12 Best Answers to “How’s Your Day Going?”

Each day, many of us are faced with the question “how is your day going?” by coworkers and friends. When we get home, we are once again faced with the question “how was your day?” by a partner or family member.

It can be hard to know exactly what to reply to these questions. Do we have to say how the day really is going, or can we just use a standard polite answer? Luckily, we’re here to help you!

Here are the 12 best answers to “how’s your day going?”:

  • Great, thanks for asking
  • It’s been (adjective)
  • Explain your day
  • It’s been a tough one
  • It’s not going very well
  • Where do I even begin?
  • A couple of unexpected things happened
  • Same as always
  • Nothing new to report
  • I suppose it could be worse
  • Not bad, but there’s still time
  • It could be better

Now, continue reading to figure out when to choose the polite versions and when to actually tell people how you feel. We’ve provided some helpful examples that show how to answer “how’s your day going?” in different contexts.

1. Great, Thanks for Asking

“Great, thanks for asking” is a generic response that you can use when you receive a “how’s your day going” message.

Of course, you can replace “great” with any adjective (positive or negative) that describes your day in a general way.

In general, most people will expect a response like this when they ask “how’s your day going.” It’s common for people to dismiss the question with a quick, generic response.

However, it’s still polite, so don’t worry about offending people if you use it. It’s especially appropriate in a professional context.

Now, here are a few examples of how to use this response in practice:

Person 1: How’s your day going?

Person 2: It was great, thanks for asking.

Person 1: So, how’s your day going?

Person 2: Great, thanks for asking.

2. It’s Been (Adjective)

“It’s been (adjective)” is another polite response you can use when someone asks about your day.

You can decide which adjective you want to place after “been” to show how your day has gone. You don’t need to elaborate further than that unless you want to.

This response is still quite generic. There’s a bit more to it than the response “great, thanks for asking,” since you have the freedom to pick the adjective you use.

Therefore, this makes the response quite diverse, as you can adjust it to both formal and informal contexts.

However, it’s still a common response that you’ll find a lot of people use.

Person 1: How’s your day going?

Person 2: It’s been good. I’m glad it’s over, though.

Person 1: Alright, how’s your day going?

Person 2: It’s been okay, thank you. How about yours?

3. Explain Your Day

Explaining your day is by far one of the best choices for responding to “how’s your day going.”

If you want to be honest and tell people how you feel, you should just start to explain what’s happened during your day.

However, you don’t have to explain every detail. You only need to explain the ones that you find most relevant. Explain all of the details that you think have had a profound impact on your current mood.

Therefore, explaining your day will give the asker a chance to get to know what really happened during your day. If you’ve had a good one, they can enjoy it with you. If you’ve had a bad one, they can ask you if you’re doing okay and learn what’s happened.

Lastly, here are some examples of how you can explain how your day is going:

Person 1: Hey! How’s your day going?

Person 2: I woke up quite early today because I didn’t sleep very well. After I got myself ready, I still felt quite tired, so I needed my morning coffee!

Person 1: How was your day?

Person 2: It went well. I finally got a chance to speak to my professor about something that has been bugging me for ages!

4. It’s Been a Tough One

“It’s been a tough one” shows that you’ve had a hard day. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to explain more about your day or not.

Generally, this is a polite response that allows you to explain more about your day. If you choose to elaborate, it could give the person asking about your day a chance to comfort you.

However, you shouldn’t use this response, if you’re in a very professional context, as it might not be appropriate to start explaining what a hard day you’ve had.

Nonetheless, here’s how to use this answer in an informal context:

Person 1: How’s your day going?

Person 2: It’s been a tough one. Do you mind if I don’t talk about it for a little bit?

Person 1: How’s your day going?

Person 2: It’s been quite tough. I’d love to talk to you about it if that’s okay?

5. It’s Not Going Very Well

“It’s not going very well” is an honest response that shows you’re having a hard time.

Very often, a lot of people dismiss these questions and say something like, “it’s fine” or “I’m okay.” However, this phrase allows you to be a bit more honest about your situation.

Furthermore, if you’re close to the person asking about your day, you’ll find that this phrase works well. It shows that you’re happy to open up to the asker, and you might want to share more about your day with them.

Lastly, take a look at these examples to see what we mean:

Person 1: How’s your day going today?

Person 2: It’s not going very well so far. I’m hoping things will change now.

Person 1: How’s your day going?

Person 2: It’s not going very well. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do next.

6. Where Do I Even Begin?

“Where do I even begin” is a great response that shows there is a lot to unpack about your day.

