How to reset after a brutally bad day

2 min read

Jim got through Monday with flying colors. No problems at work, no disagreements with his wife, no drama when he got home. For a Monday, it was a pretty good day.

But on Tuesday, the wheels came off. And it caught him completely off guard. Right from the start, it was one setback after another for Jim. At his last count, there were six different “situations” that blew up in front of him, and it was only noon.

It felt like Monday on Tuesday.

This happens, even to the best of us. On those long days when if feels like a Monday even when it isn’t, here are three things to help you reset:

1. Take heart in a promise from the Bible, like this one: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). No matter how bad a day goes, God’s mercies will be new tomorrow. When the sun comes up, you can start fresh.
2. If you collided with someone in your orbit, follow up with them. Maybe an apology is in order, or just a “Boy, that was a rough day. Thanks for haning in there with me” will take care of it. Either way, circle back to make sure your relationships are good.
3. Put yourself to bed ASAP. The people who study these things say that most of us get inadequate amounts of sleep. Just as “Fatigue makes cowards of us all,” so a good nights sleep can renew the warrior in you. Even Jesus was an advocate for the importance of rest.

Bad days happen. But by the grace and mercy of God, we can bounce back tomorrow.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.