Having A BAD Mental Health Day? 7 Self-tried Ways To Beat It

Last Update on March 9, 2022 : Published on October 17, 2021

Anjali Singh

We all experience bad days in our lives and there is no denial or escape from this fact. But have you really found yourself experiencing a bad mental health day? Yes, a Bad Mental Health Day (you read it right!).

Life is full of ups and downs. The ups part you are very well acquainted with ways to savor them but what about the downs? On days when you are emotionally drained and mentally exhausted, what do you do on those BAD Mental Health Day?

I know we have been hardly taught or advised on the same but don’t you think your brain control system too needs to be restarted and restored on these ERROR 404 detected days! So here I am sharing 7 self-tried ways that work like magic for me on my BAD Mental Health Day.

*Trust me on this I have tried them all and they made a huge difference in how I felt and acted the following day.*

7 Things To Do On A BAD Mental Health Day

1. Acceptance: Your Judgement-free Zone

Hey, are you judging yourself for feeling this way? How about taking a big deep breath, exhale judgment, and inhale acceptance. Acceptance of the fact that we all have BAD Mental Health Days. Acceptance of the night that it is okay to feel this way.

Acceptance of the reality that some days even your brain needs a day off! And all this more acceptance and fewer judgments that I am talking about stars by removing the barriers. Barriers that don’t allow your mind and body to sync.

Think of it this way, your mind is overly drained but you force it to feel better and happier, not letting the real feelings and interpretations interact.

Writer’s Tip: To make this happen you have to be honest with yourself about how you feel- good or bad. They are your feelings, they are valid. You can pen down your thoughts and feelings in a journal. You may even follow these steps:

Just sit down with a piece of paper or a mental health journal and start writing whatever comes to your mind.
Now find a theme or themes that define how you are feeling.
Take three deep breaths.
Read these feelings aloud to yourself (make sure you are loud enough to hear yourself).
Finally, accept what you are feeling and start working towards its resolution.

2. Nap: Your Reboot Tool

Sleeping is sure to pump you up to beat off the bad mental health days blues. But that is the challenge that we all face. Having a quantity and quality sleep on a bad mental health day is like finding pearls in the ocean. Difficult! But ACHIEVABLE! It is even advised by the therapists that a good night’s sleep is important to find comfort on such days. Sleeping like a baby reboots and refreshes your brain, body, and soul.

Writer’s Tip: We understand sleeping when your senses and mind are overloaded can lead to bedtime anxiety. If bedtime anxiety is holding you back from putting this tool into practice, watch this video and follow these tips, you are sure to welcome better (and much needed) sleep.

You may also read these blogs for baby sleep and recharge yourself for the day.

3. Self Pamper: Your Treat To Yourself

Treat yourself to the things you love and enjoy. Give your brain and body a message that you love them and you understand that they need love! It might not sound like anything science but trust me it does work. Every time you engage in activities you enjoy you will give yourself a pop of happiness hormones the levels of which might be currently down. Please don’t force yourself into doing something and it will be great if it is a healthy activity that you opt for rather than binge-watching or doom scrolling! Do something that is rewarding for you, not draining (remember this mantra).

Writer’s Tip: Haven’t I just made your choice difficult by adding that last line to the text? But don’t worry I have a list of solutions for you. Here are some of the therapist-recommended and self-tried ways to treat yourself and beat a bad mental health day!

Put on cozy and comfortable clothes.
Make yourself a cup of coffee or tea (whatever you prefer).
Read a book.
Do a quick workout.
Cook your favorite meal.
Go for a walk in nature.
Do something creative or artistic.
Add to this list in the comments section below.

4. Unplug: Your Way To Reduce Sensory Inputs

One of the major reasons behind the exhaustion and mental strain that accompanies a bad mental health day is “sensory overload.” Your senses are 24/7 engaged in receiving, processing, and responding to different stimuli. Which leaves little or no space for peaceful times.

While you might not be able to cut on the environmental stimulus, you can definitely curb the man-made ones (because that is something under your control). By cutting out these distractions, you will be able to provide your senses relief and have some peaceful time to yourself. Now if you are wondering what these man made distractions I am referring to they are gadgets and social media.

They disconnect us from the real world on one end and load us with unnecessary information. Especially on a bad mental health day social media can expose you to unhelpful feelings like comparison, rumination, and more. So breaking your ties with the same is suggested.

Writer’s Tip: Breaking ties with social media is a fear trigger in many afterall concepts like FOMO and all acts a hurdle. But what if I tell you that you dance in JOMO and honestly put your social media at bay? Refer to these articles and you will see the magic happening (optimization one is my personal favourite). Time to disconnect to connect with the best version of yourself!

5. Mental Health DIY Kit: Your Magic Box

When your car or any other home appliance stops functioning properly what do you need? Or what did Mickey Mouse always need to fix his daily life issues?

A TOOLBOX! Trust me or not but we all need one or the other toolbox to fix our bad times in life. Similarly, you need a toolkit for bad mental health days as well!

Writer’s Tip: You can create your handy mental health DIY kit. It is like a rescue box when overwhelming feelings and days try to weigh you down. it usually includes little different things that soothe all your senses. Know more about it here.

6. Shower: Your Bath Therapy

This one here is probably the most common way that professionals suggest to get over a bad mental health day. Taking a hot water bath is nothing less than therapy or meditation!

Well definitely it won’t eradicate the problems (like real-time therapy) but it is sure to slow you down, relax, and replenish. And that is exactly what you need to beat off a bad mental health day. So go take a nice long relaxing shower and get in your comfortable PJs.

Writer Tip: Although any form of the shower will help you feel better about yourself and the day, we have special recommendations to make! Choose hot water over a cold one. go for Epsom salt, play happy songs, and bring in an aromatherapy game (wholesome).

To make your bath time more therapeutic check this guide on bath meditation! Good luck.

7. Positive Affirmations: Your Channel of Positivity

Do you know what is the biggest thing that a bad mental health day feeds on? Negativity! Negative thoughts, feelings, and actions add more to a bad mental health day. That is why we would recommend you to give it a perfect antidote in the form of positive affirmations.

It is like chanting a mantra, creating a positive and healthy environment around you. Plus, it is always a great way to uplift your spirit and continue with the “never give up” attitude in life!

Writer’s Tip: Here are few ways through which you can put this way to deal with bad mental health day to play:

Pick your positive affirmation for a day or week and chant it 3-5 times before and after going to bed.
Use it as a wallpaper to remind yourself and the universe that you got this!
You may also take a printout of the same and paste it in the area where you spend most of your day. It will work as a subtle reminder.

Bonus Tip: Take A Day OFF for your Mental Health

I honestly tried it last week to take a day off because I was exhausted with everything happening in my life. Not only was it a gift of mine to myself but a much-needed relief in my life.

So next time when you feel that you JUST CAN’T take a break and work on yourself. Even if your body doesn’t feel like it needs it, take a moment to ask your brain “Are you overloaded?” “Do you want a mini-break?”

If Yes, Take a deep breath, type an email for leave, and just go with the flow.

P.S.: It is Okay to have a Bad Mental Health Day!

Sending you loads of love and a big warm hug.

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About The Author

Anjali Singh

Anjali Singh is a content curator in the field of Mental Health. She is currently done Ph.D. in Psychology. Her aim is to light up the world with positive vibes through her words, her idea of life is ‘Grow through what you go through’. Apart from this, she is a big-time pet lover.