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We’ve all been there—stuck in the middle of a string of bad luck, wondering when our fortunes will change. Whether it’s a series of small annoyances or significant setbacks, it can feel like the universe is conspiring against you. But is bad luck really just random, or is there something more at play? In this post, we’ll dive into five strategies for dealing with a streak of bad luck and how to turn things around. From checking your mindset to reframing unfortunate events, these steps will help you break free from a losing streak and start seeing the good in even the toughest situations.
1. Check Your Mental and Emotional State
Have you been going through your days all gloom and doom? Are you being pessimistic and cynical? Do you regularly have thoughts like, “That’s just my luck!”?
If your mindset and emotional state are negative, you will attract more negative things into your life. I’m sure you’ve experienced it before: first, you stub your toe as you get out of bed, then your toothbrush falls over as you apply toothpaste, you spill your coffee, and next thing you know, you’re late for work. The perfect series of unfortunate events that got rolling by one small accident.
If you find yourself in the middle of such a streak of bad luck, take a moment to breathe and reset. Close your eyes, and take deep and steady breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. As your breath leaves your body, release your annoyance and anger with whatever bad luck you’ve experienced recently. Move through all the unfortunate events one by one, and only move on to the next when the memory feels lighter and less burdensome.
2. Check If This is a Limiting Belief at Work
Sometimes, we experience bad luck even when we are feeling good and thinking optimistically. In those cases, the streak of bad luck could be caused by a limiting belief.
For example: You’ve been saving money bit by bit, and your bank account is starting to look really nice. You’re thrilled and consider treating yourself. Unfortunately, you haven’t dealt with your limiting belief that money is always scarce and hard to earn. As a result, life suddenly throws you a financial curveball that sets you back to the monetary level you energetically embody. This could happen in the form of a broken washing machine, a flat tire, or a stolen phone.
The same thing happens in other areas of life: People who have finally lost a lot of weight experience setbacks and gain it back; students who study hard for an A suddenly do much worse on the next exam.
The point is, you will always hit your imaginary ceiling until you get rid of the limiting beliefs that keep it there. Your streak of bad luck might just be a compensation for you doing better than you’re ready for—like a stretched elastic snapping you back to where you started, or even further.
3. It Might Just Be Good Luck if You Look at It from the Right Angle
Sometimes, we don’t realize that what we call ‘bad luck’ has actually been good luck in disguise. We seem to think that the only alternative to this unfortunate event is everything going perfectly. However, it is very possible that things could have gone much worse. Sure, you might be a bit late for work, but did you notice how many green traffic lights you passed? Those could have been red and delayed you even more.
It sucks if your internet connection breaks down, but consider how much worse it could have been—during a ticket presale or in the middle of a business Zoom meeting, for example.
Not all bad luck can be reframed as good luck in disguise, but the more often we look at it like that, the easier it becomes to see the hidden advantages behind all unfortunate events.
4. Search for the Lesson
A lot of the time, bad luck is there to teach us a lesson. If it’s a series of bad luck, it might be a lesson you’ve repeatedly resisted learning.
The best thing to do in these cases is to reflect on the situation and think about what you could have done better. Sometimes, the answer will practically jump out at you. Other times, it’ll take journaling or meditation to glimpse what the lesson might be.
If these things had happened to a friend, what advice would you give them? Looking at it from an outsider’s perspective can help a lot. Alternatively, you could actually ask someone else for their opinion on what the hidden lesson might be.
5. Don’t Despair!
If all of the points above fail to make the situation better, keep this in mind: This too shall pass.
How many times in your life have you experienced similar frustrating events? My guess is dozens of times, yet it’s hard to remember them because we forget about them so quickly. While it may feel like luck has abandoned you at the moment, soon enough, you’ll be back on track and forget all about it.
And if it’s so easy to forget, then it really isn’t that important. So why let it upset you so much? It seems like a waste of time and energy.
While bad luck might feel inevitable, it’s important to remember that it’s just part of the game—whether in life, business, or even baseball. The key is to not get stuck in your own head or fall into the trap of bad habits.
By examining your mindset, searching for hidden lessons, and reframing your situation, you can break the cycle and move in the right direction. The next time you’re hit with bad beats, use these strategies to push through and look forward to better days.
After all, even in the worst streaks of bad luck, there’s always a lucky break waiting just around the corner.
