Every now and then, we all have a bad day. You work for hours on something that ends up going wrong. You organise a big event only a handful of guests show up to. You buy new clothes only to find you don’t like the way it looks on you. Life gets messy sometimes. Here are some tips how to see the good in a bad situation:
Look at the big picture
When you get to a low point in life, always realise that this is really just one low point. Your life is thick book while this is a mere page, or perhaps a paragraph in one. Most things happening to you now likely won’t matter a year from now. There’s no point in being upset over something with only short-term effects.
Accept the situation
Bad things happen a lot. Even to good people. The sooner you accept reality, the quicker you learn to move on. Accepting the situation is also what helps you look at the bigger picture. There will be both ups and downs in your life and the sooner you deal with the downs, the quicker you can get to the ups.
Be flexible
Flexibility is key to living a carefree life. If you realise you’re a person who tends to nitpick and worry about every little detail, try to become a little more easygoing. For example, if that big project you have planned doesn’t seem like it’s going to go smoothly, change up a few things here and there to make it go your way. Sure, things are not going to go exactly as planned. But it is the best way of dealing with a messy situation.
Don’t beat yourself up
When things go wrong, many of us tend to start blaming ourselves. We start replaying scenarios in our heads and fantasise about alternate realities where we could have done something differently. When you screw up, learn from your mistake and avoid doing it again. We all do things we regret sometimes. It makes us human. Don’t hate yourself for it.
Move on
Once you’ve accepted the situation and taken the necessary steps to fix it, it’s time to move on. Don’t spend time being resentful or apologising for what went wrong. If you struggle with this, learn how to distract yourself. Spend some time with friends and family when you’re feeling down. Do something nice for yourself like go to your favourite restaurant. There is more to life than the remnants of your mistakes.
