Practical Ways to Deal With Bad Days

Bad days happen to all of us. Even when we set the best intentions, bad days can still sneak up on us. If you want to change the trajectory of your day, you must identify destressors that work best for you. You can also read our previous article about exercise if you need a fitness motivator.

Avoid sugar and processed foods

The food we eat impacts our mood. Excessive sugar and processed foods can increase heart rates, make you feel jittery, increase anxiety and depression! We recommend intaking more water. Skip the soda and drink less coffee. Many of us emotionally eat to cope with bad days; but emotional eating can actually make things worse. Make intentional choices to eat whole foods like fruit, steamed vegetables, whole grains, or hearty soups. Cooking is a great way to enjoy aromatherapy-- zest fresh lemon peel over chicken, chop cilantro into sirloin noodles or slice orange peels to go with whole grain waffles. Trust us, your body will thank you!

Take the quiet route home

Sometimes it’s healthy to take the back way home, especially if you have had a bad day. Avoid rush hour traffic and find a calmer route through peaceful neighborhoods. Turn on your favorite song and sing, cry, or call a trusted friend over bluetooth to work through it. Emotions from bad days are more likely to peak and release when you give yourself permission to feel. Remember, giving the emotions an exit is an important part of working through them. If you need to, stop at the park and go for a walk. Fresh air and movement always does the mind good.

Allow yourself to get some extra rest

Never feel guilty for napping or going to bed early. Whatever “needs” to be done can often wait. Completely recharging for the next day is imperative to finishing the week out strong. Regardless of what your days hold, you will do your best work when you are feeling more motivated and refreshed with a good night of rest. Taking a nap, anywhere from 20 - 25 minutes, is the perfect amount of time to recover and fortify yourself. If you need to sleep longer, then give yourself permission to.

Quick ways to calm escalating stress

There are ways to bring yourself back from escalating stress. Sit out in the sunshine while eating your lunch. Write in your journal about something that recently brought you great joy. Listen to an audio book while you perform daily tasks. Open some old photobooks and cherish the precious memories in your life. When you take a moment to exercise gratitude, you are opening the doors to more miracles in your life.

Self-care is not to be apologized for. Advocate for your own needs and wants. How do you deal with bad days? Choose to take hold of your life by visiting our ketamine clinic located in the heart of Colorado. Ketamine treatment may allow you to find relief from depression and anxiety.