3 Ways to Win the Day After a Hard Day
We all have them.
I just had one—that kind of hard day where the work you did didn’t energize you… it drained you.
You feel the exhausted triad: physical, mental, and spiritual.
Whether it’s your day job or something you’re doing just to make ends meet, you’re depleted—and in desperate need of a reset.
Because if you don’t reset… you bring that drudgery home.
And the people you walk into?
They don’t deserve the irritated, impatient version of you—just because you’re craving that nostalgic bowl of cereal you used to crush as a kid (which, by the way, you don’t even keep in the house anymore because you’ve been on a solid health streak).
No.
They deserve the centered you.
Step 1: Midday Reset
(Avoid Vision Fatigue)
Most people can handle a hard day with a decent attitude—until midday. That’s when you start counting the minutes until you can go home.
Let that be your signal.
Time to reset.
Close your eyes and gently press your palms over your eye sockets for 1–2 minutes. Take a deep breath in. When you’re almost full, take a quick second inhale. Then slowly exhale through your mouth—twice as long. (Like you’re blowing air through a straw.)
This helps lower stress and anxiety, and shifts your nervous system into what biologists call the parasympathetic state—rest and digest.
Step 2: Finish the Day With a Laugh
Toward the end of the day—when the mental exhaustion hits and you either want to give up or punch the side of a van (like you did as a late teenager)…
Turn on something funny. Even just 5 minutes. You need to laugh. It’s real medicine. A quick clip. A comedian you love. Something fast.
That laugh releases endorphins—which help de-stress your brain and body.
And you need that right about now.
Step 3: Home Run
(How You Enter Matters)
Before you walk into your home, use what Brendon Burchard calls a doorway trigger.
As you approach the door, pause.
Say 1–2 intentional phrases:
How do I want to show up?
How do I want to feel?
How do I want others to feel when I walk in?
Then enter.
If you didn’t eat—eat.
No one wants to deal with a hangry human.
If you need space—take it.
On hard days, I’ll sometimes combine my meal with a solo laugh session before interacting with anyone.
Think of it as priming yourself after the reset. Because transitions are everything.
When you do engage—be present.
Don’t lead with the hard day.
Venting might feel good for a second, but it drains you—and everyone around you.
Instead, stay curious. Stay grounded. Even if you’re tired.
Also… please take a bath. With salts. With bubbles. Maybe even a candle.
Just do it.
It’s one of the best ways to reset your nervous system after a long day.
In fact—I'm about to have one... a luxury, endorphin-inducing bath tonight. You better believe it.
Your Challenge
Don’t make a hard day harder by whining and wishing.
Make it better by directing your resets and planning your revitalization.
Do it before you interact with others.
Try it—and let me know how it changes your day.
—Tony
