Dealing with Down Days: You Can't to Be Happy All the Time. How to sit and learn from your feelings and pick yourself up after
Some days are just heavy.
Maybe there’s no clear reason. Or maybe there’s every reason—and it all feels too much. Your motivation disappears, joy feels far away, and even small things feel hard.
Here’s the truth: you’re allowed to feel like that.
You’re not broken. You’re not doing life wrong. You’re just human—and this is part of it.
You Can’t Be Happy All the Time (And You’re Not Meant To Be)
We live in a world that often expects constant cheerfulness. But real emotional health isn’t about staying happy—it’s about being able to meet yourself where you are.
Trying to push away sadness, numb frustration, or “fix” your mood immediately can actually make things worse. When we rush to feel better, we send ourselves the message that our pain is unacceptable.
"Emotions are not problems to be solved. They’re signals to be heard."
– Dr. Hillary McBride
Allow Yourself to Feel
It’s okay to have a down day. It doesn’t mean you’re failing—it means you’re alive.
Here are a few gentle ways to allow your feelings without getting stuck in them:
-
Name the feeling. Even saying “I feel low” or “something’s off” helps your brain process it more calmly.
-
Let yourself rest. Productivity doesn’t define your worth. Neither does energy. Sometimes your body just needs quiet.
-
Create without pressure. Scribble, paint, doodle, move some colour around. You don’t need to make something good—just make something.
A Few Less-Obvious Ways to Feel a Little Better
Once you’ve given yourself space to feel, you may start to notice little pockets of energy returning. When you’re ready, try one or two of these less-obvious tools for shifting your state:
-
Touch something textured. Clay, fabric, a tree trunk—engaging your sense of touch can ground your nervous system and bring you back into the moment.
-
Change your lighting. Low, warm light can feel soothing when the world is overstimulating. Natural daylight helps when you’re in a fog.
-
Talk to yourself aloud. Try saying, “I know this is hard. I’ve felt low before, and I’ve always found my way back.” It might sound strange, but your brain responds more strongly to spoken words.
-
Sit on the floor. A surprising way to shift perspective. It reconnects you to your body, quiets racing thoughts, and helps you feel supported—literally.
-
Write a letter to your future self. Not advice, just love. Let them know you’re proud they made it through this.
Come Back Slowly
There’s no rush to bounce back. You don’t need to flip a switch. Healing doesn’t happen all at once—it happens in small, kind choices.
Make a cup of tea. Change your socks. Put on a playlist that feels like a hug.
And remind yourself: this moment isn’t forever. You are still growing, even now.
You’re Not Alone
Down days don’t make you weak. They make you real. And the more we learn to honour them instead of fighting them, the gentler life becomes.
So next time one comes, meet it with softness.
Then, when you’re ready, take one small step forward.
You’ll find your light again. You always do.
Like the cover image? That's one of mine. I wrote this a few days after new year when I spent some time thinking about the power of starting afresh on new years day, and how every day brings that gift.
You can buy prints right now here :)
This post is a collaborative effort between AI and myself in order to provide the most up to date information.
