Bad days can come out of nowhere. Sometimes they creep up slowly, with one thing building on top of another until everything comes crashing down. Other times, bad days can just fly out of left field and clock you square in the face. Regardless of their origin, bad days can be defeated in three quick steps.
1. Don't call it a "bad day."
Take the entire paragraph I wrote previously and erase it from your memory. The two words, "bad" and "day," do not coexist in your vocabulary. This day is not bad, the circumstances just haven't been the best. The first thing you need to do is change your attitude towards the day. Pinpoint the events that are causing stress or anxiety and change your outlook towards them. Maybe your professor handed you back a bad exam. Maybe you're fighting with a good friend. Maybe you ran out of milk in the fridge when all you wanted was a bowl of cereal. Take the negative events from the day and see them as a call to action rather than a defeat.
2. Act.
Now that you've pinpointed the environmental stressors that are causing your bad day, you can act on them. Either cut off the stressor at its root or solve it. If you received a bad mark on an exam, go straight back to your dorm and study. Review what you did wrong and make sure you understand your mistakes so they won't reoccur. If you're fighting with a friend, make plans to meet up with them and talk it out face to face. If you ran out of milk, go to the store and buy more milk. Yes, it's really that easy.
3. Move boldly forward.
You've changed your perception of the day. You've removed the anxiety-inducing factors. Now it's time to move forward. You can't ignore the impact of the negative events on your day, and it would be unreasonable for me to ask you to do so. Even if some of the stressors can't be completely solved or removed, it's important to remember that this day will come and go just like any other. Make the most of the day at hand. Learn. Create. Be kind to yourself. Do what makes you happy, and your day will turn around in no time.
