How I Recover From Off Days

We all have bad days. Days that feel like you’re stuck in honey, everything feels slower and there is nothing you want to do but to sleep and give up. This can be attributed to stress, anxiety, and even depression. These experiences are more common than one might think and therefore we should be able to speak on our experiences without the stigma attached. I for one have had many experiences where I have had “off” days or when things are especially bad “off” periods. This took a toll on both my personal and professional life as I did not want to come into contact with anyone and spent a majority of my time sleeping. However, as time passed and I realized that I could not keep living this way I started taking steps to help myself through these days/periods. 

The first thing I do and I suggest is finding a support system or someone you can talk to. For me my support system is my mother, she reminds me to take care of myself and to take small steps at a time. I also advise that if you are having a particularly bad time to get professional help. Many universities have free mental health programs for students. For us at UC Riverside it is CAPS. Make sure that you trust your support system, be honest, and allow yourself to feel your emotions. Let yourself be honest and more than that allow yourself to take care of yourself.  I know that it’s hard and I have had my own struggles because most of the time I just want to hold everything in but it is worth it.

The next thing I do is start with the small things. Things like brushing my teeth and staying hydrated as well as taking showers. For me, it’s hard to get out of bed, let alone attend classes or hang out with friends. So what I do is do simple tasks that make me feel better. I get out of bed and do what is a “regular” task. This helps because it gives you a sense of accomplishment and can lift your spirits. Also, if this helps out you can move onto bigger tasks, such as cleaning your space and making your bed. This helps clear out the bad energy and makes you feel less stuffed up and overwhelmed. 

Finally, I remind myself that it’s okay. It’s okay that I’m not okay and it’s okay for me to take time for myself. I let myself rest and even treat myself to watching my favorite show for a bit. My current favorite is “New Girl.” I also buy myself a healthy dinner and allow myself to rest up. Overall, whenever I have a bad day I take time to focus on myself and get better and itis okay to have these days/periods, we are all human and are allowed to feel and deal with our emotions and mental health in the way that is best for us.

• health
• mental health