I find that some seasons of life tend to be filled with more bad days than good. During those seasons, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and discouraged. However, I’ve learned that we don’t have to have bad days – there are things we can do to make every day a good one.

1. We can’t control our circumstances, but we can control our reactions.

I hate to be the bearer of such news, but it truly does come down to attitude. Do we let things get to us? Or do we deal with them in stride?

Every situation presents us with a choice. We choose our reactions.

For example, my kids can be at each other’s throats – arguing, crying, tattling, even hitting. I feel frustrated. Correction, I feel very frustrated. I mean, it just isn’t that hard to be nice to each other! There are a few things I can do to stop the fighting. Choice one (my too-frequent go-to) – yell at them and lecture them. Choice two – calmly inform the culprits that they’ll be spending the next while separated in their rooms. Choice three – call a halt to the fighting by introducing an activity that engages everyone, such as a board game tournament or a walk to the playground.

Regardless of how I feel, I still have a choice in how I react.

2. We need to set ourselves up for success.

A good day begins the night before. Often, the less we prepare the night before, the more frazzled, frustrated, and frantic we feel throughout the day.

It should be a no-brainer, but we’re all guilty of ignoring the importance of a good night’s sleep. I once heard that the number of hours we sleep before midnight are the ones that really count. Who can have a good day after a mere six hours of rest?

In my life, I find that half an hour of work in the evening saves me about two hours the next day. I ready the coffee pot and set the timer so that it’s freshly brewed when we get up – 2 minutes in the evening or 5 groggy, bumbling minutes in the morning plus time spent waiting for the brew. Choosing what to wear, especially on a tired brain, can take an hour some mornings; but the evening before it’s a 5-10 minute procedure. And supper. Oh, the dreaded dinner plan! I can either fret on and off all day about what I’ll cook for dinner that night, or I can decide after dinner the night before and have it pulled out and ready to go.

The same is true for our kids. They can choose clothes, pack school lunches, get backpacks ready, bathe, and more the evening before, cutting a lot of stress and pressure from their (and our) mornings.

3. Press the pause button.

Do you feel like some days rush past on fast-forward? Rush here, hurry there, don’t stop, can’t wait, go, go, go! I think those days are often the worst. Here are some great moments to push pause throughout the day.

Wake  up time – Before jumping out of bed, pause. Invite God to take control of the way your day plays out. Ask for the Holy Spirit to fill you up, so that each moment is filtered by His guidance.

Rush hour traffic – You can either hurry up and wait, or you can take advantage of all that waiting. Waiting times (including line ups, doctor’s offices, etc.) are excellent moments for prayer. And not just prayer that we won’t lose our minds waiting! Pray for someone who’s sick or unsaved. Pray for co-workers. Or worship. The car is a great place to pour out your heart in worship! Nobody can hear if you sing off-key.

Interruptions – Every day has its share of interruptions…stuff that gets in the way of what we really wanted to accomplish. When an interruption crops up, try asking God to use that moment for His glory. An angry person interrupts your schedule with his/her venting – pause…try to be the person that turns his/her day around by being kind, understanding, and smiling. A financial hiccup interrupts your day (or week) - pause…try taking that $20 in your wallet and using it to bless someone in need (chances are that hiccup won’t seem so major). A health concern interrupts your plans – pause…try the optimistic view and make a list of all that you have to be thankful for.

The funny thing about pressing pause is that it doesn’t actually slow your day down. In fact, a short pause can often help the rest of your day run more smoothly and efficiently.

Today, I plan to have a good day. What about you? What are a few things that might try to make your day a bad day? And what are you gonna do about them?