I've been busy having a fun week, which is why it's taken me until late on Wednesday to get out a first blog post for the week. My enjoyable week so far made me realise that whilst we might all have our odd bad days, there's no reason why we shouldn't have mostly good days in any given week or month. I've been reminded that our attitude towards things that go wrong or that upset our regular routine can really make a difference to the outcome of a particular day.One thing that sometimes makes my day turn into a harder one, is when my son doesn't nap anywhere near as much as he usually does and should. This can happen quite regularly if he's unwell or if he's suffering with teething. When he wakes up after a short time, he's usually crying and pretty miserable. The afternoon can then be difficult if he's tired and grumpy.
The days I've spent a considerable amount of time trying to settle him back down to sleep have ended up being wearing and frustrating. The times I have made one attempt to get him to go back to sleep but if that failed, let him get up and got on with the day, have always been better experiences. It's the 'getting on with the day' that is the crucial part.
I think every day this week so far he has had shorter naps (1 hour instead of the usual 2-2.5) but we've had fun afternoons nonetheless. Of course, I'm behind on my housework, my blogging and things on my 'to do' list but it just means I've had to work on those things in the evening after he's gone to bed. We've been spending time outside, throwing fallen autumn leaves up in the air and seeing friends. It's been good simple fun. Choosing to do those kinds of things, rather than both of us feeling a little tired and irritable at home alone makes for a much better day. Instead of foscusing on the upset to our routine, we've been focusing on play and interaction and it makes a big difference to both our moods.
Maybe you're having one of those days; your child's spilt or thrown their food everywhere, they've poured their drink on the carpet, they've not made it to the potty in time and you have a stinky mess to deal with.....you're trying to get out of the house to go to an activity or a playdate, you trip over their strewn toys while rushing around trying to clean up. You're exhausted before it's even mid-morning! Everything would suggest it's going to be a bad day and you sort of resign yourself to the fact. Your mood and attitude is likely to be far from positive and open to fun. Yet, if you were to try to put the rough start to the day behind you and get out to do some things or see some friends and generally occupy your mind and body, you'll likely find that your domestic disasters are soon forgotten and your day ends up being a pretty decent one.
What are some situations that usually result in you having a bad day? Do you try to put mishaps and upset routines behind you and to make the best out of the day?
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Weirdly, I once read an interview with Jerry Hall, in which she said, that she sometimes wakes up feeling depressed,but can alter her mood just by deciding to have a good day and putting a positive spin on things. I used her advice and it really works. Sometimes I wake up tired and think on no, it's going to be one of those days, but you can alter your mood by positive thinking, and sometimes gratitude.
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