Sometimes things just go wrong. Mistakes, accidents, arguments or just plain boredom — any of these things can cause you a bad day at the office.
However much you wish you never had to go back, the fact is you do have to go back (unless you have another job lined up, or are rich enough to be without income while you look for one). Here’s how to refresh your mindset and leave that bad energy in the past.
Leave work at work.
Create clear boundaries between work and home — the feelings from each are not allowed to invade the other. Use the commute to switch gears. Process what happened, then put on your favorite music or podcast and chill out. You might even try a different route home to break your thought habits.
Analyze what went wrong.
One way to get something good out of a bad day is to consider what might be done to prevent the problem from recurring in the future. Could a different reaction from you or your co-workers have helped the situation?
Have a good rant about it.
Sometimes the fastest way to get a bad event out of your head is to vent to a friend. But set yourself a time limit, say 15 minutes.
Don’t obsess about it.
After your analysis and/or rant, stop thinking about it and move on. Replaying the day over and over in your head will only stress you out even more.
See the big picture.
Your career is a significant part of your life, but it shouldn’t be your whole life. Balance work with personal interests, and what happens on the job won’t have the power to overwhelm you.
Treat yourself to some self-care.
Restore your positive attitude by doing something that will make you feel good about yourself. This doesn’t mean spending the evening drinking or watching TV — activities which temporarily numb your feelings without changing them. Choose a positive activity like exercising, meditating, eating a delicious (but healthy) meal, sharing quality time with a loved one or taking a soothing, hot bath.
Try these reframing strategies, and even though you’re going back to the same old job situation, you’ll bring a new, proactive attitude that can make great things happen.
Welcome to the right place to find your next big job opportunity.
Let’s work together.
