A couple days ago I was a little down, which is an understatement.
It happens to all of us at one time or another, especially this year. This particular horrible day was the first one in a long time for me, thank goodness: I have many, many more good days than bad. Terrible days like that one are a huge contradiction to who I normally am: a chipper and optimistic person who is also a great cheerleader and excellent cheerer-upper for others. Days like that one can be confusing and/or totally shocking to those who know me well, but nobody has good days one hundred percent of the time. In addition, I really do believe that those of us who are known for being happy and “up” so much of the time tend to contrast that by sinking to the lowest of the low. (Check on your strong friends!)
Unfortunately, whenever I have had down days this year, my mental state has tanked completely for about 24 hours and then takes a day or two to recover and bounce back.
2020, am I right???
I knew it was coming right before bedtime the night before: I felt a dark cloud appear over my head and I couldn’t shake it off. When I woke up in the morning, I was immediately on the verge of tears. I cried during the first ten minutes of my dance workout, believe it or not. I cried for the vast majority of the day, especially when things went wrong, which was constantly. In fact, pretty much nothing went right for me and I remember saying things like, “I give up” and “I’m done” many times, through huge tears.
By four in the afternoon, while I looked on the outside like the kind of disheveled hot mess that appears after hours and hours of crying, inside I felt like Ferris Bueller’s best friend Cameron, when he had his breakdown: totally catatonic. I was the epitome of the phrase “I can’t even,” except multiplied by one thousand: I JUST COULD NOT. AT ALL.
In addition to the tears, I couldn’t get warm to save my life. I had the fire going, I was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, and I was on the couch under two blankets. I was freezing. It’s one of my least favorite stress responses because the extreme chill comes from deep on the inside, and in those hours that depth seems bottomless.
Say what you want about performing some kind of self care or distracting activity in order to get out of a situation like that; I say that sometimes the best self care is doing nothing at all but waiting it out.
Jim has gotten very good at handling these dark storms. I have communicated to him many times in the past that as much as he wants to, he can’t fix it and I just need to get through it. I know that when these meltdowns happen, I almost always wake up the following day feeling exhausted, but mentally better. And if not on the day immediately after, then definitely the day after that. He has learned that, too. The other day he was there to hold my hand and be my shoulder to cry on, telling me that he was sorry that he couldn’t fix it but that if I needed anything he’d take care of it. I’m very lucky.
I’m lucky to have friends who are right on the other end of a text, too.
Just like usual, I did wake up the next day feeling exhausted but mentally better. A sunrise is a wonderful start to a do-over.
This is all to say that it’s okay not to be okay sometimes, not just during this completely absurd year but in any year, in any month, on any day. If you’re going through a storm of your own, just be good to yourself and do whatever you need to do to get through it. If you have a partner or someone else in your home who can support you, lean on them. If not, lean on friends. (Hi, I’m available!) If you have both, lean on both. You’ll be okay again, I promise. We all will.
PSA: If you find that you have lots more bad days than good ones and can’t seem to climb out of the dark, please seek professional help. This year has magnified existing problems, created new problems, and put a huge strain on everyone’s mental health. There’s no shame in getting help, whether it’s through therapy, medication, or a combination of both. If you find yourself having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 24/7 for free and confidential support.
16 Comments
Momo
I am thankful to have you to lean on and I’m thankful that your chill wore off. <3
MelisaLW
xoxoxo
Mari
It is okay not to be okay but I’m glad you are feeling okay again, my friend. ((Hugs))
Angela
I appreciate that you talk about the bad days, too. I liked the part about just having people being there for you, and knowing you don’t need them to fix things, just to be a presence in your thoughts.
Michelle
I adore you and always appreciate your honesty❤️
MelisaLW
Back atcha!
Liz
I love you. That is all.
MelisaLW
I love you more!
Karen Meg
Such an important message Melisa. Sending you a big huge virtual tight hug. I’ll admit that I’m used to reflecting more shiny happy than the bad days, and it’s not that I don’t have them. Sometimes mentally, physically, emotionally exhausted to the point of being catatonic -like. And things are pretty good for me, I cannot even imagine how tough it is for some individuals these days.
MelisaLW
Yep, this year has hit all of us in different ways.
Stephanie R Wilson
I hate hearing you have these days ever, but it’s so relatable. I feel like I’m having more “one thing after another” that can seriously derail my day, then weeks. Especially the cheerleaders need to be cheered on. Love you.
MelisaLW
Love you back! xoxo
Cheryl
YES, check in on your strong friends! They’re most likely the ones who have been told over and over again what a badass rockstar they are, so when they do have these moments, it feels especially confusing and difficult to accept. It sounds like you know yourself very well, and allowing yourself to feel your feelings is a good strategy.
MelisaLW
xoxo
San
You and I sound very much alike… I am a half-glass full kinda person generally, but of course, I also have down days sometimes. They’re confusing because people like us are not used to being down, but I agree, the best way is to sit with the feeling and let it move through you.
I am glad the next morning you felt much better already.
MelisaLW
Thank you! Usually when this happens I also find myself using valuable energy to be upset that I’m going through it. It’s hard work to let those feelings go.