My morning: A failed snooze alarm. I overslept. A fight with my partner. A coffee splash on my favorite shirt. My hair all over the show and I have a job interview. The power is out and I have a mile-long to-do list …. The list goes on and on. Does your mood and day get soured like this too? Can you turn around a bad day, and how?
In fact, you can turn around a bad day. Realizing you are having a bad day is step one of changing your day into a good one. This is followed by putting what happened into perspective, taking responsibility, finding the lesson, and moving forward.
If you are having a bad day, you can cheer up by doing some self-care, practicing gratitude, changing up your routine, doing something nice for someone else, and looking for the silver lining. After all, no matter how harrowing a day you’ve had, every day has an opportunity for joy. You just have to find it.
Follow our 9-step ultimate guide on how to turn around a bad day into a good—or even a great—one. Are you ready to break out of the bad day blues and look for joy?
A Bad Day: What Do the Experts Say?
Is a bad day really a bad day? If your morning is bad but the rest of the day is better, can you really classify it as a bad day? And what about a bad afternoon or a bad evening? Those are, in fact, just bad mornings, bad afternoons, and bad evenings, not a whole bad day.
How you classify a “bad day” depends on your mood, your perspective, what happened and how severe it was, and whether you managed to turn your bad day around, making it a good one. Thus, a bad day depends onyourinterpretation of your reality.
As part of a self-fulfilling prophecy, if you believe it is a bad day, then it will be one, and you are much more likely to attract negative energy too. According to Peter J. Bently, author of Why Sh*t Happens: The Science of a Really Bad Day, if you believe Friday the 13th brings bad luck, you are more likely to have negative things happening on that day.
The Happiness Advantage author, Shawn Achor, states that even when something negative happens in your life, it is vital to also focus on the positive, which offers so many benefits:
| The Benefits of Positive Thinking | ||
| More productive by 31% | More likely to be promoted | Improves your coping skills for bad days |
| Experience less stress | Lowers your chances of experiencing depressive feelings | Improves your physical and psychological well-being |
| Triples your creativity | Promotes longevity | Increases common cold resistance (improves your immunity) |
9-Step Guide: How to Turn Around a Bad Day
Negative emotions can spread quicker than wildfire. Stop the downward spiral of a bad day with these 9 steps:
Step 1: Realize You Are Having a Bad Day
When you are having a bad day, you don’t always realize what is happening. And a day “turning bad” can happen very quickly and suddenly—one minute you are ok, then something doesn’t go as you expected it would, and BAM! Your normal or cheerful mood has turned for the worse and it snowballs from there.
This is why it is so important to take cognizance of early warning signs so you can realize your day has taken a turn for the worse. You can stop it in its tracks and have a plan of action ready for what you can do.
Here are some examples of early warning signs:
- You engage in negative self-talk > “I am not good enough.” “I suck!” “I cannot do this no matter what.”
- Your temper comes out to play and you get snappy with those around you.
- You turn to quick fixes, like chocolate, mindless online shopping, or scrolling through your social media feeds.
These will look different for everyone, so take a moment and think back to when you last had a bad day. Can you identify when the day turned bad? What were some of your early warning signs?
Step 2: Take a Pause
You’ve identified your early warning signs and recognized you are having a bad day. The second step is to take a pause. Get out of your environment and your own head if you can.
Take a break to the bathroom, and if you can’t escape your environment, close your eyes and take some deep breaths. Focus on now, this present moment, and try to forget everything else. Breathe until your mind is calmer.
Step 3: Embrace Your Mood & Pinpoint the Problem
While this may sound counterintuitive, accept that you are having a bad day and embrace this mood. According to professor Mark Aoyagi at the University of Denver, you are better off accepting and acknowledging that you are having a bad day and how you are feeling as opposed to ignoring it or trying to change it.
Once you’ve embraced your mood, it is time to pinpoint the problem. You also need to put what you feel into words; give it a name. This helps pause your emotional response and enables you to process the situation more rationally and calmly.
