99 Photos Of People Having A Worse Day Than You (New Pics)

April 23, 2023

There’s nothing quite as exasperating as that ‘final straw’ moment on a terrible day. You know, that day when nothing seems to be going your way; when problems arise one after the other and you can’t catch a break. And while certain inconveniences on such days lead to us waving the white flag, seeing them happen to somebody else often makes us feel a little bit better (as difficult as it might be to admit it).

We have combed through the plains of the internet to bring you a collection of pictures showing how someone’s day was totally ruined. Whether you need a pick-me-up on an equally unfortunate day or you simply want to appease the inner villain in you, bear in mind that this list is always just a couple of clicks away. And if you’re in the mood to browse it right now, wait no longer and scroll down to find the images.

In order to better understand how bad days affect us and how to cope with them, Bored Panda has reached out to the Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, Richard Wiseman and Susan Heitler, PhD, clinical psychologist and author of ‘Prescriptions Without Pills’. They were kind enough to share their insight, which you will find in the text below.

#1 I'm 49. Just Found This In My Mum's Bookcase

Image credits: Halvere1600

Every once in a while, a bad day is inevitable. And it doesn’t have to be catastrophic to ruin the mood completely; sometimes a minor thing is enough to push us over the edge. It’s even worse when such things add up (I guess they say “when it rains, it pours” for a reason), and when they do, we tend to blame it on bad luck.

“I think that we all like to try to explain the events that happen to us because it gives us a feeling of control. We often try to make sense of our experiences using the idea of luck because it helps to explain events that might otherwise appear inexplicable,” professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology Richard Wiseman told Bored Panda.

“And so when someone experiences a run of challenging events, they might find some comfort in thinking that they are unlucky because at least they have some kind of explanation.”

#2 Exsperminate

Image credits: oeufelia

#3 When The Bakers Make The Mix Wrong And Don’t Realize Yeast Doesn’t Just Stop Working Because It’s In A Dumpster

Image credits: TELME3

“I think it might be helpful to remember that everyone has bad days. One thing not to do is to internalize that as an unlucky trait because that will make you focus on things that don’t work out well in the future,” Dr. Wiseman said.

Focusing on unfortunate events usually leads to negative emotions. “I suspect that most of us have a set amount of psychological resources for dealing with stressful events,” the professor added. “When those resources run dry, we will find it difficult to deal with the negative emotions that we are experiencing. For some people it might be anger, for others it might be feeling bad about themselves.”

#4 Heckin Bots

Image credits: jnudey

#5 It Was A Great Day Till This Moment

Image credits: pp0787

Anger is a common reaction to frustrating events. Especially when several of them happen on the same day and overwhelm you as if they were waves in the ocean. In order to swim rather than sinking, it’s useful to try and stay mindful of your emotions and actions.

Susan Heitler, PhD, clinical psychologist and author of ‘Prescriptions Without Pills’, suggested three steps you can take to deal with anger: “a) Stop. If necessary, exit the triggering situation, b) calm down, so that your brain is functioning again, then c) ask yourself the three stop sign questions.”

#6 My Cat Just Came Back From One Of Her Evening Strolls With Someone Else's Keys In Her Mouth

Image credits: robrobxD

#7 Tiny Body Or Giant Head?

Image credits: Amemeinglesslife

#8 Feeling Like Kevin From The Office Right Now

Image credits: GoAwayK

The clinical psychologist expanded on the three stop signal questions to Bored Panda, she compared anger to a stop sign: “What do you do at a stop sign? First of all, you stop. Stop talking, yelling, and interacting.

“Second, at a stop sign, you look both ways to gather information about the potential problem. Ask yourself: ‘What do I want that I'm not getting; and what am I getting that I don't want?’

“Then, ask yourself: ‘What might be a better way to get what I want, and stop getting what I don't want, than dealing with the situation via anger?’”

#9 They Need An Intervention, Not A Convention

Image credits: Kndrp2

#10 This Is The Worst Picture Ever Taken Of Me

Image credits: TurnipTimeMyGuys

#11 The Robot Takeover Has Begun

Image credits: lisaneedzbraces

Another technique the author of ‘Prescriptions Without Pills’ suggested is viewing upsetting situations in the past as opportunities to find the positive in them. By using the mantra ‘If it's in the past it's for the good’, people can focus on the silver lining or sometimes even come up with a better solution to a problem or bring positive outcomes from adverse situations.

#12 Bakery Fail

Image credits: Fibutton

#13 Friend Of Mine Posted This Photo Of The Job Site Today

Image credits: rabaful

#14 I Brought A Bag Of Used Cat Litter With Me To Throw Away On The Way To Work. I Also Brought My Lunch. Guess Which One Came To Work With Me

Image credits: Eric264

It’s important to remember the stop sign questions and other techniques, because oftentimes, when things don’t go our way, we get overruled by emotion. “As anger rises, thinking ability shrinks,” Dr. Heitler pointed out. “In addition, the more you feel anger, the more what you want feels holy, and what others want feels irrelevant.”

#15 Guess Who's Severely Allergic To Hair Dye? This Girl

Image credits: a-liketheway

#16 3 Am Snack

Image credits: upvotemypics

#17 An Honest Mistake

Image credits: m4rticus

It’s not only other people’s emotions that we fail to care for when we’re feeling down. In addition to projecting onto others, we sometimes turn to self-hate and rationalize all the ways we might have been wrong or bad. These are just some of the things we do on a bad day when we feel vulnerable, as Marwa Azab, the adjunct professor of psychology and human development at California State University, pointed out in her article for Psychology Today.

#18 Was Confused When It Didn't Sound Like It Hit The Floor

Image credits: Jukkster

#19 We Hiked 3 Hours To Get A Good Picture Of Our Hometown. Our City Is On The Left

Image credits: 97Hshk

#20 Somebody Didn’t Strap The Egg Trolleys In Properly On The Truck. 10,500 Eggs Broken

Image credits: yourmate24

Instead of the negative outbursts, Dr. Azab suggested speaking to yourself with dignity and respect. She also advised showing self-compassion and being kind to yourself and others. In addition to that, the professor emphasized the importance of connecting with someone trustworthy and exercising or getting out into nature. These simple yet significant steps can help you rebalance your mental state on a rainy day.

#21 Now We Know Who The Favorite Child Is

Image credits: mankind3400

#22 My Sister Bought Some Strawberries From A Very Large Grocery Chain In Bc Canada. Comes With A Live Prize Inside!

Image credits: muttonwar

#23 The One Time The Toner Exploded At Work While Switching It Out. You Can See Where I Was At That Exact Moment

Image credits: paochow

No matter how frustrating, bad days are a part of everyday life. It’s something we can’t stop from happening; however, we can control the way we react to them. (To a certain extent, at least; I know how difficult it is to control yourself when you’re so stressed the vein on your forehead is about to explode.)

Also, sometimes they’re a good reminder of the positive things in life—nothing makes you appreciate a regular calm day more than a 24-hour period of pure chaos.

#24 Priest Accidentally Live-Streamed Mass With Sunglasses And Hat Filter

#25 After A Few Weeks, I Returned To My Apartment

Image credits: JuanfranB_

#26 God Damnit

Image credits: Jammy_Git

Some unfortunate situations are actually not that terrible and can even seem somewhat funny, especially in retrospect. A few amusing ones can be found among these 50 unfortunate fails people had no other choice but to document by taking a picture.