How to Make a Bad Day Better

Some days it can feel like life is piling it on.

You spill coffee on your suit, forget that you were supposed to volunteer at the kids’ school, and then there is car trouble and traffic jams and you’re late for the meeting and wa, wa, waaa.

One thing after another seems to bring new challenge. And the trouble is bound to continue unless you  shift the energy and disrupt the cycle of negativity with something a little better.

Not saying it’s easy, but I AM saying it will make a difference in your day.

Here are three quick ways you can do it:

1. Look for the goodness. It’s there too. At exactly the same moment you are stopped in traffic on the highway, you can rock out to your favorite song on the radio, or appreciate the air conditioner, or heck – even the car. At exactly the same time the bad stuff is going down, there is also GOOD stuff happening. Challenge yourself to find the good and you’ll feel better. When you feel better you act better and THAT is enough to improve your day.

2. Go with the flow. A friend of mine was telling me how her travels plans became disrupted in France when travel conditions changed. But, the disappointing situation turned out okay when she decided to go with the flow and accept whatever showed up instead of worrying about it. Often we cannot change circumstances but, we can change how we respond to them. Usually, responding positively, with a curious, let’s-see-what-happens-now, creates greater possibilities and much less stress than getting all uptight and complaining about what has already happened.

3. Take a distant perspective. University of Michigan researchers Ethan Kross and Igor Grossmann found that when we gain some distance from difficult or intense emotional situations, we tend to manage better and make wiser decisions. Next time you feel buried in the emotional landslide of a bad day, talk to yourself about it in third person, or take the view of an outsider watching it from afar. When we get upset, we tend to personalize things. But, by taking a step back you can better manage the upset without creating more.