Bad day? 12 Yahoo reader tips to help boost your mood
Everyone has bad days (heck, you might even be having one right now), but we all have different ways of dealing with them. Some people turn to prayer. Some people bring out the bourbon. And when we recently shared what mental health experts recommend doing to bounce back from a bad day — try a mindfulness exercise, be kind to yourself, etc. — we couldn’t help but notice that dozens of commenters couldn’t resist passing along some of their own tips.
Ahead, read to see what works for Yahoo readers when the going gets rough. (Note: Responses have been edited for clarity and length, and commenters are identified by their Yahoo usernames only.)
“One thing that works for me is to make a list of several things that are right, and read the list on depressing days,” writes David. “Offsetting bad with good provides a helpful alternative.”
“Watch some comedy, pet an animal and listen to some good music,” suggests Drifter. “Wes Montgomery’s ‘Bumpin’ on Sunset’ does the trick for me. Music is powerful.”
Music is also a tonic for BriGuy. “For me, it's playing guitar. It can completely take you out of your head for a while,” this commenter says.
Helping others gives one commenter identified as Me some perspective. “Serve food in a homeless shelter. Serving others will make [you realize] how fortunate you are. Guaranteed!”
“Do something productive,” suggests the commenter Just Another Guy. “Pick something easy: Make the bed, do some dishes, [prepare a] simple breakfast. It’ll begin to set a positive tone!!!”
Sam says to accept the day for what it is. “I have days like this. Where everything goes wrong or everything ends up being the long arduous process. I identify these days early. Now when something bad happens that day, I just laugh and say to myself, ‘[You’re] making it too obvious, Life! I know what you are trying to do!!’”
Christopher is all about the simple pleasures. “A glass of bourbon and/or a few hours enjoying nature does the trick for me.”
When in doubt, play it out. “I get my harmonica out,” offers Ray.
Mary likes to watch videos of music performances to get in an “upbeat” mood. A couple of favorites? Carl Ellis’s bagpipe-backed take on “Amazing Grace” and Pharrell Williams’s video for “Happy.”
“Being OK to get it out” is vital, Ryan says, sharing a recent example of pushing through a low moment: “I was recently moving, had a million things to do, while also working every day. I put a clothes rack up in the basement … the plastic clamps I used cracked and the whole thing fell. I sat there fuming for a few moments, then closed my eyes, took a breath, drove to Lowe's to get the proper clamps … and fixed it. After that, I got some good food and took the rest of the night off from unpacking and organizing just to reset. I think it's OK to have a moment to let it out (not at someone) before resetting and moving on.”
“Being grateful” helps NPC shift perspective.
And the commenter Fourbigpaws has a few trusty fixes for getting back on track: “1. Listen to a cat’s purr. 2. Eat some dark chocolate. 3. Have a slice of pepperoni pizza. 4. Crank on the old records … just about anything from Chuck Berry. 5. Tune into an old movie, the campier the better. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World comes to mind. 6. A nice slice of chocolate cheesecake is great. 7. Yell and scream your frustrations to the walls. Let it all out.”
Anything we missed? Share your best bad day fix in the comments below.
