Bumps in the road: three ways to deal with a bad day

No matter how confident and self-assured you may feel, you may be faced with the dreaded “bad day” every once in a while. And how you deal with a bad day can be pretty destructive: overeating, snapping on those closest to you or crawling into a shell and internalizing everything.

Or maybe you use your bad day as an excuse to indulge in a shopping spree and, in the process, a financial breakdown.  You rationalize your excessive spending by telling yourself that your dreams were just too big anyway – you can’t have that house you fantasize about or open up your own business. But those statements can’t be further from the truth.

Don’t abandon your dreams of a long vacation or your dream home because you’re having a low moment. A lag in your confidence is when you need to remind yourself of why exactly you took the path you did in the first place. Here are three great boosters that can keep you can do to keep you on track on your bad day.

Write yourself a letter

Those encouraging words you mean whole-heartedly when a friend is having a bad day? Well, you should be saying those exact same things to yourself when you aren’t at your best. Be prepared for this moment by having little notes of encouragement to yourself.

I really love the idea of penning a hand-written letter to yourself on a beautiful blank greeting card (you’re worth it!). You can tell yourself how great you are and to not let this bad day ruin your progress. Remind yourself that this too shall pass, and end it with an inspiring quote that always brings you back to your happy place.

Go for a walk

Or a run. Or a bike ride. Doing some sort of physical activity is a great way to ease depression and anxiety symptoms, which means it’s also a mood elevator. Going for a simple 15 minute walk also gets you away from whatever is stressing you out – and it keeps you out of the stores and off of Amazon.  So head to that yoga class or lift some weights at the gym.

Help somebody else

Few things in life feel better than putting a smile on someone else’s face. And you don’t have to volunteer a bunch of time for an organization to do that (though I’m not discouraging you at all!); it’s as simple as acknowledging the people who are around you. Talk to the new coworker about their hobbies. Smile at the person in line in front of you at Starbucks. Or crack a joke to a friend who may be feeling down.

The main thing to remember when your bad day seems like it won’t end is that, well, it will. So before you run to Macy’s for some retail therapy, gently remind yourself that you can deal with your emotions in a much healthier way.

Sign up for my weekly words of wisdom (in the top right-hand corner of your screen) for encouraging thoughts each Tuesday. And be sure to check out my book, The Emotion Behind Money, for guidance and healing. You can take control of your finances, and I can help you.

Tags: dealing with a bad day, deal with a bad day, having a bad day, Julie Murphy, Chicago financial planner, Chicago women in finance

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