How To Handle Bad Days At Work

Some days cannot be redeemed. Right from the start, you know it’s not going to be your day and you know it’s going to be rough. Everyone has their fair share of bad days that ruin a perfect week or make you feel like giving up, but that’s alright. Not every day can be perfect and neither can each day be fruitful. It’s okay to have a bad day as long as you know how to turn the tide and get at least some work done. So the next time you feel like the day is running away from you, here is what you can do to make a bad day a tolerable day.

1. Accept the bad days
Acknowledge that the day is not going according to plan. Schedules can be derailed, conferences can run longer than expected, work might be paused momentarily. The first step to turning a day around is accepting that the day has not been going in your favor. This will allow you to take stock of your situation and come up with a better plan for the remaining part of the day.

2. Take a step back and breathe
Every day is a hustle to meet deadlines and submit proposals. So when the day starts going south, take a step back, relax and just breathe. Let your muscles relax and take some time off to collect yourself. Take a strategic retreat to get your feet back on the ground and examine your surroundings. Remind yourself to keep breathing and pace yourself at work.

3. Be Realistic
Put things into perspective and look at the facts. Don’t sugar coat the situation or give yourself a false sense of security. Once you have gathered all the facts analyze the information to see if the day is as bad as it looks or if it just feels much worse. Look at all the possible scenarios and think of what’s the worst that could happen. If these scenarios do come to pass, what can you do about it that may help improve the situation. Channel your energy to do what you feel might make the day seem even a little better.

4. Set small targets
If you work in a startup or in a high pressure environment, bad days have the potential to ruin a lot of hard work in a matter of seconds. Instead, set smaller targets for the day that can be accomplished easily and won’t affect the larger scheme of things. Smaller targets will also make you feel like the whole day wasn’t a complete waste of time and you have achieved something. If you can’t work through your whole to do list, finish the smaller and easier tasks.

5. Do something new
If you can’t change the rules, change the game. If your mind is not set to finish the work in front of you, try doing something else. Small walks or a change of scenery can also help get the creative juices following. Take a break or work on other not so important issues or complete pending work. Try something new and mix up your daily routine to stay positive.