Rather than simply saying “I’m upset,” say something like “I’m upset because traffic was horrible this morning, I burnt breakfast, and I have to finish this project that is due today.”
Focus on the real reason you are unhappy and work on this. With this, you become mindful, and you can more easily problem solve and improve your mood.
Step 4: Put Your Mood Into Perspective & Create a New One
Once you’ve embraced your mood and identified the reason(s) for what you are feeling, it is time to put everything in perspective. Look at the bigger picture—this gives you clarity—and examine how your bad day (or what happened that changed your day into a bad one) stacks up in the bigger picture of things.
For example, your hair not cooperating this morning and you having an important meeting with a client or a job interview can put a damper on your day. But in the grand scheme of things, should your hair really put you in such a bad mood and ruin your day compared to, for example, a hurricane sweeping through your area and taking your house with it?
There are a few important questions you can ask yourself to help you put things into perspective:
- Will this make a difference to my life in 5 years? Follow the 5×5 rule: If something won’t matter in 5 years, you should spend a maximum of 5 minutes being upset by it and then move on.
- What is one small, practical step I can take to change this for the better and turn my day into a good one?
- Is there an opportunity for joy today?
It isn’t always easy to change your perspective and move forward as some days are really bad and we do sometimes just wallow in our own misery. It then seems like extra hard work to turn the day around and put in the hard work to make joy happen.
Be kind to yourself, write off the day, accept that is in the past, and remember the next day is a brand-new one, full of opportunity.
Step 5: Take Responsibility
Taking responsibility for what may have soured your day is an important fifth step as you can now also see the bigger picture. Look back at the day and ask yourself if you may have played a role in what went wrong.
Maybe your morning turned bad because you overslept, and you overslept because you just had to see the whole of season 1 of Bridgerton or Witcher or WandaVision the previous evening (and thus went to sleep at 3:30 a.m.).
We often see ourselves as a passive participant and think these situations that turn our days into bad ones just happen to us. It is, therefore, key to see yourself as a proactive participant where you don’t see yourself as a victim and you own your role in your bad day. This gives you the power to change the day too.
Step 6: Find the Lesson
There is a lot of power in looking on the bright side. Look back at what went wrong but don’t focus on what happened or didn’t happen. You can’t change what happened or undo it.
Instead, reflect in such a way that you ask, “What can I learn?” There is also a lesson from what happened if you take a step back and observe. And by learning, you can note any triggers you should stay away from.
You should also pay attention when your bad days pile up. There may be something bigger that is happening that you should note and address.
Step 7: Tackle a Task & Take Advantage of the Bad Day
A study has found that if you are sad, you’d actually negotiate and complete detailed-oriented tasks better than a happy person would. So, if you are not yet ready to reset and move forward, put your bad mood to use.
You can also complete a task you’ve been dreading and putting off. Write that long-postponed letter or clear your inbox. Your brain records the completion of any task as a victory, and this can drastically improve your outlook for the day.
Step 8: Reset
This step will not be the same for everyone, and it is key that you find what works best for you. Do a reset ritual when you are ready to put what happened behind you, and with a fresh start, begin the good part of your “bad” day.
Examples of rituals:
- If you are short on time: apply a fresh coat of lip gloss or lipstick, make a cup of your favorite tea or coffee, or look at 3 funny cat videos on YouTube.
- If you have more time: exercise, take a shower or bath, read a few chapters of your favorite book, or chill out with popcorn and a movie.
If you are looking for more ideas, we have a lot more in the “20 Ways to Change Your Bad Day Into a Good One” section below.
I would also recommend finding what works for you and sticking with it. Have a set ritual when you are short on time and a longer one when you have more time so you form a habit whenever you experience a bad day and are ready to reset. Personally, I like a cup of tea and chatting with my bestie. What about you?
