Life doesn’t always go as planned. Sometimes it might even feel as though the universe is offended by our mere existence… It’s out to get us, armed with a dash of bad luck, questionable timing, and a wicked sense of humor. And just when we think our day couldn’t possibly get any worse - it does.
As much as we like to wallow in self-pity when things go south, there’s some strange comfort in realizing that we’re not alone. There’s almost always someone, somewhere out there, who is (believe it or not) having an even worse day than you. And once they’ve recovered enough to laugh about it, many of them will gladly post about it online, to remind the rest of us that perfection is pretty overrated.
If you wish you didn't get out of bed this morning, or just like to laugh at other people's misfortunes, keep scrolling. Bored Panda has rounded up a list of stories that prove no matter how rough you've had it, some poor soul has probably had it worse, and they've got the receipts to prove it.
#1 2 Minutes After I Bought My Breakfast And Left It Outside
Image credits: Snagod
Bad days happen to the best of us. Even royalty, world leaders and celebrities aren't immune. Granted, some rough days are worse than others. For example, one can hardly compare locking your keys in the car to being laid off from your job.
The important thing, say the experts, is not to let a bad day affect your mental health. Easier said than done. We know...
"The first step in resetting your day is to interrupt the stress response by activating your parasympathetic nervous system, which operates largely through the vagus nerve that runs from our brain to our intestine, forming a brain-gut connection," says Shanna B. Tiayon, also known as “The Wellbeing Dr.”
She adds that the key to doing this lies in some form of body work.
#2 My Mandible Has A Hole In It
First of all no, it wasn’t caused by a traumatic event. It was a big infection and yes it was painful. Second thing is that a year ago i was still under chemotherapy and my doctor said that may aggravated the infection because chemo really weakened my immune system and my body. My oncologist said that even though my immune system was very weak that shouldn’t affect the bone, especially that much. Everything is healing now and I’m 9 months cancer free.
Image credits: PsychoDDRQ
#3 The Hood Of My Car Blew Open When I Was Merging Onto The Freeway
Nobody was hurt and we were able to get towed to family’s house but scary experience for the kids, my wife, and myself.
Image credits: Sir_Trea
When your day is getting you down, Tiayon says one of the simplest ways to turn things around is to breathe. But to breathe with intent.
She suggests something known as the 4-7-8 breathing technique, where you inhale for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 7, and exhale for a count of 8. It’s a therapeutic strategy frequently offered to people who manage anxiety, reveals the expert.
"Because the exhale is twice as long as the inhale, it can interrupt a stress response by activating the parasympathetic nervous system and lowering your heart rate (the opposite of what happens during fight or flight)," she explains.
#4 Just Went Into Anaphylaxis During An MRI
Went for an MRI with contrast today. During the procedure, I noticed that my hands felt a bit itchy, but I attributed it to staying still in the machine for so long. When I came out and saw myself in the mirror, I was shocked. My face was so puffy, and my whole body was rapidly turning red.
I shuffled back to tell the tech, who initially didn’t seem too concerned, as she told me to just take benedryl when I got home. Things must’ve gotten worse in those few seconds, because midway through speaking, she bolted to grab a nurse. As I was sitting there waiting for her to return, I realized I couldn’t really hold myself up anymore, it was hard to breathe, and it was physically hard to form words.
Turns out I wasn’t far from dying, as I later heard the nurse whisper to another about how she was going to demand a change of protocol, to ensure that epinephrine is in all of the kits. In a hushed tone, she said “That poor girl was bright red. I wasn’t sure she was going to make it.”
These pics are from about 30 minutes after the lifesaving cocktail the nurse administered. I’m still processing what just happened.
Image credits: TheHaydnPorter
#5 Currently On Hold With The DMV Since This Is What I Got In The Mail When I Renewed My License
Image credits: Jade Dodd
#6 A Man Punched Out My Rear Windshield This Morning Because I Honked Back At Him After He Honked At Me
Long story short, man honked at me in a parking lot. I honked back at him, so he got out of his car and yelled at me to get out and fight him. I drove by him and he literally punched my window out. I thought he threw something but he admitted it to police and was taken to the hospital to repair his bloody and broken hand, before being taken in by the police.
Image credits: SpecialKay1a
Another way to beat a bad day is to get out into nature. This, says Tiayon, can activate the parasympathetic nervous system in various ways. Something as simple as grounding (putting your bare feet directly on the ground outside), can have a deep calming effect. It helps to relax your muscles and allows you to get lost in your surroundings instead of in your stressor.
The expert says that once you've managed to stop the stressor, the next step is to flood your body with feel-good hormones. This counteracts the effects of the adrenaline and cortisol released during the stress response.
And there are a few ways you can do this...
