Anyone can have a bad day. I’m not talking about a bad day that comes from life altering, earth shattering sad news. I’m talking about the type of bad day that simply pops up when you’re feeling grumpy, things seem to be going wrong, or everyone around you is getting on your nerves.

Ever had a day like that?

I had one the other day.

It all started when I rolled out of bed and stepped into a puddle of urine on the way to the bathroom. No, it wasn’t my urine. One of our dogs had graciously left a little treat on the floor.

You know when you first get out of bed and you’re half asleep? I dragged myself into the bathroom but I wasn’t coherent. I didn’t have my contacts on and couldn’t see the large puddle directly in my path.

So, I stepped in it.

I said a few bad words and went to get into the shower. I wanted to wash off the urine that was all over my feet. I hobbled over to the shower, trying not to spread the urine that was now on my feet all over the floor.

That’s when I discovered the pile of poop that was on the floor of my shower. Fortunately, I didn’t step in it. While I couldn’t see it clearly, my nose was working just fine. What a blessing.

I said more bad words. This time louder and with greater strength.

I’d only been up for five minutes. This was too much to take.

I went back into my bedroom to share the recent events with my husband, and that’s when I spotted another pile of “you know what” on the floor.

Anger. Four letter words. Frustration.

I wish I could tell you I didn’t get fazed by the poop and pee. I wish I could share with you that I cleaned up the mess and went on with my day smiling and laughing.

Sadly, I can’t. Because, I didn’t.

What I can tell you, is that the grumpiness I felt after dealing with this impacted my mood for way longer than I would like to admit. Instead of shaking it off, I was frustrated and annoyed. I could feel my blood pressure going up, my patience was nonexistent, and I shared these feelings with anyone and everyone who walked into my path.

Let’s just say I wasn’t a joy to be around. My two daughters will attest to this.

We all have days like this: when things go wrong and we get frustrated and easily annoyed.

There are better ways to handle a bad day.

Instead of reacting, I could have dealt with things better. My dog had a few accidents but it wasn’t the end of the world. I could have recognized it wasn’t ideal and moved on with my day. When you feel yourself getting into a bad mood, don’t feed the bad mood. Take a few moments, a short walk, a couple of deep breaths and talk to yourself. Keep things in perspective. Ask yourself if whatever you’re annoyed about will even matter in a week, days, or hours.

Finding the mess and stepping in it wasn’t ideal, but it didn’t last very long. My bad mood lasted much longer because I allowed it to take over. I let myself get irritated. I let it get to me and I caused myself a few grumpy hours. While I couldn’t control what my dog did, I certainly could have controlled how I reacted to it.

It happens to us all, every now and then.

We’re human, doing the best we can and it’s easy to let little things get to us every once in a while. The next time this happens to you, remember my story. Try to shake off whatever life tosses your way. Don’t let it get to you. Most of the time, little annoyances will remain insignificant unless you over magnify them and give them power. If you do get into a bad mood, see it for what it is, and then move on.

After all, some days are just shitty…

Find meaning each day,

Dara

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