Having A Bad Day Day with ME/CFS & Long Covid

Hello and welcome to Believe in ME with Rhona Barton.

This podcast is about all things Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) related!

I'm Rhona and I lived with ME for almost 10 years during which time, I was bed-bound and wheelchair-bound, welcome to my Podcast.

Hello and welcome to Believe in ME with Rhona Barton. In this week’s episode I’m going to be chatting to you about Having a Bad Day.

You can head to www.rhonabarton.co.uk/media for more information about me and my story.

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Ok, let’s jump straight in!

19th of November was Having a Bad Day day. There seems to be a day for so many things but this one caught my attention. We all have bad days now and again but for most people, a bad day means that they feel like they’ve wasted their time and have achieved nothing with no time to enjoy their day.

For people with ME/CFS and Long Covid, it means so much more.

Having a Bad Day day is not really a serious holiday. It was first introduced in 2015 for people working in the service industry. Spending most of their time saying things like, “have a nice day”; Having a Bad Day day is a once a year chance for service workers to say “have an awful day”. It’s particularly satisfying for those with awkward or bad customers! It’s a great chance to break up the monotony of having to wish customers a Nice Day after they have made a purchase by surprising them with a smile and a “have a bad day!” comment. It’s also great for those that just wish to be impolite for a day.

Whilst it is not mandatory for you to have a bad day on Have a Bad Day day, if you are having one, try to embrace it and accept it.

You will be surprised how much of a difference it can make to how you are feeling if you decide to be cheery despite the fact that everything seems to be going wrong around you on this date. You can also look out for anyone else who is having a bad day. Make them smile by reassuring them that it is normal, especially considering it is Have A Bad Day Day! Remember, bad days don’t last forever, so embrace them and don’t get too down.

When I talk about embracing your bad days, I’m not talking about putting a positive spin on it or hiding from the pain and emotions. That’s toxic positivity. This type of positivity is the belief that no matter how difficult a situation is, you should just maintain a positive mindset. Now, I do like to look on the optimistic side of life and hope for the best, but I’m not blind to the fact that bad things happen, and that painful experiences and emotions also make up part of the lives we live. Feeling and dealing with these emotions openly and honestly will help you achieve acceptance and greater psychological health.

When we express our sadness or disappointment, well meaning friends and family may chime in with the likes of “everything happens for a reason” or “just stay positive”! These comments are meant to be sympathetic and comforting but they can encourage us to...