One Bad Day Later

Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.- Helen Keller

If there’s something that the entirety of the human population can agree on, it’s that everyone has had bad days. Days that feel like an unstabled game of jenga, one block falls and the rest simply follow. Of course, instead of hearing people yell "Jenga!", you hear a soft whisper addressed to yourself that sounds like "I just hope the day comes to an end."

No one is safe from such a day and sometimes the universe seems to have conspired against you. How each one responds depends on both personality and attitude. Some do not let go, fight through and manage to do their best even on such days. In some cases, however, it fails because of the attitude, one surrenders to his fate, sinking into self-pity and usually making everything only worse.

The beautiful thing about bad days though, is that just like every other day, they just last 24 hours.

A Bad Day Gets As Real As You Allow It To Get

In his book, Peter J. Bentley, PhD, writer of Why Sh*t Happens: The Science of a Really Bad Day, talks about how a bad day only exists in our interpretation of reality, which then becomes a self-fulfilling clairvoyance.

Which is why, some of us are able to accept the minor setbacks while others come across them and call it a (bad) day. While feeling overwhelmed is completely normal, it is important to remind yourself now and then, that it is only a bad day and not a bad life.

What You Should Do On A Bad Day

There are no real reasons for you to give up, ever.

There are, however, lies when you convince yourself that it is difficulft to go on.

• Acknowledge and Accept - Life's going to test you a lot of times so you might not want to sit at your desk with your head in your hands or fall on the bed complaining, everytime.

Rather, when everything seems to be getting out of hands, pause, breathe and acknowledge the issue. Because I promise you that no outcome will ever be changed by simply wishing for things to be better.

• Reframe your words- If you don't call someone else an idiot for having a bad day, you don't call yourself one either. Similarly, if you don't tell others to give up, you don't tell yourself to either, simple math.

Don't tell yourself that you can never do things right, tell yourself that you need to change your ways of working and dealing with problems to be productive.

• Take Action- Doing the simplest of tasks, having the smallest of wins can help in re-setting your day's vibe. Clear your inbox, text a friend you're thankful for them, do what you think will make you feel better about yourself in general.

If the small wins don't work out, proceed to Plan B, and vent away to someone you confide in, provided that they are in a stable mindset themselves.

• Reset expectations for that day- As great as the concept of dreaming big is, sometimes it is better to know your limits and watch the ground. Then slowly, very slowly, push yourself to do more and better.

• Create triggers- Once the day is over, sit down, and flip-through the day one more time. Note when and where things started to get out of hands and how it could've been prevented. Watch out for these triggers in the future.

With all of this being said, it is okay if you couldn't turn your day around and it is most definitely okay if all you were able to do was hold yourself together in one place.

Don't let this day narrate the coming days, you and only you control your destiny.

"It is not the load that overwhelms you, it is the way you carry it"