20 powerful mantras to help you get through bad days

Have you had days when you felt like getting up from the bed and having a shower is an accomplishment?

When bad days come, it can feel like they are never going to end and that you will always live in misery. On such rough days, repeating certain mantras can help you to get through the day.

Have you noticed how when you are happy, time seems to fly? But when you are miserable, it can seem like you are stuck and stagnant.

Though you might have done everything in your power to change your circumstances, you need to pick the pieces together and get on with your daily life.

These are the days where you feel like nothing goes your way and that it’s hard to feel motivated about your goal which you were so excited to follow, a week or month ago. 

Even though you know you can’t give up, it’s hard to keep up with the expectations, isn’t it?

On the days where you just want to survive even though your life seems stuck or stagnant, you don’t know where you are going or what you want to do with life. 

You know you can’t just give up yet, but you don’t know how to escape the hopelessness as well.

Following are some mantras to get you through those bad days. When your mind starts to feel hopeless and when nothing seems to go your way, it helps to repeat these mantras in your mind. 

It helps you to take your focus away from the current hopelessness to possible happier days ahead. 

MANTRA#1- EVERYTHING HAPPENS AT THE RIGHT TIME

What happens when we are doing everything in our power but things don’t seem to move the way we hope?

It can happen sometimes and all we can do is wait. Even though we feel rushed and anxious, what I have learned over the years is that there is a divine time for everything. 

Whether you believe in God or in the Universe, there is a right time for things to happen. And all the events in our lives somehow fit like pieces of a puzzle for things to happen perfectly. 

Even though the order of events or timing may not make sense to us now, it will – after a few years when we look back.

There is so much going on in our lives and of those around us, even when we don’t know as we can’t see everything at the same time. 

All we can do is trust!

So remember, there is no rush, everything is happening perfectly on its time the way they are intended to be.

MANTRA#2- LIFE is always HAPPENing FOR ME, NOT TO ME

It can feel like life is out there to get us or that we are hated by God or the Universe. 

When I first heard this Tony Robbins Quote, I didn’t understand its meaning. But later, as I continued living my life I started understanding the idea. 

The way you look at things – your perspective – is what determines your happiness in life. 

When not-so-good things happen in life, it’s easy to get bogged down by it, cursing your life and cursing everything else. But if you look at them and think that they are happening for a reason, you learn to be resilient and patient with life. 

You don’t know why yet, but as you continue your journey forward, you start to understand why things happened the way they did. 

So, whenever difficult things happen for you, hold onto this mantra- this is happening for me and there is a good reason behind it.

MANTRA#3- WORRYING DOESN’T CHANGE ANYTHING

This is for all the chronic worriers out there. It’s said that most of the things we worry about never come true. 

I am a worrier who is trying hard to stop the habit and I know it’s true. Most of the things I worry about never happened and I wasted so much of my energy and time that I could have used better. 

When I say this, another quote comes to my mind which is,

Those who worry suffer twice- Newt Scamander 

We suffer when we make up the “worst-case scenarios” in our minds. And then we worry AGAIN when it happens in reality. But most of the time, it doesn’t happen in reality. 

So we just waste time and energy. 

If you are really worried about something, ask the following question. 

• Can I do anything about it? 

If yes, do it. If no, does worrying change it? 

MANTRA#4- I AM DOING my best and that is enough

When you have so many roles to play and so many duties to perform, you can feel wretched and even discouraged about small failures and lack of progress. 

You might feel like you are a bad mother/father/spouse etc. because you are not able to do as much as you want. 

That’s enough to beat yourself up. The truth is, we all have 24 hours in a day and we are all doing our best in whatever roles we play. All that matters is that we do our best and stop comparing with how much others accomplish.

When you feel overwhelmed and disappointed, chant this mantra to lift your spirits up. 

