We all have off days. Those days that we’re down, off, or just not at our best. It is unreasonable to expect everyday to be perfect. Life isn’t perfect; we aren’t perfect. When those off days inevitably come, let’s focus our energy on being as positive as possible so that an off day doesn’t turn into an off week, month, or year. When you find yourself having an off day, try these 5 things.
1. Acknowledge it.
When you feel off, acknowledge it. Don’t suppress it. Acknowledge that you aren’t feeling your best. Don’t label your day as a bad day, which is negative. Approach it with a more positive attitude. Say things like: I’m not feeling 100%, I’m a little tired today, or I’m just feeling a little off.
This will help you to acknowledge your feelings, but keep it in perspective.
2. Stay positive.
When having an off day, stay positive. Don’t voice every negative thought, and even work to redirect your negative thought patterns. When we’re off, we’re vulnerable. As Christians, we have an enemy constantly seeking to attack us. Sometimes an off day can signal an attack, other times it can be rooted in other things, that can make us vulnerable to an attack.
The key is to remain positive and not make mountains out of molehills.
3. Slow down.
Often times, off days can be signaling other issues to us. For instance, maybe you’re feeling off because you’re tired because you haven’t been sleeping well. Or, maybe your diet hasn’t been nutritious. Our bodies will go so far without getting the proper care, but there comes a time that it will begin to speak to us. Slowing down gives us the opportunity to discover the root cause of our off day.
When you’re having an off day, take it as a cue to slow down.
4. Pray.
God always desires to speak to us and provide us the clarity that we need for life. When having an off day, consider this as a sign to spend time with God. Off days make us vulnerable, which is an amazing heart space to approach God. On our good days, we’re often full of pride to the point that we can’t even hear from God. However, when we’re feeling off, we’re often in a more humble state, which puts us in the perfect position to commune with God.
When you’re feeling off, consider it the perfect time to seek God’s wisdom and will for your life.
5. Plan.
After spending time with God and gaining clarity, now is the time to plan. What things led to your off day? What did you learn? Going forward, what can you do differently? Off days can be blessings in disguise as they help us to really focus in on what is most important. It is so easy to get off track in life and neglect priorities. After taking the time to reflect and reconsider, take the time to plan.
Planning is essentially refocusing and committing to the things that you need to be doing in life.
Life is imperfect, so off days are inevitable. The key is to respond appropriately, so we can learn from our off days. Off days tend to communicate to us. They show us where we’re at, as well as where we need to focus. We must remember that our battle, as Christians, is not against flesh and blood [Ephesians 6:12]. Our battle is spiritual.
Understanding this, we must respond to our off days in a spiritual manner- not laying down to the spiritual oppressors that come against us. When having an off day, it is the perfect time to:
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
I Peter 5:6-7
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