The good thing about having a bad day: how to take care of our emotions to feel better is a self-help, psychological dissemination and psychology book written by psychiatrist, psychotherapist and doctor of medicine Anabel González. The work was published on February 4, 2020 by Editorial Planeta.
Upon release, has received mostly positive reviews from readers. These can be seen on platforms such as Goodreads and Amazon, where The good thing about having a bad day has 3,96 and 4.5 stars, respectively. There is no doubt that what has motivated most readers to enjoy this book until the end has been the way in which the author explains complex concepts through simple examples and pleasant language.
Synopsis of The good thing about having a bad day
The importance of regulating our emotions
Anabel Gonzalez He begins his book with a story starring seven people: Lucia, Pandora, Bernardo, Alma, Marcial, Soledad and Ivan.They all experience the same situation, but they react to it in very different ways. It is through these examples that the author constructs an explanation of what emotions are and how they should be regulated for a fuller life.
After explaining the context of each protagonist, The writer exposes the variables that differentiate them, and the way others could have reacted to avoid major conflicts. In this sense, Anabel González's first direct advice is: “people who allow themselves to feel are stronger,” which alludes to how terrible emotional disconnection is.
Accepting discomfort as part of life
One of the most notable aspects of The good thing about having a bad day It is the way in which The author invites readers to accept that bad days are inevitable. and are part of the human experience. Anabel Gonzalez says that although modern culture often pushes people towards a constant search for happiness and well-being, it is essential to recognize and accept that it is not always possible to be well.
And that's really good. In fact, you could even say that it's encouraging. This acceptance does not imply resignation, but rather recognizing that discomfort is a sign that something needs attention. of those who suffer from it, which, at the same time, can lead to very positive changes in the near future and in the long term.
The value of negative emotions
As strange as it may sound, there are no good or bad emotions, at most, pleasant or unpleasant. But they are all part of being human, and it is essential to learn to live with them. In this sequence of things, The book highlights the importance of the harshest emotions and its role in man's personal development.
González points out that emotions such as sadness, anger or frustration are not enemies to be eradicated, but they can be valuable teachers that show areas of life that require change or reflection. Learning to listen to and understand these emotions is key to being able to transform a bad day into an opportunity for growth.
Strategies to deal with difficult days
Anabel González doesn't just stick to theory, but offers practical strategies for handling those difficult days. Among their advice they highlight the importance of not isolating yourself, seeking support from trusted people, and carrying out activities that connect the reader with the present, such as or mindfulness.
Furthermore, the author suggests that rather than trying to force an immediate change in mood,, it is more useful to allow yourself to feel and give yourself space to be bad, because only through this process will it be possible to recover energy, good disposition and emotional health.
Resilience and self-knowledge
The good thing about having a bad day It also focuses on the idea of resilience, that is: the ability to recover from adverse situations.González points out that bad days are an opportunity to strengthen this quality, which forces human beings to face their limits and develop internal resources to overcome them, a titanic task that is undoubtedly worth it.
At the same time, These difficult days offer people a mirror to know themselves better., to discover aspects of themselves that they may have been unaware of, which can help them rethink aspects they don't like about their work, social environment or life in general.
A compassionate and humane approach
What makes this book unique is the compassionate and humane approach with which González addresses the subject. It is not about a self-help manual traditional that promises quick fixes or constant happiness, but rather a realistic guide that recognizes the complexity of human emotions.
The author reminds us that it is normal and human to have bad days, and that these can be a valuable part of life if we learn to handle them with patience and self-compassion, but also with intelligence. To achieve this, it is necessary to educate yourself on this fascinating topic and stay up to date.
Table of contents The good thing about having a bad day
Part 1. The emotional world
- A bad day;
- Emotional knots;
- To feel or not to feel, that is the question;
- Let's start with the basics;
- How do we deal with our emotions?
- Emotion regulation can be learned;
- The path to regain balance;
- Is the face the mirror of the soul? Let's talk about it.
Part 2. The price of suppressing our emotions
- Regulating our emotions makes us more effective;
- Forget;
- After sleeping, things look different;
- The body expresses what we refuse to feel;
- The rebellion of emotions;
- Emotions as a bridge of communication with others;
- Emotion, society and culture.
Part 3. The art of getting excited
- What is our starting point?
- Reconcile with all our emotions.
Part 4. Before entering, let out
- Stop doing what is not good for our emotions;
- There is no more to say;
- Bread for today and hunger for tomorrow;
- In the depths;
- The end of the emotional dictatorship;
- The regulation of low activity or low activation states.
Part 5. What about the instruction manual?
- Emotions do not arise out of nowhere;
- The art of regulation;
- Where do our emotions take us?
- Let's find a guide;
- The process of change;
- Let's learn healthy regulation;
- We're on that.
About the author
Anabel Gonzalez works at the A Coruña University Hospital Complex (CHUAC), where She works as a psychiatrist, psychotherapist and doctor. She is also president of the EMDR Spain Association.Similarly, for some years now she has been sharing her knowledge with other specialists, being a certified EMDR therapy trainer.
At the same time, She stands out as a doctoral tutor at the National University of Distance Education (UNED), where she has also chaired several research projects. Regarding her career as an author, she has written the titles It's not me (2017) and Scars don't hurt (Planeta, 2021), which have been translated into a variety of languages.