So today wasn’t your day. Whether you fought with a friend, had a bad day at the office or experienced a plan that fell through, it’s important to give yourself a break and prepare for a brighter tomorrow. And there are countless self-care practices that you can do as a pick-me-up after a rough day.
To help you wind down after a stressful day — and give yourself a little TLC or even taking CBD oil during the day — we’ve put together 8 ways for how to make yourself feel better after a bad day.
#1 Practice Breathing
If you find yourself struggling to wind down at the end of a crummy day, a series of meditative breathing techniques can help you recenter yourself even if you’re still in the thick of it.
The first step is to let yourself feel your feelings — feel that tightness in your chest, then try to control your breaths to improve your stress levels and make for an easier afternoon.
When you become aware of your breathing — and take steps to relax it — you can help your body recover from the stress of a crummy day and provide yourself with a moment to free your mind of what went wrong.
Try a few different ways to relax your mind, like breathing techniques to help ground yourself after a rough day:
- Counted breathing – This breathing focuses on tempos, like the 4-7-8 breathing method, which helps to moderate breath control for a 4-second inhale, 7-second hold and 8-second exhale. Or you could try out a few different ratios to see what breathing tempo works best for you.
- Mindful stomach breathing – Sometimes, all we need is to notice how our breathing habits might be contributing to our stress response. Find a comfortable place and begin to take account of your breath pacing and depth. Try breathing deeper and slower through your stomach, helping to relax those shallow breaths for a more mindful speed.
- Visualize your stress leaving – This breathing technique uses the power of creative thinking to help calm you down. Take a deep inhale and picture all the emotions from your hard day pooling into your lungs. Then exhale slowly and imagine them leaving your system. Repeat the process until you begin to feel those negative thoughts subside.
#2 Try Yoga
There are days when it seems that nothing is going your way — when you just want to stay at home and wait for the next day to come. But with all those negative thoughts, the bad day when you spend it curled up can seem even worse. So instead, try a total reset and practice some yoga poses for stress to help yourself get active and manifest a more positive tomorrow.
When you channel your frustrations and stress into an activity like yoga, you give your body an outlet to alleviate stressors and tensions that sometimes slip in. Knowing how to meditate during yoga can also help you achieve total relaxation.
If you’re wondering where to start, here’s a quick list of a few yoga poses to help you find that peaceful center:
- Forward Fold – Sitting upright with your legs criss crossed, slowly bend down so that your palms find the floor. To extend this stretch, gently move your palms farther from your hips along the floor until you find a comfortable stretch. If you struggle with your legs crossed, you can also try sitting on your knees before folding forward.
- Wind Relieving – This works best with some breathing techniques. Lie on your back and bring your thigh up to your chest and hold it close to your torso with your hands on your knee. Breath in a few deep breaths and switch to the next leg.
- Savasana – Sometimes, it’s better to just lie down. And this pose is quite simply that — just with a little more intention. Lie on your back and extend your torso with your chest up and palms facing the ceiling. Let yourself relax into this pose and breathe deeply to let go of all the day’s stressors.
Learn about other yoga poses for relaxation.
#3 Start Journaling
Have you ever felt the need to vent to a friend about a bad day at the office? Journaling can help scratch that itch, letting you get your thoughts onto the page and out of your mind. When you journal, there’s a conscious action of getting all of the day's negative events out of your head and onto the page, much like a visualization breathing technique.
When you start journaling, it’s important to keep your journal and writing loose, don’t let yourself be pressured by adhering to a particular cadence or word count — simply let your thoughts meander on the page. Anyone can begin journaling, so don’t let inexperience from writing prevent you from starting.
Just a few minutes of journaling each day can help you keep track of the daily events and see how the days do eventually improve. You can also use this time to understand what went wrong during the day and workshop potential solutions for the future. And when you’re done, you’ll have an archive of events you can look back on. Journaling is also a great activity to incorporate into a healthy morning routine.
#4 Try Watching a Fun Video or Comfort Show
Have you ever had a bad day at work and wanted to just watch some funny videos to get back on track? Contrary to what your boss thinks, funny videos can help us reset our emotions and return to a more productive day.
When you spend even just a few minutes watching a funny or relaxing video, it can help break up the tough moments and provide some levity and enjoyment. Try watching some cat videos or watching your favorite content creator. When you get home, you can also turn on that show you’ve been meaning to watch as a reward to yourself for making it through a hard day.