Step 9: Move Forward
Congratulations! You have decided to move forward and now you just need to make the best of the rest of your day. Move forward with conscious intent for how you spend your time and energy and keep looking for more opportunities for joy.
20 Ways to Change Your Bad Day Into a Good One
Once you’ve followed the final step outlined above, you can try one or more of these 20 ways to shake off a bad day and help you find joy:
1. Be Grateful
A great way to get yourself into a (more) positive mood is to practice gratitude by making a list of things you are grateful for. It doesn’t have to be extensive. You can write down the top 5 to 10 things that come to mind.
Examples of things you could be grateful for:
- A loving partner
- A friend who is also your confidant and accepts you for who you are
- Your kid giving you a hug this morning
- Coffee!
- The pretty flowers on your desk that bloomed just days ago
2. Do Some Therapy Writing
Writing about your thoughts and feelings nonstop for 20 minutes has been proven to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress. It also reduces blood pressure, improves your mood, and gives you some measure of control over what happens next.
Therapeutic writing helps you see your bad day from a different perspective and discover the lesson and silver lining. This is especially helpful for Steps 3 to 6 to turn around your bad day.
3. Strut the Power Pose
Striking a power pose like that of Superman or Wonder Woman with legs apart, hands on hips, and head held high can do wonders for your mood. You can even add the cape if that will make you feel more positive and confident.
In a TED video, psychologist Amy Cuddy talks about the positive effects of holding your power pose for 2 minutes.
4. Do Self-Care (AKA “Me” Time)
While spending time with loved ones can help you feel better, you shouldn’t dismiss the power of “me” time and doing some self-care. This could range from watching your favorite series and pigging out on your favorite pizza to doing a spa day at home and just pampering yourself from head to toe.
5. Take a Nap
Taking a nap gives your body and mind a chance to rest so you can feel better when you wake up.
6. Take a Bath or Shower
Taking a shower or bath somehow helps clear the negativity. Showers with alternating hot-cold water increase circulation, which makes you feel good all over. A bath with relaxing music, your favorite bubble bath or bath bombs, and a glass of wine (with this silicone glass holder) can also do the trick.
7. Spend Time With Your Loved Ones
When you are having a bad day, it is easy to wallow, feel alone, and self-sabotage. Instead, call a loved one (a close family member or best friend) who always puts a smile on your face and whom you can trust not to judge. Go out for a coffee date, or if they don’t live close, schedule a Zoom evening.
Chatting with someone from your inner circle:
- Gives you the support you need
- Helps lift your mood
- Helps you with a second opinion and putting things into perspective
8. Remove Something From Your To-Do List
A bad day can derail your whole day, and feeling overwhelmed with a to-do list a mile long is not helpful. A quick solution is to remove a task, especially something that is less important, from your to-do list and make some time for yourself.
9. Spend Time With Your Pet
Studies have proven that people who have pets have a better well-being overall. Cuddling and petting your furry pal for 15 minutes boosts your mood.
If you don’t have a pet, you can head over to an animal shelter or visit your friend’s pet for some animal love. Alternatively, you can look at cute animal videos on YouTube. Here are a few to get you started:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOBJ-sIw4W8
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gZONZ1I4Ko
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-ovzUNno7g
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOG6l3pJ_Hw
10. Laugh
It’s been proven that laughter really is the best medicine as it soothes tension, improves your mood, and makes it easier to cope with challenging situations. Call your funny friend or watch a comedy show.
11. Hugs
Hugs are therapeutic and comforting as they increase your oxytocin levels, which helps relieve feelings of loneliness, anger, and isolation. A longer hug boosts your level of serotonin, which helps you feel better.
For more information on the benefits of hugs, watch this video from the Cleveland Clinic:
12. Find Some Vanilla
A study found that smelling vanilla can make you happy. If you are having a bad day, your favorite scents can make you feel better, so go out there and smell your “roses.”
