because of the way we feel. The reality, though, is this: we often feel because of the way we act.
It’s a heartening idea, and puts the power right back in our own hands. So if you want to feel happy, go ahead and act happy. Smile generously, put a bounce in your step, laugh liberally.
Decide how you want to feel, and act as though you already feel that way. It’s a powerful happiness hack that really works.
Touch is a powerful form of therapy. Pet an animal, give a hug, hold a hand.
Touch is an often-overlooked, but easy means of instantly lifting your mood. The bonus? It’ll often lift the mood of the friend (or animal) you’re touching, as well.
A quick walk around the block, some yoga stretches or a few laps in the pool at your local gym. Simply moving your body is a powerful, and proven, way to turn your bad day around.
The point is this: we all have bad days. What separates those of us who quickly turn them around, from those of us who stew in our unhappy circumstances, is how we react to our bad day.
Inertia will tell us our bad day wants a movie-marathon on the couch (with ice cream), but we know better.
Even if you don’t feel like it, try one or two of these techniques to turn your bad day around.
I think you’ll be (pleasantly) surprised at how much power you really do have over the feel and quality of your day.
We All Have Bad Days. Here’s How to Recover From Yours.
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