Reset Your Day: 7 Tips to Turn a Bad Day Into a Good One
Inside: Want to reset your day? Use these seven tips to turn a bad day into a good one.
We’ve all had a bad day.
Sometimes, that bad day is the result of something that’s happened to you. Your car broke down. You got into an argument with someone you love. You received some disappointing news.
And sometimes, there is no obvious cause. You’re just in a funk, or feeling off.
Either way – it isn’t fun.
The good news?
You don’t have to sit there and needlessly suffer through a bad day. It is possible to turn it around, lift your spirits, and reset your day.
You might not feel like it, but if you can find the motivation to make it happen, you’ll feel way better – and be able to move on in a much more positive mindset.
Not sure how to make it happen? I’m excited to share some easy ways to reset your day so that you can flip that bad day into a good one the next time you’re feeling down in the dumps.
7 Tips and Tricks to Turn Around A Bad Day
When you’re having a bad day, it’s easy to feel like you’re caught in a downward spiral – unable to break free from the negative thoughts and emotions weighing you down.
But there are things you can do to reset your day.
While it might be hard to muster up the energy and motivation to make a change, there are things you can do to turn your bad day into a better one – like these simple actions.
1. Practice some self-care.
Whether you’re having a bad day because you’re sad, stressed, or angry, a little self-care can go a long way in shifting your mood in a more positive direction.
Taking the time to nurture your soul and refill your own cup can have a massive impact on the way you’re feeling. That’s why it’s important to make self-care part of your to-do list.
A few self-care ideas you might use to turn your bad day around include:
- Take a long, warm bath.
- Grab a coffee at your favorite local cafe or treat yourself to lunch on a sunny patio.
- Watch a well-loved movie.
- Light a candle and read a few chapters of your latest book.
- Take a nap to catch up on much-needed rest.
It doesn’t have to be something that consumes your whole day, but taking a much-needed pause to do something for yourself can really make a difference when you’re feeling down.
2. Get outside.
Enjoy spending time outdoors? Connecting with nature can be a great way to turn around a bad day.
Spend some time in your garden, go for a bike ride, take a stroll through your favorite local park, or stop and smell the flowers – literally.
There are so many physical, mental, and emotional health benefits to spending time outside.
The sunshine and fresh air might be just what you need to reset your bad day and get yourself to a better mindset.
3. Break a sweat.
Lacing up your sneakers and going for a run might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re having a bad day, but exercise is scientifically proven to release endorphins – chemicals in your body that naturally boost your mood and make you feel good.
And you don’t have to go for a run – there’s no one-size-fits-all option when it comes to mood-boosting exercise. Instead, engage in a physical activity that you actually enjoy. A few ideas include:
- Take a long walk and listen to a podcast
- Put on your rollerblades and cruise around your neighborhood
- Find a yoga video on YouTube
- Drop into an exercise class at your local gym
- Lift weights
Whether you break a sweat by doing something you know and love or use it as an opportunity to push your boundaries and try something new, chances are you’ll wrap up your workout in higher spirits than when you started.
4. Put on your favorite playlist.
Music can be a powerful tool when it comes to shifting our moods and influencing our emotions.
Certain songs can make us sad, or angry, or inspired, or happy. So when you’re feeling down, put on an uplifting playlist filled with songs that bring you joy.
They might be songs that are tied to positive memories, songs with motivating lyrics, songs that make you dance, or songs that simply make you smile.
Either way, play those tunes and relax, dance, or sing along and see if those feelings can help turn your day from a bad one to a good one.
5. Grab your journal.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to articulate our thoughts and feelings. Our minds can feel like a jumbled mess, and as a result, understanding the why behind our bad mood can be a challenge.
Journaling can be a great way to untangle those thoughts and get to the source of whatever’s bothering you – and, as a result, figure out what you need to do to address it.
Simply grab a pen and some paper, or open the notes app on your phone, and let your thoughts flow.
Don’t worry about being grammatically correct, spelling, or all of the nuances you’d consider when writing for others. Just focus on getting your feelings out of your mind and onto the page.
Not sure where to start? Check out these beginner journaling tips that can help.
