“A low mood is not a failure; it’s a signal. It’s your mind and body reminding you to pause, listen, and tend to your own needs before you can move forward.”
– Anonymous Therapist
As a resiliency life coach, I know what it’s like to feel out of sync with yourself. This past week, I found myself in a miserable mood—low energy, short-tempered, and disconnected. I noticed I wasn’t feeling like myself but couldn’t quite put my finger on the reason. I tried to push through, but the discomfort lingered. That’s when I reminded myself of something important: I am human, and it’s okay to have low moments. I typically embrace calm and optimism, but this week, I was the opposite. I was suppressing my emotions and neglecting the very things that bring me joy and fulfillment.
If this resonates with you, I want to remind you that this low mood is completely normal. However, it’s not okay to stay there. Feeling out of alignment is often a sign that you aren’t meeting your own needs. The truth is, we don’t often take time to listen to what our behavior is telling us about ourselves. We push through, abandon our needs, and wonder why we feel empty or overwhelmed.
Let’s stop doing that.
In this blog, I want to share three tips that help me, and hopefully you, step out of that low mood, regulate emotions, and move forward with purpose.
Allow Yourself to Be Undone
We often think we need to “fix” ourselves as soon as we feel a little off. But growth happens in cycles, and discomfort is part of the process. Allow yourself to be undone. Acknowledge that you’re in a bad mood, sit with it, and recognize it for what it is: a phase. Let yourself be human. Give yourself permission to feel the discomfort without rushing to escape it.
When you’re in a bad mood, that’s your cue to slow down and assess. Growth is uncomfortable, but it’s also necessary. Recognizing your low mood is the first step toward reclaiming your energy.
Express Yourself to Those Around You
Once you’ve acknowledged that you’re not in the best mood, communicate it to those around you. I’ve found that simply saying, “Hey, I’m not operating at 100% today,” helps both me and the people in my life. Being clear about where you are emotionally can take the pressure off. It’s so easy to bottle things up, but that only leads to more frustration.
This week, I turned to a tool I use with my clients: the wheel of emotions. It helped me name what I was feeling—stress, fatigue, frustration—and express it clearly. Doing this took away the burden of pretending to be okay when I wasn’t. Masking your emotions is unhealthy; express how you feel in the moment, and you’ll be amazed at how much lighter you feel.
Assess Your Needs and Take Action
When I realized I wasn’t feeling like myself, I asked myself a critical question: What is causing this imbalance? Where am I neglecting my own needs?
I reflected on my week and realized I was slipping back into old patterns of people-pleasing. I was putting others’ needs above my own, and it drained me. I needed to reset a boundary and stick to it.
When you’re feeling stretched too thin, ask yourself what you need at the moment. Do you need a walk? Alone time? A good cry? A chat with a friend or therapist? Only you can meet your emotional needs fully. Others can support you, but you are responsible for your own well-being.
This week, I realized I needed to prioritize myself again. And let me tell you, setting that boundary was liberating. Take stock of where you are emotionally, and do what’s necessary to feel grounded again.
Listen to Your Emotions and Bounce Back
Living a resilient life means recognizing that you won’t feel 100% every day, and that’s okay. But remember, you are not meant to stay in a low mood. You have the power to regulate your emotions, meet your needs, and bounce back more vibrant and empowered than ever.
Take action today—listen to your emotions, use these tips to reset, and remember that you deserve to feel fulfilled.
If you’re ready to dive deeper into your personal growth, healing, and resilience, I invite you to join my empowerHER community, where we’ll be enrolling new members starting September 15th.
EmpowerHER is a six-week virtual coaching program for women who are ready to grow, heal, and give back to themselves. We meet once a week and go through an intentional curriculum led by me, where you’ll learn how to create emotional space for yourself and live a more empowered life.
Click the link to sign up, and let’s get started on this journey together!
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