Bad days.We all have them. Sometimes it’s a random Tuesday, other times they seem to fill an entire week. Personally, my bad days seem to come in waves. I’ll go through days, weeks, and even months, where I’m great. And then it hits me.
Sometimes I wake up feeling off, feeling down; other times it hits me in the middle of the day. Sometimes days leading up to the bad ones, I can feel it creeping up. I can just tell that my mood is different. I feel unmotivated.
When I feel these bad days are on their way, I feel anxious, which most of the time makes these days worse. I don’t want to go to class. I don’t want to get out of bed. I don’t really want to do anything. It’s not that I feel sad (don’t get me wrong, we all have our fair share of sad days). I just feel low.There’s no other word I can think of other than low. I feel exhausted and drained- low.Some bad days are worse than others. Somedays I want nothing more than to be surrounded by people I love. And then there are times that I just want to be left alone. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the effortless love and endless care from the people who surround me, it’s just that I’m tired.
When these bad days hit, it’s important to accept them, to understand that there is an end. It’s important to realize that you are allowed to feel this way. I often find myself feeling guilty because there are people out there with bigger problems than mine. People are starving. People are being abused. People are dying.
In comparison, my worries about classes and upcoming exams are nothing. What I constantly have to remind myself is that my feelings are valid. I am allowed to have a bad day. I am allowed to feel low or sad or tired. I am allowed to have a bad day.
I am allowed to have a bad day because I do not let the bad days define me.I know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and I know that the next day could and will be better. What I am not allowed to do is let the bad day define me.
What if I said that I’m not allowed to have a good day because someone out there is having a better one?If you think that logic is pointless, you’d be correct. It’s the same way with bad days. Yes. The world is an ugly place and there are much bigger problems than with whatever you’re struggling with. But you are a human being with feelings, and you are allowed to feel low.
I am allowed to have a bad day. You are allowed to have a bad day.We are all entitled to our own thoughts and feelings. Remind yourself: If you are having a wave of bad feelings, you are allowed to give into them.
You are allowed to give into them as long as you are determined to get out. You cannot let the wave of bad days overpower the good days. Like I mentioned before, the world is an ugly place. But at the same time, it is filled with beautiful things. When you’re in a stretch of bad days, think about the good ones, think about how happy you truly are. Yes, I said happy. Just because we have days of feeling empty and low, that does not mean we are not happy. We’ve just run out of steam. Try and keep a focus on the good days. I promise you those bad days will get a little bit easier.
For a majority of my life I do not remember having these so-called “bad days.” I do not remember feeling low, feeling low that a simple inhale and exhale motion feels overbearing.
Believe me, I had bad days. But, they were never this bad. Each time a wave hits, I like to try and get out of it as fast as possible.
Here are three methods I use to get out of my bad days. I hope you can find them as useful as I do!
1 Rest
Although it may seem pretty easy, this is the one that I struggle with the most. I always want to go go go,and have a hard time just letting myself relax without feeling like I’m wasting time. Over the past few years I’ve learned that the best way to shorten the length of these bad days is to simply give into them. Give into your body screaming for rest. Let yourself sleep a few extra hours, do a mindless puzzle, binge your favorite tv show. If your body and mind are exhausted the best way to help them is through rest. Give your body what it’s begging for and stop feeling so guilty about it!
2 Exercise
I’ve found that exercise is helpful. I notice that when I’m not exercising as frequently as I should, I tend to have more bad days than usual. If I start to notice the low feeling creeping up, I like to hit the gym. The release of endorphins that exercise causes in your body is one of the best ways to pick up your mood.
3 Pray/Meditate
Whether it’s praying, meditating, self-reflecting, or any other spiritual thing you like to partake in, I’ve found these activities to be extremely helpful while battling bad days. As a Christian, I often find myself talking to God about the things going on in my life, reflecting my thoughts and feelings. I’ve learned that if I confine to Him about my low feelings, I feel a huge shift in my energy and attitude that day.
One bible verse that has gotten me through these dark days is Isaiah 41:10 which states “so do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Regardless of what higher power you believe in (if any), I think anyone can find comfort from this verse. You are never alone in these bad days, no matter how alone you may feel.
I’ll stop rambling and leave you with this: We all have bad days, some worse than others. But it is important to remember that we all have them- they are a part of life. We’re human, we feel pain and suffering and numbness, but we also feel happiness, love and euphoria. Your feelings, regardless of what they are, are valid.
You are allowed to have bad days.