Having a Bad Day? 8 Things You Can Do to Turn It Around

Having a bad day and already mentally checking out before noon?

I’ve been there more times than I can count. Sometimes it starts with one small thing not going my way, like spilled coffee or being late to a morning meeting, and sometimes it’s just waking up on the wrong side of the bed, and then I’m sitting there like…okay, what is happening today?

I’ve noticed that when I am having a bad day and I start thinking, “my day is already ruined,” I kinda move through the day differently. I am more irritated, I self-sabotage, I’m less patient with the people around me, and I give myself a free pass, thinking I don’t need to try as much.

It’s almost like I’ve decided how the day is going to go, so I just go along with it. Does any of this sound familiar to you?

It is surprisingly very easy for a day to take on a label without you even realizing it. A few things are not going as planned, your mood shifts, and from that point on, everything feels off.

Even neutral moments feel frustrating just because you’re in that headspace. When that happens, your mindset can lean towards extremes. If the morning didn’t go well, then your whole day didn’t go well either.

That kind of thinking can make it really hard to stay present and just accept that things won’t improve. But your day isn’t set in stone just because you’re having a rough day.

There is still space to pause, reset, and shift how the rest of the day goes. A few small changes can go a really long way when it comes to learning how to turn around a bad day, even if things didn’t start the way you wanted.

Why Bad Days Happen (& Why They Are Normal)

Life has a lot going on, and we often react to things without noticing. Stress can build up, plans might fall through, energy drops, pressure piles on, or we just have too much to handle.

Most of the time, a bad day isn’t caused by one big thing. It’s usually a bunch of small things adding up, slowly affecting your mood and energy before you even realize it.

There is also this pressure (especially on social media) to always be in a good mood or be positive, especially when you’re trying to be more intentional.

When you have a bad day, you might start comparing yourself to others or feel like you’re doing something wrong. That pressure and comparison can make the day feel even worse.

Also, your body and mind change from day to day. Things like sleep, hormones, stress, and your environment can all affect how you feel, even if nothing big happened.

I used to get really frustrated when I was having a bad day and couldn’t just fix my mood or snap out of it. Over time, I learned that moods don’t work that way. They change on their own, and trying to force it often makes things harder.

That’s why having a rough day is normal. Bad days, just like good ones, are part of being human. Some days feel easy, some feel messy, and others are somewhere in between.

Accepting this can help take some of the pressure off and make it easier to get through the day instead of feeling stuck. Let’s jump into how to make a bad day better.

8 Simple Ways to Turn Your Day Around

1. Acknowledge You’re Having a Bad Day

The first step that actually helps when you’re having a really bad day is just admitting it. Like, okay… today isn’t how I wanted it to be.

If you’re having a bad day mentally, it can help to give yourself some space and not expect a lot.

It might sound really simple or even feel silly, but it can help shift a lot. When you stop pretending everything is fine or stop avoiding how you’re really feeling today, you stop fighting your own experience.

I’ve noticed that when I ignore it or try to push through it, I just get more irritated. But when I name that I’m having a rough day, it takes some pressure off because I’m not so fixated on forcing a different mood.

I think acknowledging a bad day is also a good way to give yourself a starting point. You get an opportunity to recognize where you are right now, and I promise that alone will make the day feel a little more manageable.

2. Do a Quick “Mini Reset” Routine

When everything feels overwhelming or just messy, a mini reset can help you more than you think. I’m not talking about anything intense. Just a few simple things that help shift your state a little.

Taking a hot shower, going outside for a 15 minute walk, or making a cup of coffee/tea. I know it sounds really basic, but your body and mind are connected. If your body feels tense or tired, your mood isn’t far off.

When I am having a bad day, if I don’t catch myself earlier, I tend to abandon habits that usually help me. I find taking a shower, making a cup of tea, a quick journal sesh, and then making a to-do list for the day helps me get through the day.

