10 ways your good days can make your bad days easier

When you have frequent bad days that make life harder to manage, it can feel like there is a lot of pressure to make your good days count. In the past I’ve been guilty of overdoing it on the good days and making the bad days even harder for myself. These days I try to keep a closer eye on my wellbeing and take a more balanced approach.

This post is all about taking some of the energy on your good days, to make up for the deficit you might feel on the bad ones. Ultimately, this makes your low energy days days easier to handle. I like to think of it as a kind of long form self care; an investment into your wellbeing.

With the help of some research and my own personal experience, I’ve put together a list of 10 practical things you can do on the good days, that will make the bad days easier to manage. Let’s get started.

Move your body

You probably know that exercise has amazing health benefits and that it can boost your mood. If you live with a condition that causes your energy to fluctuate, you’ll also know just how hard it is to incorporate regular exercise into your routine. It’s tough to get started but your good days are an opportunity to move your body.

Try adding some gentle exercise into your routine and make the most of this chance to get moving. The mental health foundation says that even a short burst of 10 minutes exercise increases mental alertness, energy and positive mood. Seems like a great way to start a good day!

Organise your medication

Make the most of your good day by taking the opportunity to organise your medication and assess your medical needs in general. Do you need to order new meds? Is it time for a doctor’s appointment? Do you have everything you need to effectively manage your health and wellbeing?

If you have pressing phone calls to make or forms to fill out that you don’t feel able to handle, today might be a good day to call in a friend for help. You don’t have to be able to manage absolutely everything yourself, that’s not what this is about. Be careful not to push yourself into doing something that might derail the day altogether.

Pre-prepare food

If you are someone who enjoys cooking but struggles to do it at times, this is your chance to get ahead of the game! There are so many ways you can prepare food for future you. Consider what you want to eat over the next few days. Could any of the ingredients be prepared today?

Got a freezer and some Tupperware containers? You could actually batch cook some meals that can be reheated later. Simple tomato sauce based veggie mince can easily be adapted later to make a delicious spaghetti Bolognese or chilli con carne. And with pretty minimal effort. Try to anticipate what foods you might crave on the days you’re feeling low.

Scan your to-do list

While I think it’s important that you don’t overdo it, I also think this could be a good time to check in with your to-do list. Even if you don’t have a physical paper list, you might be aware of deadlines that are looming or life admin that needs conquering. Is there anything on your to-do list that you think you could take care of today? Get it done.

Being able to put a daunting task or two behind you will help lessen the guilty you feel on your bad days. What a relief!

Drink plenty of water

This is something I’ve always struggled with, so please try not to feel bad if you do too. However difficult it is for you to manage, it’s important that you try to get the water you need each day. How much water we need varies from person to person, but experts say we should try to drink around 2 litres per day.

You can count squash that is diluted with water in your daily amount. If you’re struggling to take in enough liquids, I recommend you try this Mango Water Bottle with straw (affiliate link). It’s got handy time intervals printed on the side so you can check your progress and see if you’re on track for the day. I have a similar one and it’s helped me so much.

Get outside

If you feel able to spend a moment outside of your home, I’d encourage you to do so. Fresh air, sunshine and a change of scenery can be really good in helping you feel more hopeful. This is something I struggle with a lot, so I push myself to do what I can on the good days. If you’re scared of venturing out alone, ask a trusted person to go with you and keep you company.

Check in with your friends

If your prone to withdrawing from people during the tough times, now is a good time to contact your loved ones and see how they are doing. It can be scary to get in touch after long periods of silence, but they’ll be thrilled and relieved to hear from you. You never know, they might also have good news to share and celebrate, which could further improve your own mood!

You might not realise this, but if your friend has also been having a difficult time, hearing from you could be the boost they need to pick themselves up today. A simple “thinking of you” text can go a long way to cheering someone up. If you don’t feel like chatting, consider sending them an email or even sending a handwritten note through the post!

Put together a “bad day” box

Having a little kit to hand for your bad days, could help you be more easily comfortable and comforted when you need it the most. A little rucksack or shoebox stashed away that contains some clean socks, PJs, distraction techniques and some sweets or a chocolate bar.

Do something you love

While it’s good to invest in your future self, you don’t want to spend your whole day worrying about the next bad time that could be around the corner. It’s important that you do something you enjoy today too and make the most of this peace. Our passions and hobbies can easily fall by the way side on the bad days, so it’s important you don’t let them be completely forgotten.

Try doing something creative or immersive that helps you keep all your worries at bay for as long as possible. Anything that brings you some happiness and satisfaction counts.

Rest and relax

As I said earlier in the post, it is important that you don’t overdo it today. However long your to-do list might seem, conserving a little of your energy, will help keep you on a level and keep burnout at bay. The last thing you want is to end your good day having done too much and knowing that tomorrow is going to be even harder because of it!

We want these good days to continue. Let’s try to balance making the most of them with taking some time out for some well deserved R&R. Low on energy? The amazing people in MH Twitter helped me put together this list of 20+ low energy self care ideas that you should read now.

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