How to End a Bad Day on a Good Note

Don't let a bad day become a bad attitude, a biting response or a broken relationship. Take steps to end the day on a good note. Some days.  Yeah, THOSE days. I had one recently. Someone at work didn’t do what they were supposed to and it left more for me to do.  Traffic was awful getting home.  The talking heads on my husband’s favorite news show were at Def Con 18 and it was getting on my.last.NERVE.

In your anger do not sin.  Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. Ephesians 4:26 (NIV)

The Greek word for “angry” at the end of that verse literally means “exasperated” and it’s the only place in the New Testament where that particular Greek word is used.

How come that verse makes me even angrier when I’m in a funk?  Maybe because at the end of a bad day, I just want to wallow in my exasperation and frustration.

But if we let frustration settle in our hearts, we are opening the door to his cousins … bitterness, pettiness and resentment.  A bad day quickly becomes a bad attitude, a biting response or a broken relationship.

So how can you end an exasperating day on a good note and stop the slide towards all-out anger?

Don’t go to bed angry at yourself

Give yourself some grace.

If you messed up today, tomorrow you can make a better choice.

If you quit on something today, tomorrow you can start again.

If you lost control of your emotions today, tomorrow you can respond in love.

A bad day can be the beginning of something just as easily as it can be the end.

Three Ways to Feel Better About Yourself

  • Do something kind for someone else.
  • Take a social media break.
  • Do something you are good at

Don’t go to bed angry at God

He has not abandoned you.

He hasn’t given you more than you can handle.

He hasn’t left you to deal with this all on your own.

His promises are true on good days and bad days. It’s easy to claim them when everything is rosy, but on a bad day we must make a special effort to remember what He’s promised us.

Three Ways to Feel Better About God

  • Write down as many blessings as you can think of.
  • Take a few minutes to breathe deep and pray.
  • Take a walk outside and appreciate just how big our God is.

Don’t go to bed angry at your circumstances

Have you read one of those blog posts about all the things you should do at night to make tomorrow a more productive day?

They make me laugh.

I’d have to start around lunchtime to get all those things done before bed.

If your to-do list is way longer than your got-done list,  don’t give up on the day.  Do one thing.

Just one.

Just one thing that’s going to make tomorrow better. Just one thing that’s going to make tomorrow a little easier. Just one thing that you’ll remember tomorrow and be thankful that you don’t have to do.

And if you don’t know what that one thing is, might I suggest that you grab your Bible, your notebook and a pen and have them sitting out, ready for your morning quiet time? So often we let our time with God slide by because we don’t have the tools we need handy. So get them ready and go to bed, knowing that you’re going to start your day in a positive place with God.

Three Ways to Feel Better About Your Circumstances

  • Put the day in perspective.  Will it really matter a week from now?
  • Call a friend and make a plan to do something fun together.
  • Laugh ….watch a silly video, tell jokes with your kids, read a funny book

 

Bad days are going to happen.  It’s just part of life. But a bad day doesn’t have to become a bad week or a bad attitude.  Don’t let the sun go down on your frustrations and you’ll start tomorrow on a better note.

 

RESOURCES

Join the Do A New Thing newsletter for tips and resources to improve all of your days!

Linking up with Lori Schumaker at #Moments of Hope, Holley Gerth at #CoffeeForYourHeart, Jaime Wiebel at #SittingAmongFriends, Alison at #100HappyDays, Susan Mead at #DanceWithJesus, Dawn Klinge at #GraceandTruth and Crystal Storms at #IntentionalTuesday

23 thoughts on “How to End a Bad Day on a Good Note”

  1. Hi Christa! What a wonderful reminder that a simple change in our outlook can change our heart. Thank you for your suggestions about how to give ourselves grace when needed and that tomorrow is a new day. Good being your neighbor over at Moments of Hope! Have a blessed day.

    Reply
    • Thanks for visiting, Tiffiney. We all can use a little grace from time to time, even if we have to give it to ourselves.

      Reply
  2. Amen Christa! It’s all about perspective-had these same thoughts yesterday as I put whatever was bugging me aside to appreciate the day and who I was sharing it with-makes a huge difference. This is a practice I really am focusing on & it makes an impact on me and all those around me!

    Reply
    • It’s amazing how focusing on someone else can change our attitude, isn’t it? I love that you are really focusing on this.

      Reply
  3. Sometimes it is so very hard, when we are having a bad moment, to look at the big picture, but it is doable. I can be having a perfectly okay day when the bad moment strikes. God gives us grace for that moment; all we have to do is give the moment to Him. That’s a lot easier said than done, but it sure is the best thing we can do.

    Reply
    • Sometimes we have to remember that it is not a bad day …. it’s really just a bad moment and if we can get past it, the day will take care of itself.

      Reply
    • Yea, I know when my eyes are bleary and I’m not quite awake, if I had to hunt around for my Bible and a pen, I’d never have a consistent quiet time! Thanks for stopping by, Donna!

      Reply
  4. I love how you took that familiar verse and widened out its application. We definitely need to learn how to let go of anger and resentment and forgive just as Christ has forgiven us.

    Reply
  5. Having a really difficult day in a time of real difficult days . Asking for prayers…..not to end my problems…but to have faith and hope in God and His grace to get through them.

    Reply
    • Oh Bonnie, I am so sorry that you are having a rough time. Praying that God will walk right close to you and fill your heart with hope.

      Reply
  6. Christa,
    I love the hope you give here! I’ve had bad days before where I just want to cry and go to sleep because I feel it is hopeless. These tips can turn those kinds of days around! Thank you so much for sharing this hope with us at #MomentsofHope! I’m sharing this everywhere!

    Reply
  7. Great way to outline truth and give practical steps to follow through, Christa. I share your opinion of the posts about how to have a beet day tomorrow – start at lunch time indeed! But I am learning to embrace the principle of doing one thing (which actually motivates me to do 2 or 3 sometimes) even at the end of an exhausting day that will make tomorrow more pleasant.

    Reply

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