Small habits to pick up that will help you feel better on bad days

It’s impossible to get off to a good start every day. No matter the image of a perfect lifestyle social media tends to portray, realistically, everyone has their bad days too.

But that’s okay. Feeling bad about yourself for no reason is normal. Everybody wakes up on the wrong side of the bed every once in a while. You don’t have to keep up that positive facade all the time, because sometimes it’s okay to not be okay too.

It may not be possible to be at your best all the time, but it is possible to feel better about yourself through different actions. Here are some habits to incorporate into your bad days to make them feel slightly better!

I know what you’re thinking: On top of your bad morning and bad breath, a glass of water the moment you wake up doesn’t necessarily leave the best taste in your mouth, but it’s still a lot better than being woken up with a splash to your face with said glass of water.

Instead of immediately checking your social media feed to wake you up, a glass of water is a refreshing reminder for both you and your body that it’s a new day. It might not go great, but being in a fresh state of mind at least allows you to feel more clear-headed, a gentle cheer that you got this.

I can never function without coffee, or at least some caffeinated beverage to fuel my mornings. Regardless of the on and off debate about breakfast as the most important meal of the day, I think it’s ultimately agreeable that you need something to get the engine going.

Mornings are the time of the day where your body is warming up for its daily grind again, hence the need for some food to give you energy for that.

Some quick and easy breakfast ideas include fruits or smoothies to give your body the nutrients it needs.

This is also the time to catch up on social media as you slowly ease into the arduous eight hours of work ahead of you.

If breakfast is your warmup, snacks are the oil to keep your gears turning.

Throughout the day, you’re bound to run low on ‘brain juice’ every few hours. Allowing yourself to snacks can give you the remaining short bursts of energy you need to last the remaining hours of the day. So the next time you go on your grocery run, be sure not to skip the snack aisle!

If you feel guilty only consuming junk food, there is also the option of swapping out for healthier snack combinations, such as apple slices dipped in peanut butter.

After a tough day at work, sometimes it’s best to just put your phone down and disconnect with the world. 

There are many ways to ease your mind. You can exercise or go for a walk if you lack the energy, or even stay home and read a book if you’re more of a homebody like me. At the end of the day, this me-time is meant to serve as a congratulations for doing your best despite the bad circumstances you began with.

There’s no guarantee that your day will be better, and Lady Luck may not be on your side all the time, but these practices would mean that at least you’ve tried, and that’s a job well done.