Reflect: What Do I Do When My Luck Is Awful?

Have you ever had a day where your luck was bad?

• Have you ever spilled something right before leaving the house?
• Did you ever miss your bus and then it started raining or snowing?
• Ever had something small happen that felt big at the time?
• Have you ever been hit by seagull droppings?

If you’re feeling down, here’s a few things you can do.

Try W.A.D.S.

Give W.A.D.S. a try: Write it down, Act it out, Draw it, and Share it.

Doing these types of things can help you get your bad day out of your system and move on.

Questions to Consider

• What happened?
• What did it feel like at the time?
• How long did those feelings last?

Flip the Script!

• What was something funny that happened?
• What’s one good thing that happened because of your bad luck?
• What might you do differently next time?

Move On

After writing, acting, drawing, or sharing your bad day with someone, it’s often helpful to distract yourself. Here are some good ways of moving on:

• Listen to or (even better) sing a favorite song.
• Go on a walk (walks in nature are especially good!).
• Play an active game or sport.
• Work on a hobby (playing an instrument, drawing, writing, etc.).
• Talk to a friend or family member.

These coping skills won’t solve your problems, but they will help you deal with them better and see them in perspective.

Affirmations

Affirmations can be a good way of internalizing positive messages. Here are a few that might help you cope with a bad day:

• Bad days don’t last.
• Tomorrow can be better.
• I am a problem solver and can come up with solutions.

Remember

Here are a few things to keep in mind when life is tough:

• Bad days don’t last forever.
• Even when it rains, puddles can be fun.
• God loves you—even when everything goes sideways.
• Laughing at mistakes helps us grow stronger.
• Everyone has hard days—talking helps!