Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Good Days and Bad Days

By recognizing our struggles and supporting one another, we can all contribute to creating a workplace where the good days outshine the bad

Blogs National

By Eric Nederlof, Representative

I’ve never met someone who hasn’t had a bad day at work. Everybody has them, but it’s when the bad days start to outnumber the good ones, or when the bad days are particularly bad, that major problems occur. Much of the work I face is tied to people experiencing those types of days.

Not every day at work is positive, nor is every workplace environment ideal. Sometimes a bad experience is simply a one-off that nobody could have seen coming or even prevent from happening. But more often than not, bad days are the culmination of a plethora of smaller straws that broke the proverbial camel’s back.

It often manifests itself as an accident or an interpersonal conflict that occurs due to a combination of factors. Fatigue from a lack of sleep, too much work, the burden of life stressors, a pile up of negative interactions, and many other problems can all influence our psychological condition in the moment. Perhaps if even one of those issues were adequately addressed, it could have prevented what happened.

The reality is that we carry more into work than our lunch and gear; we bring the weight of our lives, responsibilities, and worries. A healthy workplace doesn’t expect people to leave their humanity at the door—it recognizes that well‑being and performance are closely connected. Checking in on one another, offering a listening ear, and ensuring a culture of care can make a huge difference.

Taking care of yourself outside of work can also help. Rest, faith and spiritual growth, mental and physical exercise, and community involvement can all help to support and restore the energy you need to stay grounded.

Take the time to look for things piling up—whether for yourself or a coworker—and when they do, speak up. Talk to a trusted friend, colleague, steward, or supervisor to help you address the problem and remind you that you’re not alone. Identifying the problem is the first step toward solving it.

Remember what is within your control and always stay under control. You can’t dictate another person’s attitude, but you can choose your own. If you find yourself about to lose control—stop. Things have piled up without you knowing it, and it’s eroded your patience, empathy, and resilience to the point where you are about to cross a boundary.

Good days at work shouldn’t be exceptions. We can’t eliminate every bad day, but together we can make sure they don’t define the workplace or the people in it. In the end, that’s a success worth holding on to.

Good Days and Bad Days

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