121 Photos To Remind You That Things Can Get Much Much Worse (New Pics)

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There are days when the air seems to have a whiff of positivity. You make the bus on time, breeze through the traffic, and excitedly skip to wherever you need to be. And then there are times when your alarm doesn’t go off for some reason, and you scramble to get ready just for a million things to go wrong. The sandwich you went to put in your mouth drops on the ground and the train you hoped to catch was so overcrowded all you could do was watch it take off into the distance. 

But it can always get worse, and people on this list are living proof of that. If you’re having a bad day yourself, scroll down to find comfort in knowing that others have it tougher than you, and don’t forget to share the most unfortunate things that turned your day upside down. 

While you’re at it, be sure to check out a conversation with an expert in positive psychology, Ruth Steggles, who kindly agreed to give us a few tips on how to turn a bad day around.

This post may include affiliate links.

On My Way To Start College And My Car Caught Fire With Everything I Own Inside Of It

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I Guess My Sunscreen Wasn't Water-Resistant

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Microwaved A Smucker’s Uncrustable (Premade Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwich) For 15 Seconds And Got A 2nd Degree Burn. This Is About 5 Days After It Happened

The most up-to-date statistics show that on average, an American has 4 bad days a month. These add up to 48 days per year that are dedicated to bad moods and unfortunate events. 

However, this seems to be an improvement since 2018, when respondents reported having about 60 bad days a year.

Interestingly, the 2024 Avocado Green Mattress and Talker Research survey has found that Americans can pinpoint the exact time when it’s going to be a tough day. At precisely 8:36 a.m., they can already tell that their day won’t go as planned. 

Not What I Expected On A CT Scan Following A Suspected Gallbladder Attack

Decided To Shave My Head To Give It A Fresh Start, Turns Out I Have A Bald Spot. I’m Female

Just Got My PS5 Recently. Had To Evacuate My House A Few Days Ago Because Of A Tropical Typhoon. This Is What I Came Back After The Storm Has Settled

A quarter of the time, people feel like there’s no way to turn the downright smile upside down. 48% of respondents even admitted to canceling plans or calling out of work to go back to sleep after waking up and sensing a bad day.

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The most common causes of a tough day were getting up and feeling sick (35%), followed by poor sleep (31%), and waking up with a headache (29%). Misplacing the keys (26%) and leaving the phone at home (25%) were other top contenders. 

Additional reasons for things going south included running out of toilet paper, forgetting the wallet at home, sleeping through the alarm, and forgetting to charge the phone the night before.

Bedroom Ceiling Collapsed

I Slipped In The Shower And Went Face-First Into The Knobs. Now My Lips Look Like This

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What, No Tie-Down? This Happened Not Even 50 Yards Later

The survey further revealed that unfortunate events were most likely to strike at the start of the week. 60% of respondents said that Mondays had the highest chance of going into a downright spiral. Work schedules and the back-to-school season were some of the most common contributing factors. 

To prevent bad days from occurring, respondents try to find time for themselves each day to relax (41%), make time for things they enjoy (37%), and ensure they are well-rested (35%). In fact, 71% of respondents said that sleep can make or break their day, and having enough of it can help to deal with things that may go wrong during it.

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My Legs After Mowing My Lawn While It Was Still Wet

Took Out My Earbuds And The Tip Said "No Thanks, I'm Good"

Thought One Of The Bulbs Burned Out In The Backyard

But even if a bad day is unpreventable, there are ways to turn it around. Ruth Steggles, an expert in positive psychology, suggests stopping and noticing what’s going on around you. “Identifying what is actually upsetting you then allows you to address the root cause. If it is something you can't change, look for some small thing you can change.”

Took The Wife Out Of Rehab For A Walk Through The City. She Was Making A Selfie And Lost Her Grip On Her Crutch. It’s Still There... Impossible To Retrieve

Forgot To Close The Window Before Getting A Carwash

Guy Found A Novel Way To Break Into My Store

She recommends having a list of things that a person enjoys doing so they can go back to it when going through a rough patch. Like reading a book, taking a bath, dancing around in the kitchen, or going for a walk. “It is helpful to know your feel-good tool kit,” she says. 

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Was So Looking Forward To Making A Pie

Ex And I Broke Up And Both Moved Out. When I Came Back To Check If Her Stuff Was Out, I Found This. Now I'm Being Charged $3k In Damages Because Nobody Can Get Ahold Of Her

My Fiancé And I Bought Our First Home A Month Ago. Not Living In The Place Yet, But Today We Found Our Front Window Shattered

Putting on some tunes may be the most simple remedy to a bad day. Listening to favorite songs can help a person to wind down and take their mind off of things for a while. “A music playlist that gradually moves from uncomfortable emotions to comfortable ones can be a healthy coping strategy and facilitate a positive mood change,” says board-certified music therapist Megan Hoffer. 

