I read somewhere that the first five days of the week are always the hardest.

This week wasn’t necessarily bad or hard, just long. Each day felt a week long and the week itself felt like a month.

The good news is that I was able to accomplish a lot.

The bad news is that I am completely and utterly pooped.

The best news is that the weekend has arrived and I can hopefully rest a bit.

I still believe the best approach to living when the days get long is to take it one day at a time, one hour at a time, one moment at a time. Live the moment you’re in to the fullest and let the next one come when it comes.

Be thankful in all the moments and the miracle of being fully alive to God’s presence will come.

It helps to have a pet to come home to who will be a source of comfort and stress relief.

It helps to have at least one friend to whom you can be completely honest, who will ask the tough questions, and won’t settle for surface answers like “I’m fine” when he or she asks how you’re doing.

It helps to exercise and get in at least 30 minutes a day of brisk activity, especially if it’s out in nature. Losing yourself in the outdoors is one of the best kinds of therapy I know of.

It helps to do something you love once a day, like reading a good book or watching a favorite TV show or simply relaxing in a hammock. It gives you something to look forward to when the day seems unending.

Most of all, if helps if you remember that your identity and self-worth come not from your performance but in how God sees you. Once you can fully embrace that God calls you His Beloved and live out of that, you can better face the obstacles in your day knowing that the victory is already won.