A to Z Blogging Challenge

B is for...Bad Days...How to Survive (and maybe even make it a good day!)
By Shelly Burke, RN, Author, and Publisher of the Nebraska Family Times 

Having a bad day once in awhile is inevitable. Some days are bad from the start, and some days start out promising and go downhill from there. A bad day can be the result of  a fight with your spouse, fighting kids, bills, illness, a low bank balance, waking up late...the possibilities are endless--and sometimes there is no discernible reason--it's just one of those days. 

Here are some suggestions for getting through a bad day. 

• If you feel your day going downhill, try to stop the slide. Begin with God. One of the verses that comes to my mind when I'm consciously trying to make the day better is "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" (Psalm 118:24). When I begin to make a list of my blessings, and the list just keeps getting longer and longer, I'm often lifted out of my bad mood.
• Take a shower, dress at least neatly (despite what might be your desire to wear your grubbiest, most comfortable clothes), put a smile on your face, and make a point of being nice to everyone. 
• Turn on some of your favorite music. Dance if you're so
  
  inspired--even if somebody else is watching!--exercise releases "feel good" hormones.
• Go outside and get some fresh air--even if it's cold, snowing, or raining. The change of scenery may translate into a change of mood.  

Sometimes, however, these "feel good" tips will just make you feel worse. No matter what, it's going to be a bad day. When this is the case, resolve yourself to having the best, bad day, that you can. 

• First, get rid of any guilt. It's ok to have an "off" day once in awhile, as long as you don't do anything immoral or illegal...(it IS ok to do something fattening on a bad day). 
• Next, pick something quick and simple from your to-do list and just do it. Wash a load of towels (they're the easiest to fold), water the plants, clean out a junk drawer (you'll throw lots of junk away!). If you don't have anything quick on your list, choose something simple and write it down so you'll have the satisfaction of crossing it off. Then, forget your to-do list for the rest of the day. 
• Then, indulge in doing things you usually don't take the time to do; call a friend and talk for an hour. Have a Pinterest marathon. Read that stack of magazines that's been on your bedside table for months. Take a nap. Take a long bath. Take a long walk. Eat chocolate...for breakfast. Window shop--in real life or via computer--for a few hours. Scrapbook. Don't cook; ask your husband to bring home supper or order pizza. 
• Finally, spend time with your kids, doing things you're usually too busy to--spend the whole afternoon at the park. Get ice cream. Cuddle while watching movies. Play your favorite games. 

Eventually your bad day will be over--hopefully it will have improved! But if not, at least it's over. Before you go to sleep, think about the things you did to nurture yourself. Resolve to do them more often. Pray for a better tomorrow, and ask God to make you aware of the time you need to spend taking care of yourself. 

In "Lifehacks for Christian Moms", available as a download in May, you'll also find tips for dealing with your husband when he's having a bad day, and your kids when they are having a bad day. If you'd like to be notified of new posts, sign up in the sidebar to the right of this post. 

I'm also doing the A to Z Challenge at Nebraska Family Times where the theme is "Words Matter."