How to Bounce Back After a Streak of Bad Luck

Things seldom ever go according to plan. Such is life.

But sometimes you can't help but feel as though you've been cursed with perpetual bad luck after a string of misfortunes. We've been there more times than we can count.

It's not easy to get through, especially when it feels like it'll never stop, but there are a handful of things we do to bounce back after all our streaks of bad luck. See what they are below!

Accept What's Happening

Accept it, embrace it, relish in it. Though the situation sucks and you'd rather not deal with it, it's best to just welcome what you're going through with open arms. We know it's the last thing you want to do, but we've found that every time we acknowledge what we're dealing with, it seems to be less of an issue. We start to realize that these sorts of things are bound to happen and it's not a bad life, just a bad day. So the next time you feel yourself getting all worked up over the smallest thing not going your way, accept that it didn't and move on.

 

Shift Your Focus Elsewhere

It's so easy to get wrapped up in what's going wrong, that you seldom ever focus on the things that are going right. When that one thing you desperately want to work out doesn't, you can't help but feel as though life's out to get you. Trust us, it's not. Life just has a funny way of leading you to better opportunities, even if you don't believe it in the moment.

For everything in your life that's going wrong, there's at least one thing going right. The next bad day, week, month or year you have, try to shift your focus to the brighter side. Think about all that went right, even if it wasn't exactly what you were anticipating. Chances are you'll find something to appreciate.

(Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt via Netflix)

 

Keep a Positive Mindset

Going off of the above point, it's important to keep a positive mindset when life keeps throwing you lemons. Rather than trying to throw them back and demanding something better, learn to make lemonade out of the citrus. We don't expect this to take effect overnight, and neither should you. It'll take a little bit of time to a) become more optimistic in your way of thinking and b) to maintain that level of positivity. There will be times when you can't help but focus on the negative, and that's okay, just don't be too hard on yourself during those times you can't be all sunshine and rainbows. Nobody's perfect, but you'll learn to work it again and again till you get it right. P.S. Please tell us you caught that stellar Hannah Montana reference.

 

Think About the Lesson

As annoying as they are to deal with, sometimes bad days are trying to teach us a valuable life lesson. Again, rather than focusing on the negative, think about what your string of bad luck could be trying to teach you. Is adding an extra class to your course load really the best thing for you right now? Are all your relationship quarrels a sign that maybe it's time to call it quits? When you can take yourself out of the mindset of "why is this happening to me" and instead focus on "what am I learning from this," you'll find it easier to handle all the roadblocks that are stopping you from getting you to where you think you need to be. Because sometimes those barricades are there to put you on a much better path.

(Riverdale via The CW)

 

Take Time to Relax

We don't know about you, but we always find ourselves getting more and more stressed as our bad luck continues. We get so tense that even the smallest, most minor inconvenience will throw us over the edge. That's when we realize it's time to chill, step back and relax. If this happens to you, too, take some time every day to be alone and center yourself. Focus on your breathing, because we know you're not doing that if you're stressed out to the extreme—or even try to meditate. Do whatever you have to do to feel as calm and collected as you can be during those frustrating moments in your life.

 

Ask for Help

Don't be afraid to ask for help. When the going gets tough, the tough turned to their loved ones to aid them through this difficult time. You might be too proud to do this, but know it's in your best interest to tell your BFF or your closest relative what's got you down. While they're not a magician and can't magically fix everything, they'll be there for you to make sure you have a shoulder to cry on and someone to turn to when you're tired of fighting.

(Degrassi: Next Class via Netflix)

 

Treat Yourself

If none of the above do anything for you, don't sweat it. There's one thing we always do that works for us, and that's treating ourselves. While we can't always control what happens to us, we can control the gifts we give ourself. We also want to make it clear that you should treat yourself within reason. Don't throw away all of your allowance on a new pair of shoes. Just buy yourself some ice cream or treat yourself to Taco Bell a few days in a row. Or even give yourself an at-home spa experience. Whatever will make you happy, do it. You deserve it!

 

Now that you've bounced back, HERE's how to not beat yourself up when you make a mistake.