If I am having a really, really bad day, I need to move my body. That can look like going to the gym, or there are many times I just start somatic shaking (😂).

It doesn’t fix my mood or the whole day, but sure does interrupt the spiral. So try picking 2-3 things that make you feel a little better, and see if it helps shift your energy.

3. Start With a Brain Dump

I SWEAR by brain dumps! When you’re having a bad day, your thoughts are most likely all over the place. This is where writing everything down can help more than people realize.

Grab your journal or notes app, and just write down what’s been on your mind today. Don’t worry about structure or writing neat sentences.

Write what’s bothering you, or even if you don’t know what to write, just write random stuff. It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but you.

There have been so many times I don’t know what I am feeling, and I just need to write. Pages and pages later, I can see much more clearly what I am dealing with.

I’ve also been trying to get my husband to write down his thoughts when he is overwhelmed or having a rough day. 8/10 times, he’s shared that writing has helped him give direction for the rest of the day.

As you write, you might realize not everything needs your attention right now, and some things can wait or aren’t that serious.

That clarity alone can help make the day feel more manageable.

4. Create a “Bare Minimum” Plan

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I am a huge advocate for creating a bare minimum plan. The plan specifically focused on self-abandonment, but you could really apply it to any emotion.

When you’re having a bad day, expecting yourself to function at your usual level can make things worse. So instead, we are lowering the bar for today. Decide what the bare minimum looks like for you.

Maybe it’s finishing 2 things from your to-do list instead of 5, maybe it’s going for a walk instead of going to the gym, or it’s just replying to one important email. It doesn’t have to be complicated, just doable.

I’ve had plenty of days when my only goal was just to get to bedtime. I would set bare-minimum goals for the day and focus on just that. I shared a screenshot of my day below.

It’s the exact template I use every time I am having a bad day. I will change the goals based on how I am feeling. I cannot tell you how many times I haven’t created a bare minimum plan and left feeling even worse by the end of the day.

When you start completing small things, it builds momentum, and you start to feel like you’re not completely stuck. And most of the time, that’s really all you need to get through the day.

5. Text/Call One Person You Trust

If you’re having a bad day, you don’t have to handle everything alone. I promise your friends/family want to be there for you. Reaching out to someone can help shift your mood more than you would expect.

It doesn’t have to be a long or deep conversation, but even a simple “I am having a rough day” is enough. There is something so validating about being heard and realizing someone is there.

I’ve had moments where calling my best friend or talking to my sisters just becomes part of my mini reset routine because I know I can really overthink things, and they are people who will help me compartmentalize my thoughts.

My husband, on the other hand, doesn’t like to bother anyone with his problems, so I have to push him harder to talk to his friends or me. Every time he did, he felt better. Remember, most people want to actually be there for you.

And if talking feels too much, even just being around people can help sometimes. So send that text, call someone you trust, or just go spend time around people you love.

6. Feel Your Emotions

We have all been guilty of distracting ourselves, avoiding, or suppressing our emotions at some point.

Whether you scroll, use substances, watch TV, or just stay busy, ignoring how you feel completely will usually make it come back stronger.

Let yourself feel it for a bit. If you’re crying, let yourself cry. If you’re sad, sit with that. If you’re irritated, be irritated. Allow, however you’re feeling, without trying to get rid of it or avoid it immediately.

When you resist your emotions, they can stick around all day. So if you’re wondering how to deal with a bad day, let your emotions move.

This also doesn’t mean you stay stuck in them, just being present with however you feel instead of pretending it isn’t.

RELATED POST: How to Process Your Emotions (When No One Taught You How)

Want to Learn How to Process Your Emotions? Grab this viral guide today!

7. Take a Break From Social Media

If you constantly consume content on social media, you know the comparison game SUCKS!! On a bad day, it can make you feel so much worse without you even realizing it.

You open your phone for a quick distraction, and suddenly you’re watching someone post from a beach in Costa Rica, someone celebrating a milestone at work, another person announcing they just got married.

