Having a good day doesn’t need to seem like an impossible task. Even if you have moments where things don’t go your way, or as planned, it’s still possible to have a day you end up enjoying. The secret to happiness can be found in your thoughts. The way you frame your thinking can set you up to have a good day or bad day, it’s all a matter of perspective. Even if life is currently putting you through a series of obstacles and uphill battles, understanding that these challenges are temporary can help you see the light on a dark day. In this article, we’re going to share all the ways you can have a good day. So, let’s make today a great one together!
How to Have a Good Day (No Matter What You Face)
1. Practice meditation
A guided meditation can be a great way to experience the kind of peace of mind that results in a good day. You can follow along to Declutter The Mind’s meditation library for free and without needing to sign up for an account. You can listen to a loving kindness meditation, which will encourage you to reflect on the love you feel for yourself and the people closest to you. Or you can listen to a meditation for anxiety when you have a stressful moment at work so you can ease your suffering instead of spiraling it. You might listen to a positive thinking meditation to help you frame your thoughts to ensure that your good day stays on track. No matter which meditation you listen to, it’ll help you stay grounded, encourage present living, and boost your mindfulness as well.
2. Write in a gratitude journal
You don’t need a formal gratitude journal, even writing down 10 things you’re grateful for on a scrap piece of paper will do the trick. But putting your mental energy on things that are going well in your life that you appreciate will be so positive in ensuring you have a good day. The difference between a good day and bad day is where you put your mental focus. If you’re constantly thinking “wow, I have way more good things in my life than I realized” you’ll start to feel an abundance of goodness allowing you to improve your day. Gratitude doesn’t mean that bad things don’t happen or that you should shove them down and pretend they're invisible. It’s more about realizing that no matter how rainy the day, there’s always a beautiful rainbow nearby.
3. Do a daily good deed
If you spend your day scanning it to find opportunities to spread kindness, uplift others, or help those who need your support, you won’t have intrusive thoughts that put a damper on your day. How you frame your thinking will ultimately set apart the good day from the bad day. The easiest way to have a good day is to spend your day looking for ways to be kind to everyone who’s path you cross. You can give people kind compliments, you can show patience to difficult people, or lend a listening ear. Putting the focus of your mind on how you can support and uplift people will help you rewire your brain into more optimistic thinking naturally. It starts with looking for an opportunity to do one act of kindness and eventually spirals into looking for opportunities all day long. It’s hard not to have a good day when you’ve mastered positive thinking.
4. Socialize with positive people
Cutting out toxic people will allow you to have a good day. When people suck the energy out of you or drain your mood, you’ll be more irritable towards others. When you become irritable to others, you spread negativity and so you end up even more negative than you originally started out. Those bad jobs with horrible bosses end up spiraling your life in a negative vortex. So, if you want to have a good day, surround yourself with positive people. Hang out with friendly people who believe in you, cheer you up, and make you feel good about yourself. And spread that positive energy around by being that person as well. You’ll attract more good people into your life.
5. Spend time in nature
Think about a time when you’ve spent most of your time locked in your house without leaving it. It was probably fun at first but with time you probably began to feel trapped. Like those long winters where we’re deprived of sunshine. Spending time in nature doesn’t need to be an event. Going for a twenty minute walk in your nearby forest or walkway can be a great way to get a boost of Vitamin D, move your body, and be amused by animals in the wild. Like have you ever watched a bird waddle around on its feet? It can be pretty entertaining to experience a mindful walk like that. There’s so much beauty in the world around you when you step outside the comfort of your couch to see it. You can have a good day just walking along a nearby path and witnessing the beauty of nature.
6. Be playful
To have a good day, try being playful with how you spend your day. Do you belt out the words to your favorite song when it pops up on your playlist? When was the last time you danced to the whirring of your coffee machine? When you were a kid, you played with lego building and imagining a whole new world. You performed dance routines and skits for your parents and family members. Life really can be that fun as an adult. Indulge in your youthfulness regardless of your age. Make those silly faces. Put on a live entertaining show starring yourself. You can still create fun in your life to have a good day no matter what.
