Waking up with a headache, caring for a sick kid or husband, dealing with obnoxious customers at work, spilling your coffee everywhere, running late to work…

General grumpiness for no reason. It happens.

Sometimes little frustrations can turn into a bad day.

A bad day doesn’t have to stay a bad day though. In case you’re in the middle of a bad day, I wanted to share my tips for turning a rough day around so that it can end well.

How to Shake Off a Bad Day & Turn it Around

Make the Decision

Mind over matter y’all.

Turning a bad day around takes a bit of mental strength and deciding that things are going to get better from here.

Literally Shake It Off

For me, an almost fail-proof way to shake off a bad day is to actually shake it off. Get moving! Put on some fun music and jump around a little. Sing, dance, do some jumping jacks…

It might seem dumb at first, but I bet you’ll be surprised how much better you feel!

 

Treat Yo’ Self

Making a bad day feel a little special with a treat helps too. It doesn’t have to be anything big. Stop by a coffee shop for your favorite drink or savor a good piece of dark chocolate (dark chocolate lovers raise your hand!).

Here are some other small treat ideas:

• Take a bath
• Do you hair up fancy just for fun
• Take a nap
• Light a special candle
• Stay up late and watch your favorite movie

Focus on Kindness

Have you even noticed that on a bad day you’re usually thinking a lot about how things keep going wrong for you? A lot of times a bad mood can come out of thinking about yourself and dwelling on the frustrating parts of your life.

I always find that it helps to do something kind of helpful for someone else so that I stop thinking about me. Even something as little as smiling at others and asking about their day can stop you from dwelling on what’s going wrong in your own day.

What else can you do to focus on kindness?

• Write a kind note of appreciation to your special someone or your kids
• Cook a nice meal for your family
• Let the person behind you in the checkout lane go first
• Give a compliment to everyone you talk to

Get Inspired

I love a good inspirational quote! Look up some inspiring words said by inspiring people.

If you have a few minutes, write down a great quote and stick it up on your mirror so that you see it everyday.

Talk to a Friend

If you have a friend that is fun to talk to, give them a call. Ask them about their day and share your stories.

Work on Your Morning Routine

You know I love my routines!

I’ve discovered that a rough morning can be really hard to recover from, so I’ve put a lot of focus on creating a better morning routine. I still have bad days, but I’ve found that starting the day well causes me to have fewer bad days.

If you’re struggling with creating a productive and motivating morning routine, check out the Make Over Your Mornings course. It’s 14 days long and only takes 15 minutes a day to go through, but it helped me a ton and I think it will help you too.

You can read my full review of the course here.

Smile

A lot can start with a smile.

It’s kind of one of those “fake it till you make it” things. You might not feel like smiling, but if you just do it, you might be surprised to find yourself smiling naturally in no time.

Plus, if you smile I bet a lot of people will smile back at you which will make you and them feel good.

Related Posts:

16 Ways to Simplify Your Life Today (in 30 minutes or less)

How to Stay Positive When Life Sucks

My Biggest Secret to Keeping Our House Clean 

⇒ How do you shake off a rough day?