#7 Bought My Dream Car 3 Months Ago Today. Lost It All In A Matter Of Seconds Yesterday
Truck in front of me was turning left, I slowed to accommodate, got hit by a guy going about 50. He said he didn't see me. Please don't text and drive.
Image credits: Nadalyne
#8 A Drunk Driver Ran Through Our Front Door Not Even An Hour Ago. My Mom, Girlfriend And I Are Fine But One Of Our Cats Is Missing
Image credits: GritsKingN797
#9 Repairmen Unplugged Our Freezer To Charge Their Drill, Forgot To Plug It Back In. 2 Days Later, All Food Is Defrosted
Image credits: Trizocbs
"Endorphins help us to reduce stress; serotonin helps us balance our mood and feel a greater sense of well-being; oxytocin can lower stress and makes us feel more connected to others," Tiayon says.
The most obvious way to get these hormones pumping is to exercise. 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise works best in generating the release of endorphins and serotonin. Think things like cycling, dancing, or taking a brisk walk.
#10 Fresh Concrete, Poured 10 Minutes Ago. Partner Decided To Let All The Pets Out, Unsupervised. The Pets Immediately Inspected The Workmanship
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#11 Moved Into Our “Dream Home” Before Closing To Discover It’s A Moldy Nightmare
Felt sick upon moving in - coughing, sneezing, the tingling in my nose I only get in moldy environments. It started with white surface mold and a 2k quote for remediation, then just got worse and worse and worse as I started digging myself.
Yes, we had an inspection - four months ago when we started negotiations. We have learned many lessons from this, so please be kind. We moved in early due to title issues on the seller’s end that were almost resolved.
We are heartbroken.
Image credits: halcat27
#12 Nothing Wakes Me Up Like My Morning Cup Of Joe
Image credits: sam99871
An even quicker way to release feel-good hormones is to hug someone. Not only does it bring on serotonin and oxytocin, but it also reduces cortisol and adrenaline in the body.
"Finding a human or furry loved one and snuggling for a few minutes can do the trick and increase your sense of connection with someone you care about," Tiayon reveals.
By now, you should be feeling better but your work is not yet done. The wellness expert says it's important to tackle the source of your stress. "With our brain more fully back online—and our ability to focus, think, and strategize enhanced—we’re likely in a better position to manage the source of the stress," she explains.
#13 How I Found My Car This Morning
Image credits: snorkiebarbados
#14 Wasn’t Paying Attention And Stuck My Thigh Right Into A Sea Urchin Today
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#15 Woke Up At 4 Am To This, I Don't Know How Long It's Been Going On. I Feel Sick
Image credits: Ferrisuk
Think about what you can control and what you can't. You might want to look at letting go of some things. "I’ve fixed days gone to p** by clipping the low-hanging fruit, like abandoning my plan to return a book to the library and taking the 35-cent fine. Taking that small step freed up 30 minutes in my day," she says.
Tiayon adds that it helps to remind ourselves of the resources we have at our disposal. For example, if you're able to delegate, pull someone else in to help you, or pay for punctual support, do it.
"The goal is to get yourself back into the driver’s seat of your life, as opposed to letting a stress response run your day," Tiayon advises.
#16 This Storm Uprooted A Tree, Then Blew It Over My Neighbor's House
Image credits: Confident-Chef7018
#17 Moved Into My Own Place, Finally After Months Of Searching. Not Even A Week In I Come Home To This
Image credits: MoldyRadicchio
#18 Nearly Lost My Toes On An Escalator
Image credits: Dashigos
Finally, remember that a bad day is not the end of the world. You've survived up until now.
"While it may sound counterintuitive to reminisce on past flops when you’re currently in the trenches, this can actually be a confidence booster," notes wondermind.com. "Those times are evidence that you can handle whatever life throws at you."
#19 My Go Pedal Fell Off
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#20 I Just Dropped My Debit Card In That Crack And It’s My Only Form Of Money. They Had To Take Apart The Self Checkout Machine
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#21 My Daughter Used A Plastic Cutting Board For A Pizza Pan
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#22 Never Try Someone Else’s Rings
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#23 I Tried Making Bread For The First Time Not To Long Ago, What Did I Do Wrong?
Image credits: reddit.com
#24 Beryl Just Knocked Over The 21 Year Old Tree That Was Planted By My Dad When I Was Born
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#25 FedEx Destroyed My Yard And I Didn’t Even Order Anything
I live at a dead end street. Rather than back straight out they decided to use my front lawn as a driveway. Not the best looking lawn, but I dropped several hundred dollars to try and get grass growing.
