Part 5: Christian working women - dealing with a lousy day

Part 5: Dealing with a lousy day 😟

We all have lousy days.  It doesn't matter whether you are at home with small children or at work dealing with a difficult manager — some days just don't go to plan . . . they turn out horrible. 

By the end of the day we are grumpy, snappy, tired, worn-out and basically fed up. 

So what do you do?

Take things as slowly as you can because you brain is not likely to want to think very fast. Ignore anything too complicated (it will still be there tomorrow), cook something very simple for dinner that requires no brain power (or buy take-away), followed by long shower or bath and climb onto the couch, feet up and watch something mindless and try and recover. For those with children it is much harder, but get hubby to help is always a good idea. Just remember to not snap at them as it isn't their fault that you had a lousy day. 

Below are some tips for recovering from a lousy day. These aren't my bright ideas (I wish they were), but I liked them enough to share them with you.  They are from the website "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. Points 11 to 15 are ones I have added to the list—point 15 is the most important of all - its about having a private conversation with God.

1. Resist the urge to “treat” yourself. Often, the things we choose as “treats” aren’t good for us. The pleasure lasts a minute, but then feelings of guilt, loss of control, and other negative consequences just deepen the lousiness of the day. So when you find yourself thinking, “I’ll feel better after I have a a pint of ice cream ask yourself – will it REALLY make you feel better? It might make you feel worse.

2. Do something nice for someone else - it creates a distraction and makes someone else happy and that in turn makes you feel less lousy.

3. Distract yourself.  Watching a funny movie or TV show is a great way to take a break, or I often re-read beloved classics of children’s literature. It gets your mind off the "problem" and you feel much better afterwards.

4. Stay in contact. When you’re having a lousy day, it’s tempting to retreat into isolation. Studies show, though, that contact with other people boosts mood. So try to see or talk to people, especially people you’re close to.

5. It’s a cliché, but things really will look brighter in the morning. Go to bed early and start the next day anew. Also, sleep deprivation puts a drag on mood in the best of circumstances, so a little extra sleep will do you good.

6. Keep perspective. Ask yourself: “Will this matter in a month? In a year?” even tomorrow.

7. Be grateful. Remind yourself that a lousy day isn’t a catastrophic day. Be grateful that you’re still on the “lousy” spectrum. Probably, things could be worse.

8. Write it down. When something horrible is consuming my mind, I find that if I write up a paragraph or two about the situation, I get immense relief.

9. Tell yourself, “Well, at least I…” Get some things accomplished. Yes, you had a horrible day, but at least you went to the gym, or played with your kids, or walked the dog, or read your children a story, or recycled.

10. Exercise is an extremely effective mood booster – but be careful of exercise that allows you to ruminate. For example, if I go for a walk when I’m upset about something, I often end up feeling worse, because the walk provides me with uninterrupted time in which to dwell obsessively on my troubles.

11. Have a long hot bubble bath or a long shower.

12. Lie on the couch with your husband with calm music playing in the background and candles scenting the room.

13. An evening stroll with your husband and watch the sunset.

14. Talk with your husband about your day . . . bottling up your problems doesn't help at all, a marriage is all about sharing our good and our bad and getting through them togethe

And most importantly —have a private conversation with God, He is waiting to hear from you. By the end of the conversation you will feel so much better. However, I would recommend that you start this conversation way earlier in the day before things went pear shaped. 

And remember, tomorrow is another day and it is bound to be brighter

Joy cometh in the morning 

 Psalm 30:5

Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.

1 Peter 5:7