I had a young friend, a long time ago, who would start her prayers at the end of the day in one of two ways:
or
It still makes me laugh a little, the way she phrased it, but sometimes that really does just sum it up, doesn’t it?
photo courtesy of ©Depositphotos.com / stokkete
On the days when things are, for the most part, going well, it is easy to find ourselves at the end of the day with a grateful and well… a more balanced perspective on life. But on days that could easily fall into the category of “not the best day in the world” – it can be trickier to land there.
I’ve just had two days in a row that were definitely not the best days in the world. In retrospect, I’m not sure there’s a whole lot I could have done to prevent these past two days from going the way they did, but there are a few things I’ve learned to do over time that seriously helped me get through them. If you’re having a bad day, or know someone who is, maybe these four things can help you, too.
One of the things that makes a lousy day worse is feeling like you’re alone in the middle of it. Everyone else is having the best day ever (you’re so sure – I mean, look at all their happy pictures and positive statuses online!) – while you feel like you’re going down.
Now is not the time to feel sorry for yourself because no one is noticing. Now is the time to tell someone you trust: “I am having a really crummy day.” You’d be amazed at how much it helps knowing that someone gets it, and is pulling for you.
If you can get out for awhile, sometimes a change of scenery will do wonders for your perspective. If a project at work is not going well, try taking a coffee break, talking it over with a friend, or even just setting it aside for awhile. If someone is driving you batty – choose to walk away from the situation without addressing it until you’ve calmed down enough to see the situation clearly.
And if you can’t get away – well, remember that at some point in the (hopefully near) future – this day will be over. Just do your best to keep it together with dignity and poise. You might be surprised at your ability to get through a tough day well when you dig deep.
It was more than fifteen years ago that I first heard my young friend tell God that she hadn’t had the best day in the world, but her words have stuck with me all this time – because beyond just being a great way to phrase it, those words also taught me an incredibly significant lesson: being honest with God is the best way forward through the heartache of a not-so-great day.
She simply told Him: “This is what happened, this is how I feel about it, and here’s what I hope You will do about it.” Then she went on to thank Him for the good things in her life and to pray for the people she loved best.
God won’t always “fix” things the way we wish He would – but He welcomes an honest heart (He knows the whole truth anyway) – and inviting Him into conversation about your day can help you see what you need to about yourself and/or what happened today, and move past it in healthier ways.
Never underestimate the restorative nature of a nap – or a good night’s sleep. You can function for awhile without quite enough sleep, but regular patterns of rest will help your ability to stay positive and think clearly, even when things aren’t going well.
Also, no matter how busy you are, remember that taking time out to do things that are restful and restorative for you personally – like running or biking or reading a book – will actually make you a happier and more productive person later. I’m sure there are statistics out there that already prove this as a general truth, but to keep it personal – I can tell you for a fact that a big cup of tea and an episode of Gilmore Girls at the end of a lousy day will do wonders for my attitude.
What about you? What do you find helpful on days that are just not the greatest? I’d love to hear about your strategies in the comments.
