10 Ways to Psyche Yourself Up After a Bad Day at the Office

No matter how much we love our job, bad days still take place. It’s a proven fact. Just like vacations don’t always go as planned or a night of fun can go horribly wrong, even the best events with the best intentions don’t always go right. It’s not a matter as to if a bad day will occur, it’s simply when it will happen. With life experience, however, we learn to endure and then rebound. Follow up events can also play a part on impact, such as how you react during a bad day. Or how you’re able to perform under pressure. Taking this ill mood to heart can make for even worse of a reaction, while learning to take each negative experience with a grain of salt can teach you to be better under pressure.

It can also be an opportunity to teach yourself to perk up … even when you aren’t under the best of circumstances. Whether you’ve gotten terrible news or have just dealt with difficult customers, remember these top ways to get back in the working spirit, no matter how down in the dumps you might be.

Sometimes 60 seconds is all you have before you need to get back to the grind. But just because the time period is short doesn’t mean it can’t be pointed toward lifting your mood. Pour yourself a cup of coffee, then fix it the way you like it (no calorie counting allowed). Have a piece of chocolate or commit to a lunch of your favorite foods. Take a few seconds to call a friend to whom you can vent. Whatever this short timeline might entail, ensure it’s something that will help you feel better, without focusing on the negatives.

Get the negativity out by writing (or typing) it all in furious fashion. Don’t hold back, but de-stress as much as possible so you feel better about having each word said. The trick, however, is to leave the “to” field blank. That way there’s no recipient, no record of such an email being sent. Once you’re done, make liberal use of the delete button so there’s zero risk of your words being seen. Just because it isn’t shared doesn’t mean it won’t help you feel better. And best of all, there’s no backlash coming your way.

Let your social media following pick you back up in your moment of need. Find something worth sharing, and then post to the world. No need to have a caption about what a bad day you’re having, just let the content speak for itself. You’ll have likes and comments to look forward to, along with an easy virtual pick-me-up.

Spend a few bucks on you. If there’s not a nearby shop that has something you want, order it online instead. Sure you won’t get your self-gift for a few days, but you can rest easy knowing something you’ll love is on its way. Bonus: you’ll be even more excited when the item actually arrives.

Staying active is a proven method to increasing endorphins, especially those that boost your energy level. Plan for a jog or yoga session after work, or if time is tight, do a quick set of jumping jacks for an immediate raise in your blood flow.

We’ve all heard that slouching is bad for the back (and neck, etc.), but did you know it can also be bad for your mood? Hosting bad sitting habits can actually lower your blood and oxygen flow, and block chemicals from moving throughout the body. Instead, sit up straight, hold arms out from your middle, and more to encourage these substances to move vs. sitting still.

Sometimes the worst seems to happen. Others, there’s an absolute reason you had a bad day. If it’s the latter, work on determining how you can keep the same from happening in the future. Then put your plan into action. Making moves like these will ensure for better days in the future, a thought that should bring better moods all on its own.

Whether dress clothes or shoes that don’t properly support, sometimes we’re forced to spend the day in garments that are less than ideal. Once you get home, change into whatever you feel most comfortable in. Even if you’re not done working, a chance of clothes can do wonders for your evening outlook.

When you have a busy day full of terrible tasks, sometimes the best thing to do is just keep trudging along. You’ll only truly feel better once your to-do list is knocked off. So rather than wasting time feeling awful about what did or didn’t happen, power through and find the light on the other side.

Something bad took place, it happens. But what else went down on that day? Did you get a compliment? Accomplish a goal you’d been looking at for weeks? Maybe you simply made it through the day without a headache. Focus on whatever perks you can muster up … even on the most terrible of days, and use it as a springboard from which to move forward.