6 Ways to Handle Hard Days

It doesn’t matter who you are, at some point, everyone experiences a tough day in one form or another. I wish it wasn’t the case, but life isn’t always “rainbows and butterflies.” Maxie has seen me through a few rough days and I’ve seen her through a few of her own. Loving her tips here about how to best handle hard days.

6 Ways to Handle Hard Days

You’re probably no stranger to hard days. None of us are. Whether it’s because the stress got so overwhelming, someone let you down, or everything just seemed to be going wrong, hard days can be just… well, hard.

And when they come (which they always do) you can either make the hard days harder. Or you can ride the wave of your ultra hard day. If you’ve ever been surfing, you know that if a wave crashes on you it’s best not to fight it and rather go with the motion of the water until you can pop right back up. And catch the next one.

But so often we want to do the opposite. We struggle against all that is hard, fighting it and pushing it back and resisting it, because we think that’ll fend off all the discomfort that comes along with it. It doesn’t. And it won’t. It actually will just make everything harder. So in the spirit of going with the ease of hard, here are a few things to remember when you’re having a hard day (or many of them):

Facetime your friends. I’ve spent basically the past 24 hours on Facetime with all my besties because it’s been a hard one. Whether I was ugly crying or over analyzing, they listened and reminded me that tomorrow will be better. And it was. So whatever you’re feeling, it doesn’t have to be felt alone if you phone a friend.

Journal it out. If you’ve ever been unable to sleep because your mind is so twisted around so many things going wrong from your hard day, it may be better to get out a pen and start writing it all down. How you’re feeling, what’s happening, what your gut is saying, etc. It’ll help you process what’s going on for you without the fog of other people’s opinions.

Use a mantra. All of these sentences are great to put on repeat in your head. They’ll help drown out the noise and remind you of what you know: That which is meant for me will not pass me by OR This too shall pass OR There are no mistakes.

Do something nice for yourself. Whether that’s a little extra whip cream on your drink or a mani-pedi just because, do something for yourself that is nice, that is loving, and that puts a little smile or relaxation into your moment when you need it most.

Ask for help. Sometimes when things are hard they’re hard for a reason, and you might need some help with a solution, with processing, or with understanding your own feelings. Don’t be shy about asking for it.

Create something. Paint, write, craft, doodle. Do something that gets you out of your head and into your own body and creativity. It’s such a mood shifter when the day is hard.

Know that a hard day is just a hard day. It’s not you, and it will get better. Whatever you do, do what you can to be easy on yourself.

More of Maxie’s inspiring advice here.