How to roll with the punches

On Thursday, I wrote about my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, in which everything seemed to go wrong. We’ve all had them. These days can be frustrating, exhausting, and overwhelming. Sometimes you feel like the whole universe is out to get you. At the end of a horrible day day, you either want to cry, hide under the covers, eat a whole bowl of ice cream, or do all three at once. (Which I wouldn’t recommend, because that could get messy.) 🙂

So, after sharing my horrible day story with you guys (thanks for letting me vent!), I asked for some of your suggestions on how you deal with days where everything seems to be going wrong. And (as always) you had some great ideas:

Your tips…

Here are the great suggestions I got from you lovely B&B readers:

I try to remember what my husband always says: “Tomorrow is a new day.” –Marie

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When I’m having one of those days where everything seems to go wrong, sometimes I give myself permission to just feel bad about it! It’s okay to feel bad for a day—especially when every one of my best-laid plans goes awry!

I also like to cheer myself up by listening to a mix of happy songs. Especially many of the kick ass songs about turning around a bad day from my fave local Fort Collins band:

Bad Day
http://fiercebadrabbit.bandcamp.com/track/bad-day

Everything’s Alright
http://fiercebadrabbit.bandcamp.com/track/everythings-alright

As much as your day yesterday was really difficult, at the end of the day you and your family are healthy and okay—that’s what’s most important. <3 –Chrysta Bairre

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When I have a bad day at work or anywhere, I listen to classical music. I don’t know much about classical music, in fact I don’t know anything about it. But it helps me calm and soothe my mood so I can get on with what’s next. –Michelle’s Finance Journal

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I try to stop touching important things when those kinds of days happen. Order a pizza, sit on the couch, and quit trying. I know that sounds like terrible life advice, but sometimes it’s necessary! –April

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Sometimes all we need is to sit down and relax, hope tomorrow is a better day =) –Janine

All great suggestions, and ones I’m going to keep in mind the next time a horrible day hits!

…Plus some from me

Enjoy the little things. At the end of my bad day, just cuddling up on the couch with The Hubby watching TV felt lovely. It wasn’t the Date Night we’d planned on, but just being still, watching our favorite shows, and being snuggly was the best thing ever at the end of an awful day. Even when all the big things seem to be going wrong, try to take comfort in whatever little things you can. They can feel extra-special when you’re stressed.

Let go of being on top of things. By the end of the day, I had to just throw up my hands and admit there was nothing I could do to make the day go according to plans. Some things are beyond your control, even if you’re normally an “in control” person. If you try to fight it, or get mad about it, that doesn’t fix anything. Sometimes you just have to accept the fact that horrible days happen and let it go.

Laugh. As The Hubby and I got ready for bed Thursday night, something one of us said threw us into a fit of giggles…you know, the kind where you’re laughing so hard you start to tear up and your sides start to hurt? I don’t even remember what it was we found so funny…I think it was more a matter of us being exhausted, stressed, and really needing something to laugh about. And after we finally caught our breath, I have to admit I felt like the whole day had been lifted from my shoulders.

A sense of humor is huge when you’re dealing with stress. Looking back on my bad day, it does seem almost comical how much went wrong at every turn. If I’d stopped to laugh at how out of control it was, it would have made things easier. It also would have kept my mood more positive when I started to feel stressed and overwhelmed. Laughter really is the best medicine sometimes.

Did we leave out any other good tips? Let me know in the comments!

~Heart,

Em

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photo credit: Angela Cirrone