Top 5 Ways to Manage Stress When You’re Having a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Sometimes, even as adults, we can feel like Alexander and the Terrible Horrible no good very bad day. No matter what we do or say or try, our day keeps getting worse and worse.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t try to keep your head up  (and maybe even smile) as you’re trudging through.  So I’ve compiled  my top 5 ways to manage stress and get through tough days one piece.

 

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How to Make it Through  When You’re Having a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

We’ve all been there. We’ve all had those Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Days.

The kind where things start off bad and just get progressively worse.

And the only ray of light is that we’ll probably look back on this awful day and just laugh because we actually made it through Alive.

Well, recently, I had one of those ridiculously bad days.  And I thought I’d share it with you so when YOU have one of those days, you’ll remember that YOU’RE NOT ALONE.

Now–I am a bit of a storyteller, so this is a little long.

If you are in a rush, FEEL FREE TO SCROLL THROUGH TO THE END.  My top 5 Stress-Reliever tips are at the end of the post.

And PLEASE remember to Pin this post to come back and read anytime you need a pick-me-up or advice on managing mom-stress.

HERE We Go…

A Bad Start….

I woke up and my daughter was complaining her head was itchy. I looked carefully and thought I saw nits.  Could it be lice??

This better not turn into a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

 

Good news, we get an appointment at the professional lice removal place across town.

Even better news, after our hour long head inspection, we find out we don’t have lice, just dry scalp.

Things aren’t so bad after all.

We head out to get special celebratory ice cream!

But……

In the car, no one is listening to me.  I just keep hearing arguing and bickering from the back seat.

I give several warnings about losing the special ice cream as I navigate traffic….

The arguing escalates to hitting.

Then I see…A BABY DOLL FLY  across the back seat.

“THAT’S IT,” I say loudly “NO special ice cream on the way home!”

 

This is turning into a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

I think I’ll move to Australia.

Consequence time…

Then I hear a LOUD scream and have to slam on the break as I almost hit the car in front of me.

“NOW what’s going on?” I ask angrily.

“She’s bothering me and took my doll!”

“That’s it!” I proclaim. “NO TV when you get home. In fact, you’re both going to your room.”

 

I make a mental note to look up airfare for Australia.

 

It’s definitely becoming a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

 

 

We finally arrive home and get out of the car. There’s unnecessary shoving and then crying.

“What happened this time?”

“Cassidy whipped her ponytail in my face and the preventative lice mousse got in my eye!”

We run to the bathroom and FLUSH the little one’s eye.

 

This is now officially a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

 

Do they even HAVE lice in Australia?

 

Soapy Painted Dinner…

Later that day, we get home late from dance class.  I rush around to make dinner. I get the macaroni out of the pot and into the colander.  Then my older daughter says she needs help with her Homework.

I turn for a second to  help my older daughter with her homework when I hear a “Mommmmmmy! Ummmm, I think I messed up dinner.”

I turn back and see my younger daughter washing PAINT off her hands in the sink with the PASTA colander!

 

I’m having a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

 

And Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse…

Then I remember I need to print out one more entry form for my daughter’s art contest. I find the form on the PTA website and notice a new Rules of Entry notice that states “No Stapled Canvases allowed!”

What?!

I re-read it again and then look at my daughter’s mixed media piece on stapled canvas. The piece that she spent weeks working on.

How could we have missed such important information?

Would she be disqualified?

I get really upset. I’m sad. I’m mad. I’m angry.

I look over the information packet I had and there’s nothing about stapled canvases being illegal. Now I’m confused. And I feel #MOMGUILT creeping in since we somehow did this wrong.

I TRY to breathe in and relax. I KEEP BREATHING.

And I start to think of a solution-maybe we can unstaple it and remount it….

 

I’m exhausted.

This has turned out to be a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

I bet every day in Australia is perfect.

 

Stress! It’s what’s for dinner.

“Mommmmm….We still need dinner.”

OH DINNER!

I scramble and find a bag of tortilla chips and whip together some bean nachos.

Luckily, no one notices they chips are stale except me.

 

Which is GOOD because even though this has been a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day…It’s now time for bed.

And I know tomorrow will be much better….even if we’re not in Australia.

 

Do you ever feel like Alexander and the Terrible. Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day?  Check out my Top 5 Tips for managing stress and staying positive even when your day keeps getting worse and worse. Click To Tweet

Top 5 Ways to Manage Stress When You’re Having a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Tip #1: Breathe In

Physiologically speaking, taking deep breaths when you’re stressed out significantly helps lower your heart rate and allows you to refocus and stay calm.

Tip #2: Set-limits and Invoke Strong Consequences

We all know that even the sweetest little kids can get out of control, usually when they’re overtired or in a different environment or schedule.

Giving them limits and consequences actually helps lessen anxiety and mischievous behavior because it shows that their parent is in control and everything will be taken care of.

So STAY STRONG, MAMA.

Stand your ground.  Enforce those limits and consequences even when you know a tantrum is about to ensue.  The anger and the tears will subside and (hopefully) lessons will be learned.

Tip #3:  Take time out for everyone

When the kids are in their room, relax.

Have some tea, breathe in, meditate, and /or plan out some easy shortcuts to cut down on stress the rest of the day. Ex: grab take out for dinner and get the kids to be early (which is what I should’ve done myself)

Tip #4: There’s always a Creative Solution for any Problem.

Breathe in, be positive, and think creatively.

Don’t get angry.

Stay calm and figure out a good solution.

Anger, guilt, and self-doubt will just get in the way of being productive and problem solving effectively.

Tip #5:  The grass is NOT always greener…even in Australia

In “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” he thinks everything would be better if he lived in Australia.  But we have to remember that we have to solve our problems as they arise, no matter where we live.

Being present in the here and now can help us focus on more immediate solutions and help get us back to that HAPPY PLACE much sooner.

And remember, everyone has Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day now and then.

Some days are just like that.

 

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Looking for more great ways to relieve mom-stress?

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