You might be surprised to see just how much better you feel after it’s done.
6. Notice the good.
If you want to reset your day, intentionally looking for good things as you go throughout your day is a great way to accomplish that.
By training your mind to notice the simple joys in life, you’ll begin to see more of them which can help reset your day.
As you practice looking for the good, you’ll see more good things. Your mindset has a big impact on how you experience the world.
If you’re looking for negative things to confirm that things are bad, you’ll find them. But on the flip side, if you train yourself to notice the good things, they will multiply.
7. Do something kind.
Performing a random act of kindness can be a wonderful way to find a little perspective, lift your spirits, and improve someone else’s day, too.
It’s easy to find ourselves wallowing in self-pity when we’re having a bad day, but in almost every situation, there’s someone out there who’s having a worse day than you.
By refocusing your energy on the blessings in your life instead and finding a way to help someone in need, you can shift your energy in a positive direction.
You don’t have to dedicate a whole day to volunteering, either. Here are just a few random acts of kindness you can use to turn your bad day around:
- Pay for the car ahead of you at your local coffee drive-through, cover the tab for a stranger at a restaurant, or give your server a generous tip.
- If you have little free libraries in your area, find a few books at home to donate – or pick a few up at a local shop – and add them to the collection.
- Give someone a compliment.
- Bring some flowers to a nursing home.
- Donate to your local shelter or food bank.
Even something as simple as letting someone go in front of you in line, smiling at a stranger, or holding the door open for others can go a long way in helping someone to feel seen and cared for.
Knowing that you’ve done something to put a little positivity into the world can be a powerful mood-booster and an effective way to turn around a bad day.
I’ve pulled my calf muscle so have had to sit for the last two days however this has cheered me up!
I am sad because I have breast cancer and nobody wants to take time to spend with me! I am very lonely and I’m depressed because of this ! I always step up to the plate when others are struggling and I don’t know how people can be so selfish! I am including my family in this!!!!🥲🥲🥲🥲
I’m so sorry you’re experiencing that. Have you tried communicating your needs and desires to friends and family members? Sometimes people don’t know what to do to best help support a friend through a rough season. Take good care of yourself <3.
Don’t worry..everything will be all right one day. Just invest your time in yourself..to improove yourself..try meditation..you will get peace.
I’ve found that most people don’t know how to approach someone who is experiencing such a threat to mortality and they stick their head in the sand. Carers need caring too. I hope you find the strength to find a new group of supporters. I think it’s rare for the people who we leave behind in our journey to actually want to do the work that involves change. Mourn your losses and move on. It’s heartbreaking, and you don’t need to completely remove these people from your life, but you do need to set your sights on a new support group. Maybe you will forgive them one day, but don’t hang around expecting an apology. I wish you the best.
Nancy, so sorry to hear this. My daughter has breast cancer and on the outside looking in I have found that people simply do not know what to say or how to cope with breast cancer. After the initial shock support groups (on line or face to face) have helped both my daughter and myself cope and understand. Try not to take how other people react personally, easier said than done I know, and practise as much self care as you can. My thoughts are with you and I wish you all the best for the future. Kathy x
I’m so sorry to hear this Nancy. I am a 24 year survivor of Inflammatory Breast Cancer. I experienced much of the same, and I joined a support group at the hospital where I was to have my mastectomy. It really helped, because we had so much in common. I hope your family can open their eyes and hearts to your needs. I’ll pray for you.
Nancy,
I’m sorry you are experiencing this. I wonder if because you are always the one stepping up, other’s don’t know how to do that for you.
Maybe, reach out to your friends or family and ask them to do something with you, open the door for them, possibly a movie at home or theater, coffee or something low key and safe for you.
Prayers coming your way from me! Jean
Im so sorry i hope you can find support maybe the treatment area can help?
I wish i was there.
Hi Nancy
I am so sorry to hear this and share a small part of what you must be going through. My husband is being treated for liver cancer and family and friends are becoming less & less supportive – that’s if ever they were!
