Summary

The article offers comfort and advice for coping with a bad day, emphasizing self-care and the perspective that tomorrow is a new beginning.

Abstract

The article "Read This After Having a Bad Day" acknowledges that some days can be particularly challenging, leading to a spiral of negativity that seems uncontrollable. It suggests that it's okay to lose control sometimes, as many factors contributing to a bad day are beyond our influence. The author encourages readers to reframe their perspective, questioning the true severity of the day's events and considering whether they will matter in the future. The article promotes self-love and the importance of knowing one's needs to feel "warm, safe, and loved." It also normalizes crying as a healthy emotional release and asserts that it's acceptable to conserve energy for oneself rather than expending it on others when feeling depleted. The overarching message is that while bad days are inevitable, they are temporary, and rest can provide a reset for a better tomorrow.

Opinions

The author believes that trying to control everything is futile and that accepting imperfection is part of self-compassion.
Perspective is key; the article suggests that the drama of a bad day may not be as significant as it seems in the moment.
Self-love is crucial, and knowing what one needs to feel better is a form of self-care that should be prioritized.
Crying is not a sign of weakness but a natural way to release emotions and should not be stigmatized.
Conserving personal energy and not feeling obligated to engage with others is valid when recuperating from a tough day.
The author endorses sleep as a powerful tool to recover from a bad day, with the belief that a new day offers a fresh start.

Read This After Having a Bad Day

And don’t forget there will be a new sunrise tomorrow

Some days just belong in the trash.

Picture this: your day started okay(ish). Then, at some point, it got worse and worse. First, it is little things that don’t work out. You think to yourself:

“Ah, screw it, it will get better.”

Yet, it gets worse and worse. And at some point, you completely give up and have no energy left to even consider this could still turn out to be a great day.

Is there anything you can do? Probably not. To be honest, my go-to, if everything falls apart, is usually to just go to sleep. It works wonders.

Nevertheless, if you are in need of some little nuggets that might reframe some of your thoughts, the below might help.

It is okay to lose control

Most of the time when we have a bad day, we start to get angry at ourselves for this and that, and then we sometimes even (half purposely) make attempts at something, already knowing that it will fail.

That gives us the last bit of confirmation that we suck at everything. You know what? Many things that happened to you today were probably out of your control. And even if some weren’t: nobody is perfect.

So give yourself a break and accept the fact that there are things out of your control always (and maybe especially today).

Perspectives: was it really THAT bad?

On bad days, we tend to stop putting things into perspective and think we are going to die.

Or that the world is going to end. And while you are allowed to feel like shit for today, take a moment and pause.

Is it REALLY that dramatic?
What are your thoughts if you reflect on whether this will occupy your mind in 3 weeks from now?
Are there things right now you can name that still make you grateful?

Is there anything you need? Give it to you!

I am all about self-love and will forever be inspired by how Elizabeth Gilbert frames this topic (if you don’t know her, she wrote “Eat, Pray, Love”).

Basically, think about it this way: whatever happens and whatever life throws at you — you need to love yourself to the extent to know what you need at any moment. What makes you feel better? What can you do, to make you feel “warm, safe and loved” (again, stolen from Elizabeth).

You see, in the end, although we are human creatures and relationships are everything: we are born alone and we are going to die alone. You don’t spend more days with anyone but with yourself.

So you better get to know yourself and your needs. And since today is a shitty day:

What do you need?

Whatever it is. Try giving it to you.

Crying can do wonders

Crying is often perceived as a negative thing. Often, people will tell you not to cry or it makes them feel extremely uncomfortable (depending on the person, me included I admit it).

Yet, crying can release tons of emotions and make you feel better afterward. So if you need or want to fall apart, it is okay too. There is no shame in letting emotions out.

You are allowed to keep all the energy to yourself for today

Taking care of others can only be done if we first take care of ourselves.

You simply cannot give a lot of (or any) energy to other people if you are empty. So, if you need all your energy to yourself today, that is understandable.

Don’t feel guilty about not answering any texts or not wanting to talk to anyone for today.

You have had enough.

Argh, bad days. It sucks. But they happen. The good thing is, that we usually don’t know from the start whether a day turns out to be a complete shit show.

If all of the above doesn’t work for you and if you are under so much distress that nothing seems to help, I can only repeat: go to bed, sleep on it. Tomorrow is another day! As dull as it sounds.