3 Ways to Deal With a Bad Day at Work

We’ve all had them. A rough day at work. Perhaps you screwed up that presentation to your team, or your boss gave you a less than stellar review, or maybe you simply overlooked that important lunch meeting with a new client.

And now we have to get up the next day and get after it again, setting aside the frustrations and disappointments.

The question is: how do we move forward after a bad day at work?

Change your mindset. A critical first step is to change how we think about what happened. Instead of dwelling on the failure or the criticism, we need to reframe the situation, consider it a learning experience, and move on from it. That bothersome review provides information we need to improve our performance, while the presentation and overlooked lunch meeting might tell us something about our preparation. As we work to change our mindset we’ll discover that our feelings about the situation change, too, and we’ll see it more clearly with an attitude that enables us to move forward.

Take a walk. Yes, seriously. Get outside and experience the outdoors. It will relax you, help you with the first step (changing your mindset), while putting things in perspective as you feel a gentle breeze, listen to the birds sing around you, and watch the squirrels play hide and seek.

Listen to a motivating podcast. There are so many great podcasts out there that can help inspire and challenge you to be your best self, both at home and on the job, and help you bounce back from the frustrations of a difficult day. Bring your headphones with you as you head out on that walk around the neighborhood and by the time you return home (or to the office) you’ll feel energized and ready to put the disappointments behind you and move forward. If podcasts aren’t your thing, then put on your favorite music to move to.

A frustrating or difficult day doesn’t have to lead to a bad week. Develop some strategies for dealing with the disappointments as they come and your career will be more resilient.

How to Handle Rejection

“Thank you for your interest in the VIP position at ABC corporation. I want to thank you for applying for the position and let you know that we are moving forward with another candidate. Other positions open regularly and we invite you to keep an eye open for future job postings.”

You might have received a similar message by email or over the phone sometime and even if the position didn’t seem right to you or you had concluded that you weren’t a good fit, it can hurt to experience rejection.

So, how best to manage the disappointment that comes from rejection and move forward?

First of all, accept how you feel. It’s perfectly normal to feel down or disappointed by the rejection. If you’ve received multiple messages like this you might be feeling very discouraged and wonder if you’ll ever find the right job. Allow yourself to experience these emotions, acknowledge that it’s okay and normal to feel them but decide on a time (say 48 hours) for you to move on.

Then reevaluate your strategy. Perhaps you need to be more targeted in your job search, or maybe you can gain more support and leads from your network. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback, both from those close to you and from a prospective employer that you interviewed with. Take some time to gather feedback, revise your job search strategy, and refocus your energy.

Reenergize by gaining a new perspective. Look at each rejection as an opportunity to learn something new about your field, to develop strength and grit, and to work on taking a more positive and optimistic approach to your career. Every door that shuts makes possible another door to open, leading to a position that will best utilize your strengths and skills. Or perhaps it’s even time to consider taking the path of an entrepreneur. 

Finally, continue to apply for jobs, experience rejection, and get back up. You’ll learn a lot about yourself, other companies, and gain valuable experience and knowledge about your industry by interviewing for many positions.

The resilience you develop will eventually lead to the right position in the best company for you.