13. Listen to Music, Read, or Watch a Movie
Studies have proven that music can make you feel better as it increases positive emotions by stimulating dopamine. Looking for a playlist to help you out of your bad day blues? Listen to this Spotify playlist or make your own comprising your favorite songs.
Like with music, reading and watching a movie can also reduce stress, alleviate depression, and put you in a better mood. Here is a list of feel-good movies to check out.
14. Exercise
Simply going for a walk can improve your mood. A study has found that moving for a mere 12 minutes relieves negative emotions and the benefits can last up to 12 hours. And if you can take a loved one with you, this amplifies the effect.
If you feel a walk just won’t cut it, then go into #BeastMode. Punch and kick your feelings out on a punching bag. Or do some HIIT. A study found that a 30-minute run can also help you regulate your emotions better.
15. Practice Deep Breathing
Breathing deeply is therapeutic as it reduces the stress levels that come with having a bad day. To help you practice deep breathing, watch this video:
16. Break Your Routine & Change the Scenery
If you are feeling upset, don’t stay in your environment. Changing your scenery will do you a world of good.
If you have to stay at the office, then spend some time outside, on a different floor, or in the break room. If you can get away but have to get some work done, take your laptop and go work at the nearby coffee shop. And if you really can’t get away, looking at nature photos can make you feel better.
17. Do Something Nice for Someone
A reliable way of improving your well-being and feeling better is doing something nice for someone. Best of all is that it doesn’t have to be something big. Pay your co-worker a compliment or buy your assistant a cup of coffee.
18. Spend Time in Nature
From hiking and walking on the beach to just walking barefoot on grass, the benefits of spending time in nature are manyfold. Just 2 hours in nature a week can drastically improve your health.
19. Meditate
Meditation can help you turn your bad mood into a good one, and it can also help you better manage future bad days.
Do you have 7 minutes? Follow this guided meditation to help you turn around your bad day.
20. Stay Away From Social Media
Checking your social feeds can make you feel depressed as you start comparing yourself to others. If you are having a bad day, seeing how well everyone else is doing and how seemingly perfect their lives are will not improve your mood. On a bad day, sign out of your social media apps and focus inward.
If Your Bad Day Becomes a Bad Every Day
Most people generally experience a bad day now and again, and it is infrequent to have a few bad days in a row (but it can happen).
Your “bad days” may be due to a chemical imbalance if:
- Your bad day becomes a bad every day.
- You’ve followed the 9 steps above.
- You’ve done everything else you can think of to get out of the bad day blues.
- However, nothing helps.
If the above applies, it is advised that you seek the help of a healthcare professional.
Turning a Bad Day Into a Good One FAQs
1. What can you say to someone who’s having a bad day?
If someone you know is having a bad day, there are a few things you can say to them. You can say “I’m here for you,” “I’m thinking of you,” and “You are strong.” Sometimes no words are needed. Be there for them and simply listen to the person if they would like to share.
2. Is it OK to have a bad day?
There is nothing wrong with having a bad day. We all have them at some stage of our lives, and it doesn’t mean you are a negative person. It is important to remember that it is just a day that is bad and bad days can be turned into good ones.
A Bad Day, Not a Bad Life
Your bad day could really just be a bad morning, a bad afternoon, or a bad evening. Or very possibly, even just a bad 15 minutes or hour. It all depends on your perspective and, ultimately, what you make of it …
So, do:
- Think about what you are grateful for.
- Invest in self-care or spend time with your loved ones.
- Find opportunities for joy.
- Reflect on your bad days, what triggers you, and what tactics you can employ to turn your day around.
But don’t:
- Fall prey to victim mentality. Taking responsibility for what happens is an important catalyst to helping you change around your bad day.
- Continue stewing in your negative emotions.
- Pass the time scrolling through Facebook.
- Stay in your environment, doing nothing, and setting unrealistic expectations.
In the book that is your life, a bad chapter (a bad day) does not equate to a bad book (a bad life).
How do you plan on changing your bad days into good days?