Four Tasks That Seem Impossible On Tough Days (And How To Tackle Them)

Bad days happen sometimes. Maybe you spilled coffee on your laptop or you cracked your phone on the way into the office. It’s frustrating when these kinds of things happen, and it can be difficult to get back on track once your day veers off course.

While no one likes to be inconvenienced or wake up in a bad mood, it’s helpful to know how to tackle difficult tasks at work when you’re having a rough day. Writer Alyse Kalish has put together a list of four tasks that may seem especially challenging on bad days. Keep reading this issue of Promotional Consultant Today for Kalish’s suggestions on how to either handle or postpone these tasks.

1. Take an important call. When your day isn’t going as planned, you probably don’t want to sit down for a phone call or Zoom call, whether it’s with a sales rep or a client.

• If you can put it off … explain that you need to reschedule. Kalish says if you can have the conversation sometime later in the week, tell the other person you need to move the time if at all possible. Don’t cancel the call, but just say you can’t do it at the original time.
• If you have to get through it … work in plenty of time to review your notes and key discussion points. Try to keep the conversation short and sweet, Kalish adds.

2. Have a difficult conversation. When you are already in a bad mood, having a tough conversation becomes even more difficult.

• If you can put it off … try saying something like, “I know we have time on the calendar to discuss [topic] today, but I’m not sure I’m in the best headspace. Are you okay pushing our conversation to [suggested new time]?”
• If you have to get through it … take a deep breath and plan out the conversation. Think through what the other person might say and be prepared with your responses. Even if you’re feeling a little cranky, you’re better off having some conversations on schedule, says Kalish, as delaying them could hurt you or the other person in the long run.

3. Respond to a prickly email. Maybe you received a particularly pointed email from a customer, or your boss sends a curt response that hits a nerve. If you’re having a bad day, you need to decide how to handle emails that particularly annoy you.

• If you can put it off … give yourself a day or even a few hours to cool off. When you’re angry and fire off a reply, you just might say something you’ll regret.
• If you have to get through it … type out a first draft and come back to it, recommends Kalish. You can also have a colleague look it over and be sure it doesn’t sound too bitter or harsh.

4. Decide something. Whether you are finalizing a budget or choosing an initiative, it’s difficult to make important choices when you’re not fully focused.

• If you can put it off … extend the deadline so you make the best decision for everyone involved. Just be sure to let the other parties know when they can expect to hear from you, says Kalish.
• If you have to get through it … check in with a third party for outside perspective. Be sure to think through your options instead of making a snap decision, notes Kalish.

Hopefully, your bad days are few and far between. The next time you’re feeling a little off, consider if you can delay specific tasks. If they’re urgent, use the ideas above to take the best next step.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Alyse Kalish is a former editor for The Muse. Her work has appeared in Fast Company, Forbes, Inc., CNBC’s Make It, USA Today College, Lifehacker, Mashable and others.