3 Easy Steps to Fix a Bad Day

All of us have bad days. Whether we’ve been overwhelmed at work, had a frustrating conversation with our significant other, had to deal with a problem at our child’s school, or some other source of stress, each of us has gotten to the point where all we want to do is veg out in front of the TV all evening with snacks or a bottle of wine. Or maybe our evening would include both.

But does it always have to be that way? What if there were a simple, inexpensive, and easy—very easy—way to do a total reversal on feeling bad?

The good news is that you can turn around your whole day in just three easy steps. We’ve outlined our steps to fix a bad day for you below.

Step #1: Go out and buy a small potted plant. Find yourself a greenhouse or another store that sells small potted plants and purchase either a flower, a houseplant, or even an herb. If it comes in a disposable pot, find a modest one that can stick around for a while and ask the staff to pot it for you. Favor a plant that’s pretty easy to take care of.

Step #2: Drive yourself and the plant to a friend’s house. Once you’ve purchased your plant, travel to a nearby friend’s house. Choose someone who, along with being close to you geographically, is close to you emotionally as well.

Step #3: Give your friend the plant. Yes. Just ring their doorbell, and when they arrive at the door simply give them the plant.

This might seem like a random and even kooky way to spend your evening. But the randomness is at the heart of this gesture’s power. When you and your friend are both surprised to be standing there looking at each other over a plant, you’ll be very unlikely to be thinking about whatever it was that compelled you to practice first aid on your day in the first place. And, best of all, you’ll probably have a laugh over the number of times your friend says something like, “You totally just gave me a plant for no reason at all!”

Except, you will have had a reason. The best time to connect with someone we care about is…always. But it’s especially important to do so when we feel like we’re not having the best of days. By randomly giving someone a plant, you’ll jolt yourself out of your funk and give them something completely appealing to think about as they go through the remainder of their day as well.

A bad day has absolutely no power over you if you don’t let it. Make the assumption that the struggles you’re experiencing are being felt by someone else, and by connecting yourself to them in this floral or herbal way, you’ll turn what started out as a bad day into one you’ll both remember for some time to come.