What to Do When You’re Having a Bad Day

The idea for this article sprung to mind following on from the announcement that the UK is going into another lockdown. Because of this I then received a phone call the next morning from my hairdressers letting me know that they had to close so I could not get my hair done. Now, I admit this may seem like a small thing to some; however, I did slightly spiral into a funk as I had been looking forward to being pampered for weeks. With everything going on it’s safe to say I was feeling a bit low and needed to cheer myself up, so I decided to take the day off and look after myself. Now I know we can’t always take the day off but if you can stop work for the afternoon or evening this is sometimes just what you need to reenergize yourself and prepare for a productive day tomorrow.

The Bathtub

This is my favourite way to pamper myself when I am feeling down, as there is nothing better than soaking in a bubble bath next to a scented candle. You can even spice it up by pouring yourself a gin and tonic, a cup of tea or whatever your favourite drink may be. Bath time is a time to relax, a time to take some deep breaths and unwind. I like to spend at least an hour in the bath or however long it takes me to shrivel up like a prune. So, as well as relaxing in the bathtub I often find that I need a way to occupy myself: sometimes I bring a book with me into the bathroom or put a film on in the background (but please be very careful and don’t let this fall into the bathtub!). Some other things you could do whilst relaxing in the bath: a hair mask (I will link my favourite below), shave your legs or do a face mask; whatever you normally do to pamper yourself can often be applied to the bathtub. However, if you only have a short amount of time to cheer yourself up you could have a hot shower instead; if I am feeling down the first thing I always do is wash myself and make sure I put on a fresh pair of pyjamas, since who likes to feel as though they are festering in their uncleanliness.

Hair mask: https://www.lookfantastic.com/olaplex-no.3-hair-perfector-100ml/11416400.html

Food is the way to my heart

Snacks are a necessity for bad days, in fact I would say they are essential. I often like to treat myself when I am feeling down and this usually involves a trip to the local corner shop. No matter what your favourite food is whether it be chocolate (how can it not?!), sweets, crisps, popcorn, garlic bread, dough balls, (God I am getting hungry writing this). Spoiling yourself is sometimes what you need to pick yourself and put a smile on your face, as it has been proven that chocolate releases endorphins which actually make you feel happy, so if you’re having a bad day head to your local supermarket now - this is your sign to do so!

Time to snuggle

Sometimes if you want a distraction a film is the perfect way to take your mind off things; however, it is probably best to avoid anything scary or sad as we don’t want to end up feeling worse. I would also recommend watching a film which you have seen before but not in a while, as you know the outcome is guaranteed to be good, so throw on the fairy lights and snuggle up under the covers. There is nothing better than watching something sentimental like a rom com, this will instantly put a smile on my face, and if you need to sit there the whole day on the sofa having a film marathon to cheer yourself up then this is what you need to do.

Reaching out

I would strongly recommend that you don’t wallow by yourself, so after you have had some ‘me’ time it is often best to reach out and speak to a friend. They can often cheer you up themselves and put things into perspective, as friends know the best way to put you into good spirits and make you laugh like no one else. You could even combine the last two steps and invite a friend over for a film night with snacks, as you never know they may be struggling today as well. The beautiful thing about friendships is that they are always there for you during the hard times; however, this does go both ways so it’s important to remember to check in on your friends from time to time, as if you expect them to be there for you, you need to provide the same support.

Skincare

At the end of a long day there is nothing I enjoy more than sitting down and doing my skincare routine, as when you take care of yourself and your skin it often makes you feel better. Taking care of you on the outside can also take care of you on the inside, as pampering and treating yourself has this effect. Maybe unwrap a face mask as well to feel truly luxurious or add in another step that you wouldn’t normally do, such as a jade roller, if you’re feeling a bit extravagant.

Planning

Before you go to bed one thing I would advise that you do is to make a to do list, as this will help make sure tomorrow is a productive day. Planning ahead will also make you feel prepared and give you a plan of action, plus it can help you feel accomplished when you tick items off.