So, you had a bad day. You’re taking one down. You sing a sad song just to turn it around but what else do you do? Everyone needs a bad day remedy because let me tell you something, when it rains; it pours.
Maybe you left your coffee on top of your car and drove off, maybe you lost a huge portion of your homework assignment, maybe today you got dumped or tomorrow you have a chemistry exam. There are 24 hours in a day and I’ll be damned if I let you be sad for every single one of them. So, as a gift to you I present my smile guide.
1. A playlist
There are songs about love and songs about sadness but today, on your bad day, the most important of tunes are those about a better day. Here are a few to choose from.
"Bad Day" by Daniel Powter
"Don’t Worry ‘Bout A Thing" by SheDaisy
"I Can See Clearly Now" by Jimmy Cliff
"Up" by Shania Twain
Turn on something catchy and belt out your terrible feelings.
2. Go to Panera
Treat yourself to a smoothie even if your bank account advises you not to. Also, I don’t know if it’s in their training but seriously those employees smile 24/7 and you won’t be able to do anything but smile back. I think smiling at a stranger is always a pick me up. It’s a split second connection of happiness with someone you don’t know. It’ll make you see that the world can be good.
3. Look up
I don’t mean the figurative chin up cliché, I mean literally look up. Walk out of your front door or lay on your rooftop and look up at the sky. If you give it enough time you won’t see your bad day anymore because your tiny problem is a grain of sand compared to the larger world out there. You need to see that and this is a great way to do it.
4. Dress nicely
If my day starts off rough before I’ve even finished my morning coffee, nothing boosts my confidence and likeness of me like smelling pretty and looking fresh. Sometimes someone telling you that you look cute could be all that you need to turn your day around.
On the other hand…
5. Look like crap
While taking that extra few minutes in the stream of hot shower water to relax is great for your bad day stench, sometimes the best thing for you is to look like crap because you feel like crap. Yes, it’s super pessimistic but also if you’re wearing all black and flies are circling around you nobody is liable to speak to you. Sometimes silence is the best way to a better day.
6. Tell someone
Whenever I’m having a bad day I text my BFFs, “Make me happy,” or “I’m counting on you to turn my bad day around.” It’s not a lot of pressure because you went to them for a reason and they know it. They’re there to make you a happy camper. They know the best ways to motivate your butt out of bed. You’ll return the favor one day so ask for a little help.
7. Dance
Push your piles of clothing aside a few inches to create a dance floor for your bad self and bust a move. If you need to extinguish all of the bad energy in your body, stop, drop, roll, shake it off, shake it off, do the tango, dance, jump on it, get it on like Marvin Gaye, two step, walk it out; just do what you have to do! It doesn’t have to be to the playlist above. It doesn’t even have to be to music. Just dance, you’re gonna be okay!
8. Snapchat filters
Social media can absolutely drive us bonkers but it sure does have its perks. Something I’ve found to put a huge smile across my disappointed face on a downward spiraling day is a Snapchat filter. Not only are they ever-changing but they’re hysterical. You can be anyone you want to be. Put on a quirky voice over the minimizing mouth filter and let the laughs roll.
