Reflect On Your Day and Choices
Stop and take a moment to re-center yourself and think about the task at hand. If a choice you made is causing stress take a look at what you can do to work backward and make a different choice.
If your stress is a result of others’ choices then think about how you can make choices allowing you to take back control.
Put Your Day in Perspective
I am not here to say your bad day doesn’t matter because it most definitely does matter, but what I am trying to say is when we remind ourselves of what is important in our lives we can gain a bit of perspective in moments when the world seems to be crashing down around us.
By taking the time to think about what is going right instead of living in the doldrums of what is going wrong we are in a better headspace to bring ourselves out of the funk of a bad day.
Do Something for Yourself
This serves a couple purposes. The first is it lifts my mood, and the second is because it ends the day on a good note. Then when I am lying in bed thinking about my day I end my thought process with the special something I did for myself.
Personally, I eat my feelings, so this something for yourself is a special meal most of the time. I have also taken the time to get a pedicure, treated myself to a mid-week evening movie, or gone to play trivia with friends. All of these things are special to me for different reasons, but all of them help me to stop a bad day in its tracks.
Hit the Reset Button
One day, while teaching, I was just miserable and told my students, “I need a redo.” I walked out of the classroom, stood in the hall for about ten seconds taking a few deep breaths, then walked back in with a smile to begin the day again.
Did it fix everything? Absolutely not! It did give me the opportunity to reset and try again though.
My students were absolutely fascinated, and for the rest of the year, when having a bad day, would ask if they could do a quick reset. I would always oblige them, and it was a game changer for our classroom.
Work It Out
Some people do their best thinking in the shower, mine it while rowing on an erg.
Get Some Space
What I am saying is maybe you leave school right after your students and get a little bit of distance from the situation. This isn’t always applicable because some problems need immediate attention, but when it is can be a lifesaver.
Talk It Out
Blast Your Favorite Song
When a bad day is just a bit of a funk and not an acute stressor there is nothing better than music to bring me out of it.
In the car? Crank it up!
At school? Have a single song dance party!
At home? Blast yourself out!
I mean, who can resist singing along and getting a little dance into their favorite songs even when a dark cloud is hanging overhead.
Remember There is Always Tomorrow
When absolutely all else fails, remember there is always tomorrow. Take a hot shower, hit the bed, get a good night’s rest and try again the next day with a fresh attitude!