MANTRA#5- LESS IS MORE

Sometimes when I am in a bad mood or I feel lonely or empty, my mind starts to look for all those void-filling activities. For me, binge-watching Netflix is one. I am okay with it if I need a pick-me-up. 

But when my mind turns towards shopping, I have to remind myself of this mantra. 

Less is more helps me to shift my mind back towards reality. I know I will make purchases that I regret later. So, I repeat this mantra in my mind and turn my mind away from void-filling unnecessary purchases.

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MANTRA#6: THIS TOO SHALL PASS

This is my favorite mantra ever. This mantra has helped immensely when I was going through the hardest time of my life. 

Like good times don’t last forever, bad times have an expiry date too. But time doesn’t seem to budge when you feel down, and hence it can be hard to wait. 

At those times, say this mantra over and over again. The gates to happier times will open to you soon. 

MANTRA#7: I GOT THIS

This is something we say a lot. When I feel overwhelmed by all the tasks I have to do, I repeat this mantra. This simple, yet powerful, three-word sentence has the power to lift you up instantly to face what is in front of you. 

MANTRA#8: I CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY

What life experiences have taught me is that happiness is a choice. It is not a destination but something we have to choose to feel intentionally at every moment. 

You would think that you will finally be happy when you achieve that goal. But when you reach there, you might be surprised to realize that you don’t feel as happy as you thought you would. 

You were more excited when you were going through the journey. And that’s the biggest life lesson I have learned till now. 

Find happiness in the daily mundane moments of life. You can choose happiness by trying to tune into the blessings you have got in life. You will automatically feel happy. 

MANTRA#9: EVERY DAY IS A FRESH START

Do you beat yourself up for not following through with your tasks? It happens to me sometimes when some days don’t go as planned and I feel bad about not exercising, or noting finishing that blog post as planned. 

But dwelling upon yesterday is not gonna help you in any way. What you can do is, clean the slate and start over. 

The sun has risen again and your time is not done yet. You have a new opportunity to start again today. 

MANTRA#10: WHAT OTHERS THINK OF ME IS THEIR BUSINESS

I think everyone needs to say this mantra more often. 

Much of our pain comes from living to please others. When we are forced to live according to what seems right for others, we fail to live as our true authentic selves. And only when we live true to our inner desires, we achieve true happiness in life. 

So, if you feel bogged down by others’ opinion of you or if your well-intentional desires are in conflict with theirs, repeat this mantra. 

MANTRA#11: I AM GIVEN THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE I CAN DEAL WITH THIS

When we face problems, we have the tendency to compare them to what others are dealing with. We don’t want to have the problems we are dealing with and wish our life was easier like other people who don’t have the same problem as us. 

We might think it’s not fair that we are dealing with this when others are not facing it. 

I too have fallen into this self-pity trap and felt bad. But later on, I realized, it’s not fair to compare our journey with others as others may be facing problems that we are not. 

We all are on our own unique journey and we are given our own set of problems because we are capable of facing them and overcoming them. 

You are still breathing and that means you are facing it and living through it. Even though it’s hard, you have not given up on your life. That shows the strength you have in facing this problem. 

MANTRA#12: THERE ARE NO FAILURES, ONLY LESSONS

If you consider all experiences as “lessons” you become braver to face challenges in life. 

You start to view challenges as another learning experience. You would be more open to facing problems and separating emotions and face the issue head-on.

Because let’s face it. Life is always full of ups and downs. 

And we have to learn to view it as such. 

One thing this mantra has helped me to do is to try new ideas. I used to be afraid of failures when I wanted to try new things or implement new ideas. 

But after learning how there is no such thing as failure, I got braver to try new things. 

MANTRA#13: THIS DISCOMFORT WILL TAKE ME TO WHERE I WANT TO GO

Repeat this mantra when you want to get out of your comfort zone and do magical things that will alter the path of your life.

Want to start a business?

Want to leave a toxic relationship?

Want to quit your job and travel?

