Every day I wake up with a true and earnest desire to have a “good” day. To smile at strangers, do a good deed for no reason, to stay positive no matter what comes my way. I often long to have the carefree attitude of little children playing: just free to laugh and enjoy my day without concern.
Do you ever wish for that too? I know it’s not just me… I try my best and push daily to get as close to that as I can. And usually I do, but then there are those days, when it takes all that I have just to make it through. Have you ever felt that way? Like, the weight of the world is on your shoulders and too many things are coming at you from every direction? I know I’m not the only one…. And, Yes, even therapists can have those days. I am not immune to life and its stressors. Just like you, I experience heartbreak, fear, sadness, financial strain and conflict. And while sometimes they can be overwhelming, they never actually take me down. That’s because I have worked hard to find healthy ways to decrease their impact and frequency.
So, because I love to share and bring hope, I am going to pass on a few tips, so that when the stressors of life hit you, they don’t take you down either. Ready? Here we go…
3 Tips for Surviving the bad days of life…
1. Start the day with prayer. I know that sounds cliché, but I mean it. Before I even put my feet on the floor I talk to God about my day. I thank Him in ADVANCE for helping me to make it through and for giving me guidance. I ask Him to direct me, to lead me and to protect me. Doing this helps me to see the bigger picture, to see that it’s not all about me and to understand that God is in control. This frees me up from having to fix everything and gives me hope when I struggle during the day because I know He is with me.
2. Memorize a scripture for your specific struggle. I cannot emphasize this enough. The power of God’s word is not just that it’s written, but it is also a living tool that we are to use. Scripture is for learning, but it is also part of the Armor of God that He gives us to use to protect us and to fight against the troubles and struggles that we face. Ephesians 6:17 tells us to take up, “…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” A sword is a weapon that a soldier uses to fight of an enemy and that’s just what I use it for: battling the enemy of your joy (anger, fear, stress, sadness, etc). You don’t have to be a bible scholar either. Just pick up that phone, tablet, or whatever and google, “Scriptures for…” My favorite for times of weakness and stress, “I can do All things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13.
3. Take care of yourself. I know that sounds so basic, but I can’t count how many times when I’ve been stressed that I forgot to eat, drink water, get enough sleep. These are things that our bodies need to function, but we often neglect because we have to get the laundry done, or take the kids to practice, or finish up that last bit of work. Over time, our bodies become tired, run down and that leaves us open to stress, negativity and just plain bad choices. I mean, who hasn’t said or done something they regretting because they were tired or hungry? I know I have. Make it a point to schedule a meal, a five minute break, keep extra water with you, have a designated cut off time and get some much needed rest.
Look, don’t take my word for it. Try it out for yourself. I bet you will be amazed how implementing such small daily changes can help get you through. I know from experience that once you start, it will become like muscle memory. I can pinpoint bad days by checking to see if I have forgotten one of these 3 things. I mean of course there are many more that you can do, and I do have a whole arsenal, but these are my Top 3, go to survival tools of choice. Use them and see those good days start to multiply.
If you are in a place of complete overload and can’t seem to find the effort or if life is just too much right now, reach out for help. We are just an email (hdchristiancounseling@gmail.com) or phone call away 760-490-0109.
