It was the middle of the day, and I had a sudden realisation. I was feeling low, sick and bored. I wasn’t looking forward to the day and just wanted to stay in bed. Why was I feeling this way? There was no specific reason. Let’s be honest here: We all have bad days. It is both human and completely normal. You have two options: wait it out or make one small change that will make your day better.
So I decided to do what a journalist would normally do. I asked people what they do to feel better when I was having what seemed like a very long, horrible day. For this, I posted a thinking exercise on social media and encouraged others to share their strategies to turn a bad day around.
For anyone having a horrible day, I am sharing their responses in this listicle. They were a huge help to me, and I hope they will be to you too.
- Listen to music that helps me cry.
- Read the Quran.
- Read books by Oscar Wilde and Arundhati Roy.
- Wash clothes. Sometimes even wash the washed clothes.
- Watch a stand-up comedy.
- Feed a beggar.
- Go out and take a long walk.
- Coffee and cake.
- Sit and look at how much good I have in my life.
- Write/lift a few weights.
- Sleep. Sleep and sleep.
- Cry it out/Dance/go for a walk/cook.
- Breathe in breathe out.
- Get good rest.
- 90s Bollywood music (guilty pleasure).
- Ride a horse.
- Go out in nature.
- Turn my back to everything.
- Eat something nice. Read a book. Or simply take a nap.
- Take a walk.
- Sleep in my mom’s lap.
- Watch Shahrukh khan films while sipping ginger tea.
- Dial a girlfriend, write, open a bottle of wine and drag the husband to the balcony which is the coolest bar in town, read a mindless crime thriller, tidy, scrub the bathroom floor with my child, go for a walk and smile at least two neighbours.
- Long walks and coffee.
- Surf the internet.
- Listen, listen and listen.
- Something as simple as treating myself to a doughnut and a coffee at a coffee shop. (Mind it, this is coming from someone who hardly goes out.)
- I write, write and write.
- Love thyself.
- Jog, cycle, meditate and stretch.
- A good workout session.
- Go for a movie break.
- Cardio.
- Take a warm bath.
- Write to my younger self.
- Meet my girlfriends.
- Indulge in self-care.
- Go to the graveyard and sit close to near ones who have died. (People passing by will observe your grief without judgement.)
- Play with my cats.
- Call or meet a friend or a relative that I haven’t met in a long time.
- Yoga.
- Push-ups.
- Have imaginary conversations with my lover.
- Listen to a podcast.
- Meditate.
- Listen to Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan on a long drive.
- Deep breaths.
- Shahrukh Khan can turn anyone’s day around!
- Listen to Jaun Elia’s poetry.
- Netflix.
- Draw.
- Offer 2 rakah Nafl namaz.
- Talk to my family.
- Music.
- Cook.
- Watch cat videos on the internet.
- Eat biryani.
- Sometimes when I really can’t turn things around, I have food that I truly love.
- Run.
- Feed stray animals.
- Drink alcohol.
- Read “This is all I have to say” by Swapan Seth.
- Pray.
- Listen to 90s Bollywood songs (Kumar Sanu and Udit Narayan).
- Buy a gift for myself
- Accept things as they are.