We all have been in situations where we know we need to face discomfort in order to get something we want. 

But going through the discomfort is easier said than done.

The anticipation of growing pains, the idea of getting used to a new way of life, the thought of having to say goodbye to the things/people we still love (even when we know we can no longer hold onto them) – there are so many thoughts and emotions that go through us when we need to face discomfort.

All these cause a lot of pain and it’s normal to want to not go there deliberately. 

But if it is something you know is beneficial for you, you have to face the discomfort and this mantra will help you to face the tough days as you do it. 

MANTRA#14: WHAT MATTERS IS IF I AM HAPPY

Ultimately, what matters in life is that we should be able to do what makes us happy. 

So if you are facing difficult choices or if you have to make decisions that are unfavorable for others, say this mantra. 

This is for all people-pleasers out there. 

MANTRA#15: I CHOOSE LOVE AND GRATITUDE

When you live with other people, it’s easy to get stuck upon their flaws and think of various ways they make your life difficult.

But if those are relationships that you want to keep, you have to learn to forgive and let go every single day. 

Yes, it’s hard to maintain relationships. All kinds of relationships need a lot of maintenance in the form of love and forgiveness to flourish. 

Whenever you want to point out silly mistakes and the shortcomings of others, try to choose love over hatred and feel grateful about how their presence makes your life better. 

Because whatever you choose to focus on, grows. When you focus on the negatives of others, they seem bad. And instead, if you choose to focus on the positives of people, they look more and more good in your eyes. 

MANTRA#16: THE ONLY PERSON I NEED PERMISSION FROm IS, Myself

I have seen people who seek permission to live the way they want from others. 

People hesitate to take decisions because they are worried about hurting others. As long as you are not doing anything morally incorrect, you don’t need permission from others. 

I have seen too many dreams being shattered because they couldn’t follow the profession they want because of their parents, or marry the person they want because of family status, etc. 

To do what you think is right for you, you don’t need anyone else’s permission. 

When you do not wait for other’s permission and live life your way, you might experience failures too. But it is still better than the regret of “what would have happened had if I had taken that decision that day”.

MANTRA#17: IT’S OKAY TO REST

This one is for all those people who hustle, hustle, hustle, and forget to take a break only to be led to burnout. 

Getting burned out is no fun. It’s emotionally taxing and physically exhausting. It’s easy to keep going when you are full-on motivated and have the energy to do so. 

But if you ignore your body’s or mind’s call for help, it can have a very negative impact later. 

If your body tells you that you really need a break, swallow the guilt and listen to it. And repeat this mantra so often that when you feel like resting, you truly believe it’s ok to rest. 

MANTRA#18: I AM HAVING A BAD MOMENT, NOT A BAD LIFE

How many times have you looked down upon yourself and your life when things didn’t go your way?

If you start letting bad days affect your beliefs and start to wonder if you really have an unlucky life, you will experience more of it. 

It’s simply because the thoughts you focus upon enlarge in your mind and change your perspective. 

A bad day doesn’t define your life. 

A bad morning doesn’t decide your day either. 

Life can turn around at any moment if you believe so. So believe in the magic and learn to ride the ups and downs of life. 

MANTRA#19: ONE DAY AT A TIME

This mantra is helpful for the days when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Instead of wondering “when will this end?”, you say the mantra “I will face one day at a time” and not think about the next day at all. 

After all, we only have today with us, and tomorrow is not guaranteed. 

Tell yourself that “Just today, I need to be strong”. 

MANTRA#20: I WOKE UP TODAY AND IT MEANS I STILL HAVE PURPOSE. 

This one is a mantra I picked up from Kathrin Zenkina, one of my favorite teachers. 

When you lose the will to fight and waking up from bed is a struggle, remember that you still have work to do here. You are not done yet. 

If your life didn’t have any more purpose here, it would have been time for you to go. 

If you opened your eyes today, you might not know it yet, but hang on, you have more to do.