How to Hit the Reset Button on a Bad Day (Without Waiting for a Fresh Start)

The Old Me Would’ve Called the Whole Day a Loss

There was a time when one bad moment could ruin my entire day.

• If I spilled coffee on my shirt at 8 a.m.? Welp, today’s a disaster.

• If my kid had a full-blown meltdown because he had to put his shoes on? Guess I should cancel all my plans and prepare for emotional combat.

• If I snapped at someone because my brain was already overloaded? Might as well write the whole day off and try again tomorrow.

I lived in this all-or-nothing mindset—where a bad start meant nothing could be salvaged. I thought I needed a ‘fresh start’ to reset.

Then I realized: I don’t need to wait for tomorrow. I can reset right now.

If today is feeling off—whether it’s chaotic, exhausting, or just one of those weird days where nothing feels right—you can course-correct in the moment.

Here’s how…

Step 1: Change the Channel in Your Brain

Ever started watching a TV show, realized you hate it, but kept watching anyway?

That’s how our brains work when we get stuck in a stress spiral, bad mood, or overwhelming day. We just sit there, passively absorbing the negativity.

For me, that show was Grey’s Anatomy. Listen—I loved early Grey’s. I watched it religiously with my besties. But now? It’s on, what, season 37? I’m out. I’ve tapped out. And yet… I still feel some weird obligation to keep going because I spent over a decade with those characters.

But just because we’ve been stuck in something for a while doesn’t mean we have to stay there.

A bad morning doesn’t mean the whole day is ruined. You just need to change the channel.

Quick Reset Actions:

✔ Step outside for 5 minutes. (Fresh air = instant perspective shift.)
✔ Play a song that always puts you in a good mood. (Yes, even if it’s embarrassing.)
✔ Drink a glass of water & move your body. (Because dehydration + stress = disaster.)
✔ Say out loud, “This moment doesn’t define my whole day.” (Cheesy? Maybe. Effective? Yes.)

Your brain wants to stay in the spiral. You have to interrupt it.

Step 2: Do One Thing That Brings You Back to Center

When a day feels off, we think we need a major life overhaul to fix it. But really you just need one small action to reconnect to yourself.

Find Your Reset Button:

When a day feels off, we think we need a major life overhaul to fix it. But really? You just need one small action to reconnect to yourself.

My Reset Buttons:

• 👵🏼 Standing at my kitchen sink and reading my Granny’s old sign: “For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness.” (I swear, she was ahead of her time with this one.)

• 🧶 Crocheting granny squares for a blanket. (There’s something about the rhythm of it that slows my brain down—stitch by stitch, row by row, I can breathe again.)

  🌱 Getting my hands in the dirt in my yard. (Pulling weeds, planting flowers, or just standing there staring at my plants like they’re about to give me life advice.)

• 🐶 Petting my dog and pretending she understands my current state of mind.

• ✏️ Rearranging my planner. (Because sometimes, just a moment of clarity feels like a huge reset.)

If you don’t know what works for you, pay attention to what makes you exhale deeply. That’s your signal.

Step 3: Stop Treating Every Decision Like It’s Permanent

I used to view everything through a perfectionist lens. If it wasn’t working, I had to fix it. Friendships. Career moves. Life goals.

But one of the best pieces of advice I ever got came from a mentor of mine—one of the best executive coaches I’ve ever met. She stressed to me that:

“Everything has a season.”

The things that feel huge today? They won’t feel like that forever.
The decisions we make right now? Not final.
The mess happening in this moment? Won’t last.

You don’t need a whole new plan. You don’t need a new week, a new month, or a new year.

Quick Mindset Shift:

💡 Instead of: “Ugh, today’s a mess. I’ll try again tomorrow.”
✅ Say: “Or… I could just start fresh now like a normal human.”

Because you can.

Your Reset Button Is Always There

You don’t need a Monday, a new month, or the perfect conditions to reset. You can do it anytime.

So the next time your day feels like a mess, pause. Change the channel. Do something that grounds you. And remind yourself:

• 🛑 This moment isn’t the whole day. It’s just… a moment. You get to decide what comes next.

• 🔥 Go take a deep breath. Hit reset. And maybe change your coffee-stained shirt.

Break first. Bloom later. Reset often.

🌿 Kris