For When You’re Feeling Down

Life has been pretty good lately, but I’m not going to pretend that every day is great. Many days I wake up feeling down, caught up in a storm of thoughts that can’t seem to slow themselves down. Feeling overwhelmed with the basic tasks or anxious about having to go to work and force myself into productivity.

When I feel down, my thoughts tend to spiral out of control: what if this day is only just the beginning? What if I never feel happy again? What if? What if? What if?

I try not to let these feelings get the better of me, so there are some things I try to remind myself of when I’m feeling down:

Take it one day at a time

If you’re having a bad day, that doesn’t mean that the next day will be bad. Take life one day at a time and focus on the present moment.

Think of what you’re grateful for

Even if things seem bad, there is something good that happened. Did you make a good cup of tea? Did you see something funny? Did you get out of bed and take a shower? These are all victories and positive things, no matter how small they might seem on the surface. It’s important to celebrate the small things! Remember that.

You are not alone

Often, when I’m feeling down, I start to resent others around me. Obviously, if I’m not feeling good, then others must be feeling great just to spite me, right? NO. Everyone is fighting their own battle, whether or not it’s visible to the public eye. You are not alone in your feelings and you are not alone in life.

Reach out

Reach out to someone who knows what you’re going through, or to someone whom you know can always put a smile on your face. Like I said before, you are not alone. Reaching out helps when you’re feeling down, and can help with your negative thoughts.

Write or say your mantras

There are a few things I say when I’m feeling really anxious or down. I’ll write about them later, but basically, when I remember, I repeat them to myself or doodle them on a nearby sheet of paper.

Write it out

I’m a huge proponent of writing out my thoughts, both when I’m feeling down and when I’m feeling happy. Writing helps you purge your thoughts and quiet your mind but it can also help you make sense of what on earth is going on in your head. In fact, this post was born out of a period of intense sadness I felt earlier last week and writing out my thoughts really helped.

What do you do when you’re feeling down?