And you’re sitting there thinking….”What am I even doing with my life right now?” It’s not that you’re not happy for other people, but it sure hurts a little differently when you’re already having a bad day.

I’ve noticed that when I put my phone down for a few hours and focus on resting for the day, it feels a lot more manageable. I realize this is so much easier said than done. I will literally leave my phone on DND in another room and walk away with a timer on.

So if your day already feels off, stay offline for a bit. You’re not falling behind by taking a break.

You deserve to give yourself a break without constantly measuring your life against someone else’s highlight reels.

8. Remind Yourself: This Day Will Pass

When you’re figuring out how to get over a bad day, sometimes it just helps to remember that this feeling won’t last forever. Sometimes, when we are in a bad mood, it can feel like this feeling will last forever, and nothing will ever improve.

But like most things in life, that feeling isnt’ permanant either. Think about all the bad days you have had. Whether they lasted one day or a few weeks, they ended. This one will too.

When my dad was going through his cancer treatments, I constantly reminded myself, “I just need to get through today.” I didn’t need to have all the answers or figure it all out, I just needed to focus on getting through the day.

The next day usually felt different, and I eventually made it to the other side. So the way you’re feeling right now won’t stay this intense. It never does.

When Everything Feels Ruined: Breaking the “All-or-Nothing” Mindset

There is a common way of thinking that quietly shapes how you see yourself, your day, and your progress. It’s called all-or-nothing thinking.

This is a mental filter that pushes your thoughts and actions into all-or-nothing categories.

You’re either a success or a failure. You feel like you have to pick A or B, and if you choose wrong, you’ve failed. If you make a mistake, you think you’re incompetent. People either like you or they don’t. Do you notice a pattern?

This black-and-white way of thinking ignores the gray area, which is where our real, messy, and unfinished lives actually happen.

I deal with this mindset too, and I usually notice it in small moments. For example, if I miss a few days of workouts, healthy eating, or work, it can feel like I’ve failed or made no progress, even though that isn’t true.

It helps to notice when your mind slips into this pattern and to gently question it.

Most things in life fall somewhere in the middle. Missing a workout doesn’t erase your progress. Making mistakes doesn’t mean you aren’t capable.

When you’re trying to figure out how to make a bad day better, it helps to notice when your mind is turning everything into extremes, and bring it back to what’s actually happening.

RELATED POST: 10 Simple Mindset Shifts to Break the All-or-Nothing Thinking

What to Say When Someone is Having a Bad Day?

If someone is having a bad day, you don’t have to say the perfect thing. Just be yourself and show you care. Even saying something like “hey, I’m here” or “that sounds really tough” can mean a lot.

From my own experience, when I’m having a bad day at work or just having a hard day in general, it helps when my loved ones check in. It reminds me I’m not alone.

You can ask how they’re feeling or simply let them talk without trying to fix things right away. Sometimes, a few encouraging words for someone having a bad day, like reminding them it’s okay not to have all the answers or that it’s normal to have a bad day, can be helpful.

Most of the time, people just want someone to listen and understand them.

Final Thoughts….

Sometimes bad days happen for no obvious reason, and the best thing you can do is get through them without being too hard on yourself.

I’ve had lots of days when nothing seemed to lift my mood, but doing little things like watching my favorite show or making coffee kept me from feeling worse.

If you’re not sure what to do on a bad day, start small and just focus on 1-2 simple things that make your life a little easier.

You don’t have to fix your mood or the whole day. Even small changes that help you get by and make things feel manageable are enough.

Honestly, some days are good and some just feel off. That doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong or that something is wrong with you. It’s just part of life.

If we felt good all the time, we wouldn’t appreciate the good days as much. That contrast is what makes better days feel lighter and helps us feel like ourselves again.

If you’re having a bad day, I hope this post made it a bit easier. No matter what, you’ll get through today, and tomorrow often feels different.

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Having a Bad Day? Save This for When You Need it Most!