How to Change Bad Luck

Co-authored by Kari Samuels

Last Updated: September 16, 2022 References Approved

Have you resorted to knocking on wood or carrying around a rabbit's foot to change your bad luck? While some people swear by superstitions, there are several things you can do to change your luck. Don't fear black cats and broken mirrors any longer! Instead, change your behavior and mindset. The good luck will follow you!

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Changing Your Behavior

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Relax. Learn to release tension on a regular basis. Tension keeps you from noticing chance opportunities and experiences.^{[1]
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Research source} Try to reduce the amount of stress in your life. To release tension, try meditating, going for a walk, or meeting up with friends.
- If you feel anxious, figure out what's making you tense. For example, if you're worried about oversleeping and missing the bus for work, make a backup plan. Arrange backup transportation in the event that you do oversleep and then stop stressing about it.
2
Listen to your intuition. By listening to your gut, you're allowing things to happen without trying to rationally control the outcome. This means you're open to chance opportunities and outcomes.
- Intuition is just one part of allowing chance to change your luck. You can't completely control events, but you can follow a hunch that might have rewards.^{[2]
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- To get in touch with your intuition, close your eyes, ground yourself, and take deep, slow breaths. Now, bring your awareness to your solar plexus area (around your rib cage). Ask your body yes or no questions and pay attention to how your body reacts. Start with questions or statements you know the answer to, like "My name is Sean" vs. "My name is Mary." Your body might expand for yes answers and contract for no answers. Then ask questions about your life and pay attention to what your body does and what feelings or images come up.
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Change up your routine. One of the biggest things you can do to change your luck is to expose yourself to new, chance opportunities. If you do the same thing everyday, you're limiting those opportunities. Changing your routine can be as simple as changing your route to work, talking to new people, or meeting up with friends at a new venue.^{[3]
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- Changing your routine may also make you happier, since you're less likely to become bored with a repetitive routine. Random experiences will create new opportunities.
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Avoid social media. Constant updates and messages can stress you out, make you feel lonely, and even make you envious. Avoiding social media will prevent you from comparing your luck and life with other people's situations.^{[4]
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- If you find it difficult to stay off of social media, try being active, enjoying nature, learning something new, listening to music, or exercising.^{[5]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Changing Your Mindset

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Open your mind to chance opportunities. Scientific studies have shown that luckier people have open minds and seek out chance opportunities.^{[6]
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Research source} Chance opportunities are those random encounters that seem to benefit lucky people.
- The good news is that by opening your mind, you're more aware of the chance opportunities.
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Deal with bad luck. Rather than focus on the negative outcome, appreciate any positives. For example, if you got into a car accident and needed costly car repairs, focus on how lucky you were to walk away uninjured. In doing so, you're creating your own good luck, simply by changing your outlook.
- On a similar note, be grateful. Some studies have shown that reflecting on things you're grateful for can make you happier and luckier.^{[8]
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Keep your future expectations high. Consider your dreams and set achievable goals to get you closer to meeting them. These goals will create opportunities and new experiences which are critical for changing your luck.^{[9]
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- Working toward future goals prevents you from getting stuck in a rut of a routine and exposes you to new people and situations.
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Be optimistic. When you're optimistic, you tend to view things positively, even if it's an outcome you don't want. In being optimistic, you can view a negative situation in a positive light.
- For example, imagine tripping and breaking your arm. An unlucky person would focus on how bad luck made him fall, while a lucky person would instead think how lucky he was that he broke his non-dominant hand.
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Be aware of things that bother you and do something about them. Believe that you have the power to change your situation. Start by addressing what's upsetting you and decide what you need to do to feel better about it. Whether it's financial, a relationship, school, or work, realize that you have the ability to turn the issue around positively.
- By changing your problem, realize that you have the power to effect change. You're not subject to the whims of luck or superstition.

Community Q&A

Question

How do you get rid of bad luck in an object?

Community Answer

Remove the object from your life. Its bad karma won't travel with it because it is situational, associated with your bad memories of it and whomever it was once attached to. You could dispose of it, recycle it, repurpose it or donate it. If you want to keep it, try putting it somewhere else in the house where it takes on a different meaning for you. However, if it really brings up bad memories, feelings, responses in you, then it's best to get rid of it.
Question

How do I remain positive in a negative environment?

Community Answer

Do not overthink. Try to change the environment around you, such as your friends or job. If you're religious, you can also try to trust in your faith.
Question

My Horoscope says I am going to have a bad day and I have a competition. Can I change that?

Jamie Wilson-Hull

Community Answer

Everyone has the potential to have a bad day. What really makes the difference in our days are not how the stars are aligned or the planets or what someone who writes a newspaper horoscope column says. It's what we do in our day, the choices we make, and how we deal with what happens that makes a day good or bad. It's all about perception. Just go to your competition with a positive attitude and you will be fine.