Love shouldn’t hurt-ever

Love Shouldn't Hurt - Ever

Monday, 04 March 2024 12:41

Having a Bad Day?
by Teresia Smith

Bad days. We all have them. You may lock your keys in your car, step in a puddle, your hair just won’t cooperate, the kids are fighting on the way to school, you realize you forget something at home as you pull into work, you realize you have on two different shoes as you walk into an important meeting …. the list of possibilities is endless. For someone trying to overcome a traumatic experience, the simple bad day is magnified and we just want to crawl back into bed, pull the covers up and forget life for a while. But realistically, we all have to press on. But what can we do to find some peace and be able to cope with the days where problems seem to multiply and stuff seems not to make sense anymore? Here are a few ideas:
Try journaling. Write about your day, how it made you feel and how you overcame obstacles or coped with those feelings. Sometimes just putting it on paper and getting it out of your brain relieves you from frustration. Journaling is an effective way to combat depression as it allows you to examine the situation and possible see it from a different perspective. Writing out your feelings also utilizes your creativity and helps you to calm down and find peace.

Embrace the situation. You didn’t plan to have a bad day. Nobody does. But it will happen, because once in a while things won’t go according to schedule. Sometimes we try to control things too much and do not allow any flexibility. There will always be some things you just cannot control and you will have to react to. Staying flexible and willing to go with the flow will allow you to deal better with any situation. Control and order is certainty. Chaos is possibility. Where there is no possibility there is no growth. No chance of change, even for the better. Drop the need to control every outcome. Learn from today but keep open the opportunity to be better tomorrow.

Know that you are not defined by a bad day. You are the same person that had a great day yesterday or the day before. The same person that did that amazing something a couple of days back. Take time to crack a laugh, make fun of yourself.
“You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.” — John Maxwell
Is this one bad day going to cause the end of the world? Will it ruin your life forever? Most likely not. The sun will rise again tomorrow and we will face new challenges. Try to balance your feelings and look ahead. In a year from now, will you look back and laugh at the situation? Or will you even remember this day?

Refocus your attention. Before going to bed, think of three good things that happened today. Instead of going to bed with the covers over your head dwelling on the bad thing that happened, find those three good things to focus on. They may be small things but every day has something good to remember. And who knows, many times a very positive thing can come out of a bad experience. By doing this before bedtime, you will go to sleep with positive memories and you will wake with a different feeling about the prior day.

Remember, everyone has a bad day. Don’t let one bad day multiply into more bad days. Choose to work to overcome those bad days in which you doubt yourself and everything around you. Reset and count your blessings and look for a better tomorrow. Sometimes a trauma victim may need a listening ear to help work through the feelings brought on by a bad day.
If you are a victim of sexual assault or domestic violence and need a listening ear, we are here to help you. Contact your Crisis Services of North Alabama Jackson County Office at 256.574.5826 for an appointment today.