The Journey of Parenthood…

5 Quick Ways to Turn a Bad Day Around

We all have them. The days that make you want to pull your hair out.

Sometimes it’s the days that we just feel like crying.

Sometimes it’s the days that parenting gets the best of us.

Sometimes it’s the days that never seem to end.

Whatever it may feel like for you, we all have bad days. 

In the middle of the day yesterday, I couldn’t shake the bad day blues. 

I felt so stressed and I literally had to pull my car over and sit for a minute to figure out why I was feeling so stressed!

All of the things that were filling my day were fun things, but I quickly realized it was the amount of things, and yall, I was just a hot mess.

Over good things.

It occurred to me that sometimes, maybe not every time or every situation, we have the ability to turn our bad days around. 

I took some time to think through some things I have within my power to help turn a bad day around. Here’s what I came up with:

1. Pray

As a Christian, this should be our first line of defense on a bad day.

Some days, like yesterday, all I need is to take a minute and sit still before our Good Father and talk to Him about my day.

Prayer is an instant perspective shift because it immediately turns our attention off of ourselves and onto God. 

I also think it helps when during our prayer time, we always include gratitude.

Thinking of the things we have to be thankful for is a great, fast way to remember the good things we have going on.

2. Plan something fun

Sometimes if I am having a really bad day, I start planning my next Disney trip.

It may be a hypothetical dream trip, but Disney is my happy place and I love planning Disney trips.

I realize that may not be your thing and it certainly doesn’t have to be something as big as a Disney trip that you plan.

You could plan a date night with your spouse (some ideas for you), a girls night, or a fun new recipe to try for dinner. The idea is to think of something fun to look forward to. 

3. Turn on some happy music

I haven’t personally studied it, but there has to be some kind of phycological response to music somewhere in our subconscious.

Something happens when we hear happy music.

At least it does in my house with my people.

Whatever kind of music makes you happy, makes you sing a long, or maybe even dance a little bit, it might be just what your day needs to turn around. 

mom and son going from sad to happy - how just 5 minutes can turn a bad day into a good day

4. Talk to someone that makes you laugh

I have a friend named K.D. who makes me laugh sometimes just by thinking about her.

When I call her (or answer a call from her) sometimes we start laughing before we even start talking. On bad days, I like to call her.

Who is your K.D.? Who can you call or visit who you know will put a smile on your face? 

Or maybe you need your bestie who you can cry with.

That’s ok too. Call her.

Maybe it’s the same person.

The point is that bring your people and your tribe into you day can help you feel like you have some support and that you aren’t alone.

There’s nothing worse than having a bad day and feeling alone. 

5. Take 15 minutes for yourself

Here’s the thing I have found: 15 extra minutes in my day, that I devote to taking care of myself, can make or break my Mommin’ (my word for parenting or mothering or mommy-ing) for the day.

I feel refreshed after a shower, and even a stroke of mascara and a dab of lip gloss can make me feel more confident in my day.

I feel like just those few minutes of doing a little bit of self-care really can make a difference in my day.

A few months back, I wrote a blog post with some ideas about how to best use those 15 minutes.

You can check that out here: Taking Care of Mama: How 15 Minutes Can Radically Change Your Day.

Hopefully these ideas can help you when you find yourself in the middle of a bad day! Let me know what other things you have found helpful to turn your bad days around! 

Carrie is a Jesus-following, travel-planning, routine loving Mama, finding adventures in every day life. She is married to Kyle, and has four kids Laura Kate (8), Shepherd (5), Fischer (4), and Archer (2). You can find her at www.wileyadventures.com .

Emily Parker
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