Top 10 Ways to Make a Bad Day Better 

This was kind of what I felt like doing at parts of the day today,
but it would not have been as helpful as anything on this list.
(This is not to say that I do not do this on the particularly difficult days.)

You’re having a terrible day.
Maybe you woke up in a bad mood.
Maybe no one wanted to get out of bed and you had to try to dress them while they kicked, and repeat yourself 30 times just to get them into the car.
Then out of the car.
Maybe you are just fried from an already-long week.
Whatever it is: it’s hard! Cazy hard! Parenthood, parenting toddlers, parenting kids who don’t feel like doing homework at the moment, cooking healthy meals, cleaning your house, working for heaven’s sake, PARENTING the way you’re supposed to, meaning following through with rules and punishments, and sticking to schedules and making sure you raise GOOD kids. It’s Friggin hard, and exhausting. Not always, but today, it really was. Today was the type of day when carrying 2 toddlers (one upside down) through the parking lot, TO and FROM the classroom, just to pick up my older 2 was just about the EASIEST thing I did all day.

 So since it’s been a bad day...a long, long, exhaustingly bad day...this will be short and sweet.
I used up 4 of these suggestions today, am currently on the 5th, and it has made this day less painful than it would have been otherwise.
So, read on, pick your poison, and use one, or a few, on your bad day. I hope it helps.

10. Call a good friend and/or one of your sisters.
Complain, vent, curse, let it all out, until you hear enough consoling on the other side to make you feel like you’ve gotten a hug through the phone. Just talking about the crap that is happening to you and having someone understand and empathize is a great way to get the bad stuff out of you, and to hear a potential silver lining/similar sob story so you can laugh and feel better.

9. Vacuum.
The entire house. And the hallways. And then take the stick thing and vacuum any cobwebs in the rooms or under the beds. Carry the baby on your hip if you have to to get through this- she/he will be happy to be carried, and you’ll get it done. Afterwards, your floors will all be clean, and for some reason, the sound of the vacuum and the feeling of getting every room at least semi-cleaner always makes me feel better.
 (I did this one today)

8. Clean out your refrigerator.
 (I am by no means a neat freak...but cleaning when I’m upset/mad/having a bad day has always made me feel better for some reason, seeing the end result is nothing but uplifting!) You’ve been meaning to get to it anyhow, so throw out any old, expired bottle and take every dang shelf out and wash it in the sink, clean out the veggie drawers till they are shiny. Wa-la, clean fridge, better outlook on life.
 (I did this one today too)

 7. Snuggle with your baby and/or kids.
 The very same kids that can drive you nuts are also the ones you love more than life itself. Nothing like the smell of my baby’s head/neck, nuzzling her belly with my nose to make her laugh and make me forget why I was frustrated.
 (Of course I did this today, it is my favorite thing in the world)

 6. Download a book/Go buy a good book. Read it. 
This doesn’t always work, because...uh....you’re a parent, and you have 6 billion things to do, and even if you had an extra minute to read, you might feel so guilty you could barely concentrate. BUT...if you’re having a particularly bad day, and you happen to have no kids around for a little while, immerse yourself in the story of someone else’s life to forget about whatever is annoying you at the moment. Works for me, every time.

5. Go for a run.
 Do some sprints, go as far as you can until you feel like you’re going to collapse. Strap your baby/child into the jog stroller, snack 'em up, and get to it. I’ve had my best runs when I’ve had my worst days.

4. Take a nap.
THIS, like reading a book, is nearly impossible if you have kids/job/house/responsibilities of any sort. That said, your day is crummy enough, and your kids are napping too, pick up your lavender eye pillow (which is a must for any bad day- see Whole Foods), put it on, and replace your thoughts with clouds so your subconscious can work out whatever is buggin you.

3. Pray. Or go to church if there is a mass at a time you can attend.
This obviously only works if you are holy, but even if you are a teensy bit holy, I have found that the act of stopping and praying, and most definitely attending church puts things into perspective and drains me of my woe-is-me-ness.

2. CrossFit.
 If you don’t belong to one, and you have a lot of bad days, then you should consider joining one. The incredibly challenging workouts, combined with the super supportive environment, followed by lying on the ground thanking GOD that you managed to get through that, and the euphoria of being so happy to complete it is just incomparable to much else.
 (This was the one thing that turned by day around almost completely until....the rest of the day was even nuttier!!)

1. WINE. or BEER.
I am drinking a beer right now and am thankful for it. I would recommend waiting until all the kids are asleep so you can enjoy it and listen to your quiet house. Warning: A 12-pack may make your day wayyy worse, so stick to just 1-3 glasses/beers.

That’s it! Here's to a GREAT day for all of us tomorrow, because a crummy day has to be followed by a wonderful  amazing few....
~Marisa