Some days just feel tough. Gloomy, heavy, and you don’t feel like yourself.
Through decades of working with women, I’ve learned there are simple things that can lift the heaviness on those days, even a little. Here are ten of them. Watch the video, then keep this list handy for the next time you need it.
1. Carve Out Some Time for You
It doesn’t have to be long. For me, it was often a quick drive to a local bookstore. I find bookstores so therapeutic, even if they can be dangerous on the pocketbook. Half an hour, and I’d return to my day lighter.
2. Do Something That Brings You Joy
Keep it small. If you love walking in the rain and it’s raining, go. I used to love running in the rain. Colouring is another favourite, a lovely way to focus on something right in front of you and set aside what’s weighing you down.
3. Nourish Yourself
Grab something healthy, or treat yourself to a specialty coffee at a little café. Stay and people-watch, or sit in your car with music you love. Nourish your heart and soul from the inside out.
4. Let Your Emotions Out
After my mom and dad died, there were some very heavy days. Sometimes you have to meet your emotions where you are. For me, that meant taking time alone, often before the kids came home from school, and letting the tears fall. Sometimes sobbing was the best thing I could do. Whatever I’d been holding down came to the surface, and afterward there was a lightness again. There is no shame in letting your feelings out.
5. Talk to a Friend
Reach out to someone you trust and tell them, “I’m having an off day.” Talk it through, or ask them to share some good news with you. It’s okay to say, “I just need to hear something good today.”
6. Do Something Kind for Someone Else
This is one of my favourites. A random act of kindness shifts the focus away from how you’re feeling and brings love, empathy and compassion to someone else. And it always seems to come back, often in ways you didn’t expect.
7. Try Something New or Break Up Your Routine
Try a recipe you’ve been meaning to make. Take a different route home. On low days especially, doing something differently can spark curiosity and a little joy.
8. Count Your Blessings
I know it sounds too simple. But when you stop to feel grateful for what you have, who loves you and what’s going well, instead of what you don’t have, your energy changes. Feeling happy for the people you love helps too.
9. Get Active for Eight Minutes
It’s easy to understand and hard to do. Move your body: a walk, the treadmill, push-ups, jumping jacks, the stairs. I say give it eight minutes. Not five, not ten. Eight is the sweet spot. If you want to keep going after that, go another eight. If you’re done, you’re done.
10. Reach Out for Professional Support
Sometimes things are heavier than we can carry alone, and that’s hard to admit. When the other steps aren’t enough and things feel too dark or too heavy, it’s time to speak with someone professionally trained to support you. Many communities have free phone lines and local resources, and a quick search for support in your area will help you find them. There is no shame and no guilt in this. This is you taking care of you.
It’s Okay to Pause
On gloomy, heavy days, it’s okay to pause and do something that lifts your spirits, gets your blood pumping or changes your focus. There are people who love and support you, and there are professionals ready to help.
Which of these have helped you? Is there something you’d add? Share it in the comments on the video, because it may help the next woman who needs it. And subscribe to At the Heart of It All with Pierrette on YouTube. At the heart of it all, you matter, and you are loved.
