Counseling Tips for Overcoming a Bad Day

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Everybody has bad days from time to time, even doctors, therapists, and ministers. However, a few moments of negativity don't have to eat into your entire week. Instead, you can immediately find ways of resolving the problem or learn how to deal with it in the future. Below are some helpful counseling tips you can use to help you overcome your next bad day.

Write It Down

When you write down what you’re going through, it helps to clear your mind and helps you to process what you are feeling. In some cases, it could even bring to light an inner conflict you didn’t even know you were experiencing, which could be causing you to see the world in a much more negative light.

Writing can also offer catharsis. You might be so angry at a person or situation, but after you release those feelings on paper, you realize they don’t really matter anymore or they weren’t as serious as you initially thought. Sometimes taking this approach can also be helpful when you don’t have anyone to talk to about serious subjects.

Make a List of Possible Solutions

When you are writing down what’s bothering you, don’t just stop after discussing what led to your bad day. Once you’ve narrowed down what the issue was and how it made you feel, start addressing how to solve it. You may discover that there is not a tangible solution past letting it go and moving on. However, you can come up with ways to forgo the problem in the future. For instance, if your bad day started because you were running late for work or school, think of ways you can improve your morning routine to forgo the issue from now on.

Note the Positive Moments

Once a day starts to turn bad, it feels like everything is out to get you, but in reality, there are still many positive moments to be had. While you’re noting the day, be sure to really think back and try to pinpoint specific bits of positivity. If you are honest with yourself, you’ll realize there were actually several you didn’t initially notice through the dark clouds.

List What You Are Grateful For

At the end of your note, take stock of the things in life you are grateful for. Doing this will help you to overcome the hardships of the day and feel happier moving forward. These don’t have to be huge things. Did you eat today? Have coffee? Are you in good health? Have clean water to drink? While a couple of things might be currently going wrong, there are probably many other areas that are going right. Taking stock of this list on a daily basis will help you to feel happier overall.

Reset

After you’ve written down how the day went, it’s time to try and reset your mind. Participate in calming activities or those you know make you feel better. Listening to music and eating a healthy meal are known ways to boost the chemicals in your brain responsible for creating happy feelings. You could also go for a run or participate in other physical activities. Setting goals for the future is also believed to produce these same neurochemicals. You don’t have to be locked to these negative feelings; they are only temporary.

Consider Counseling

If you are not just having a bad day, but a bad week or month, there is probably something more problematic going on. Consider seeking out a counselor or other sources of mental health help to get to the roots of these feelings. This doesn’t always mean meeting with a therapist. Check your city for local support groups that meet to discuss life problems and are led by trained professionals.


Image via Astrubal Luna

Posted in Mental Health on Oct 15, 2018

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