When you have a down day, even a small sequence of events that wouldn't have bothered you on an original day can be draining to deal with. The last thing you should do to yourself jumping into work, chores, or some monotone task that will end up making you feel worse. Having bad days are a part of life experience, and I'll be sharing a few tips on what to do during down days (some of these are just what I like, but definitely explore what you would like to do to unwind after a tough day or a day when you're not feeling it; these are just my personal preferences that you may connect with!) If you have pets, it's cuddle time. If it's not raining, get some fresh air. If you want to talk to someone, go for it. And sometimes, there's nothing better than a good cry over hot tea.
Hopefully, tomorrow gets better, y'all.
1. Create your own playlist or just vibe to music
On days when I need the extra motivation or don't feel like doing anything involving my lack of brain cells, I enjoy making Spotify playlists that attempt to encapsulate my mood at the time. Listening to music and experimenting with different genres somehow makes me feel better and is relaxing before doing a hard task (especially if it is related to school). If you're not feeling your creative, experimental side, listen to your favorite playlist and vibe to your mood. Stress is hard to tackle without good music. There's nothing better than dancing for no reason before you get back to work. What I find as a good accompaniment to establish an aesthetic is a website called window-swap.com, where you can look through other peoples' windows from all over the world.
2. Gifs and Pinterest art
Browsing can be a soothing kind of therapeutic on a challenging day. Grab your favorite blanket, chocolate, and your computer so your eyes don't hurt glaring at your phone, and peruse some wholesome or hilarious content. I enjoy searching different kinds of Pinterest art because people are remarkable, and I get inspiration for some of my stories through these platforms. Try paintings, artistic renditions of your mood, your favorite color aesthetics, fan art, or whatever you find comforting. Everything is about the aesthetic!
And, after all, there is nothing better than looking up animal gifs or memes about whatever will make you smile, because when you discover you can laugh on the worst day of your week, you realize you won't be in this slump forever. Make sure to drink some water on your internet-scavenging adventures.
3. Reading Poetry (based on your mood)
This might be my weirdest recommendation yet, but reading poetry on poets.org and poetryfoundation.org comforts me when I don't feel up to seeing a day through. It can be hard to self-motivate, but reading poetry based on the mood I'm in helps me connect to other people going through the same things and expressing their worldviews with breathtaking literary devices. On both sites, there is a poem of the day and an article covering a lesson centered around a topic, such as identity or injustice. Use the filters and try this out, even if you aren't a poetry person. You never know what you'll connect to, and what will lift you up.
4. Checking in on others, if you're feeling up to it
We can get so caught up in hardship that we tend to emotion-dump on the people around us, most often the people who care about us most and whom we care about most. Check on your siblings, relatives, friends, and neighbors. Ask them about their day, but ask them to answer honestly. Try talking to one another and opening up about your struggles so you know you aren't alone. We're all trying to sort out our lives, and it's a messy process. Of course, take the time you need for yourself. Being alone is just as important as confiding in others through setbacks.
It's okay to have bad days; nobody can be happy 100% of the time. But don't give up on yourself. Take the rest of this day to cut yourself some slack and do something you like. Or, you can try some of my weird suggestions in this post. You deserve to be happy and live your best life :D