8 Guaranteed Things to Cheer You Up No Matter How Bad Your Day Was

Those days where nothing seems to go your way happen. Here are speedy and effective mood-changers that will flip your bad day upside down.

There are those awful days where the universe just isn’t on your side. And regardless of what you do, you come to realize that you’re just going to have to be the punchline to its joke (all the while feeling like it’s laughing and pointing at you!) until it moves on to someone else. We all have those “blah” days and while we can’t escape them, we can definitely ease the pain.

Here are 8 things to cheer you up and fix those days when you feel like the joke is on you:

1. Other people’s humiliating stories

woman laughing and drinking sturbucks coffee

If you need an example, one day I was at a restaurant when I had Sesame Street: A New Way to Walk stuck in my head. For whatever reason I thought singing it out loud would be a good idea (or the reason being- because Sesame Street is still the bomb diggity!).

If only if it wasn’t for this poor elderly man on crutches trying to pass me by. I received a dirty look, as well as an award for Biggest Jerk of the Day, without even trying to.

Talk about embarrassing and offensive (and that poor man, talk about having a bad day)! It was so not funny at the time and I felt like such a humiliated jerk that I actually cried, but didn’t my story make you at least crack a smile?

Sometimes after hearing about other people’s shared stories of negative experiences, awkward moments or embarrassing situations, we tend to feel a little lighter about our own and utterly grateful that their stories could have happened to us, but didn’t!

And laughter has always been known to be good for the soul, yes?

2. Care packages

Knowing how completely stressful and boring an administrative front desk job can be, there was a time where my boyfriend would bring me a special care package literally every morning at my former job complete with snacks, coffee and sometimes Chick-Fil-A.

But you don’t have to wait around for anyone to bring you comfort items! Don’t hide in your car and cry on your lunch break- go out to the drug store next to your job, to the Chipotle across the street, to the Target down the road. Buy yourself five little items you know will switch your mindset and bring back happiness.

Some good ideas for care package items include (and are not limited to): a new nail polish color, a bag of Hershey Hugs, a new magazine, a warm cup of coffee and tacos from Chipotle (win: no cooking for you tonight!).Even a new pair of cute underwear or a brand new bra can make your feel like a million bucks!

I don’t recommend going out and spending what you don’t have because you had a rough day, but sometimes just a few little $5-or-less items from the drug store plus dinner is all you need to switch gears mentally when you are feeling pretty drained. It was a rough day girl and you endured it, so treat yourself!

3. A Kid President video

Seriously, he’s a heartbreaker (in a good way). He will make you laugh, cry and smile all in three minutes and, if nothing else, leave you feeling more encouraged and inspired than you did earlier today.

These two videos are my favorites of his and your day is guaranteed to be made once you watch one of them and soak in all of the love and sweet encouragement from a kid who looks no older than eight years old.

4. Listening to music that makes you feel awesome

You know those songs that make you get goose bumps and you don’t know why? The sound is just so awesome, and maybe for you it’s the latest song on the radio or even a beautifully orchestrated classical piece.

For me it’s songs that have a really good bass, regardless of genre. Maybe sometimes for you it may be music with lyrics that perfectly capture what you are going through in the moment…or the complete opposite.

Whatever fits your cup of tea, blast it in the car and go for a drive. Listen to it at home and dance around like nobody’s business in your kitchen. Put it in your headphones and go for a run.

You will feel 100% more upbeat and there is something about good music that just makes you feel good and block out the rest of the world.

5. Admiring nature

Sometimes it’s not easy to just “do something fun” to distract yourself when you are too stressed out or deeply upset about something.

When I get like this I like to drive out to the beach, to the park, to a lake, to the middle of nowhere or I just drive out to the country. Sometimes at night I will sit in my car behind my local Chipotle, look out at the stars over the expressway and just use that time to pray or write in my journal.

