Combating a Bad Day

Today is a bad day.

Now, when I say bad day, I don't mean that one really bad thing happened that ruined my day. I'm referring to the "everything is going wrong" kind of bad day. (Of course, 'everything' means all of the little daily stuff that has no true importance in life.) I woke up in pain (not exactly unusual), my doctor's appointment this morning did not go as planned, my two-year-old threw a fit because she wanted to play in the McDonald's Playplace (we weren't even at McDonald's and it was about seven minutes before my doctor's appointment), she took less than an hour nap and is cranky now because she didn't get enough sleep, I got water allllll over the floor while doing laundry,  and I feel like crap (besides the pain).

It's just been one of those days.

Prior to a month or two ago, I had a horrible habit of getting agitated whenever my little one would do something wrong. I was constantly saying "no" and "stop," and using time out all of the time. I've begun changing my tactics, though. Now, instead of telling her to stop, I redirect her. Example: she lifted her shirt up in the doctor's office this morning. Instead of my typical "stop that!", I simply said, "please put your shirt down. We keep our shirt down around other people. Would you like to color?" Since I've started responding in this way, I didn't get irritated; it's actually hard to respond in a loving way and use a loud, angry voice. Responding this way keeps me in check...and she listens much better! I think I've used time out once since doing this. It's just all around helpful for everyone involved.

Anyway, I haven't really had a crappy day since my change in response. Until today. I'm noticing that it's easier for me to revert to old, unhealthy responses, and I want to do anything but that! So I wanted to share how I get through rough days: sometimes the best thing is to remind myself what GOOD things happened today. And if I'm having a hard time thinking of anything, I'll use the rest of the day to create good things. :)

My list for today:
1) I woke up
2) My little girl is meeting milestones daily
3) I have the ability to see specialty doctors and attempt to keep my pain under control
4) I have a working vehicle
5) I got to cuddle with my kiddo
6) My daughter has the same passion for reading as me
7) I got at least some time to myself this afternoon
8) I have the capability to express myself and connect with others online

What's your list?