Having a bad day?

You are having a bad day.

Yes, it happens to everyone.  Things go wrong…  and it is strange because at the beginning of one of these days, you have the inherent feeling that this will happen, as if everything in the universe is silently leaguing against you.  As soon as your left foot touches the floor, the symphony of doom begins: you have run out of clean tights; a food stain magically appears on the beautiful dress you have chosen to wear; you bang your toe on the bathroom door; your kids categorically refuse to get up or the little one has wet his/her bed; there is no more milk for their cereals (there are no more cereals either!) despite your daily Ocado deliveries… and to top it up, after you finally dropped the kids at school, you suddenly realise that you have forgotten your laptop/gym bag/wallet/dog, one of your kid (!) at home… a succession of small things which makes you feel angry/frustrated/crossed… Well, you end up totally on the edge.

First thing first: take a deep breath

I know this sounds completely obvious but this is the first thing to do otherwise you are literally going to either burst into tears or shout at the first person who crosses your path (and it might be your boss/your son’s headmistress or simply Mrs Perfect Mum who has just popped out of your usual coffee place in her immaculate pastel suit and her bouncy curls).

Change your perspective

When you are having  a bad day, you are in a bad mood.  Fact.  You need to move on from the bad energy.  Things are then bound to improve or at least, they will have less impact on you because of your new frame of mind.  You are certainly aware of the distraction technique that is used on a toddler mid-tantrum?  Well, it is almost the same but to be applied to yourself.  The best way to achieve this is by focussing your mind on something completely unrelated to the cause of your grief.  For example, concentrate on a very tedious task at work or read a very serious article or a very funny one.  The aim is to curb your anger by distraction.  You can use the same technique when you feel like crying at the most inappropriate time (in front of your boss/ex/mother-in-law) by thinking about something completely unrelated to the topic of the conversation with these persons.

Don’t blame anyone

It may feel good in the moment but trust me, it is not worth it and it will end up making things worse.

Get on with your day

Don’t dwell on things and get on with your day.  If something needs to be fixed/replaced, make it a task for another day unless of course, it cannot wait.  The kid that you left at home definitely needs to go to school (!)

It is good to talk… for a bit

Call someone who will truly listen to you.  It can your husband/mum/sister/best friend.  Allow yourself to rant for five minutes but no more.  There is so much ranting they can take in one day!

Treat yourself… with measure

Be kind to yourself but no self-pity please. Treat yourself to something nice which will cheer you up (a bath with candles before bedtime, a glass of wine on a Monday, a cappuccino in a fancy café) but no need to suddenly purchase all the items on your wish list on Net-à-Porter (or even on the Outnet!) or book the holiday of a lifetime for the following week because you feel like the only one on the planet who needs a break!