30 days in November 19...

Today is:

Have a bad day day

As many of you will know, I’m not one of those irritatingly positive at all costs people who try to turn sow’s ears into soft, shiny, depositories for their perfectly flat ten pound notes. Sometimes there are bad days and to celebrate them today is ‘Have a bad day day’. God knows who or why someone thought this one up, but it’s okay to recognise that we all have a bad day every now and then, despite what the impossibly positive vibe people say.

I’ve had my share of bad days, but increasingly I realise that it is better to feel ‘up’ than ‘down’ if for no other reason than to stop that bloody black dog barking in the distance. So what can we do about bad days? We all have them, and when they happen try to remain calm and develop a coping strategy; they can have a positive purpose.

Firstly, bad days are nothing personal. Life works in mysterious ways. Sometimes you’re up and sometimes you’re down and it seems that Ronan was right after all - Life really is roller coaster and you’re just got to ride it. You may be able to choose which roller coaster to get on, but you can’t decide who the other passengers are or what their moods, attitudes, or beliefs will be. They’re along for the ride to and you can’t let it, or them, get to you, otherwise it will become personal and it’s not.

Just make the best of a bad job and recognise the shit day you’re having and then get out of it. Throw a fainting fit, invent an emergency, or just go to the loos and stay there. If you can’t do that, then isolate yourself as much as you can and think happy thoughts. I find dinner is a good happy thought to have, or wine or beer, etc. If you are having a bad day try to make it better, it won’t last forever and tomorrow is another day, an opportunity to start over again.

Secondly, bad days need not be a bad thing. Recognise that this particular day has gone tits up and act upon it, change your direction and attitude. Try for ‘No Bad Days’ however unattainable it may seem. When doctors or firemen have a ‘bad day’ people have a tendency to die, so don’t let emotions get the better of you. Be in control of your attitude and own your own thoughts and emotions.

Thirdly, see the opportunity to start over again. Try to work out why you’re feeling the way you are and come up with ways to prevent feeling that way in the future. Develop mechanisms to reduce the impact of the bad day and soon the bad day will go away.

Fourthly, roll with the ‘Good Days’. If you’re self-aware enough to spot a bad day then you can sure as hell spot a good day. So go with it and keep the momentum going. Just as a bad day can ruin your mood for days and even lead to the black dog biting, a good day can lead to a run of positive days. Visualise how your day is going to be, decide how it’s going to go positively and make it happen. It’s as easy to get lost in the good as it is get lost in the bad, but lost in the good is better.

Finally, always remember that there are plenty of people who would love to have your bad days. For them your bad days would be a very good day indeed and you should never forget that. ‘Count your blessings’ as my gran used to say.

You can’t own the roller coaster you are on or totally control its ups-and-downs. You can’t even fully escape except by taking extreme measures like jumping, but you’re strapped in remember so try to accept the bad days and roll with the good. After all, who wants to be miserable and angry when the alternative feels so much better?