Have you had a lousy, everything-just-keeps-going-wrong kind of bad day?

We’ve all been there. Sometimes things just don’t go the way they should, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be an over-all bad day. There are lots of ways to help change that bad day to a slightly better one. And if those fail, you can always start over with a brand-new day tomorrow.

You can always restart the day. Not the clock on the wall, of course, but you can consider it like this: That last hour was not a great start to the day. How about we discard that hour from our memory and try to have a great rest-of-the-day? Sometimes this can work: you have a lousy morning, but a great afternoon – and by focusing on the afternoon of awesomeness, the morning will feel like it was pretty good, and you don’t remember it anymore.

There’s also other ways to make that bad day better; drop in on your best friend who happens to be in the neighbourhood.  If you’re not in the mood for company right now, treat yourself to something you really enjoy – such as a chocolate bar (not too many, though) or that really fantastic meal from your favourite restaurant. Read a book that always makes you happy, or even a movie that makes you fill up with happy tears. A favourite soap opera, cat videos, or even watching people making fools of themselves. Laughter really is the best way to make yourself feel better.

You’re allowed to have a bad day. Shut out the world. Turn off the computer and the phone, and log out of social media. Take some time for yourself, particularly if you’re feeling stressed around people. Surround yourself around things that help make you happy and calm, if possible, for fifteen minutes. It is also good for your mental health, but by allowing yourself to take some time to “reset” the clock, you can also change your day around.   Think of it as a mental stretch break.

Just remember, there’s always a chance that bad day was just a blip in the radar – there’s better days ahead, and good and bad luck have a way of evening out. A bad day now and then is normal – it happens to the best of us. However, too many of them in such a short period of time can be as a result of several factors. It can help to talk it out with someone else, and there are several strategies available to you to lessen the streak of bad days – which is good for your mental health.

A bad day can be better with someone supporting you and listening. There’s no shame in seeking help.  Sometimes it takes a lot of help to stand on your own.