we all have bad days. there are days when you’re frustrated and angry (and maybe for no particular reason), days when you have no motivation to do anything, days when you feel as if you’re on the verge of tipping over. these days exist for all of us. so what do we do? (because screaming and glaring at everyone who looks in your direction doesn’t work) we try to make it better. SO, here are ten ways you could make your day slightly more bearable.
listen to your favorite songs, old or new
whether you’re feeling nostalgic for backstreet boys or ready to jam to hamilton, listen to music. turn it up and sing along to the lyrics you know. throw a spontaneous emergency dance party.
catch up with friends, virtually or in real life
catching up with old friends (or family!) is always refreshing. you get to update your life to people who actually care, as opposed to the people who roll their eyes at your facebook statuses. it’s also nice to know how others are doing with their lives. you can do this by texting, calling, or actually meeting up with the person.
express gratitude
making a list of things/people/places you’re grateful for is really helpful in changing one’s perspective. even the simplest things like “the weather is nice today.” you could also make lists of things that made you happy that day (ex: i got an unexpected package) or your accomplishments (ex: i finished writing a blog post).
pamper yourself (take a bath/long shower/face mask/whatever)
this is so effective because it relaxes your mind and body. sometimes taking a long shower after a long day is exactly what i need. i stop worrying about the things that worry me and begin to relax relax relax.
re-watch your favorite movie(s) or catch up on tv shows
ahhh netflix, the cure for all. it’s wonderfully distracting to sit back and watch a film because you can stop worrying about your own issues and start worrying about the character’s issues. and 9/10 of the time, everything works out fine.
go to the restaurant you’ve been dying to try
there’s always that onnnnnne place i always want to go to, but there’s always some excuse holding me back. now’s your chance to test it out and see if it meets your expectations. if it does, then YAY you’ve found your new favorite food place. if it doesn’t, you can grumble about it to all your friends BUT HEY at least you want out to try something new!
…or make your own food
i’m not a good chef myself, but there are some things that are really simple to make and worth the effort. liiiiike cookies! i went through a phase during the winter when i wanted to bake ~all the things~ and the whole process is really therapeutic. you don’t even need to eat the things you’re making (although that’d be nice too), it’s the making-food part that’s important.
take a walk or do any other form of exercise
i dunno about you, but it feels so good to sweat it all out. i know, i know, the first few minutes probably feel AWFUL but i promise it’ll be rewarding in the end. take a stroll around the your neighborhood, do some yoga from online tutorials (or on your own if you know how to yoga), or i dunno DO SOMETHING.
go shopping
you don’t even need to buy things when i say “go shopping.” it always feels good to stroll through the aisles, or try on funky clothes, or look at what’s new. and if you don’t have the time to actually go to a store, looking at what you hope to buy (or eventually really buy) online is also a pleasure.
read a book (!!!)
wow guys, ever thought of this one? although i know there could be times when you feel that even reading could be stressful (echm reading books on deadline or for review), getting lost in words and pages could always put my mind off something. read something you feel like reading, something you WANT to read. rereading your favorite books could also be a good idea.
I usually read a book, but sometimes I can’t even bring myself to do it, so then I’ll watch tv shows all day. :’)
It makes me feel better in the end and that’s what counts. 🙂
All options are great to make a day better!
You and I have the same methods of making ourselves feel better. Sometimes I just take a nap haha. Other times I just kind of do something I haven’t done in a while like crafting or drawing and let myself get lost in it for a couple of hours before turning back to what I had to do.
I usually listen to my favorite songs or watch tv show, but most of the time I just sleep 😀 I always feel better when I wake up and ready to tackle all the issues 😀
Definitely walking for me!! I always go walking when I feel cranky or sad or whatnot (and listen to an audiobook or epic music) it just somehow jolts me out of the bad rut. I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHY. But it works. 😂 Also delicious food. :’) This is such a nice list. I LIKE.
Can I just agree with you, and also EVERYONE else? SLEEP works amazingly for me, too. They say people get the crankiest when they go without food – for me it’s sleep. And it’s not so much outwardly cranky as inwardly anxious and agitated and sometimes very, very sad. But after a good night’s sleep, the change in perspective is massive. But also walks. And always music. And also – art. I create art and expel my frustrations through art, and that helps enormously too. (It doesn’t even have to be VISUAL art – it can be cooking something creative and interesting, too – just like you said.) And ALWAYS BOOKS.
I don’t even know. There are lots of things in life that can get us down, but it seems there are equally as many to help us get back up. And that’s something I REALLY need to remember, and which this post made me realize.
So THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH for this whole post – and also for the additional suggestions you’ve inspired in the comments. <3 I'm making a mental list 10 pages long.
I literally agree with everything you mentioned except i would add one more thing, sleep. Sleep is the thing i resort to when i am feeling at my worst and i think it’s worth it because i don’t think i sleep enough, probably from all those late nights reading hahaha.
Make your own food is totally relaxing. BUT if someone else washes the dirty dishes. Hate doing that. And another one for me is to just sleep. Sleep till sleep runs out
I’ll definitely put this on my favorite’s list to remind myself everytime I’m having a bad day! Another thing that I’d add to this list is writing. I’m EXTREMELY poor at expressing my feelings, so I’m trying to write down what frustrates me. It’s working out fine! I’m getting better at expressing myself, and I also feel better afterwards. I end up deleting everything, though, because re-reading that would be TOO cringeworthy, hahah.
This is such a lovely list! I agree that listening to a favourite song, reading a book, pampering yourself and exercising can improve your day! I used to never enjoy exercising but after starting Blogilates, I actually enjoy it and feel good afterwards! 🙂 Lovely post!
I’d like to listen to music, re-watch my favorite movie or tv shows and read a happy book when I have a bad day. But your list is so great, maybe someday I should try the others 🙂
I love this post Xan, it’s so important to reflect on ways to make yourself feel better and relax after a stressful day! Catching up with people, retail therapy and baths and books always helps for me.
This is such a cute post! Often we don’t think enough about making ourselves happy so this list is great! For me, I really like cooking myself something and then sitting down with my food to rewatch or reread something I know I love! If
These are all great ideas to cheer yourself up! It’s so so important to take care of yourself!
This is a fantastic list! I love it, and I think I will share it on my blog at the end of the month. I tend to share my fav blog posts in my wrap up. When I’m not feeling optimal I read, watch TV, catch up with friends, take a bath or exercise. A run feels amazing, plus theres cranked up tunes! I want to try your grattitude suggestion because sometimes my thoughts are in a downward spiral and this could really change my perspective. Thank you!