We all have bad days. It's not going to be perfect everyday. It's just one of those days when you're feeling overwhelmed and you're stressed out because of things going on in your life, things that triggered your anxiety, or even depression.
Sometimes, we just have bad days and that's okay. In this article I wanted to share with you some of the things that I do to deal with those bad days.
These are things that everyone can do to hopefully make their bad days a little bit brighter!
Now let's move along to my top 8 things that I do on a bad day.
Create a To-do List
The first thing that I do is to create a to-do list.
I break down every single task that's on my mind - whether things that need to get done immediately or those things that are swirling around my head.
Write it down in a journal. It's really helpful to look through my list and decide which things are absolutely necessary that need to get done that day and which things can be put off to another day to a better day.
As I go through my day and I complete those tasks, I cross them off the list.
The act of crossing things off that list gives you a sense of accomplishment and helps to lift your mood!
Listen to Music
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The next thing that I'll do on a bad day is put music on. Music can shift a mood so dramatically and so quickly it's unbelievable!
If I'm doing tasks that don't require a ton of attention, I'll listen to music with lyrics.
But if I'm working and I need to concentrate fully, I'll put on acoustic music or I'll just search meditation music. I find that having that on in the background isn't distracting. It actually really helps me concentrate on a bad day.
Make a Cup of Tea or Coffee
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Make yourself a cup of something warm. Whether you're a coffee, or a tea person, or both, you can find so much warmth and comfort making yourself a drink.
Do it with the intent of self-care. Find a way to infuse it with love.
Take a sip...
Throughout the day, drinking a warm cup of coffee or tea is a reminder to yourself that you're loved and that things are going to be okay.
Meditation
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When I'm having a bad day or an anxiety day, I'll take breathing breaks throughout my day. Whenever I'm getting overwhelmed, I'll just take a second to close my eyes and take a few deep breaths.
Bringing myself back into this moment and reminding myself that things are okay right now.
Go easy, taking it one step at a time.
Read a Book
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The next thing that I do on a bad day is read a book.
Reading is like the best of both worlds - it feels like an escape while at the same time you're actually accomplishing something.
Reading a book is the best way to pass time on a bad day that's not actually wasting time.
Watch Video
But if you're not feeling to read a book, sometimes watching TV is the only thing that you have the mental capacity for.
I'll throw something up on my computer or TV. At the same time, I'll stretch while I watch it. So just lay out your yoga mat on the floor put the computer at the front and do some gentle stretching.
Go for a Walk
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Going out for a walk and getting out of these four walls can shift the mentality of a day.
Blessing Exercise
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Lastly, you can do three blessings exercise. It's a simple exercise that I like to do before bed.
I just think of or write down three things from the day that I'm grateful for. It can be as specific as a moment or it can be as broad as I'm thankful that I'm still breathing.
Those are my top things that I like to do when I'm down.
I hope that you found one or two things that you can try next time or today if today is a down day for you.
Write your thoughts in Journey today.