You know what I’m talking about.

From the second your alarm clock screams into action to every waking minute thereafter – it’s a relentless struggle in your journey to find your way back into bed so you can bid a fond farewell to the day from hell.

Maybe yesterday was one of those days and the stress, frustration and anguish linger fresh in the memory.

Perhaps tomorrow will drag you out the wrong side of the bed and slingshot you towards an 18 hour joyride of unhappiness and inadequacy.

But what if, today is that day? What if today has you by the throat and its suffocating grip is rendering you incapable of taking a step back and enjoying a few deep breaths of relaxation and comfort?

What if time stands still and the comfort, safety and bliss of a frayed mind drifting off to sleep seems a lifetime away?

If today is one of those days…

Take a moment and remind yourself that…

1. If you go with your gut then you’ll never be wrong

By far the easiest and quickest way to put yourself back into a good mood following one of those infuriatingly stressful days is to simply let your gut decide what happens next.

Nothing is set in stone. You’re allowed to change plans on the fly.

The other day I found myself getting increasingly frustrated at my inability to focus on a project. It was past midnight and I set myself a deadline of getting it finished before I went to bed – yet my body said differently.

I knew I wanted to be asleep, far more than I wanted to meet the deadline. So I gave in, and finished the work in the morning with a clear head and renewed enthusiasm.

Sometimes what we think we want, and what we really need are in conflict. Don’t fight it. You will always know what the best option is…

It’s the one you can’t stop thinking about.

2. You’ve come a long way

Think of something you do better than anyone you know. It could be your ability to play a musical instrument or a sport in which you excelled at as a youngster. Maybe it’s something weird like completing a Rubik’s Cube in less than 30 seconds or memorising Pi to 50 decimal places. Perhaps you earned a degree or taught yourself a second language.

It really doesn’t matter what you’re good at – you had to start somewhere, and when you did, you probably sucked. An athlete must take that first step. A guitarist must learn their first chord. A millionaire must earn their first dollar.

So what if you’ve hit a brick wall with your development – you’ve hit many in the past and you have a proven track record of pushing forwards. Today is just another learning curve towards your goal.

3. Each minute that passes is a minute closer to success

The clock is ticking.

Time moves forwards whatever you choose to with it. The pessimists among you may cheerfully point out how we’re all that little bit closer to death than we were at the start of this sentence. The anxious out there enjoy shouting from the rooftops about how there is too much to do and not enough hours in the day.

The chilled out brigade just watch everyone else safe in the knowledge there is always tomorrow to start what should have been done yesterday.

We all deal with time in our own way, and it’s rarely positive.

The trick is to embrace its inevitability. If time keeps moving forwards isn’t it a good idea hop along for the ride?

The future ‘you’ can be good or bad, happy or sad or anything else you choose to be. The present day may be tough. You may not be seeing the reward for your hard work right now – but don’t stop.

Every journey has a destination.

Just remember to give yourself a pat on the back when you get there.

4. Pain is only temporary – you’ve been through worse

Pain, whether physical or mental, is something we all go through. It’s inevitable – and it hurts like hell. What you may not have realised is your reaction to pain is entirely up to you.

Of course you’d rather be somewhere else, perhaps in another body, experiencing anything other than what you’re currently going through – but why resist? Doing so is going to increase the hurt and the frustration.

Accept the situation. The quicker you embrace the pain – the easier it will be to cope with.

Have you suffered a physical injury? Chances are your body will repair itself, and you’ll be stronger with it.

Have you suffered a form of loss, such as the breakup of a relationship? Don’t fight it – accept the pain and give it your full attention. Grieving is a healthy and positive process when tackled head on.

Have you found yourself in a situation which is causing you anxiety or panic? Whatever happens, you’ll be snuggled up in bed tonight and everything will be in the past.

Hold on to that thought.

5. You don’t need anyone’s permission to be yourself

Has someone angered you, said something hurtful or generally rubbed you up the wrong way today?

People do that. They project their insecurities and negativity onto others in an attempt to deflect the attention away from their own fears.

But it’s ok. Let them do what they want.

If you’ve been mocked for changing your haircut, argued with because you stood up for something or ridiculed for daring to dream – that’s not your problem. It’s theirs.

You are who want to be, and you have every right.

Jamie is a guitar teacher, writer and blogger who hates the typical 9-5 existence. After quitting his boring retail job to enter the world of guitar tuition, he created Psycholocrazy to document his thoughts and struggles as he takes on societies norms armed with nothing more than his cheeky wit and undeniable charm! Go ahead and grab his free 33 page ebook and find out how to quit your job and live life on your own terms too.

You can also find Jamie on his Google+ page.