Came To My Car Window Smashed This Morning. I Don't Know Any Tomas And I'm Not In Debt To Anyone

Someone Reversed Their Boat Trailer Into My Rental

Rearranging Fridge, Watermelon Rolled Out. I Ignored Thinking I'd Grab It In A Second. It Continued To Roll Down The Nearby Staircase

When things go south, it might feel instinctive to get away from people. However, research suggests doing the opposite and reaching out to others, especially those who are happy and supportive of us. A friendly conversation, even a short one, can change our mood, lower blood pressure, and make us feel good. 

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Facade Wall Contractors Used A Drill Too Long For The Job

A Sea Lion Took A Bite Out Of My Salmon While It Was Being Reeled In

My Entire Neighborhood Is Submerged In Flood Water With Raw Sewage In It

Those who want to help out someone whose day isn’t going as anticipated should acknowledge their feelings but avoid reinforcing them or leaving them be, says Steggles. Therefore, she suggests telling them, "I am sorry you are feeling that way. What will you do to cheer yourself up?" or “I am sorry you feel that way? Is there anything we can do together to help you feel differently?"

Flashback To When My Dog Chewed A Hamster-Sized Hole In The Drywall. The Last Photo Is Him With The Drywall Dust On His Nose Caught Red-Handed

Water In My Parents' Garage From Hurricane Helene. It's Going To Get Worse. Luckily, The Entire First Floor Of Their House Is A Garage. It Was About 10 Inches When This Was Taken

The Store Manager Was Furious At Me (The Customer)

“I recommend that you say "you feel" because it isn't the day that is bad, but their perception of their experience makes it so. I also always try to empower the other person to be responsible for changing things. Taking over and doing things for them may diminish them and make them feel worse,” Steggles explains. 

Microwave's Door Blew Up. House Was Built One Year Ago

Got Rudely Awaken By The Sound Of Everything In My Kitchen Cupboards Crashing To The Floor

Welp

Lastly, she concludes by saying, “Mindfulness is the key to not being dragged into the drama of a bad day. It involves identifying the problem, noticing how you feel, and then choosing what you want to do. If that is what you want, there is nothing wrong with having a bad day.”

My Tooth Fell Out. It’s Been Loose For A While

My Mom Left Her Car For 2 Months, Came Back To It Covered In Mold

Saw This Work Of Art Parked Today, I Think The Cheater Was Found

New House, New Stupid Expenses

This Dental Estimate My Partner Received Was Just To Make Him Pain-Free. This Is After Insurance Too. The Dental Industry Is Absolutely Insane

The Semi Truck Got Nailed By A Freight Train. My House Is On The Other Side Of Those Train Tracks

Someone Threw A Brick Off An Overpass. I Was The Lucky Winner

Glass Jar Split When Opening Sauce For The Wife

I Didn’t Think The Suction Cups Were That Strong On My Forehead. I Have Work Today

I Am 46. How Bad Must I Look To People?

Let’s Get A Roomba They Said, You Will Have Less Cleaning They Said

Fell Through The Ceiling Today. My Heel Did Make A Near-Perfect Circle On The Ground When I Landed On It, Though

I Tried To Enter My Car, And This Happened

2 Hours Into A 7-Hour Road Trip

Well, I Managed To Go Four Years Without Getting COVID, And I Got It Right Before A Trip

I Had This Car For 3 Months. Now I Have A Back Injury And No Car

Was Using A Sieve For Wheat Flour To Make Chapati (Flat Bread) For Myself And Found Out It Was Full Of These Insects

Saw This After Hearing The Loudest Scream Of My Life

Just Opened My AirPods Case To Realize They're Still In Italy

The Whole Kitchen Sink Just Fell Out Of The Counter

My Wisdom Toot. You’d Think It Would Be Wise Enough To Not Do This Type Of Stuff

Apparently I’ve Been Breathing In Copious Amounts Of Black Mold Spores For The Past 6 Months

Here’s The View From My Front Door, I Would Like To Note That It’s Not Even 4 PM And This Is How Dark It Is Because Of The Fires Nearby My Town

Been Drinking From This Water Glass For A Few Days And Just Realized There’s Mold Growing In It

Toxic Ex Cut My Expensive Gaming Monitor Ports

Unemployed And Doing Job Interviews. Thought I’d Wax My Eyebrows To Look Put-Together

A Slight Misunderstanding At The Bakery

Diaper Got Mixed With Laundry And Went Into Washing Machine. Everything Is Covered In Absorbent Hydro Gel

My Mom Broke My Laptop Today, Doesn't Give A Damn

Bought My First Car, Got Hit Within Less Than 12 Hours

Found Out The Hard Way That Apparently I'm Very Allergic To Fire Ants

I Dropped My Spaghetti On My Bed

Hung My Shirt Out To Dry, But The Wind Took It

My Neighbors' Tree Fell Onto My 4-Month-Old 2024 Toyota And My House In A Storm This Weekend

Let's Go On A Hike, They Said. It Will Be Fun, They Said

A Severe Storm Ripped Through The Enchanted Fairy Festival In Central Pennsylvania, Destroying Vendor Tents And Causing Tens Of Thousands Of Dollars In Damage

