7 things to do on a shitty day

We all have bad days. For some of us they’re one offs. For others, they show up pretty regularly. It’s not about banishing the bad days, because like good old Dolly tells us, ‘if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain’.

But it’s about being able to deal with crappy days when they show up, and knowing how to respond to them.

Here are a some things you can do on down days, to help deal with what life throws at you.

1. Clear your schedule

This is more possible for some than others. The general rule of thumb here is this: what’s the worst possible thing that will happen if you cancel x, y and z, and will it matter to you next week?

If you simply can’t clear your schedule for whatever reason, do what you absolutely have to, and plan for something nice afterwards.

2. Make a playlist

I love music as therapy, and I don’t think there’s many things that can embrace how you feel as much as music. Try creating a Shitty Day Playlist. Fill it with angsty rock, opera, boy bands, whatever gives you your fix.

3. Find a quote and use it as a mantra

This is something me and a close friend do when we’re having a shitty day. We’ll send a quote we like from Pinterest to the other and repeat it as an affirmation. My favourite so far has been this beaut:

I'm an intelligent classy well educated woman who says fuck alot.

4. Do something mindless

Waste time on the internet, watch some trashy TV, play a game. Not every activity we do has to be meaningful or enriching.

5. Phone a friend

Sometimes this is the absolute last thing we want to do. Things are shit, we want to cut out the rest of the world and hide away under our duvet for the foreseeable future. But you’ll be surprised how you’d feel after talking to a good friend.

6. Get under that duvet

And own it like a motherhugger.

It might sounds woo woo, but when all else fails, put faith in the universe that things will get better. After all, what is life without hope?

7. Cry

Yep, you heard me. Let it all out. Everything feels better after a good cry. It doesn't have to be over anything particularly meaningful. Pen run out of ink? Let it out!

What do you do on a shitty day? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!