What to Do When You’re Having a Bad Day
Bad days are a universal experience. We all have them—and they can feel overwhelming, frustrating, and heavy. But here’s the truth: bad days don’t last forever. While you can’t always make them disappear, you can choose how to navigate through them. Here’s how.
1. Allow yourself to feel it
The first step to handling a bad day is to admit that it feels bad—and to let that be okay. Don’t suppress your emotions or force yourself to find a silver lining. Instead, give yourself permission to feel whatever you’re feeling—whether it’s sadness, anger, frustration, or disappointment. Acknowledging your emotions is the first step toward processing them.
2. Reflect on the scale
Take a moment to pause and ask yourself: Was it really a bad day, or just a bad hour? A bad moment? Sometimes, we unintentionally stretch out a negative feeling or event, making it seem far bigger than it actually is. By naming the duration of the “bad,” you also name its end—because every bad moment eventually passes.
3. Avoid self-sabotage
When we’re upset, it’s easy to fall into behaviors that make things worse. Maybe you snap at a coworker or loved one, stay up too late scrolling through social media, or make impulsive purchase decisions that hurt your finances or relationships. These actions don’t solve the problem—they prolong the pain. Instead, focus on breaking the cycle by avoiding behaviors that feed the negativity.
4. Instead: do one small thing to care for yourself
Sometimes, the best way to handle a bad day is to take one small, kind action toward yourself. This isn’t about “fixing” the day, it’s about supporting yourself through it. Whether it’s taking a short walk (read about the incredible benefits of walking, here), writing what your grateful for in your Dice Journal, drinking a cup of tea, or simply taking a few deep breaths, these small acts of care can help interrupt the downward spiral.
5. Remember that bad days pass
It might not feel like it in the moment, but bad days are temporary. Even when it seems like there’s nothing you can do to improve the situation, you still have one powerful choice: not to feed the spiral. By allowing the day to be what it is and choosing small acts of care, you remind yourself that brighter moments are ahead.
Bad days are a part of life, but they don’t define it. By feeling your emotions, reframing the scale of the bad moment, avoiding self-sabotage, and practicing small acts of self-care, you can navigate through the tough moments with grace and resilience. The hard times will pass—and you’ll emerge stronger on the other side.