I don't know about you, but I've experienced plenty of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days. Forget the fact that I’ve cried or gotten so stressed out that I end up grinding my teeth, the worst part about these days is that it's hard to shake off the bad mojo. Just because I had a bad day or a few bad hours, doesn't mean I want to carry that mood with me throughout the rest of the week. Ask any of my friends or family, I'm a busy, busy bee and I don't have time to be moping around being miserable! It simply cannot and will not do. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was possible to get over a bad day. In just five easy steps, I believe that you too can escape the negative feelings that come with a lousy day. In fact you may be able to do them in time to enjoy the upcoming date or party you forgot you were supposed to attend!

Step One: Breathe, man

It can be hard sometimes to remember to keep breathing, but it's the fastest way to readjust your focus and calm down. It helps with anxiety and it can help with stress and depression as well. I find it most helpful to focus in on one particular object nearby, the corner of a room or floor has always been my go to, and count to five, both forward and backward. While I'm no yoga instructor or doctor, I've heard that if you breathe in through your nose for five seconds, then out through your mouth while counting down from five, it can help ease your nerves and re-center your thinking! Once we give ourselves the chance to breathe, we can start releasing some of the negative energy we’re feeling.

Step Two: Brush it off or move forward

It's not worth letting yourself be upset about a moment, or a few events that took place. The more negative energy we build up, the harder it is to focus on the tasks at hand. Last week I spilled my water bottle all over my bag, which had documents in it that I needed for work, then I realized that my fly was undone, then I was late to a doctor’s appointment and ended up missing my lunch break because I was rushing back to work. Lemme tell you something, by the time I got back to work, I had no energy to even focus on my project. I had so much frustration built up, that I just sat at my desk for a solid hour. If we learn to brush off the bad, we can keep going with our lives and turn our day around.

Step Three: Laugh

Now that we've decided we aren't gonna let the drama ruin our day, it's time to bring back the positive energy... Why not laugh it off? It doesn't matter what’s happened: maybe you spilled coffee on yourself, you got cut off on the expressway, or you realized you stepped in gum. Think of something that's even worse, like peeing your pants or getting pooped on by a bird. Alternatively think of a time where you laughed so hard you cried. Realize that whatever bad thing happened to you, it's over with and in the past. When we learn to laugh at our mistakes, or we remind ourselves of a happy and enjoyable time, we learn to laugh and laughing can bring back endorphins that make you feel happy!

Step Four: Be grateful

Things could be a lot worse. Even if you think they’re the absolute worst, even if you think that your life is over, know that this is not the end. There is always a better and brighter future lying ahead of you. All you have to do is try and believe. It can be extremely difficult to believe that anything is gonna get easier, and if you're like me, sometimes you believe all your being thrown is curve balls. Wanna know a secret? People who are thrown curve balls learn to be better catchers! We're given only what people think we can handle. Think of all that you have and all that you've earned, then think of how much you've succeeded and how that's helped you grow. Thinking positively about your life can help return that positive mental state. There is so much to be grateful for in life, so why let a few bad things put a damper on your bright spirits!

Step Five: Smile and be happy

When I say smile, I don't mean put on a fake smile. If you really want to get out of a funk, there’s no faking it. Say hello to someone, listen to the birds sing, smell the fresh air and look around you. I promise that you'll find something worth smiling for! At this point and time, smiling is all it'll take to be happy again. I mean think about it, have you ever smiled when you were miserable? I didn’t think so... This is the part where people try and prove me wrong... go ahead, I can’t read your mind to see if you're lying or not. Those who are truly smiling, the kind of smile that warms your heart, the kind of smile that comes from realizing what you have, that's the kind of smile that leads to happiness!

This may not be the perfect fix for everyone, but I hope that doing any of these five steps can at least help reduce the misery that you experience during a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day! Nobody's perfect and we're all bound to have a crappy day here or there, but that doesn't mean we have to hold on to those negative feelings that arise. Instead let's choose happiness!