Having a Bad Day?

Holy cow, it’s been a tough week...

It’s been a doozy of a week. I’m still fighting a cold, for the third week in a row. Kids squabbling. Lack of sleep. Kids hitting other peoples’ cars with the door of our vehicle. A baby who screams for any amount of time that we are in the car...Just a tough week.

It has made me think about the best way to survive a bad day, and I thought I would share some of the ideas (that I keep reminding myself of) with you. Because we all have tough days (weeks/months/years). It’s totally normal!

⁃                      Just because I’m having a bad day doesn’t mean I have a bad life! It’s important to keep things in perspective (and pull them back into perspective when they go out of whack). I can focus on the fact that my little one keeps disobeying me and choose to feel like that is ruining my day, or I can choose to be thankful that I have a little one and realize that getting him to do his chores won’t always be this difficult (as long as I’m consistent). I can choose to focus on the little problem or I can look at the big picture and realize that the blessings outweigh the challenges.

⁃                      Get moving (preferably outside)! Joy has talked about how going on walks helps her when she’s having a bad day, and I second that 100%. One of the hardest parts of my injury was that I could not use this coping mechanism anymore. When I am having a bad day it so helps to get out in the fresh air and get my body moving. Exercising inside is harder. I love yoga but it’s not always possible to do it, especially if the kids are being needy. Hard to focus when they’re crawling all over you or the baby is crying! But you can find fun things to do with your kids to get your body moving on rainy days. Like crank the music up loud and dance around like lunatics. Or play hide and seek.

⁃                      Mix things up! If my daughter is having a really hard time with math and having a bad attitude about it, sometimes the best move is to stop with the math for a while and switch to a different subject. She knows full well that we will be coming back to the math lesson, but it gives her a chance to destress as well as myself. Maybe changing the activity plans for the day will help change the atmosphere.

⁃                      Do something fun! One of my favorite ways to turn a bad day around is to make a big batch of raw cookie dough (no eggs, and I use stevia or monk fruit instead of sugar) and give everybody a spoon and sit around the bowl and eat it together. It’s a special treat for us, and who can be grouchy when they are eating cookie dough? (here's a link to the recipe I use) Also, cuddling up to watch a movie together or playing a board game or baking together can be fun things to do.

⁃                      Find a moment alone! This can be very tricky. Right now I have a little baby who wants to be with mama most of the time. Hard to find time alone. But when you’re a parent anything can be a vacation. Strap the baby into his bouncy seat and put him on the floor of the bathroom while you take a hot shower. Or mandate a quiet time so the kids have to stay in their bedroom while you read the word and/or pray. Or wait till your hubby comes home and go for a walk just you and maybe the baby in the stroller.

⁃                      Ask for help! I’m not good at this one. I don’t like to admit that I need help or time away from my kids, but I do. This last week I’ve had two Grandmas offer to take the big kids and, though I love my kids to death, it was really what I needed. I pretty much just stayed in bed and nursed the baby while they were gone. My body got some rest even if I didn’t sleep. And my mind got a break, too.

⁃                      Find a friend! Maybe you don’t have a relative nearby to give you a break. To me the second best thing is to get together with a friend. Even if you have your kids with you, it gives you a break (of sorts) and you get to have a real grownup conversation (even though it may be interrupted several times). We women were designed to be social creatures, and spending time together can help turn around a hard day. Isolating yourself only makes things harder.

⁃                      Be creative! I don’t know about you, but I find creativity a huge part of my life. The times that I feel most stress are the times that I went the longest without creating something. It’s a bit tricky right now with the baby. However, there are many different forms of creativity. Rearranging a room or trying a new recipe. Just coloring with your toddler can stress relieving, too.

I love creating things for my kids' birthday parties. 

These are the things that help me. Hopefully some will help you. And I hope it helps you to know that we ALL have bad days. We are in it together, ladies.

God bless you,

Lee