Image credits: phildsnuts34
#26 I'm On My Honeymoon
Had sushi for dinner last night at the all-inclusive resort my new husband and I are staying at. 1 AM rolls around and I'm throwing up like crazy, then it's dry heaving for another hour. We call the resort doctor, he takes my temperature and listens to my belly with a big "oh no" face, so guess who gets to go to a clinic in a foreign land (we're in the Dominican Republic)? Me!
I have a bacterial infection in my guts! My white blood cell count is bananas! We get to spend $4000 upfront because I need to be hospitalized!
Get Travelers insurance, be better than me. Don't know what the resort will do but it sounds like they're willing to work with us.
Image credits: Sufficient_Tarot
#27 My Husband Left The Sunroof Open Last Night
Image credits: Electronic_Ratio7357
#28 My Dad Just Finished Remodeling His House Last Month From The Last Major Hurricane. Woke Up At 2 This Morning To 7 Inches Of Water Through The House
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#29 A Monkey Grabbed My Glasses Through The Mesh Fence During My Stay At Animal Rescue Center In Costa Rica
Image credits: Milo_May
#30 The Can's Pull Tab Broke, Then So Did The Can Opener
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#31 I Had Been Wearing My Slippers For About 10 Minutes This Morning When I Felt Something Cold On My Foot
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#32 Vacuum Cleaning My Apple Keyboard
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#33 Left My Car At A Friend's House While We Went To The Beach. Came Back To Find My Car Like This
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#34 Roommate Kindly Put My Broth In The Fridge For Me, Which I Had Cooked For 5 Hours
She drained about 3l down the drain.
Image credits: Jones641
#35 Finally Got Our Cracked Sidewalk Repaired Only For Some Lady To Walk Her Dog Straight Through It An Hour Later. All She Gave Was A Shrug
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#36 Aftermath Of Golf Ball Through My Window. Country Club Across The Street Is Hosting A Tournament And Now I Have Glass In My AC
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#37 Boyfriend Ironed His Interview Shirt On My Dining Room Table
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#38 Tried To Make A Smoothie. Never Doing Anything Ever Again
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#39 I Slipped And Fell Onto My Couch
Image credits: Runeald_Waslib
#40 I Think I'll Go Back To Bed
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#41 My Boyfriend Has Just Started A Long Train Journey
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#42 "Use This Tempered Glass Floor Mat!" Mom Said, "Never Have To Replace It Again!" She Said
Image credits: CrazyCoKids
#43 Landlord Sent Someone Over To Give The Pecan Tree A "Trim"
Mind you, the tree wasn't in the way in regard to the driveway or the foundation, and I never once complained about it other than the occasional smacking of my head on a singular low-hanging branch (I'm five-nothing; that's a really low-hanging branch). I loved having it there despite it constantly raining unripe pecans because it was at the perfect angle to provide ample shade for my truck year-round. Now I have no shade and it's still 90° outside.
Image credits: Mexican_Texican
#44 I’ve Had Some Bad Days, This One Is One Of My Worst
Yes, that is a fry oil dumpster; it’s half the size of our regular dumpsters and holds six months’ worth of oil. Thankfully it was emptied a few weeks ago. And no, this isn’t where it’s supposed to be; it’s actually five miles away from the restaurant after being dragged by a tractor trailer that also sideswiped one of our customers’ cars. And it’s leaking into a creek. We had to explain to the cop five times that we’re supposed to have three dumpsters, not two.
Image credits: CordeliaRandom
#45 Attempted To Make Brownies As A Surprise For My Roommate
It was a brand-new brownie pan from my mom, in our brand-new oven, in an apartment we just moved into earlier this month. My roommate was having a bad day, so I thought I'd be nice. Put the pan in, closed the oven, turned around, and boom. It took over an hour of wiping, scooping brownie batter-covered glass with a spatula. Now we're out a brownie pan and a few washcloths that the glass wouldn't come out of, and I've got a ton of tiny glass scratches on my hands.
Image credits: vaguefully
#46 Someone Had An Unsecured Load Of Paint
Image credits: Numerous-Plenty-8587
#47 Lost My Job Last Friday, Now This
Image credits: reddit.com
#48 Wore The Jumper My Mom Lovingly Knitted For Me Once. Then Accidentally Shrunk It In The Wash
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#49 Because Of These Cool Guys, I Couldn't Find A Parking Space In My Apartment Building
Image credits: ShockFreak
#50 My Shower Door Exploded
The door came off the track due to improper installation by the contractor, and when we tried to put it back on the track, it just popped. I have cuts all over my body and had to go to the ER to get stitches at midnight.