7. Spend time with a friend or loved one
The older we get the more time we spend with our spouse and the less time we spend with our friends. Everyone’s lives get so busy with work, family responsibilities, and a fully-packed calendar of kid events. You can spend time planning to host a party where all your mutual friends or family members are invited so everyone can get together. Life is about spending time with the people you care about. Making time for the people you love most will enrich your life. Don’t keep failing to show up for people. If someone invites you out, make time for them if you value your relationship or friendship.
8. Consume positive content
A social media detox can help ensure you don’t get sucked down rabbit holes of toxicity or fluff content. However, you do have some control over the algorithm. If you search for positive content or educational content about things you enjoy, you’ll get more of that content online. Aside from social media, you can read books about philosophy, hobbies, or things that inspire you. You can read journals about science or how the brain works to improve your mindset or learn about how to become the best version of yourself. If your goal is to have a good day, watching positive movies, shows, and reading good books can help you experience that.
9. Spoil yourself
It’s 8 am and you’re an hour away from starting your work shift; what can you do to treat yourself before heading to the office? Maybe buy your favorite breakfast snack, dance in the kitchen for a mini-hype up session, cuddle your dog for 59 minutes, or something else that you deeply enjoy. Spoiling yourself doesn’t always have to involve money spent on something like manicures or video games or random Amazon packages. Spoiling yourself can be a way for you to indulge in an activity that sparks joy into your life. Treating yourself can involve doing something that makes you feel good about yourself. But hey buying yourself a day at the spa doesn’t hurt either? Well, maybe just your credit card.
10. Practice self care
You’ll find dozens of self care ideas you can try to have a good day. From a green tea bubble bath that emulates a day at the spa or taking an hour to have some quiet time to read a good book. Self care can even extend to taking care of yourself, such as stepping away from the screen, practicing mindful eating, or going for a run. It can also involve doing the things you love most so you nourish your soul like writing a life story, cooking your favorite recipe, or painting a scenic picture.
11. Reflect on happy moments
People have good days not only when they do something for themselves but when they reflect on all the happy moments in their life. What were some of the fun and exciting moments you’ve experienced? Reflect on what was special about that moment. Did you get outside of your comfort zone? Or did you do something you’re so passionate about and don’t do enough? The things that made us really happy in the past (note that I didn’t say people) are signs that it’s part of who we are and we need to do more of those activities. Find joy in the activities you’ve always loved doing, regardless of how old you were or how good you are. You don’t need to be an A-player to do something you enjoy. Just let go of judgment and relive the things that once made you happy.
12. Do something out of the ordinary
The difference between a good day and an average day is not knowing what to expect. For example, on an average day, you know you’ll wake up, eat, work for a few hours, take a lunch break, work for a few more hours, and so on. But on a good day, having something unexpected or eventful happen is what gets you out of bed early and excited to experience the day ahead. Being able to treat yourself in simple ways by doing something unexpected or different everyday is what will help you have a good day. What can you do today that’s different from usual but true to who you are as a person? Reflect on how to add these micro-moments into your daily life to experience the good day you deserve.
13. Challenge yourself
Have you ever climbed uphill and started huffing and puffing from the workout? Challenging yourself can be good for you too. It can be a ton of work and effort while doing it but in the end you’re bettering yourself. Taking the time out to learn new skills, try new things, and step outside of your comfort zone are all integral parts of becoming the best version of yourself. To have a good day, you’ll need to push yourself beyond your limits to do things to live a fulfilling life. The easy path isn’t as eventful as the one that tests you. So, amp up the challenge factor a bit to experience the goodness of life.
Conclusion
Doing some or all of these activities at some point or another will help you experience a good day. Reframing how you think, challenging yourself, meditating, and reflecting on what makes you happy can all be important when designing what a good day looks like for you. You don’t need to win the lottery, get promoted at work, or meet the love of your life to have a good day. You can find happiness and peace in the little moments of life, in your everyday routine. So, shift your perspective to find the beauty in the world that’s all around you. And realize, a good day is possible any day you want (and no matter how chaotic a bad day seems).