The Paint Store Guy Didn't Close The Can Properly

Not exactly What I Meant When I Asked To Put A Trampoline Inside For Our Son

I Had One Sip. The Lid Wasn’t Screwed On

Apparently The Onewheel Low Battery Alarm Should Be Taken Seriously

My Car Randomly Caught Fire In The Coffee Shop's Parking Lot. It Is A 20-Year-Old Car, So She Had A Good Run, But She Was Working Fine

I Came Back From Vacation, And Ants Built Their Colony In My Laptop. Those Crumbs Were All Eggs, And The Inside Of The Laptop Was Full Of Them. The Computer Wouldn’t Turn On

You Gotta Be Kidding Me. Finally Caved And Paid For An Oil Change Because I Hurt My Back. Expected The Worst. Was Not Disappointed

After Two Years Of Living In My House, I Came Home To Learn My Mantelpiece Was Just Glued On

Dropped Off My Car To Get My Brakes Changed. Got These Pictures Texted To Me Instead

Well That's Unfortunate

Bought A New Processor But It Looks Like The Amazon Employee Beat Me To It

We Grew A Half Acre Of Carrots That All Turned Out Like This (15,000 Lbs)

Got Woken Up, Naked In My Bed, By Four Police Officers Executing A Search Warrant For Someone Who Hasn’t Lived At My Address In Years

My Alarm Somehow Failed To Go Off And It Cost Me My Job

Neighbors' Kids Broke Window In My Brand-New House

Had A Visit From An Armed Response Unit This Afternoon Because I Went To The Shop With My Umbrella On My Back

My Protein Shake Exploded. Over 300 Dollars Worth Of Stuff Was Destroyed

Learned My 5-Year-Old Car Never Had Airbags Installed. Seatbelt Saved My Life In 60 Mph Sudden Hit

Drunk Throws A Fit Over My Mother, IDing Him, And Comes Back With A Rock In Hand

Please Don't Bury Your Pet In A Plastic Storage Bin. Someone (Me) Might Accidentally Dig It Up One Day

My Stove/Oven Broke And The Display Doesn’t Even Say The Time Anymore

Couldn’t Hit 88 Mph As The Storm Hit

Can’t Get Back Inside Because She Threw A Hissy Fit And Opened The Stove Bottom Drawer, Which Is Keeping The Door From Opening

Tire Blowout. I'm Still Not Entirely Sure How This Happened, But My Silencer Came Loose And Got Into My Right Rear Wheel

Happy Friday, Everyone! This Is Exactly How I Wanted To Start My Weekend

Reports That The Fridge Was Emptied Before Our 3-Month Trip Were Greatly Exaggerated

Opened The Cabinet In Our Bathroom. The Nail Polish Bottle Decided To Ruin The Day

My Mortgage Payment Went Up $731/Month Due To Property Tax And Insurance Increases. I Have Never Even Filed An Insurance Claim

Neighbor's House Got Struck By Lightning Twice, Two Days After They Closed On It. They Had To Gut The Whole Top Floor Because Of Rain And Electrical Damage

Went To A Wake For A Family Member Today. There Was Only One Other Person There

My Brother Went Outside This Evening And Saw This. Yes, They’re Maggots

This Was Not How I Expected To Spend My Wednesday

Came Back From Walking My Dog To Find This

Someone Parked Their Car In Front Of My Garage

Oh Well, Just Five Dates. Still Hurts

No, I'm Not Pregnant. Thinking It's Time I Schedule A Colonoscopy Or Something. If I Even So Much As Look At Gluten, This Happens

Two Weeks! She Hasn't Bothered The Wax Warmer For Two Weeks

Reminder To Always Clean The Filter

What I Ordered vs. The Funeral Flowers That Were Delivered For My Mother-In-Law's Funeral

Put My Laptop Back Together And Pushed Too Hard On The Screw From The Bottom

I Fell This Morning

This Stink Bug Is In Between The Glass Of The Microwave. Not On The Outside, Not On The Inside. In Between. No Clue What To Do

I Feel Sorry For This Person

The Watermelon I Spent All Spring/Summer Growing

The Coffee Dispenser Gave Me A Coffee Full Of Ants. Extra Protein, I Guess

Someone Drilled Through My Gas Tank

My Wife Bought A Dress For A Wedding Tomorrow, And Only Now Noticed The Cashier Did Not Remove The Security Tag

Haven’t Had Oysters In Years. Finally Decided To Buy Some, And They’re All Spawning Oysters

This Has Been My Bed For The Past Two Nights. My Kid Has Been In The Hospital For Three Days, And I've Been Sleeping On A Sheet On The Floor Of The Emergency Room

I Fell Asleep After Being On Call At The Hospital And Crashed Into A Tree Near A Business. I Was Like 1/2 Mile Away From My Home

I Thought My Friend Was Reaching Out Or Was Interested In Talking To Me

Felt Something Odd While Eating. Then This Fell Into My Food. This Is The Majority Of A Dental Implant That I Got About 8 Years Ago. Looks Like My Week Will Start With A Visit To The Dentist

Ordered Radishes For A Dish For Dinner... Supermarket Sent These Instead

The Only Pepper From My Garden After 5 Months

My Mom Sold A Lot Of Items She Gifted Me Years Ago Because She Was In Debt. She Didn't Tell Me

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