Image credits: Miserexa
#51 This Lady On My 10 Hour Flight
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#52 The Bacon In Our Hellofresh Box This Week
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#53 On My Way To Europe For 3 Weeks, Realized Once At The Airport That I Forgot To Put On My Shoes
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#54 I Paid Almost $20 For A Slice Of Tiramisu And It Came Covered In Mold
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#55 A Swarm Of Bees Decided They Like My Amazon Delivery
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#56 Decided To Install My Brand New AC Unit Today
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#57 Dry Cleaner Melted The Buttons On My Shirt
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#58 Opened My Yankee Candle Order. I Mean Seriously No Paper, No Bubble Wrap Just Glass Splinters Everywhere
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#59 Passenger Beside Me Listening To Loud Music And Using Phone On Maximum Brightness During A 4 Hour Late Night Bus Journey
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#60 The Downlight In My Bathroom Spontaneously Combusted. I Was Lucky Enough To Catch It In Time
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#61 The Bottom Of My Wrist Itches
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#62 Guess Which One I Just Put In My Oatmeal?
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#63 Got A Sandwich From The Convenience Store And Opened It To Put Some Chili Flakes On
Image credits: DrunkThrowawayLife
#64 I Baked My AirPods Along With My Choc Chip Cookies
I turned the oven on to preheat it. 3 min later, I removed the oven tray to put it into the kitchen island so I can line it with cookie dough. It didn’t feel very hot, yet the AirPods that were on the kitchen island were presumably attached to it. When I opened the oven after baking for 10 minutes, there was an abnormal cookie.
Image credits: LarsQuell
#65 5:30 AM, Half Asleep And Dropped The Instant Coffee Powder Tin
Image credits: reddit.com
#66 There Goes My Lunch
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#67 How My Dominos Pizza Came Delivered
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#68 In The Morning, I Heard A Sound As If Water Was Flowing Under The Sink, Couldn't See Anything. I Left And Less Than 10 Seconds Later, The Water Heater In The Bathroom Exploded
Image credits: DaveDole81
#69 Rubbed A Plant With Bug Repelling Properties All Over My Legs. Turns Out I'm Allergic
Image credits: reddit.com
#70 My Late Sister's Memorial Plant. We Were Almost Home Too
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#71 I Guess The Paint Looked Dry Enough To Someone
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#72 Thought I Would Bake Some Valentine's Muffins For My Husband Today
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#73 Came Back From A Party And We Were Taking The Cupcakes From It. They All Fell On Me
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#74 Someone Keeps Cheesing My Car. Somebody Keeps Throwing Slices Of Cheese On My Car While It's Parked In A Public Garage. I Have No Idea Why They're Doing It
Image credits: Successful_Agent_905
#75 Discovered Mold Was In The Bottom Of My Water Cup After Drinking From It All Day
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#76 DIY Clothes Blender, I Guess. It’s Really Wedged In There. Check Your Pockets Folks
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#77 Wife Spilled Black Paint All Down Our Stairs
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#78 Bought This Dress And Finally Received It Three Months Later Just To Be Ripped Off
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#79 Both Handles Broke On My Baskets Full Of Laundry And It Fell Down The Stairs
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#80 Monitor Broke In Process Of Moving
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#81 My Dog Waste Bags Disintegrated Into Confetti As I Pulled Them Out While I Was On A Walk
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#82 I Was So Excited For My Hair Dye To Get Here
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#83 Didn't Get To Try One After 20 Minutes Of Peeling
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#84 The Way My Husband Put Away The Birthday Cake
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#85 So, A Pretty Strong Storm Came Through Last Night
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#86 Was Enjoying My Vacation Until This Happened
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#87 Spent 3 Hours In Traffic Covering Only 60 Miles And Came Home To This. Abandoned Car Blocking My Building's Garage Entrance
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#88 Ordered A Personal Pizza With Anchovies And Mushrooms, Forgot To Add Cheese
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#89 Attempted To Open A Brand New Bag Of Mike And Ike’s
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#90 The Dog Decided To Pull Me Through Halloween Decorations And Ripped My Favorite Pjs
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#91 We Just Had A New Driveway Poured. My Wife Wanted To Hose It Off And We Found This. I’m Not Entirely Sure How We Are Supposed To Attach A Hose To This
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#92 Forgot About This One In The Freezer. Thought I Grabbed All Of Them In Time
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#93 Borrowed Knife Broke Instantly On First Use
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#94 I Broke My Superior Quality Metal Garlic Press Pressing Garlic
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#95 None Of The Room Switches Turn Off My Hotel Room TV Back Light. Nothing In This Room Seems To Turn Off The TV Backlight. I Can’t Get Ahold Of Front Desk
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#96 Got Into A Car Accident On My Birthday. It’s Been A Little Over A Week, But My Car Had To Get Towed And This Was Legit Like Five Minutes After I Picked My Friend Up
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