Psychology Says If You Can Master These 12 Skills, Your Life Will Go From Bad To Good
It's never too late to make a bad day into a good one.
Michael Burrows | Canva Just because your day started poorly doesn’t mean you can’t do something simple to turn the day around. Don’t fall under the idea that you need to stuff your day with a hundred things for it to be a great day. If you did one worthwhile thing, had fun, or simply were grateful, it will have been worth it.
We’re all human and have phases where things can feel a little flat. I’ve noticed it’s very easy to fall into these periods when we move through life unconsciously. We forget to take a step back for a moment to see things as they are.
If you can master these twelve skills, your life will go from bad to good:
1. Learn something you always wanted to know more about
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Pick something you’ve always wanted to know more about but never had time for. Spend an hour or three going deep on the topic.
The Sahara desert. The Napoleonic wars. Poached eggs. Aristotle.
There’s a lot you can learn in even an hour of focus. This will turn your day around because you’re actively gaining knowledge, which is an asset.
Research published in 2023 in the Journal of Education Inquiry shows that learning a topic in-depth often referred to as deep learning, offers significant benefits, including improved information retention, enhanced problem-solving abilities, more extraordinary critical thinking skills, better application of knowledge to new situations, increased motivation, and the ability to transfer learning to different contexts, making it a more valuable and enduring form of learning compared to surface-level knowledge acquisition.
2. Message five to ten people
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This could be for growing your business and reaching out to new prospects. But it could also be to take your attention off yourself for a change and make others feel better.
Research published in 2022 by Frontiers in Psychiatry suggests that messaging people, mainly through text messaging, can have several positive benefits, including strengthening relationships, improving communication, boosting mood, facilitating social support, enhancing mental health outcomes, promoting positive behaviors, and providing a convenient way to stay connected, especially for individuals who might face social barriers. However, the effectiveness depends on the context and how messaging is used.
3. Create expressive art
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Humans were designed to create. You’re miserable because you've spent all day consuming or doom-scrolling. Create something without concern for the consequences.
An oil painting. Some baked-dough figurines. Write in a journal. Now you’re alive again.
Creating art can provide a range of mental health benefits, including stress reduction, improved mood, increased self-esteem, better cognitive function, and a potential aid in processing emotions, particularly when used as a form of self-expression. 2019 research showed that even short periods of art-making can significantly lower cortisol levels and boost dopamine in the brain.
4. Go to the gym and get sweaty
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Get sweaty. Release some toxins while boosting feel-good chemicals. You can’t help but experience a raised mood quickly.
Lifting weights, also known as resistance training, can significantly improve mental health by reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, boosting self-esteem, managing stress, and enhancing cognitive function, particularly in older adults, through the release of endorphins, the body's natural mood elevators. A 2023 study published by the Journal of Mental Health and Physical Activity found that providing a positive impact on overall well-being.
5. Act as if you're having a great day
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Spend the rest of your day as though the first part had been the best of your life. How would you behave if you were on a high? Well, guess what? You will be high when you choose to act like it.
6. Write something
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Write about something that worries you. Be open and real. Get emotional. Share it, but have no expectations about how the article does. Just enjoy this process.
Writing, particularly expressive writing where individuals write about personal experiences and emotions, can significantly improve mental health by helping people process complex thoughts and feelings, reduce stress, decrease anxiety, alleviate depressive symptoms, and enhance self-awareness, potentially leading to improved overall well-being. This is supported by a case study published by the University of York in collaboration with a women’s charity that uses writing to enhance emotional health and build resilience.
7. Take a sauna
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Ideally, combine this with cold water immersion, like a cold shower or ice bath. This is a kind of shock therapy that studies show improves mood but also other things like immunity.
A 2023 study published by PLoS One found that sauna use has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and promote transient growth hormone release. This effect varies with time, temperature, and frequency of exposure.
8. Do hill sprints
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These are hard, and that’s why I included them here. High-intensity exercise like this (or running up and down stairs) will rarely excite you initially. But once you’re done, you will feel monumental.
Running hill sprints can significantly benefit mental health by boosting confidence, mental toughness, and resilience, primarily due to the challenging nature of the exercise, which pushes individuals beyond their comfort zone, requiring them to overcome physical and mental obstacles to complete the workout. According to a Frontiers in Sports and Active Living study, this can lead to a sense of accomplishment and improved self-efficacy.
9. Laugh hysterically, even if it's fake
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You can start by fake laughing. The laughter will raise your frequency even if you aren’t initially ‘happy.’ Laughter will boost your mood.
10. Go on a hike or walk in the woods
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Touch leaves. Be in nature. Make like a naturalist, document the flora and fauna, and go into this with an empty mind and see what shows up.
A Stanford-led study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science showed that hiking can significantly improve mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, primarily due to physical exercise, exposure to nature, and the calming effects of being outdoors. Spending time in natural settings can decrease activity in brain regions associated with negative thoughts, leading to a more positive mood and improved overall well-being.
11. Plan your year
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Go big and go exciting. Brainstorm ideas on what you’d love to do, even if you had no fear. Making new commitments to bold things is enlivening.
Planning out your year can significantly benefit mental health by reducing stress and anxiety, promoting a sense of control, and making significant goals more manageable by breaking them down into actionable steps, ultimately leading to increased feelings of accomplishment and well-being. A 2022 study found that planning provides a structured framework to navigate life's complexities, alleviating the overwhelming uncertainty.
12. Read for fun
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Many people read in the context of: ‘they should read.’ They make it a high-pressure activity and the fun is drained. Instead, approach a solid hour of reading as something to enjoy, and you will be lifted.
Research published by the University of Cambridge indicates that reading for pleasure can significantly benefit mental health by reducing stress, improving mood, enhancing empathy, promoting relaxation, and even boosting cognitive function, particularly when started early in childhood. Studies show that regular readers have better mental well-being than non-readers, with some research suggesting that even short periods of reading can noticeably decrease stress levels.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient.