Having a Bad Day? Here are 8 sure fire ways to turn it around
Even the most positive, happy person has a bad day from time to time. The difference between positive people and the perpetually negative ones is that positive people know how to turn their day around when they wake up in a sour mood or face some kind of negative situation. If you want to be an all around more positive person, keep these tips ready and actually IMPLEMENT them the next time you find yourself in a bad mood.
Be Grateful
Think of 3 things you’re grateful for.
This is probably the oldest positive thinking trick in the book, but if you do this regularly enough, you train your brain to be grateful no matter what life throws your way.
Let me give you a peak into my positive living story –
Thinking of just 3 things to be grateful for might seem pointless. It seems small, inconsequential, and you might think like I did – that I was stronger-minded than this. I am able to see life realistically and I can’t be tricked into being some positive person when positive things don’t really happen in my life.
This is how I thought.
When I was fresh out of high school, I was the most pessimistic person you could ever meet. I thought the world owed me something and I figured if I just expect the worst, I wouldn’t be disappointed when it happened. Better yet, if reality was actually a little better than my worst-case scenario, I’d be pleasantly surprised.
This is no way to live.
You miss out on all the beauty that life has to offer.
Luckily, I had a great best friend who forced me to see how negative I was on a regular basis. He got mad at me when I constantly insisted I wasn’t a pessimist, I was a “realist.” Eventually, I cut the most negative people out of my life and decided to be more positive.
Since then, I’ve had major ups and downs just like everyone else, but I’m generally a very positive person now and being around negative people drives me absolutely crazy. It really is possible to change your mindset if you want to bad enough.
Start by thinking of 3 things you’re grateful for every single time you start to think negatively or when something bad happens that isn’t in your control. Don’t obsess over the negative, instead, redirect your mind to think of the positive.
I’ve done this. I went from being incredibly pessimistic to thinking positively in almost any situation. My life is so much better for it. I can’t adequately explain to you what a huge difference this one change made in my life, but I hope my rambling about it encourages you to just give it a try.
Remind yourself every single time you’re having a bad day to think about the things in your life that you’re grateful for. You don’t have to stop at just 3. Keep going!
What are your long term goals?
What’s the next logical step in that direction? Forward progress is the enemy of negativity. It’s very hard to be in a bad mood when you’re focusing on something you’re very passionate about and making plans toward it.
For me – it’s blogging or traveling with my family. When Scotty and I talk about a future trip we want to take and start to plan it, I forget any problems that might be going on around us. We’re hoping to take a family vacation for our 3rd anniversary this year and I get giddy just thinking about it.
What are you passionate about? Going back to school? Paying off debt? Starting a business? Losing weight? Being healthier? Starting a blog? Whatever it is, spend some time researching the steps to take to get closer to your goal the next time you’re having a bad day.
Get motivated.
The best thing to do to break a bad day is forward progress.
After focusing on your passions, you’re probably already feeling pretty motivated. Start keeping a list of the things that motivate you.
One thing that always gets me motivated is watching Tony Robbins on YouTube. If I watch his stuff, I immediately want to take the next step in the right direction. If I’m struggling to find the motivation to clean my house or organize, I’ll watch Do It On a Dime on Youtube or Clean my Space if I want to clean up.
In fact, I usually have their videos on while I’m cleaning and organizing to give me the motivation I need to keep going.
Get Some Perspective
What’s one thing that went right today?
Even if it’s just that you woke up and had breakfast, that’s a hell of a start. Some people didn’t even get that far today.
Always remember, a bad day doesn’t equal a bad life.
One thing that I say to myself pretty regularly is a quote I heard years ago that rings so true, especially in recent years – Do not regret getting older, it is a privilege denied to many.
Do you want to waste the amazing time you’ve been given by staying in a bad mood or wearing crap colored glasses through life? I doubt it. Decide to enjoy every single moment and really soak it in. The bad and challenging times in life just make you more grateful for the positive, amazing moments when they come.
In that way, bad days really are a gift. If every day was incredible, then every incredible day would just be…normal. You’d quickly take great days for granted. Instead, we have highs and lows and the lows make the highs much more sweet.
Get outside!
Even if the weather is crappy, the outdoors is nature’s therapy. It has an amazing way of resetting your mood. **mommy tip – this works GREAT with toddlers! Stuck at home on a rainy day? Put on some play clothes and go jump in some mud puddles!**
It’s a rule in our house – if you see a little mud puddle, you MUST jump in it.
If you’re trapped inside all day, you create a pressure cooker of sorts. Get outside, breathe in some fresh air, and allow nature to reset your mood.
Find the Silver Lining
What’s the silver lining in your current situation? I promise you, it’s there. Even if you have to look incredibly hard for it, there is a positive in there somewhere if you look hard enough.
When there are crappy days in my life, I try to tell myself that these days really highlight the great days and make them seem even better than they already are.
For example, a really rainy, cloudy day makes me appreciate the sunny, warm days even more. It’s the same way with days where everything seems to go wrong. Those days are just preparing you to truly enjoy the great days ahead. Life is a journey and the valleys are just as important as the peaks.
If my husband and I are on different pages about something, I’m grateful that I have him to disagree with. If I burn dinner, I’m grateful we have other things in our cabinet to eat. If our baby blows out his diaper and I have a huge mess to clean up, I’m grateful I was given this beautiful little soul to look after and take care of. Yes, messes stink sometimes (especially if they’re of the blow out variety) but if you’re blessed with a mess – don’t take it for granted!
Laugh
If all else fails, laughter really is the best medicine. Watch your favorite funny movie or look up funny YouTube videos.
You know that story that makes you laugh so hard when you tell it that you snort? Say the whole story in your head as though you’re telling it to someone for the first time. Immerse yourself in a positive, funny memory and let the bad day take a turn for the better.
Connect
For me, connecting with people is the number one thing that will snap me out of a bad mood. If I’m in a really horrible mood though, I’ll stay away from people to keep from being a damper on their day.
Most days though, other people make me happy. I’ll go out with the kids and go grocery shopping. We always make new friends in line. I’ll go to a playdate with my mommy group and reconnect with the other moms. I’ll text or email my friends back home in Pennsylvania and see what they’ve been up to.
One of my favorite ways to connect with people at any time of day is to hop onto my blogging mastermind group on Facebook and see which of my friends is there. Over the last year, our group of about 7 people have really connected and become a big part of each other’s lives. If I’m really frustrated or upset about something, I can hop on there and type out exactly what’s wrong and pretty soon, one of them pop up with a great idea or just some encouragement.
My point is, no matter where you are, it’s possible to connect with people. While in person is best, online friends and far away friends are just a click away. Those who love you will be happy to be there for you when you’re stuck in a grumpy spot.
Even if you can’t completely change your bad mood, these tips can help take the edge off. Even the worst day has only 24 hours and you can do just about anything for 24 hours. Take a deep breath, evaluate what’s going right in your life, and do more of that. Take the next step toward one of your biggest goals and start to put a positive spin on every moment by finding the silver lining.
What do you do when you find yourself in a bad mood? Are there any tips that have really changed your life for the better? Let me know your best tips in the comments!