What to Do When Your Usual Pick-Me-Ups Aren’t Helping

We all have our own little ways of making a bad day better. It could be a hot bath, a favorite television show, or a simple stop at the drive-thru for something you don’t need but really want. Mine varies depending on the sort of bad it is but it sometimes involves a favorite book, a little quiet, and a cup of coffee that I actually get to finish while it’s still hot. Sometimes, even something as simple as changing out of the clothes you’ve been wearing all day and putting on your favorite pajamas can make the evening feel a little better.

About 85% of the time, those little comforts do their job. No, they don’t fix whatever went wrong, but they make things feel a bit more manageable. Yet, every now and again you find yourself doing all the things that usually cheer you up, and nothing seems to help. That favorite television show isn’t as interesting, that book is suddenly boring, the coffee just isn’t tasting as good as it usually does. 

What makes it worse is that you aren’t particularly sad. Sometimes you’re just tired, irritated, or completely uninterested in things you normally enjoy. Sometimes there seems to be so much more going on that you can’t name your emotion. When that happens, it can be difficult to figure out what to do next, especially when you’ve already tried everything that usually works.

Stop Trying to Force Yourself Into a Better Mood

Sometimes we are a little too quick to expect ourselves to just feel better. We did something nice or fun and think the bad mood will just as quickly be over. When we don’t suddenly feel better it puts us in an even worse mood. The problem with this thinking is that it isn’t always one thing that leads to a bad mood. It’s a million little things that just piled up. 

There are times when our favorite activities aren’t working because we are expecting them to deal with an issue that is much bigger than they can handle. Much bigger than they are meant to handle. Instead of attempting to pile more activities onto yourself, give yourself permission to have a bad day. It is not the end of the world. We all have less than stellar days and it is okay to let that show. Give yourself a little breathing room to just be human.

Take a Look at What’s Been Going On 

If these days have become more regular, ask yourself what has been going on in your life lately. Have you been sleeping not only enough but well? Are you eating regular meals or surviving on take out and junk? Has work been particularly stressful? Has someone been sick and you have been helping care for them? All of these things can lead to a mental breakdown and cause you to have bad days and moods. Especially caring for someone else. You get so focused on taking care of them that you forget to take care of you. 

While you don’t need a detailed chart, take the time to think about the time of the month it is. Is it that time of the month when you are paying the bills and handling all the other little finance things. Have you been cleaning out the house a little more than normal? All of the little tasks that we do daily, weekly, and monthly can lead to bigger stress in the grand scheme of it all. 

Try Something Different 

If your go-to to feel better is the same movie or television show and it isn’t working maybe try something different. Maybe you need something to engage your brain just a little more than what you are giving yourself at the moment. Maybe you need a full weekend off the couch away from the phone, tablet, and television.

We tend to fall into the pattern of doing the same thing that makes us happy every single time. The problem is there will be times that habit, whatever it may be, just doesn’t make us happy at that moment. It is important we move on to something else or risk feeling worse.

Pay Attention When the Feeling Doesn’t Go Away

It is important to remember that everyone has bad days, and sometimes we have several in a row. It doesn’t automatically mean we’re experiencing depression. Stress, grief, physical illness, medication changes, and a variety of other circumstances can affect our mood and energy. It changes as swiftly as the wind most days. That being said, there is still a point when it is  important to stop brushing your feelings aside. 

If you have begun to notice that you no longer enjoy things that you once loved, you find yourself struggling to concentrate, your sleep patterns have changed or even your appetite has changed it is time to speak with your doctor. Take a moment and really think about what has changed. Do you find yourself feeling homeless more often than not? Are you finding that staying in the bed or on the couch is where you are spending more time than usual?

Depression doesn’t always look like the depths of despair that many people assume it would be like. It can creep up on you, slowly before you know it. For some people crying more frequently is common. Others find they feel emotionally numb. Many struggle to get out of bed, yet others continue going to work, taking care of their families, and handling responsibilities while feeling miserable inside.

Speaking with a Depression psychologist can help you understand what you’re experiencing and explore appropriate ways to manage it. You don’t have to wait until everything falls apart before asking for help, and you don’t need to have a perfect explanation for why you’re feeling the way you do.

Don’t Overlook the Physical Side of Things

Our mental and physical health are connected although we do try to treat them as two separate things. For example, think about how you feel after a horrible night of sleep. The smallest thing can irritate you can’t it? I know how that is, a horrible night of sleep and I am ready to bite someone’s head off if they look at me the wrong way. Just imagine feeling that bad for several weeks and what it would do to you. 

Things like poor sleep, ongoing pain, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal changes, and even some medical conditions all contribute to fatigue or changes in mood. Even some medications can affect how you feel, too.

If your usual pick-me-ups aren’t helping and you’re experiencing persistent changes in your energy, mood, or daily functioning, consider scheduling an appointment with your regular healthcare provider. They can help determine whether something physical might be contributing to the problem. This is particularly important if the changes are new, unexplained, or accompanied by other symptoms.

You might discover that you need something as simple as better sleep habits, treatment for a medical condition, mental health support, or a combination of approaches. Whatever the explanation, having more information is better than spending weeks wondering what’s wrong.

Explore Different Ways to Support Your Well-Being

The best thing is that everyone can find help in the way that they need. Not everyone needs meditation or even medication for that matter. For some people those things work beautifully while for others they don’t begin to scratch the surface. In fact, for you it could be gentle stretching, gardening, journaling, spending time with animals, or simply getting outside for a little fresh air that makes things better. 

While there are those who are interested in additional help and they find it by researching natural therapy Southport services that may be available.  Depending on the provider, these might include relaxation-focused treatments, mindfulness practices, or other complementary services. Although it is important to note that  natural or complementary therapies aren’t automatically safe or effective for every condition. For example I have heart failure and many of these aren’t safe for me. 

So work with your healthcare provider when using these. The goal is to find sensible ways to support your overall well-being, not to collect a dozen new routines that leave you feeling more overwhelmed than you were before.

Let Someone Know How You’re Really Doing

How many times have you answered “I’m fine” when someone asked how you were doing, even though you were anything but fine? Look, I am guilty of it too. We all do it and that is okay, but doing that is harder on your overall health. You don’t have to explain everything going on or even go into great detail. 

Maybe you simply say this has been a rather hard week. Maybe you say you’ve been tired more lately or you haven’t had anything enjoyable to do lately. Any of those things are fine and don’t give out all of your details. You may be surprised because they offer up sympathy or suggestions or maybe they just tell you they are right there with you. You may end up finding support in the most unlikely of places.

Give Yourself Permission to Need More

I love life’s little comforts as much as the next person. Things like a  favorite meal, fresh sheets, a good book, or an afternoon without a single obligation can make any day feel special. I don’t intend to give any of those things up just because they can’t solve every problem. But sometimes we need to recognize that a difficult season calls for more than our usual comforts.

Maybe you need additional rest, fewer commitments, a conversation with someone who understands, or an appointment with a professional who can help you figure out what’s going on.

And maybe, for now, you simply need to stop being frustrated with yourself because the things that normally make you happy aren’t doing the trick.

Don’t ignore the heaviness that keeps hanging around. You deserve to have the help you need in whatever way that may be. The best part about getting help is that you will be able to enjoy all of your favorite things without the added weight of them being forced to make you feel better.