5 epic ways to survive a bad day at work

Having one of those days? Whether it’s tube disruptions, disputes with colleagues or a run-in with the boss, a bad day at the office can generate a maelstrom of emotions ranging from anger and frustration through to anxiety and feelings of inadequacy. The tried-and-tested distraction techniques below are guaranteed to transform Mont Blanc-style mountains back into mole hills – allowing you to take back control and get your day back on track.

smiley stress ball

Office Breaks Smiley stress ball

1) Change perspective: receiving criticism at work can be one of life’s toughest challenges, particularly when emotions are heightened in the heat of the moment.  In our minds, one small misdemeanour can morph into a major calamity – affecting how we view our whole performance in the job.  To gain a truer perspective, keep an e-mail folder full of complimentary e-mails from clients and business partners to remind you of all the things you’ve achieved in the job and how far you’ve already come.

2) Climb the stairs – when stressful situations are threatening to overwhelm, take ten minutes out to climb the stairs.  This simple, grounding exercise works by providing a physical challenge to distract you from racing, irrational thoughts while also producing enough endorphins to alter your mood and state of mind. Once the blood starts pumping, the stress burns off, allowing you to return to your desk in a calmer and clearer state.

Stressed out spelt in scrabble letters

Thomas Haynle Stressed out

3) Move away from your desk – if a project is going badly, our first instinct is to keep persevering until we’re drowning in a state of panic. Getting out the office environment, even just for a fifteen minute walk, helps to give you vital respite from the current difficulties and restore enough mental calm to come up with creative solutions.  Try a one minute meditation or a mindfulness walk to help you temporarily switch off from the mental turmoil.

4) Practice gratitude – When thoughts of resignation rear their head during fractious moments, take five minutes to write down three things that make your life feel worthwhile.  It could be a holiday on the horizon, a supportive partner, a sunny day or the home you live in.  By looking at the bigger picture, you can get the current situation into perspective, reminding yourself that this too shall pass.

interior of the Cadbury's Office

K2 Space Cadbury’s Office

5) Rinse and repeat – once calm has been restored and your day is back on track again, think about what technique worked best for you.  Whether it’s practicing gratitude, climbing the stairs or going for a walk, make a mental note for future reference.  While bad days at the office are as inevitable as signal failures on the tube, if we change the way we look at things – the things we look at always change.

Do you have a favourite technique to survive a bad day at work?  I would love to hear your views.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.