Having a bad day at work? Here's 5 tips on how to deal with it!

“You’ll have good days, bad days, overwhelming days, too tired days, “I’m awesome” days, “I can’t go on” days, and every day you’ll still show up.”

-Tiny Buddha

If you’re anything like the rest of us, you may have some bad days at work too. But don’t fret- it’s completely natural! All of us, no matter what we’re doing- whether we stay at home, study, go to work or even go out to play, may have bad days. However, it’s important to know how to deal with them, and not let them bring us down.

Here’s a few tips on dealing with the ‘not-so-rosy’ days:

1.    Try and be as prepared as you can:

If you are required to complete a certain task at work tomorrow, try and help yourself by preparing yourself today, and arming yourself with the resources you’ll need for the task. This could take the form of preparing lists, reading up on certain topics, scheduling your day, and making sure you have the necessary materials ready. This way, you’ll be prepared for anything the day brings!

Making a list can be a great way to organise your mind and surroundings, and will help you recognise your achievements.

2.    Don’t take things too personally:

Sometimes, things are just out of our hands. Maybe your co-worker, boss or client is dealing with something themselves and they snap at you. It’s easy in these situations to be hurt, and become defensive. Instead, try taking a breather the next time this happens. Understand that it’s not you, and don’t take it to heart. If you think it’s some critique that is helpful, accept and implement it. If not, try and move on.

Here's a great Ted Talk on how not to take things personally!

https://youtu.be/LnJwH_PZXnM 

3.    External factors affect it too:

There are many other factors that affect our mood, such as the amount of sleep we got, whether we’ve eaten and hydrated and even the traffic on the way! For example, we’re more likely to be more irritable and annoyed if we haven’t received enough sleep. It’s important to understand that all these things play an important role in how we see things, and to do our best to ensure that we fulfil all these needs. Major life events like loss of a loved one, shifting/renovating a house and shifting jobs can also be a source of stress and anxiety, so it’s helpful to pay some extra attention to how you feel, and ask for help if you need it!

4.    Have compassion for yourself:

Above all, it’s important to care for yourself. Remember, everybody makes mistakes and there is no ‘perfect’ ideal, because everyone is different! What may stress one person out may be easy to deal with for another person, and vice versa. Pay attention to how you respond to things, and try and make things easier for yourself.

Be kind to yourself, and remember that you're trying!

5. Focus on what you can control:

Many things in life tend to be out of our control, and there’s no use trying to control them, either. Instead, focus on the things within your control. Breathing and Meditation exercises and other Grounding techniques could help deal with stress and anxiety. After a bad day, try and spend time doing things you love; have a little down-time for no reason other than personal satisfaction. Meet or call up your loved ones, and spent precious time with them. Do your best to recall good memories!

Above all, always keep in mind that tomorrow is a new day. It doesn’t matter how today went, discard what you don’t need to carry on, and try and face the day with a fresh mind.

The Sun will rise again, and we will forge ahead.