There is no other way to say it: You had an absolutely horrible day.
You dropped your coffee right before the weekly meeting at work, so you arrived late and with a huge stain on your shirt. The boss commented on your recent action with a not so positive tone. And as if that were not enough, a colleague of yours decided that you should listen to his favorite song all day on the percussion.
So you can not wait to go home, to sink in your chair and leave this day behind you. I can not say that you are wrong. I can, however, give you a piece of advice that will not only help you get over the charge of such a day, but also not to experience other days like this. The key idea is a review through 3 key questions.
1. How long will today affect me?
When our day was not ideal, we usually fall into a never-ending despair. We imagine this is the end of our career or fame. Come on, admit it, you do it too - even if you know it never does.
So this question helps you get back to reality and a more realistic approach to things.
Of course there will be days when everything has gone so wrong and will require too much energy to correct. But, most of the time? You will be able to start the next morning without any effect from the previous not-so-good day.
So be confident, as it's most likely that what happened today will not affect next year - not even the next day!
2. What would you do differently?
When things do not go our way, it is easy to put all the responsibility on our shoulders - whether we have any control over the circumstances or not.
This is why it would be helpful to find out what - if anything - you would do differently if you magically had complete control over your day.
With this question you will not only understand that you are not to blame for all the wrongs that happened to you, but you will learn from any of your mistakes and you will avoid them in the future.
3. What went well today?
Okay, you're so influenced by what went wrong, so you think today's a horror movie. Do not overdo it; even the worst days have bright spots.
Obsession with negative things can only make your mood worse. So maybe ask yourself what went well today to find something positive that will lift your mood?
The positives of the day may be very small, such as the fact that you ate your favorite sandwich or that your colleague noticed your new haircut. Just think of things that went "right" today (trust me, there are plenty!).
Unfortunately, bad days are inevitable here and there. They can be frustrating and emotionally tedious, but they can also be enlightening.
So before you get down to the couch and the negative thoughts all night, take time to think about these three key questions - and your smile will come back before you know it!
