Confession time: this one was born out of finding myself in one of those struggle bus days. I hate being in a funk, especially when I feel like I can’t get out of it, but there’s always something we can do to try to move things along—or at least prevent the spiral from going further downward. Here’s 5 tips for navigating “one of those days.”

1️⃣ Stick to healthy habits. On days where you’re not feeling your best and your emotional battery is tapped dry, it can be very tempting to revert to behaviors which self-soothe. In my experience, that leaves you feeling worse, not better. They don’t actually do much to improve how you feel. Add having made a poor decision on top of all the other things you have on your mind, and it leaves you feeling even more defeated. If you know from the start of the day that it’s going to be a trip on the struggle bus, be very intentional to choose all the things that fall in your normal routine as much as possible. That type of comfort will actually make you feel better. Even if a rough day comes at you out of nowhere, be intentional and guard your decision making.

2️⃣ Tell someone. Keeping things bottled in while you process is tempting, but for many things, just getting them out verbally will take power away from your negative circumstance and give it back to you. Talk with someone who you know will listen if that’s all you need, or who will give sound advice if that is what you’re after.

3️⃣ Plan something to look forward to. If you can, try to come up with at least 1 thing you can put on your schedule that you will look forward to. Whether it’s alone time, takeout from your favorite healthy restaurant, or even just getting to bed early, focusing on getting to that one bright spot thing will help you while you’re riding the waves of emotion.

4️⃣ Fill your spiritual tank. Find a way to connect with the Lord. I will speak for myself personally that on days when I’m frustrated and have reached that “I really don’t care about much of anything” point, it can be hard to put forth effort, even in this area. However, this is likely the area that needs the most attention in order for us to see things turn around. Don’t neglect a few minutes in the word and in prayer in the morning. Listen to worship music in your car or around the house. Ask others to pray for you and with you.

5️⃣ Do something for others. Sometimes the easiest way to get out of our own funk is to focus on something other than ourselves. Look for an opportunity to do something kind that someone would not expect. Serve someone despite not feeling like it. It doesn’t have to be anything big, but it will make you feel better to know that you did it despite not feeling like it.

Reader Questions:
1/ Which tip sounds most helpful?
2/ What’s your best tip for navigating days on the struggle bus?

|Kaci