Sometimes being alone or a change of scenery and peace is all you really need. Whether it’s daytime or dark out, there is so much beauty to admire and something so therapeutic about it all.

There are leaves that change colors, flowers of varying types and kinds, wide skies with clouds of millions of designs, hills that offer an amazing view and bodies of water with calming ripples or distracting waves.

Take a look at it all and take in all of its beauty. It can be relaxing and overwhelming at the same time, but it’s exactly the kind of overwhelming you need to forget about any negativity in your day.

Also, if it’s a sunny day, the sun is an excellent source of Vitamin D which will keep you healthier and feeling happier. Go out and enjoy.

6. Booking a massage or a facial

blonde woman ready for massage

Make an appointment today. If you go for a facial, I would strongly encourage booking at a salon or a school where Aveda products are used because Aveda salons are often trained to include complimentary treats in a facial service such as a hand and arm massage!

Facials will not only cleanse your skin from the inside out and give you a beautiful glow, but will also offer you enough relaxation in the meantime to forget about any current stressors in your life. Massages will make you feel like heaven, obviously. However they will not only de-stress you, but other benefits are that massages will promote healthy sleep, strengthen your immune system, lessen depression and anxiety, relieve tension and alleviate any pains or cramps. You will feel like a brand new person once you leave and if it is the first one you’ve ever had, you will wonder why you never thought to treat yourself to one before.

7. Working out

I know, it’s been a day that you just want to crawl into your pajamas, scream (or cry) into your pillow and watch Netflix with your comfort food all night.

But as Elle Woods once said, “Exercise gives you endorphins; endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands!” Even if you go less than twice a week on a regular basis, keeping yourself busy and active on a blah day will completely shift your mood and make you feel so much better about yourself!

Set a goal (ie: burn 300 calories). Once you actually reach that goal you will feel like a winner and may find yourself wanting to continue to set more goals for yourself!

There is the obvious that you will lose those calories, but some of the other benefits to working out we often overlook are that it reduces stress, improves overall health and will give you an energy boost. You will feel and be much stronger than you were before you started.

Another benefit to working out is that you can even do #4 (workout playlist!), #5 (doesn’t have to be at a gym!) and #6 (massage chairs if at the gym!) of this list while working out. Don’t limit yourself to just gyms and treadmills! There are barre classes, Zumba classes and kickboxing centers all over. Cardio can be fun!

Whatever you decide to do, go out there like a warrior and feel the burn, and you won’t even remember that rude comment from your co-worker earlier.

8. Watch the 2010 remake of Death at a Funeral

In the first five minutes, you will be laughing. You can’t be disappointed when you put Martin Lawrence, Zoe Saldana, Chris Rock, James Marsden, Kevin Hart, Peter Dinklage and Tracy Morgan all in the same movie. In Death at a Funeral, too much went wrong for this poor family in less than 24 hours that it will actually make you feel better about anything you were worrying about before. Best of news, it may still be on Netflix by the time you read this!

Bad days happen to all of us, my fellow Queen. I wrote this with you in mind, knowing that there are great quick fixes to some things in life, one of those things being a bad day. One of the best and most important cures I would like to point out however is a positive outlook. Keep your head high and your positivity higher! Understand that this too shall pass, and that tomorrow is another day.

In which case, I truly hope that tomorrow is a day of nothing but sunshine, diamonds, love notes, sparkles, compliments, happiness and cupcakes for you! You’ve got this, Queen!

About the author

Ashley Prendergast

Ashley is an esthetician and makeup artist at a Southern New Jersey spa. On her days off when she is not writing beauty and life articles she can be found volunteering at her local animal shelter, at the shore or Netflixing at home with her cats. Ashley also runs her side business making hipster mugs.

2 Comments

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  • Ashley,
    Great article. My two favorite pick-me-ups from your list is other people’s embarassing moments and a massage. Love those things.

    • Thank you for taking the time to read Mary! I’m glad you enjoyed the article! Gotta love pampering and laughter! ;)