15 Ways To Make Yourself Feel Better After a Bad Day

You woke up this morning with dread in your heart—you slept in and were late for a meeting with your boss. When you arrived to your meeting, you started wishing you never had; this so-called meeting turned out to be a nice way to tell you that the company you have busted your derriere over for the past 2 years is doing some ‘corporate restructuring’ and you will be out of a job at month’s end. On the way home, the weather reflects your stormy disposition and you end up getting soaked in the torrential downpour in your nice new suit and splashed by an obnoxious driver.

Bad day? Yes, it happens to all of us sometimes, but the important thing to remember is that things will get better and that most bad situations are temporary. When you have a bad day, you can either: a) be angry at the world, take out your aggression on that garbage bin around the corner, and cuss under your breath at all the commuters that get in your way; or b) take deep breaths, leave with your dignity intact and try some of these feel-better suggestions.

1. Go for a walk. Fresh air and exercise will rejuvenate your body and help you kick your sorry mood to the curb.
2. Put things in perspective. Will your situation be important to you one week, one month or one year from now? It helps to compare your situation to someone else worse off than you; after all, some other poor sap is really singing the blues.
3. Eat a good meal. Comfort foods such as beef stew and cheesy potatoes will make your stomach and taste buds happy.
4. Treat yourself to a little bit of dark chocolate. Chocolate stimulates the production of feel-good endorphins in your body and contains serotonin which acts as an anti-depressant. Dark chocolate is chock-full of flavonoids which act as antioxidants.
5. Talk to someone, anyone—your partner, best friend, mom, or dog. Sometimes you just need to vent your frustrations to a willing ear.
6. Listen to your favorite tunes. Whether you like to listen to happy music and dance up a storm, or surround yourself with sad melodies, music has the power to soothe and change your mood.
7. Count your blessings. Remember all the good things in your life—big and small.
8. Have a good cry. Crying helps to reduce stress levels and helps your body release feel-good endorphins.
9. Make a plan. Pinpoint whatever it is that is making you feel bad and decide to do something about it. By taking control of the situation you will feel empowered to make positive changes in your life.
10. See the silver lining. Maybe it was actually a blessing in disguise that you lost your job. After all, you never really liked it much and your boss was a jerk.
11. Have a good laugh. Watch your favorite sitcom or movies to unwind.
12. Help someone. Doing something altruistic will take the focus off yourself.
13. Start a new hobby or take that class you’ve always been interested in.
14. End the day with a long warm bath. Indulge yourself by lighting candles and using your most luxurious bubble bath.
15. Hit the sack early to get a good night’s rest. Tomorrow after all is brand new and hopefully better day.