When You Just Feel Off: What It Means and How to Take Care of Yourself
We all have days when we just feel “off”. Sometimes, it may feel like you are sad for no reason. When this happens, it can feel scary, isolating, and even overwhelming. This blog explores why off days happen and how to navigate them with self-compassion and grace.
Why do we have ‘off days’?
Not Addressing How We Are Really Feeling
Have you ever felt like you are holding it all together… until you're not? You might be so distracted in your everyday life (on purpose or subconsciously) that you don’t give yourself the time to actually make space for your emotions. When this happens, sadness can feel like it came out of nowhere. But in reality, it might be due to unresolved feelings or situations that you have not let surface.
Burnout & Stress
You can have an off day because you’re experiencing burnout. Burnout occurs when we exist in high-stress environments without scheduling time to decompress. When this happens, an off day can be a result of a lack of rest and self-care. An “off-day” may be your body's way of reminding you that a break is needed.
Hormones
Our hormones can significantly affect our moods. For women, during menstrual cycles, our hormones fluctuate and even become imbalanced. This change can cause us to feel teary or angry when we’re not exactly sure why. Tracking your cycle or learning more about your triggers may allow you to be more gentle with yourself when hormonal changes are occurring.
What can you do when you are having an ‘off day’?
1. Accept it
If you're having an ‘off day’, you may start to catastrophize. You may be stuck in the thought spiral of “Why am I feeling like this? How long will this last? Is there something wrong with me?”. When you are feeling low, the best thing you can do for yourself is just accept it. You're feeling this way for a reason. Grant yourself the permission to acknowledge your feelings without being too quick to look for solutions or numb your emotions. Acceptance allows you to take more control of how you choose to move forward.
2. Be kind to yourself
When you are having a day when you just feel low, and you’re not exactly sure why, try and be a little bit kinder to yourself. It could be helpful to take some time to meditate. If that feels too much, maybe just try closing your eyes and reminding yourself that you are safe. Focus on fostering feelings of calmness. Remind yourself of your capability in handling difficult situations. Being kind to yourself can be an anchor when things feel heavy.
3. Do something you enjoy
When you're sad, sometimes the last advice you want to hear is to go for a walk or do something you enjoy. It can feel patronizing. But there is some truth to it. When you're low, your motivation is going to be low; you're not going to want to do the things that (in the back of your mind) you know will make you feel better. The hardest bit is going to be pushing yourself to do them anyway. Even something small like getting some fresh air or buying yourself a coffee can activate feelings of happiness and gently shift your mood.
4. Prepare for the next time
When this feeling passes (which it will), take some time to reflect on your experiences. What made you feel better? Is there anything you would want to change for the next time this happens? For example, would it have been helpful to reach out to a friend for support? By understanding what makes you feel better and what makes you feel worse, you can handle future ‘off days’ with more confidence.
We all have off days, and they can happen for many reasons. Often, they feel like they come out of the blue, but it’s usually because we haven't made time to sit with our emotions. When you're having an off day, accept it, but also focus on how you want to move forward. Therapy can also be a great tool in helping you process these different emotions.
Ready to prioritize your mental health and well-being? MSC Therapy offers specialized psychotherapy services for young adult women in New York and Florida. Mollie provides compassionate, client-centered, and supportive therapy to help clients navigate anxiety, low self-esteem, disordered eating, body image concerns, OCD, relationship issues, dating, school or career stress, perfectionism, and life transitions. Services are available virtually, allowing for convenient and accessible support. Reach out now to take the first steps toward a more balanced life.