The most up-to-date statistics show that on average, an American has 4 bad days a month. These add up to 48 days per year that are dedicated to bad moods and unfortunate events. 

However, this seems to be an improvement since 2018, when respondents reported having about 60 bad days a year.

Interestingly, the 2024 Avocado Green Mattress and Talker Research survey has found that Americans can pinpoint the exact time when it’s going to be a tough day. At precisely 8:36 a.m., they can already tell that their day won’t go as planned. 

A quarter of the time, people feel like there’s no way to turn the downright smile upside down. 48% of respondents even admitted to canceling plans or calling out of work to go back to sleep after waking up and sensing a bad day.

The most common causes of a tough day were getting up and feeling sick (35%), followed by poor sleep (31%), and waking up with a headache (29%). Misplacing the keys (26%) and leaving the phone at home (25%) were other top contenders. 

Additional reasons for things going south included running out of toilet paper, forgetting the wallet at home, sleeping through the alarm, and forgetting to charge the phone the night before.

The survey further revealed that unfortunate events were most likely to strike at the start of the week. 60% of respondents said that Mondays had the highest chance of going into a downright spiral. Work schedules and the back-to-school season were some of the most common contributing factors. 

To prevent bad days from occurring, respondents try to find time for themselves each day to relax (41%), make time for things they enjoy (37%), and ensure they are well-rested (35%). In fact, 71% of respondents said that sleep can make or break their day, and having enough of it can help to deal with things that may go wrong during it.

But even if a bad day is unpreventable, there are ways to turn it around. Ruth Steggles, an expert in positive psychology, suggests stopping and noticing what’s going on around you. “Identifying what is actually upsetting you then allows you to address the root cause. If it is something you can't change, look for some small thing you can change.”

Similarly, positive psychology play consultant Jeff Harry advises to sit with the feeling and let yourself fully experience the bad moment. "If you allow yourself to fully feel the bad moment, then you can let it go. If you don't allow yourself to feel it, you suppress it, meaning you hold on to it, and then you have more bad moments and suppress those until you have so many you are holding back, which results in not only a bad day, but many bad thoughts about yourself, which can affect your week, year, or your entire life."

Steggles also recommends having a list of things that a person enjoys doing so they can go back to it when going through a rough patch. Like reading a book, taking a bath, dancing around in the kitchen, or going for a walk. “It is helpful to know your feel-good tool kit,” she says. 

Putting on some tunes may be the most simple remedy to a bad day. Listening to favorite songs can help a person to wind down and take their mind off of things for a while. “A music playlist that gradually moves from uncomfortable emotions to comfortable ones can be a healthy coping strategy and facilitate a positive mood change,” says board-certified music therapist Megan Hoffer. 

When things go south, it might feel instinctive to get away from people. However, research suggests doing the opposite and reaching out to others, especially those who are happy and supportive of us. A friendly conversation, even a short one, can change our mood, lower blood pressure, and make us feel good. 

Those who want to help out someone whose day isn’t going as anticipated should acknowledge their feelings but avoid reinforcing them or leaving them be, says Steggles. Therefore, she suggests telling them, "I am sorry you are feeling that way. What will you do to cheer yourself up?" or “I am sorry you feel that way? Is there anything we can do together to help you feel differently?"

“I recommend that you say "you feel" because it isn't the day that is bad, but their perception of their experience makes it so. I also always try to empower the other person to be responsible for changing things. Taking over and doing things for them may diminish them and make them feel worse,” Steggles explains.