When You Feel Like Shit, Do These 4 Things

A piece of realistic advice on how to sort out your bad days from someone who already did it.

Ain't life a prick, yeah? Just when I was feeling that everything is starting to feel at place. The feelings of this pointlessness that seems to crush my throat, happens. Yes, I have been feeling severely underwhelmed today.

Might I say, I have been feeling this way often? It just comes and goes, of its own accord. It’s tiring honestly, exhausting — like I’m feeling drained, trust me I am. But sometimes, I do feel better. Either I sleep on it or just focus my mind elsewhere. I started to watch a soap opera the other day. I really liked it.

Lately, these feelings have matured more aggressively. Perhaps, because of the losses, I have bored this year. Too much has happened and I have been sailing through all of it alone. Which I might say, is okay — I guess. I have always been alone at faring my hardships. Why is this any different? It amuses me that I have broken down this much.

I have gone through far worse things, things that can kill you. But this time, this test is somewhat different. It’s a test of puzzles. And I’m figuring myself out, through them. I’ve got to say, I feel good sailing through these unsettling feelings.

Even though sometimes, I feel like shit. Trust me, I’m not kidding. I feel like shit. Sometimes it's just… it’s hard navigating your inner demons. It’s hard navigating newer ones. One’s that you never expected. I got diagnosed with severe depression a few months back. Apparently, my headaches became migraines and I needed medications for that. I’m proud to say it, they’re a headache to deal with. 😉

But you know life is — its complicated. I’m neither sad nor am I extremely joyous. I’m somewhere in the middle, smiling at what’s about to go down. I’m waiting for it to happen and I’ve got the best seat in the house. Do you ever feel like, whatever you do? Life just doesn’t give a shit about you.

I know, hard right but let me be honest — we all have our shitty days. This is apparently mine. Now it isn’t like I’m depressed or anything. I just have triggers for my headaches. When certain things don’t happen, I don’t experience them. I take care of my health seriously and that’s that.

You want to know the funniest thing, I use a multitude of ways to relieve myself — when dealing with my symptoms of depression. Sometimes I’d go visit my mates, and I would make their day. Why? because everyone is feeling so low these days. I get up, get ready and just visit them with a surprise. So that everyone could come out of the blue 😩 and party. ⛅️

As I believe when you do it for the people you love — it’s an honourable sacrifice. It definitely helps. Trust me, you will feel much better when you do it for someone who is also in your shoes. It’s like putting a wet blanket, over a campfire. It helps you to extinguish people’s unbearable flames of sadness helping them feel relaxed.

Go take a walk, to recollect on what’s bothering you.

There are many ways that you could do, in your moments of feeling low. I know ice-cream sounds good. I’d buy you one, perhaps two if you’re down. It might be good for either of us to take a quick walk in the park. And recollect our thoughts. You know I usually walk outside either in these three times. I believe you will definitely like it.

Dr Herbet Bension, a Harvard Physician has stated that if you spare a time when there are no external distractions and interruptions. You can become comfortable by achieving a relaxed and passive mental attitude. Walking in this instance can become your mental device, where you can walk while mediating the thoughts that have been bothering you.

1. An Evening Stroll

One time is perhaps around 5:30 -6:30 pm. Basically, it’s around evening time. The reason is that its that time where there is a peaceful ambience in the air. If you choose to walk out, perhaps leave your phone behind. If you choose to just take a quick stroll.

You know our devices have made it so much harder to walk when we are supposed to. As we are actually looking at our phones every second, now and then even though no one’s texting us.

It’s the feeling of dopamine reception we get when we see that notification. Trust me, turn off your phone. Go take a walk. Just let the air, or atmosphere lure you away. You can even go for a run.

Whichever sounds best — I usually do both. But then I stop and take breaks in between. Sometimes I sit around the sidewalk and watch everyone go about. It’s refreshing — As for once, it isn’t about myself.

2. A Morning Jog

The second time, you should choose is around morning. Before the sun actually comes up. The reason because of that is it’s that time where if you can wake up. You can gain a fresh perspective that will help you the entire day. Plus, the view is pretty great too.

It’s morning, I have insomnia. I usually sleep these days in the afternoon. Unhealthy right? Yeah, well I usually sleep 6 hours so. I wake up around the evenings sometimes, when I’m “depressed.”

Try jogging someday, tomorrow perhaps —that’s a promise, you might like it.

3. A Midnight Lurking

The third time, however, is someplace in between. It’s when everybody is bound to sleep. Yes, I’m talking about the time when nightcrawlers come out. (P.S not talking about Jake Gyllenhaal, do watch the movie it’s great.)

It’s that time where you can actually receive a whole lot of reflection and recollection. Whenever I experience episode fatigue and depression. I do this because the night is my therapist. And the darkness seems to hold all the negative and the emotional aspect of my misery away from me.

I believe if you allow yourself, to go out at this hour. Be careful though, I dunno where you live. Just don’t want you to get mugged or anything. Take it with a word of caution. You could even walk on your roof.

