When it all goes pear-shaped

I don't think I could say today was a happy day.

Going into details is unhelpful and will possibly make me cry, but the basic gist is that the Big Fella went back to work today and will be away for two weeks, the Little Big Fella pulled every trick in the toddler handbook throughout the day, and we both ended up in tears by late afternoon.

I wonder if tears are an inbuilt re-set button?

We both seemed to settle down after that (to the point that the Little Big Fella fell asleep on my lap mid-cuddle) and the evening has been pretty smooth.

But it makes me wonder; when all is going pear-shaped, what can I do (other than crying) to re-set?  I know that these things make me feel great:

• laughter (especially making the Little Big Fella laugh)
• creativity
• a sense of personal growth
• recognising good attributes in people I love
• a clean and tidy house
• healthy food
• enough sleep
• feeling that I'm doing well as a parent
• feeling close to the Big Fella
• getting out of the house to do something active (particularly if it's something the Little Big Fella enjoys)

But how do I use that information to re-set my day?  And when trying to incorporate one of these in my day turns pear-shaped too, how do I deal with that?  Because right now, it just makes the day feel so much worse.

I don't have an answer for this one yet, but I think when I do it will probably be a major turning point in my happiness project!