No matter how much you love your job, you’ll have a bad day at work once in a while. Maybe it’s a micromanaging boss, a difficult coworker, or getting passed over for a promotion. Whatever the reason, you might end the day feeling frustrated.
It’s completely normal to feel this way, but there are ways to make your bad days better. Taking good care of yourself can keep your bad day from turning into a bad week. The right coping mechanisms will help you show up to work ready to face everything that comes your way.
First: it’s okay to have a bad day
A long day at work is one thing. But a day where everything seems to go wrong can be especially demoralizing, and it’s more common than you think. One survey found that almost 2 out of 3 respondents experience at least one rough day at work every week.
If bad days become weeks or months, you may need extra help to overcome your struggles. Lean on a friend and talk about how you’re feeling. Chances are they might feel the same way. Not everyone knows what to say when someone has a bad day, and that’s okay. Sometimes just having someone there is enough.
But if you can’t shake it off, your negative feelings can linger, adversely impacting your productivity and performance. That’s troubling because prolonged workplace stress is sometimes the first step toward burnout at work.
Knowing what to do after the workday doesn’t go your way might not solve the problem, but it can help you feel better about yourself and get you back on track. The first step in that process is to learn what your triggers are.
Top factors that can trigger a bad day at work
Some contributors to bad days start at home, and others in the office. Knowing which ones affect you most is the first step to building coping mechanisms that keep you feeling uplifted with a positive mental attitude.
At home
Your day usually starts at home, which means your mood starts there too. Three home-based factors contributing to a bad day include:
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Lack of sleep: On average, adults need at least seven hours of sleep every night. Less than that worsens your attention span and memory, reducing your performance at work. On its own, poor performance can leave you feeling frustrated, but if you’re already irritable from lack of sleep, you might feel even worse.
It’s also harder to sleep when you’re stressed, which creates a cycle.
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Insufficient work-life balance: Long hours and heavy workloads make it harder to relax at the end of the day, especially if you work remotely.
Without adequate downtime, you could feel emotionally exhausted, indecisive, and ineffective — all symptoms of burnout that can also lead to bad days.
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Illness: Calling out of work can put a wrench in projects and workflows. The American workforce is down by 2.6% from COVID-19-related causes, with about 19% of Americans who have contracted the virus struggling with long COVID, hindering their ability to work.
And a 2022 OnePoll survey, conducted on behalf of Theraflu, found that 62% people admit they’d go to work if able, and 92% work when they’re unwell because they can’t afford to take a sick day.
But showing up when you’re under the weather puts your coworkers at risk of illness and impacts productivity. Presenteeism affects your health and your mood, which can make a bad day worse.
At work
Fast-paced environments at work can be demanding, both professionally and emotionally. And even if you’re not constantly working on new projects and tasks, a negative or toxic work environment will affect your mood. The top workplace factors that can contribute to your bad day include:
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Lack of support: Maybe your manager is hypercritical of your work, keeps canceling meetings at the last minute, or doesn’t give you the time and resources you need to do your job.
Whatever the challenge, an unsupportive or micromanaging boss can contribute to difficulties at work, affecting your mood and ability to get things done.
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Conflict with managers or coworkers: You might not always get along with the people you work with. Whether it’s a minor argument or bullying at work, a clash with your teammates or supervisor can also lead to a bad day.
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Lack of employee recognition: If your boss doesn’t praise, reward, or recognize you for your effort, it can drain your self-confidence and motivation.
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Uncertainty in the workplace: If your company is facing a crisis, or its core values are unclear, it can leave you second-guessing job security and your effectiveness in your role. Periods of professional uncertainty increase your blood pressure and make you feel more stressed, impacting your ability to have a good day.
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Heavy workload: Around 44% of employees feel stressed at work every day, and workload is a top contributor to that stress. Working too much contributes to both poor employee wellness and worsened physical health.
Getting back on track: Tips for bad days at work
Maybe your bad day started when you woke up in the morning without enough sleep. Or it could have been an ominous email from your boss that put you in a negative mindset. Whatever the cause, there are ways to reassure yourself and feel better when bad days come around.
If you can find a private moment at the office, try using one of these strategies to reset the day’s trajectory. If that’s not possible, be patient and make them a part of your self-care practice at home. That way you can move on and return to work the next day in a better frame of mind.
Here are a few ways to try and make bad days better:
Enjoy some fresh air
Spending just 10 minutes in a natural setting reduces cortisol, the stress hormone, and can improve mental health. Going for a walk when you’re having a bad day can elevate your mood and help you bounce back when things go wrong at work.
Do a digital detox
High levels of screen time are linked to reduced feelings of happiness and well-being. Plus, the blue light from computer screens and mobile phones can affect our circadian rhythm and ability to get a good night’s sleep. Giving yourself a break from the screen with a digital detox, even for a few minutes a day, can help you recover from a stressful day and sleep better later.
Get physical
Exercise is beneficial to your physical health, but it also protects and improves your mental health. If you don’t have time (or energy) to hit the gym, a short walk, bike ride, or yoga session can help you calm down and improve your mood immediately. Even getting up and stretching your legs for a few minutes can help you focus better at work.
Find your zen
One of the best ways to move on from a tough day at work is to meditate. Meditation and mindfulness boost your attention span and memory, and they can help untangle your jumbled thoughts. Taking a moment to practice mindful breathing and calm your mind can give you a new perspective while reducing stress and alleviating tension.
Spend time with supportive friends
Working on your social health also reduces stress. An empathetic group of friends or coworkers who understand and encourage you through a challenging period at work can be invaluable. Interacting with friends can improve your social well-being, boost your mood, and reduce the effects of stress.
Start from scratch
If your day is going badly, taking a step back can help you press reset. Repeat some positive affirmations, practice your mindfulness skills, or even take a nap. Anything that lets you take a break and catch your breath will help you feel more in control and get back on top of your day.
Manage a bad day working from home
People who work from home report improvements in their wellness and work-life balance. But it’s just as vital for them to learn how to have a good day at work as it is for in-person employees. In fact, it’s more important when you work from home because it’s harder to leave your bad day at the office.
Here are a few suggestions to help you walk away from a lousy day at work at home:
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Put work away. When you work remotely, your equipment and documents are visual reminders that you’ve never really left the office.
That can make it hard to shift gears at the end of the day. If it’s been a bad day, putting your laptop and files away will help create a mental boundary between your personal life and work. Clean off your desk when you’re done working, especially if your workspace isn’t in a separate room.
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Bookend the day. Create little rituals to start and end the day to transition from at-home mode to work mode and back again. Having a cup of tea, starting to make dinner, or shutting down your laptop can all tell your brain it’s time to relax.
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Avoid creep. No matter how tempting, limit work to one location in your home. If you’re trying to maintain a work-life balance, keeping professional activities in one place prevents them from bleeding into your home life.
Leave your work in the office or workstation, away from the rest of the house, especially the bedroom.
Turning a bad day around
Hopefully, you have more good than bad days at work. If you find yourself struggling, that’s okay. Tomorrow is a new day. Take care of yourself before returning to work, and use your support network to help cheer you up.
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