Why Do We Have So Many Bad Days? Here’s the Truth…

Ever have one of those mornings where nothing seems to go right? By 8:36 a.m., you already know it’s going to be a rough one. If you’re nodding your head, you’re not alone—research says the average person has about four bad days every month. That adds up to a whopping 48 bad days a year!

So, what’s going on? Why do we struggle so much to turn things around once a day starts on the wrong foot?

The Struggle is Real: Why Mornings Can Make or Break Our Day

A survey of 2,000 people revealed that bad days usually kick off early in the morning, and for some, there's just no turning back. 26% of respondents admitted that when their morning starts badly, the rest of the day is doomed.

But what exactly makes a day bad? Topping the list are waking up feeling sick, sleeping poorly, or waking up with a headache. Misplacing your keys or forgetting your phone at home also ranks high as surefire ways to guarantee a rough start.

But the real kicker? Nearly half of those surveyed (48%) have woken up feeling like they’re in for a bad day and decided to cancel plans or even call in sick to work just to crawl back into bed.

Mondays, We See You…

Unsurprisingly, Mondays take the crown for the most likely day to go south, with 36% of respondents admitting that they are more prone to bad days at the start of the week. Gen Z, in particular, is most likely to feel the Monday blues, likely thanks to school schedules and the overall dread of kicking off another workweek.

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The Top 20 Causes of a “Bad Day”

1. Waking up and feeling sick — 35%
2. Sleeping poorly throughout the night — 31%
3. Waking up with a headache — 29%
4. Losing keys — 26%
5. Forgetting phone at home — 25%
6. Running out of toilet paper — 22%
7. Forgetting wallet at home — 22%
8. Sleeping through alarm — 19%
9. Oversleeping — 18%
10. Forgetting to plug in phone overnight — 18%
11. Stubbing toe — 17%
12. Waking up on the “wrong side of the bed” — 17%
13. Forgetting to set alarm — 17%
14. Waking up to find the Wi-Fi is down — 16%
15. Credit card getting declined — 16%
16. Partner in a bad mood — 15%
17. Running out of coffee — 15%
18. Spilling coffee in the morning — 14%
19. Waking up to a mess from a pet — 14%
20. Running into traffic — 14%

Is There Any Hope for Turning Around a Bad Day?

So, what’s the fix for these bad days? While there’s no magical solution, sometimes it’s about making the conscious choice to reset. Whether that means taking a deep breath, treating yourself to something you love, or even hitting the snooze button on life for a few extra minutes of peace—finding a small win can be the key to turning things around.

Next time you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, remember: you’re not alone. And maybe, just maybe, your bad day isn’t written in stone after all.