Having a Terrible Day? Turn Things Around by Doing These 5 Simple Things

Having a Terrible Day? Turn Things Around by Doing These 5 Simple Things

No matter who you are and no matter how good your intentions … we will all have “THOSE” days.

By “those days” I mean … the bad ones; the ones when things go wrong and we really struggle and, well, I think you probably know to what I’m referring.

But the good news is that if or when you have one of those bad days, there are things you can do; you can turn things around without really that much effort.

In this INC article, Deborah Grayson suggests 5 things you might like to try …

My favorite book growing up was Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. It told the highly relatable and true story of the author’s young son Alexander, who was having one of the worst days of his young life, suffering frustrations, setbacks, and indignities large and small. 

As adults, we all still have terrible days. While Alexander woke up with gum in his hair, you might wake up to a flurry of emails from your boss letting you know that you made a calculation error in the proposal that went out last night to your biggest client. While Alexander dropped his sweater in the sink while the water was running, you might get a flat tire on the way to work. Whether you’re dealing with a frustrating client, a sick kid, a misplaced document, or all of the above, you need to know how to handle a terrible day so it doesn’t get worse.

Here are five simple suggestions for what to do to shift your day from bad to better:

1. Change your geography. 

Of course, it would be lovely to be able to say, “I’ve had it! I’m heading to Bali!” (And if you can make that happen, more power to you.) But changing your geography doesn’t have to be that dramatic– or expensive.

If you’re in bed ruminating about the day ahead, get out of bed. If you’re sitting at your desk feeling overwhelmed by the influx of emails, stand up and stretch. If you’re hunkered down on the sofa feeling hopeless, go outside and get some air and sun on your face. And don’t underestimate the power of a brief walk to improve your mental and physical state.

2. Distract yourself.  

When I was a kid and not feeling well, my mom made me chicken soup with funny-shaped noodles (“Giggle Soup”, it was called) and let me watch as much television as I wanted. It was a distraction from feeling sick, and, turns out, she was onto something.

Research shows that purposeful use of distraction techniques can help us cope with challenging emotions. As an adult, I still enjoy a special treat to eat and something mindless to distract me. Now it’s my husband Michael’s sourdough bread, toasted and topped with French butter and truffle salt, while watching The Great British Baking Show.

Think about what you used to do (or still do) to distract yourself when you’re feeling physically sick, and adapt that for your mental health. It could be a rest, a snack, a book, a movie or television show, a favorite song, etc…

… keep reading the full & original article HERE