7 Discipline Rules I Follow Even on Bad Days

I woke up at 2 a.m. to my cat knocking over a glass of water. By 6 a.m., I'd received a rejection email I'd been waiting weeks for. By 9 a.m., my car wouldn't start. By noon, I was crying in a coffee shop bathroom, mascara streaking down my face, wondering how people made life look so effortless.

Bad days used to completely derail me. One setback and I'd spiral—binge-watching shows until 3 a.m., eating my feelings, canceling plans, letting everything slide.

But at 31, after years of watching my life collapse every time things got hard, I built something different. Not a rigid routine that felt like punishment, but seven simple rules that kept me tethered when everything else felt chaotic.

These aren't revolutionary. They're not Instagram-worthy. But they're mine. And on my worst days, they're what keep me moving forward.

Rule 1: Make the Bed, No Matter What

It sounds absurdly simple. It is. But on mornings when getting out of bed feels impossible, making it gives me one small win before 7 a.m.

After my breakup last year, there were days I didn't want to exist. But I made the bed. Smoothed the comforter. Arranged the pillows. That tiny act of order in the chaos told my brain: we're still showing up. We're still trying.

Some days, it's the only thing I accomplish. And that's okay. Because even on my worst day, I can point to one thing and say, "I did that."

Discipline isn't about perfection. It's about refusing to give up on yourself, even in small ways.

Rule 2: Move My Body for 10 Minutes

I'm not talking about intense workouts or gym sessions. On bad days, discipline looks like walking around the block. Doing gentle stretches. Dancing badly to one song in my kitchen.

Movement shifts something. Gets me out of my head and back into my body. Reminds me I'm capable of doing hard things, even when hard things feel impossible.

Last month, I lost a freelance client I'd counted on. I was spiraling, catastrophizing, convinced I'd end up broke and unemployed. I forced myself to walk. Just 10 minutes. By the time I got home, my brain had quieted enough to problem-solve instead of panic.

Rule 3: Eat One Real Meal

Depression and anxiety love to mess with appetite. I'll either eat nothing or eat everything that doesn't require preparation—crackers, cereal, whatever's easiest.

My rule: one meal with protein and vegetables. It doesn't have to be fancy. Scrambled eggs and spinach count. A rotisserie chicken and bagged salad count.

Nourishing my body, even when I don't feel like it, is an act of self-respect. It says: you're worth taking care of, even when you don't believe it.

Rule 4: Do One Thing on My List

On overwhelming days, my to-do list feels like a monster. Twenty tasks, all urgent, all impossible.

So I do one. Just one. Reply to one email. Pay one bill. Make one phone call I've been avoiding.

Progress isn't about finishing everything. It's about momentum. One thing leads to another. And even if it doesn't, even if I only complete that single task, I'm still moving forward.

Rule 5: Connect with One Person

Isolation is where bad days become bad weeks become bad months. When I'm struggling, every instinct tells me to hide, to cancel plans, to ghost everyone who cares about me.

My rule: reach out to one person. A text to a friend. A call to my mom. A genuine conversation with the barista instead of just ordering.

Connection reminds me I'm not alone. That other people are also struggling and showing up anyway. That being human means needing each other, especially on hard days.

Rule 6: No Scrolling Before Noon

Social media on bad days is poison. Everyone else looks successful, happy, put-together. Meanwhile, I'm in yesterday's pajamas eating cereal for dinner.

Comparison is discipline's enemy. So I don't look. No Instagram, no Twitter, no endless scrolling through other people's highlight reels while I'm living my behind-the-scenes disaster.

By noon, I've usually accomplished a few things. Built some momentum. I'm in a better headspace to engage without spiraling into comparison mode.

Rule 7: End the Day with Gratitude

This one feels hardest on bad days. What's there to be grateful for when everything went wrong?

But that's exactly when gratitude matters most. Because even on terrible days, something went right. The coffee was good. A stranger smiled. My cat curled up next to me. I made it through.

I keep a journal by my bed. Every night, I write three things. Some days it's profound stuff—meaningful conversations, personal breakthroughs. Other days it's "my bed is comfortable" and "I didn't give up."

Both count.

Gratitude doesn't erase the hard stuff. It just reminds me that life is more than the hard stuff.

The Power of Showing Up

Here's what these seven rules taught me: discipline isn't about being perfect or productive or impressive. It's about showing up for yourself when it's hardest to do so.

Bad days still happen. I still cry in coffee shop bathrooms. Still feel overwhelmed and anxious and uncertain.

But I don't disappear anymore. I don't let one bad day become a bad week because I stopped trying. These small, simple rules keep me anchored when everything else feels like it's spinning out of control.

You don't need a complicated system or a complete life overhaul. You just need a few non-negotiables—things you do regardless of how you feel, because they remind you who you are and who you're becoming.

On your worst day, you still deserve your own kindness. Show up for yourself. Even just a little. Especially then.

----------------------------------

Thank you for reading...

Regards: Fazal Hadi