We’ve all had ‘one of those days’ (or several). You know the ones we’re talking about: when you wake up and there’s no hot water, so you take a cold shower, only to discover that you’ve run out of clean towels. You try to get your mojo back with a caffeine hit, but the coffee tin is empty. You finally rush out the door, late for work, and yep, you guessed it, your car has a flat tyre. Your day is pretty much ruined – and it’s not even 9 am.

When we have a bad day, we often create a story around it. We ask ourselves: Why me? Why can’t I catch a break? Why does this always happen?

Of course, none of these musings are helpful, which is why your time would be much better spent trying to turn each loss into a win and changing the narrative. Next time you have a bad day, try these tips:

1. See the humour in it – When all the bad stuff starts to pile up, life can feel like a joke – one that you know you’ll laugh about later, so why not start now?
2. Write down what's good in your life – Yes, it can be difficult to practice gratitude when you’re stressed to the max, but among its many advantages, gratitude can reduce stress and anxiety; improve your psychological wellbeing and self-esteem; and make you more resilient.
3. Reach out to friends – A chat with a loved one can have such a soothing effect, even when our feathers are feeling particularly ruffled. Whether it’s their ability to make us laugh, distract us from whatever’s going on, or simply listen as we vent, friends can help us hit the reset button and get on with the rest of our day.
4. Do something for someone else ­– If you want to feel happy, try making someone else feel happy first. Science backs us on this one: doing something for (or giving something to) someone else makes you feel happier than if you just look after you.
5. Take a walk – There’s nothing like a stroll around the block to clear those storm clouds away. Remove any distractions and allow your brain some time and space to refocus and reset.

Tempting as it might be to crawl back into bed when your day doesn’t go to plan, it’s not the only option. Hopefully the above tips will help you sort things out the next time life doesn’t go to plan; if not, there’s always Netflix and chocolate.

– The Coach Place Global

Image by Denny Müller

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