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Bad Day at Work? Learn the 5 Steps to End The Day On a Good Note

By Nukhba Khan

Whenever I had a horrible day at work, I tried to get out of work as quickly as possible. Which meant shutting my laptop, running to my car, and turning my favorite tunes to block the horrid day. Maybe picking up some spicy pad thai on the way home. I got home, changed into my pajamas, turned on Netflix, and binge-watched some TV show until I could not keep my eyes open.

It felt like the perfect way to de-stress.

Except it was a very unhealthy way to de-stress both emotionally and physically. I did not get to process my emotions, and gobbling down the entire serving of greasy pad thai left me feeling gross and bloated.

Burying your head in the ground and not properly de-stressing eventually catches up with you. It takes a toll not only on your personal life, you just feel grumpy and irritable, but it can affect you at work too. Your productivity in the days that follow plummets because your mind and body did not get a chance to de-stress.

After years of suffering and finally coming to my senses, I CREATED A LITTLE RITUAL for me to effectively de-stress and end a bad day more positively.

The 5 steps are simple and straightforward, and it only takes 12 - 17 minutes and helps you bounce back from a bad day at work in no time. I prefer to put myself in a more positive mood before leaving work. But if you feel more comfortable following this ritual at home, that works too, as long as you get it done and do not make excuses when you get home.

Step 1: Disconnect to Reconnect (1 - 2 mins)

Yes, it's tempting to zone out by binge-watching Netflix or scrolling through Instagram, but as I said before, that will leave you feeling worse off later. So first, try to unplug. Put away devices, find a quiet spot, feel the emotions and feelings that come up, center yourself, and calm yourself. Do this for a minute or two, more if possible.

Step 2: What Can You Learn (5 mins)

By disconnecting and quieting the mind, you are ready to connect with yourself to rationally understand what went wrong, process the emotions, and learn from them.

Here are some journal prompts to get everything out of your system and onto paper:

What exactly got under your skin today?
What triggered it? Or who contributed to your ordeal?
(Critical) Why exactly did it bother you?
How did you manage it?
Could you have done it differently?
What else can you try next time?

There is a lot to learn from bad experiences. It can help us avoid bad situations in the future or improve your approach towards some of those inevitable bad days at work.

Step 3: Shifting Perspective with Gratitude (2 - 3 mins)

Remember the good things in your life and list 3 things that are going right for you. You'd be surprised by how much good you have in your life that you need to be thankful for (even the hot water in the shower counts here). If this simple gratitude practice doesn't work, think about people with bigger hardships, like sick people in the hospital, fighting cancer, or someone who has just lost a loved one. You'll quickly realize that your problem might be tiny in comparison.

Gratitude is a sure way to give you the motivation to fight through your bad day.

Step 4: Setting an Intention For The Next Day (1 - 2 mins)

Once you have processed the negative energy from the lousy workday. It's time to put the past behind and set an intention for the next day.

A great way to do that is to review and organize your to-do list for tomorrow and think about who YOU need to be to successfully have a productive day tomorrow.

An example of my intentions are:

I am going to be super determined and not let anything or anyone get in my way. I am excited to work on the project X presentation tomorrow and complete the first draft by the end of the day. I know tomorrow I am going to wake up inspired with creative ideas to do impactful work.

It is a good idea to take a quick peek and remind yourself of the intention before starting your workday the next day. Your intention will help you welcome the next day with open arms.

Step 5: Healthy Cheer Me Up (1 - 2 mins)

Once you have set the intention for the next day, now it's time to let go of your crappy workday and enjoy the rest of your evening. Because your day was stressful, you need to do something relaxing, a way to balance things out.

There are so many healthy ways to calm yourself down and get back on track to feeling good.

Here are some ideas to help you get started:

Go for a walk or run outside, then you deserve to order your favorite take-out.
Meet a friend that can help uplift your mood
Immerse yourself in your hobby like arts and crafts, cooking, or baking
Do something nice for someone,
Meditate
Read a good book
Watch a short comedy show that is sure to make you laugh

It's important to have ideas in your back pocket on what will help you bounce back from a bad workday. Otherwise, the easy default is to pick the remote and mindlessly binge-watch TV, most likely making the day feel worse.

Sometimes, bad days are there to remind us that we have good ones to look forward to.  Life Transformation Coach. Mindset Mentor. Work-Life Balance.

Final thoughts.

It doesn't matter if you love your job or not; occasional bad days at work are inevitable. On those crappy days, it can feel like all your positivity mantras just don't do the trick. And you notice your productivity, creativity, and motivation plummet, and you can't control it. But the secret to bouncing back quickly from a bad day is learning how to move forward despite it. And this 5-step ritual does precisely that.

So you have a choice to make: are you going to choose to practice this ritual, or will you choose to dwell in your misery so it becomes a full-blown funk?

P.S. If you feel you have bad days at work a bit too frequently, it may be that you are burned out.

BURNOUT is a serious problem that affects your work performance and overall well-being both in and out of work. Beating burnout is now becoming an essential life skill and necessary for self-care.

If you feel burned out, check out my free guide: 5 Best Ways to Avoid Burnout at Work.

This guide will provide:

Tips on how to recover from exhaustion and overwhelm, so you get back the motivation for work and finally remove the dread.
Exercises to build a personalized plan to take better care of yourself, avoid burnout, and feel more relaxed.
Techniques on how to unplug & unwind so you can consistently have improved energy levels and more positive moods in your day-to-day

DOWNLOAD GUIDE HERE