Make Tough Days Better by Doing These 3 Things

You wake up in the morning and you just know it’s going to be a tough day. Maybe it’s your first day back at work after vacation. Maybe you’re not feeling well or you didn’t get much sleep. Here are three simple strategies to make tough days better.

Give the Day to God

I can’t remember when or where I read this (it might have been in Guideposts), but I’ve made this prayer part of my morning routine every day for the past few years. It helps make tough days better for me. It helps everyday be better, and it goes like this:

Good morning, Lord.

This is Your day.

Guide me in all I do and say.

Help me to love the people you put in my path today.

I usually pray this to myself when I first wake up and I’m still lying in bed. Knowing I will need to get up soon, I just consciously give the day to God. When I pray about loving those that are put in my path, I am sometimes thinking of difficult students. Sometimes I’m thinking of my family or friends. After this little prayer, I often read my Bible and pray some more once I get up, if I have time. No matter what, though, I always start my day by praying the prayer above and remembering the One who is in control of every one of my days.

Find the Gift

I can make tough days better by finding the gift in every day, which means looking for the good. I learned this from one of my friends whose son was going through treatments for cancer. A person on the medical staff encouraged my friend’s family with those words. Even when things are tough, look for something good in each day, something to be thankful for. It might be a parking spot that opens up just when you need one, or finding some money in the pocket of a pair of pants you put on. That happened to me the other day. I found money in two pockets! It’s the little things sometimes, right?

Give a Day-Brightener Away

To make tough days better, look for something to give to someone else to make his or her day brighter. You could give some change to the bell-ringer with the red bucket.  Give something away that you no longer need or use. You could go out and buy a small gift for someone, such as one suggested in one of my previous blog posts. An even more meaningful gift might be something you don’t spend money on. You might give a kind word, a smile or a friendly “Hello!”  Leave a nice note for your spouse or a friend to find in an unexpected place. Give a listening ear to someone who needs to talk.  The options are plentiful!

Here Are Some Ideas for Things You could Make and Give Away

• Easy Origami Greeting Card
• How to Make Pressed Flower Greeting Cards: An Easy DIY
• Easy Blueberry Syrup
• Easy Homemade Applesauce
• Super Easy Quick Dill Pickles
• Easy Raspberry Blueberry Jam
• Easy Rhubarb Jam

What Are Your Favorite Ways to Make a Tough Day Better?

These ideas I’ve shared are just the few that I use frequently. If you have any favorites you would like to share, I’d love to hear about them. I always appreciate recommendations from friends. If you like what you’ve read today, please consider subscribing. If you do, I have plenty of free day-brighteners for you, like this free ebook filled with easy recipes.

 

I try to conclude my posts with a positive message, and I always wish the best for everyone, but if you have a tough day, maybe these strategies will help. Give the day to God, find the gift, and give something positive away, even on the tough days. Especially on the tough days.