There are those of us who care, though distant and perhaps unknown to you. You are in our thoughts and prayers. I hope the future holds many good things for you and that any treatment you may be receiving is successful, and try not to let the ignorance and thoughtlessness of others affect your obvious good nature too much. With you in spirit, Sue.
hi Nancy, I went through treatment for breast cancer during the COVID pandemic so know how lonely treatment can be.Often family and friends just don’t know what to say to someone with cancer. I found online breast cancer support groups really helpful as the women totally get your worries and will be there for you day and night. I will be thinking of you as you go through your treatment and want you to know that you can beat this and life will get brighter again in time . Take care, Sarah x
sending hugs, I hope they make time for you x
Sending positive thoughts your way, Nancy. I hope you get the care and support you need xx Emma
@Nancy Sending to you a bear hug! Listen and try to follow doctor’s advice! Listen to some music esp happy one and thinking only for the best to come. Take a stroll now and then and rest by a lake or sit on a park bench! I hope and wish the best for you. I know many women who have been diagnosed with breast cancern and they have won their battle. I am confident you will too. Wishing you all the best and be a real fighter to overcome this terrible but not undefeated!
Dear
I also had breast cancer. operated 9.12.2021.
Now I am 100% ok. no body can judge me. after cimo and radiation. I do daily walk. full of protein meals. Now I daily do to gym .
please busy your self. watch movies. listen songs. make prayers. forget every negative thoughts. Azra Butt
Hello Nancy: I am so sorry to hear of your plight. Battling a serious illness, feeling alone, and isolated can be unnerving. I ran across a good audio book (you can get it in written form too) called “HOPE PREVAILS” by Dr. Michelle Bengtson. It speaks to our soul’s need for care and compassion. She has a website: http://www.drmichellebengtson.com and she has pod casts to give us hope and encouragement when we are feeling down in the dumps. We all have our days. Blessings to you for healing and recovery.
Dear,dear Nancy,
I have prayed for you. Know that you are of great value even when you feel invisible or depressed.
With love,
Anne
Exercise with your favorite music playing!!
Great addition, Wendy! Thanks for sharing.
I too have had a difficult year, 3 serious surgeries. 2 life threatening. Except for 2 close friends, I have found that people who are friends would ask how I’m doing, and then if I really told them, didn’t visit much after that. Most people can’t carry the weight of someone else’s pain and struggle. Or really don’t know how to support you physically or even more so emotionally. I remember being the same way 30-40 years ago. I felt compassion for friends who were facing challenges, but just didn’t know the right words to say! I truly regret many times with friends or family when I could have been there more for them and wasn’t. By the time we learn how to deal with others sorrows, we are facing our own! Now when I can, I try to phone someone to try and share love. (House trapped due to age and my health.). It always makes me feel better when I make someone else’s pain feel lighter and feel better. I try to phone different friends ( some I haven’t seen in years) 3 or 4 times a week, and make note of it in my journal. And I send out many cards. It’s hard to give out love when you don’t feel love, but it does bring joy. “There truly is more happiness in giving than receiving.” I pray that a least one of your friends can see you need love and support!
My bad day was not so bad from a global perspective (I don’t live in Palestine or Ukraine or Sudan) but it was bad from about 05:00 (bad dreams) to about 20:30, when I spilled cereal on my lap. My cat, who usually sits near me, has retreated to the bedroom (and when I go there she’ll probably retreat to the living room). It’s not like I’m shouting or ripping my hair out, but she’s sensitive. Pretty well anything that could go wrong today, went wrong, in interesting ways. So here’s what I did, finally: I called a friend (I live alone) and she had had a bad day at work, but then she always complains that “I can’t take another day of this” and then takes another day of that; anyway, we began laughing about bad days, even as I spilled cereal in my lap while on the phone with her, and that made it a less-bad-day. Not a great day, no, no. But less bad. And that’s about all one can do, sometimes: laugh it off.
This is helpful. I have had a couple of disappointments recently (nothing huge, just inconveniences) and I’ve allowed them to ruin what could have been fine days. I learned that I’m not good at pivoting. Once my plan goes sour, I’m at a loss how to reboot and capture the good that’s possible. Thank you for this. I’ll return to this post again and again until it really sinks in.