Your alarm clock did not go off. You spill coffee on your white shirt. And just as walk outside the door, it starts to rain. When you finally arrive at work (totally soaked), you discover that you have forgotten your cell phone at home, there are 143 new emails waiting for you and your boss says he is not very happy with you and wants to speak with you now…
The statistics
Everyone has them sometimes, a bad day at work. Those days that are so frustrating and stressful that we want to forget them as quickly as possible. But sometimes this doesn’t work and we take that bad vibe back home. If this happens occasionally, it is of course not a problem. We know that there is no such thing as the perfect job where everything goes smoothly and that al bad day at work every now and then is part of it. But what if you have these annoying days too often? A global survey conducted by consultancy firm Woohoo Inc in 2018 shows that 63% of employees have a bad day at work once a week and that more than 20% experience a bad day at work every day.
Does this sound familiar to you? If we have such bad days at work too regularly, it can have a negative effect on our well-being in the long term. For example, we can worry too much and become insecure, have trouble relaxing or get stimulated quickly and are not nice to our loved ones at home.
What can you do about it?
When you have a hard time at work it is always good to think about why you do this work in the first place. In addition, make sure that you do not identify yourself with your job too much, you are more than just your job! In the heat-of-the-moment, however, it can sometimes be difficult. Therefore we give you 5 tips about how to let go when you have experienced a bad day at work:
- Consciously close that door behind you when you leave the office. Remember that your day at work is over. Turn off the notifications on your phone and decide not to open your laptop for the evening.
- Take the time to travel home after work. This time helps you make the transition from your working life to your private life. In doing so, consciously ask yourself how you want to come home. If you travel by car, drive a little slower than usual. And if possible, go by bike!
- Once at home, switch to that new situation by, for example, changing your work outfit to something more comfortable or by putting on some nice music.
- Reflect on your day. Ask yourself “What went well today” and “What did I achieve”? These questions help you to reflect more on the successes and not just to look at what went wrong.
- Do a relaxing activity that helps you get into the here and now. You can think of meditation or exercise. But it can also be as simple as taking a shower, trying out a new recipe or reading a book.
NiceDay app
Are there things in daily life that you would like to change but you don’t know how? Do you have issues at work? Are there issues you can’t solve yourself? Download the NiceDay app! We offer 1 on 1 coaching. You do not have to do it alone: professionals are there for that extra support.