#5 Create Positive Affirmations
Sometimes all we need at the end of the day is a bit of a pep talk. If you’re struggling to figure out what to do after having a bad day, then try manifesting a better tomorrow with some positive words of encouragement. Sometimes, it can feel like everything bad is happening all at once. Instead of catastrophizing, redirect your thoughts to focus on how tomorrow can be better.
By re-orientating your brain to think more positively, you’re helping practice therapeutic thinking that makes the bad days seem like less of a problem. You’ll be able to reset that negative mentality we all feel after stressful events and turn it into something positive and fulfilling for the future.
To help you begin — and find little affirmations to begin or end your day — here are some phrases that you can tell yourself when things aren’t going your way:
- Today was bad, but tomorrow will be better.
- I’m going to get through this.
- I will make tomorrow better. Nothing is going to stop me from my goals.
- I’m valued, and I have important contributions worth sharing.
- I don’t need to worry about other people’s achievements, just my own path to success.
#6 Grab a Shower
If you’re coming from work, it can feel as though all of the day’s events have followed you home. Taking off your work clothes and grabbing a shower can provide a nice reset, helping to distinguish work time from relaxation time.
Have you ever felt more tired when you spend all day in your pajamas? The premise is similar at the end of a long day. So as a nice routine, you can hop out of your work clothes, get a hot shower and slip into something more comfortable.
If you’re looking to relax, you can alternate between warm and cold water in the shower to help improve your body’s circulation and recovery. Or for an added benefit, try a bath bomb and turn it into a spa night to reward yourself for making it through the day — you deserve it. Read our article for more inspiration on spa night ideas at home.
#7 Get Some Exercise or Go on a Run
Just like yoga, there are other workout activities that you can do to help shed the burden from a long day. Exercising activates endorphins in your body, which are stress-fighting hormones that can help you feel more relaxed.
Working out also allows you to clear your mind and focus on the goal of completing the exercise. This, paired with listening to your favorite music, allows you to channel all of your energy away from your bad day and into accomplishing a set goal.
If you’re struggling to find workouts to relieve stress or would like some additional workout options at the end of the day, try out some of these exercises:
- Running – Running can help get you out of the house and provide some fresh air to think. It also is a great exercise because you can set new goals each time and feel accomplished even when other things might not be going as planned.
- Dancing – Cardio activities like dancing are another way to get your blood pumping and break away from the day's troubles. Bust out some moves to your favorite pop songs or attend a high-energy dance class for a bit of group love.
- Kickboxing – Kickboxing provides a powerful workout to your legs, core, balance and arms. By punching and kicking through the rigorous exercises, you can release your frustration and get a great workout at the same time.
#8 Relax with CBD
A CBD gummy or oil can be a calming complement to a bad-day routine and is a great option if you are trying to figure out how to wind down after work. Whether you’re soaking in the bath or journaling your feelings, CBD may help your body enter a relaxed state and feel more at ease.
CBD interacts with your body’s endocannabinoid system to help regulate the body’s functions. And when your body is working efficiently, it’s only natural that you’ll start to feel refreshed and ready to take on a new day.
Recover From a Bad Day With Zebra CBD
After a long day, it’s easy to fall into the whirlpool of negative thinking. However, taking an hour or two for self-care can help you refocus your thoughts and create positive intentions for the days ahead.
If you’d like to reap the benefits of CBD, Zebra CBD is your trusted CBD expert.
Wind down with our Mood & Calm CBD Gummies or slide into a stress-free zone with our Tension & Stress CBD Tablets. Watch the bad days wash away with Zebra CBD.
Source:
VeryWell Mind. How to Reduce Stress With Breathing Exercises. https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-reduce-stress-with-breathing-exercises-3144508
Yoga Journal. This Yoga Sequence Is Perfect for Days When Nothing is Going Right. https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/yoga-for-a-bad-day/
LifeHack. Had a Bad Day? 7 Ways to Rebound From It and Feel Good Again. https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/6-simple-steps-fix-really-bad-day.html
Tiny Buddha. 10 Ways to Turn Around a Bad Day in 10 Minutes Or Less. https://tinybuddha.com/blog/10-ways-to-turn-around-a-bad-day-in-10-minutes-or-less/
Everyday Health. Exercise and Stress Relief. https://www.everydayhealth.com/exercise-photos/exercises-that-relieve-stress.aspx
