Everyone is entitled to a bad day. I mean, life happens to the best of us, right?

Even the happiest of people have bad days here and there, and that’s OK. But sometimes we have a tendency to want to wallow in self-pity when negative situations arise.

Often, one of our first instincts is to over-indulge in ALL of the comfort foods and shut ourselves up from the rest of the world (speaking from experience here).

I think it’s important that we give ourselves permission to not always be happy, while also realizing that there are several things that we can do that will help to improve our mood when we’re feeling down.

Instead of letting those negative feelings fester, or overdosing on chocolate, here are 30 simple things that you can do when you’re having a bad day.

 

Spend some time outdoors.  Breathing in the fresh air, and letting the sun shine on your face will do wonders for your mood.

Pray. Spend some time in prayer talking to God about your problems. You’ll feel better instantly!

Enjoy some aromatherapy. Light up your favorite scented candle, or throw some essential oils into the diffuser. Certain scents like jasmine, sandalwood, and bergamot are known to boost your mood.

Unplug from technology for the day. Sometimes we can become overloaded with technology. Whether it’s sitting in front of a computer at work all day, or the endless scrolling we do on social media. Take a much needed break from your devices.

Enjoy some time with your kids. Children know how to have fun. Spend the day playing games and eating junk with the kids.

Take a long, hot bath. Turn your bathroom into a spa. Gather your favorite bath products and beverage of choice and enjoy a nice, long soak.

Listen to a comedy podcast. Laughter is the best medicine, so listen to a comedy podcast and get your laugh on!

Go for a walk with your dog. Grab your furry friend and enjoy the outdoors together.

Read a book. Grab one of your favorite books off of the shelf, or if you prefer an audiobook, you can listen on Audible.

Cry. Sometimes you just need a good cry. Tears can be healing. So, let your emotions flow. And if necessary, you can even yell while you’re crying.

Call up a loved one and vent. Whether it’s your mom, sister or best friend, call them up and vent your feelings. Sometimes you just need a listening ear, and for someone to let you know that your feelings are validated.

Write in your journal. If you don’t have a person that you can really talk to, write your feelings down on paper. Journaling is great for your mental health. Instead of keeping things pinned up inside, letting your emotions flow out onto the paper. You’ll feel so much better afterwards.

Buy yourself some flowers. Flowers can be an instant mood booster. They’re just so pretty to look at that you can’t help but feel better.

Enjoy a bowl of ice cream. Fix yourself the biggest bowl of ice cream with all of your favorite toppings, and dive in. It feels so good to indulge every now and then.

Listen to music. Even if you don’t consider yourself a good dancer, crank up your favorite music and dance.

Try retail therapy. Who doesn’t love shopping? Hey, I’m just saying. Head out to your favorite retailer and buy yourself something nice. Or you could do a little online shopping – just don’t overspend.

Exercise. Exercise is good for the body and mind.

Bake your favorite sweet treat. Head to the kitchen, and whip up a batch of your favorite cookies. Or break out grandma’s recipe for a delicious cake.

Netflix anyone? Watch a few sitcoms and have yourself a good laugh.

Color in an adult coloring book. Grab some coloring pencils or markers and relive one of your favorite childhood pastimes.

Recite a few motivational quotes to help lift your spirits.

Do something nice for someone else. Shift your focus to a person in need and see how you can help them. By doing something nice for someone else, it will in turn help you to feel better.

Take some deep breaths. Deep breathing is naturally therapeutic, and can ground you and help you reconnect.

Take a much-needed nap. Sometimes you just need to re-set. Getting a couple of hours of shut-eye can do wonders for your mood.

Rearrange the furniture. This may sound strange, but rearranging the furniture can not only give the room a fresh look, but can give you a fresh perspective, and help to bring you out of a funk.

Spend time with your bestie. Spend the day hanging out with your best friend.

Go for a leisurely drive. Ease your pensive mood by going for a drive. Take the scenic route!

Visit a nice restaurant and enjoy your favorite comfort meal.

Start a gratitude list. Instead of focusing on the negatives, write down a list of things that you are grateful for.

Have some chocolate. Eating chocolate actually releases dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter, into particular regions of the brain. So, go ahead and enjoy a few pieces.

The good news my friend is those bad days won’t last forever. Give yourself a little time and you are sure to feel better.

What are some of the things that you do to help improve your mood?