We all know how it feels to have a bad day. In fact, one survey found that most Americans would consider about 60 days out of the year to be “bad ones,” CBS News reports. It’s pretty unfortunate to hear that one sixth of the year is made up of terrible days, but one of the easiest ways to fix this would be to find a job that you love.

Apparently, about fourth fifths of those polled admitted that work-related stress was a significant factor in many of their bad days. But two thirds also noted that not getting enough sleep always sets them up for a bad day. Other factors that might turn a good day upside down are feeling sick, worrying about money, having plans cancelled or watching your favorite sports team lose.

If you realize things just aren’t going your way one day, it can be tempting to throw the whole day away and start fresh tomorrow. Some days are past the point of redemption! But if you haven’t completely given up yet, it might still be possible to turn the day, or at the very least the evening, around. 

If you want to stop the entire day from being cursed, HuffPost recommends first just taking a breath and calming down for a moment. It’s easy to become stressed or overwhelmed when things aren’t going according to plan. But if you take a moment to relax and think about your situation, you might be able to approach the rest of the day with a more level head.

Next, HuffPost suggests taking stock of your situation. Sure, some things might not have worked out today. But could it have been worse? If you still have your health, your loved ones around and/or something to look forward to later on in the week, all hope is not lost! 

It also helps to be realistic. If you’re not actually experiencing the worst case scenario, you still have something to be thankful for. Some of the best advice I ever read when I was in a “Why me?” mood while mourning a tragedy was: Why not you? Bad things happen every single day, and unfortunately, none of us are immune to them. No, they aren’t fun to experience, but they are inevitable. 

When you’re having a terrible day, your first impulse might be to find someone or something to blame. But sometimes, it’s best not to point the finger. Many things in life are completely out of our control, and we have no way of knowing what would have happened if things had just gone our way. Something else could have gone wrong, perhaps something worse! Try not to be angry or bitter, and accept that the day was simply out of your control. 

When it comes to not blaming anyone for your bad luck, that includes letting yourself off the hook. Even if you made a mistake that got you here, you’re human. We’re all fallible! Be kind to yourself and have compassion. Perhaps you weren’t feeling well, which caused you to be off your game. Or maybe your mind was elsewhere when working because of issues going on in your personal life. We’re all complex creatures who can’t be expected to be 100% our best all the time. 

Now, once you’ve accepted that a day simply wasn’t for you, it’s time to do something that will turn your frown upside down. Go for a walk and get some fresh air to clear your head, call up a family member to chat with to take your mind off of things, stop by your favorite bakery and grab a pastry, or spend the evening watching a feel-good film. Anything that will get you smiling or feeling grateful again is a great move!

You might also want to try something completely new with your bad day. Have you ever meditated? Have you ever baked bread from scratch? Even if things flop, you’ve got nothing to lose today! It might be the perfect time to branch out and try something you’ve never done before. You might even surprise yourself and really enjoy it!

Finally, HuffPost recommends looking forward when you’re experiencing terrible luck one day. Usually, it’s important to try to be present, but if the only thing that can get you through a bad day is the fact that you’re looking forward to tomorrow, or even next weekend, it’s worth it. Think about how great it will be to celebrate your upcoming birthday or to see your parents when they come to visit. If this day is a lost cause, don’t worry. The next one won’t be!

We hope you’re enjoying these photos of comically bad luck that people have experienced, pandas. Keep upvoting the pics you find particularly sad, and let us know in the comments below how you like to turn a bad day around. Then, if you’re looking for another Bored Panda piece featuring similar pics, you can find even more right here!