The main things, what I’m trying to say here, is that let yourself breathe. Just take a 10-minute briskly walk at night or the other two points of time that I have mentioned.

If you adjust your schedule — I’m sure you can leave 10-minute slots for every day in both the mornings and the evenings. You can release all that bent up energy and put it to good use.

Might even be a good adjustment exercise for your mood. You will feel much better. And trust me, it cures my insomnia and I sleep like a baby. Hopefully, you will too afterwards. Just burn that energy that keeps you up, to good use. And you’ll be resting in no time.

Journal your recollected thoughts.

Try writing the things, that might be disturbing you.

Now If you’ve made up your mind. The best thing afterwards that you can do is to write things either on your phone or you can come back inside and write them down on a piece of paper.

Journaling is important when you feel like shit. Because there will be days, you will feel like this again. So think of this exercise as if you’re preparing for another rainy day.

If you write your fears down, the things that make you blue on a piece of paper every day. And recite them afterwards. It will decrease their hold on you, the more you practice doing this.

There will even come a day, that those fears and troubles might seem so clear to solve — that you will have won over them. Writing is the best therapy one can experience. It allows us to imbue our feelings into the words we write. Thus doing so, we can release these feelings through our expressive writing.

Writing these words down can help you prepare and release the negative discerning emotions. In general, studies show that people diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder reported significantly lower depression scores after three days of expressive writing, 20 minutes per day.

Thus try writing every day for a few moments. Recollect your thoughts, and journal them. It will help you in navigating your emotions and feelings in a much clearer fashion. Allowing you to feel ease afterwards.

Find someone to vent to.

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Sometimes, all you need is someone who can lend an ear. Allowing you to speak all your troubles away. The best form of therapy is perhaps talking to someone you trust. And what better way to vent something than to vent to a friend.

Whenever I feel sad, or remotely depressed. I call my mates. Though sometimes, I just record voice notes. Some are short, while some are an hour long. My friends have told me, they like listening to my voice. It’s strictly therapeutic for them as well as myself.

When I record myself in those notes — it helps me to relieve myself of the thoughts that have been plaguing my mind and soul. It also allows you to create a bridge where your friend could also exchange words of warmth.

Sometimes one person’s troubles can be another’s salvation. Sometimes these thoughts can help others in figuring out what they have been missing. In times, where social distancing is prevalent — we need to connect with others. We need to be their hope, and in doing so they will become ours.

It is a time even though we are divided by boundaries but technology has brought us all together. It has kept us connected. We are not alone. You are not alone. We are all in this together. Thus connect with those whom you call your friend. Stay connected, together. Fare these tides with one another.

In a world filled with people, all of us are endlessly searching to connect. We are a solution to each other’s problems. Thus call, message, or voice your experiences to each other. Everything will become all right one day. Take it one day at a time.

Scream it all out.

Now I’m not saying you should go all out Tarzan or apeshit on everybody. Though how annoying it might seem, it would be hilarious to see. I’m talking about a way, you could scream and still not bother those around you.

First things first, find a quiet place. It can be anywhere, where you can feel comfortable. Start by talking about the point of reference i.e. the thing that is bothering you.

Discourse about it with yourself, and you can even record while saying it. Slowly but surely increase the pitch of your tone. Release that bent up stress, through the words you speak. Navigate through all your emotions. See how they make you feel, allow yourself to feel that way while talking.

Increase your tone, to a stricter one perhaps releasing your anger in the process. Do it for 5–15 minutes and then stop. After stopping, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.

After this 15 minute process, you will feel relaxed. When you allow yourself to transition between your anger and the thoughts that make you feel blue — it will help you relax afterwards.

It is a handy process evolved from Dr Arthur Janov’s Primal Therapy, I use whenever I feel like shit. When life gets me down, I talk to myself about it. Sometimes I record it and listen to what I said afterwards. There are times I laugh about the things I hear myself talking about. It doesn’t matter to me when I have already said it.

Screaming is a process that allows me to release all the bent up stress. Here is a way, that you can too release your stress without bothering anyone. Remember, when it comes to your peace of mind — nothing else matters. Thus, scream it all out and relax.

Ending Remarks

Life can become a hassle to deal with when you’re experiencing shitty days. It's hard but that’s the beauty of it. You’ll become a much finer version of yourself through them. I believe in you even if no one does. Just try doing these things and you’ll feel better afterwards.

You’ll get through this until the next storm comes. Be ready for it — be ten steps ahead of what life might throw at you. Because you know yourself better than anyone and how you will respond to it.

Accept yourself, the good, the bad, and the ugly — it’s what makes you beautiful. Own who you are, and be real with yourself.

Of course, there are limitations to what we can do — but will that stop us from being our absolute best selves? Fuck no!

We will smile through it all like it’s our birthday. Live like kings and queens. Because it’s our lives and we own this shit.

Thus tell life who’s boss, and navigate it, like Moby Dick. The shores are always in your reach. Set sail, and let the winds of your bad days take you to greater places.

Well, what are you waiting for? —Put your game face on and go claim that booty. (by that I mean your destiny.)

Until then — Be seeing ya.

Peace out. ✌️