4 tips for turning a bad day into a brighter day.

Here’s how you hoped your morning would go:

You wake gently just before your alarm. You stretch, you scribble for a bit in your journal, you knock out a few effortless sun salutations then sip your coffee mindfully as you calmly prepare for the day ahead. 

Here’s what actually happened:

You sleep through your alarm; you rush downstairs to find the dog has thrown up on the new carpet. Your kid couldn’t find her gym kit, someone’s eaten all the bread so there go the packed lunches, and you discover a hole in your shirt right before leaving the house. Oh great, a flippin’ traffic jam…

Oh. My. Goodness. I bet every single one of you can relate to this. I, for one, have been there more often than I’d like to admit.

But here’s my question for you:

What happens next?

Do you let a crappy morning become a crappy day? Or do you step out of it and turn it into something brighter?

I know it can be hard. We place a tonne of importance on how we start the day. After all, how many times have you read self-care advice on how to create the ‘ideal morning routine’ or how to make your mornings flow more smoothly? It’s something I’ve written about myself!

And it is important. A calm, organised, thoughtful morning does have the power to make the rest of your day feel more seamless, more uplifting. Happier.

But don’t let that fool you into thinking that the opposite is true.

A bad morning doesn’t have to ruin the rest of your day.

So if you are having an absolute ‘mare of a morning, how do you turn it around?

1.Take a pause.

As soon as you can! Yes, even if you’re already running late. 

Give yourself permission to pause. Take a moment or two to catch your breath. Get some fresh air if you can. And instead of trying to push down your frustration, just breathe into it for a second. Feel what you’re feeling, process it, and then allow yourself to release it. 

Make a conscious choice not to carry it with you into the rest of your day.

2. Find the lesson in it.

Okay, maybe the lesson is something obvious and practical like organising your outfit the night before. Or hey, don’t feed the pooch so many leftovers!

But just maybe, there’s a deeper lesson in there somewhere. 

Why did you let the stress get to you? Are you caught in the curse of perfectionism? Are you determined to be the one mum that always nails EVERYTHING. Are you holding yourself to unrealistic standards and judging yourself too harshly?

If so, try to remember that absolutely no one makes it through life without turning up late to a meeting, or sending their kid to school without their gym shorts.

Maybe today, you didn’t quite hit the mark. Don’t let that override every other day that you were 100% on the ball. 

3. Find the good.

Yes, it’s time to flex that gratitude muscle. 

What did go right this morning? Maybe your breakfast was particularly yummy, maybe your colleague complimented you on your new shoes when you got to the office, or maybe you spotted the most adorable puppy during your morning walk. 

Some days ‘the good’ will be less obvious but if you search for it there’s always something to be thankful for. And regularly seeking out and dwelling on the good things in your life will get you in the habit of finding the happy in the crappy — and you’ll be able to turn future stressful mornings around in no time at all.

4. Remember it’s all about balance.

Sure, we all think life would be simpler if everything ran like clockwork, always, every day.

But here’s the thing we forget:

Light cannot exist without the dark. As frustrating as they are, we NEED to experience life’s challenges to truly appreciate the triumphs. 

It’s okay to have a bad day.

That’s why tomorrow, when your morning routine runs smoothly, when your no-longer-puking dog greets you with a lick and a waggy tail, when your beautiful daughter gives you her sweetest smile as she efficiently packs her school bag, when you sit and savour your morning coffee knowing you’re looking gorgeous without a hair out of place, you’ll bask in every single moment of that delicious calm you’ve created.