This phrase works best when you have gone through a lot (either positive or negative). You should always elaborate when you use this response to “how’s your day going.”

Answering a question with a question in this context isn’t ideal. It can be flippant if you don’t choose to explain more about your day.

Generally, when you use this question, you should make sure you’re ready to explain some of the things that happened.

These examples will make it more clear how you can use this answer:

Person 1: How is your day going?

Person 2: Where do I even begin? So many things have happened, and I don’t know what to tell you about first.

Person 1: How’s your day going?

Person 2: Where do I even begin? I really don’t know how I’m supposed to respond to today’s events.

7. A Couple of Unexpected Things Happened

“A couple of unexpected things happened” is an interesting response that leaves some things up to the imagination.

Unless you want to specify what the “unexpected things” are, you can leave the asker with some mystery behind the question.

Moreover, because of the mystery behind this answer, you can use it in different contexts, both formally and informally.

Lastly, here are some examples that show how you can use this phrase:

Person 1: How’s your day going?

Person 2: A couple of unexpected things happened. If you’ve got the time, I’d love to tell you about them.

Person 1: How has your day been?

Person 2: Well, a couple of unexpected things happened! That’s about all I want to share about it, though.

8. Same as Always

“Same as always” is a standard response used by many native speakers.

It’s somewhat dismissive, but if you don’t often do things in your day that will change your mood, you can use this response to show that your day is just like any other.

For the most part, this phrase works well when you already know the person who is asking about your day.

If you’re short on time and don’t want to explain a lot about your day, this is a great response to use. However, if you’re close to the person asking, they might not be satisfied with this standard phrase.

Lastly, here’s how the phrase works in context:

Person 1: How’s your day going?

Person 2: It’s the same as always. Thanks for asking, though.

Person 1: How’s your day been?

Person 2: The same as always. It very rarely changes, to be honest.

9. Nothing New to Report

“Nothing new to report” is a good choice that shows that nothing substantial has happened during your day.

Moreover, it’s a fairly standard response, but it comes with a bit of extra flair that shows you’re not dismissing the original question.

Furthermore, this response to “how’s your day going” works especially well in formal contexts.

Person 1: How’s your day going?

Person 2: There’s nothing new to report. I still haven’t had a chance to fix some issues.

Person 1: How’s your day been going?

Person 2: There’s nothing new to report. I’ll let you know if anything changes.

10. I Suppose It Could Be Worse

“I suppose it could be worse” is an optimistic way to view a bad day.

If many bad things have happened during your day, but you still want to give off a positive vibe, this response might be a good choice.

Furthermore, saying that your day “could be worse” implies that you know you’re still fortunate in your life. While some things might be going wrong for you, nothing drastic has happened that might have ruined your mood.

Now, here’s how to use this answer to “how’s your day going”:

Person 1: How’s your day going, Steven?

Person 2: I suppose it could be worse. I’ve not had a great one, but I’m still standing.

Person 1: How’s your day going?

Person 2: I suppose it could be worse. I’m trying to keep a positive outlook on it.

11. Not Bad, But There’s Still Time

“Not bad, but there’s still time” is a somewhat pessimistic response you can use when someone asks about your day.

“Not bad” indicates that nothing has gone wrong in your day yet. “There’s still time” shows that you’re anticipating something to change about that.

Technically, the change can be good or bad. “Not bad” is a fairly neutral phrase, so your day could get better or worse, depending on whatever happens next.

Lastly, this response works in many different contexts as it is neither formal nor informal. It’s a more funny response than some of the other alternatives we’ve included. Especially if you say it with a humorous tone of voice.

Take a look at these examples:

Person 1: How’s your day going so far?

Person 2: Not bad, but there’s still time for all of that to change. I’m being cautious.

Person 1: How’s your day going?

Person 2: Not too bad, thanks. There’s still time for that to change.

12. It Could Be Better

“It could be better” is a response that you can use when your day isn’t going according to plan.

If you have done things in your day that has had a negative impact on your mood, you can say “it could be better.”

Moreover, it’s usually a good way of getting the original asker to dive deeper into the question. It might help them to learn more about you and what has happened.

Therefore, you shouldn’t use this answer to “how’s your day going” in strictly professional contexts. It could leave the original asker in quite an awkward situation if you don’t really know them.

Finally, take a look at these examples to learn more about the usage of this response:

Person 1: How’s your day going?

Person 2: It could be better. I just wish I had a few more people to talk to about this stuff.

Person 1: How’s your day going?

Person 2: It could be better. I don’t really want to talk about it.

Hopefully, you now know how to respond to “how’s your day going” – whether it be in formal or informal contexts you’re being asked about your day!