How To Investigate When You Feel Down But Don’t Know Why
Have you ever felt a shift in your mood or energy level, but you’re not really sure why? You may feel like there’s a heavier weight on your chest than usual, or that you’re dragging your feet on your way to the kitchen every morning. If so, this is totally normal and you are definitely not alone. But that doesn’t change the fact that it can be really confusing and frustrating to be feeling down when there’s no reason for it jumping out at you. If you’re experiencing this frustration, it’s important not to ignore this shift in mood, and do a little investigating into what may be going on internally or externally - and move towards making changes that have a positive impact. You deserve to feel good! Below are questions you can ask yourself to get to the root of the problem (if there is one), and figure out what the heck you can do about it.
When did I start feeling this way?
Can you pinpoint it to a day, or a week? It could be helpful to look back at your calendar, journal, or even text messages to figure out when your energy and mood may have dropped in the first place.
2. What has changed?
Think about the point in time you identified above (if you have one): had anything changed in your life around this time? Make sure to think about all aspects of life, not just the ones you assume would impact your mood the most. Did something in your diet change, or in your level of activity day-to-day? Was there some sort of transition that you went through, even a small shift in your routine? Did something happen or shift interpersonally for you? Did something in your environment feel different? - aka, did the temperature change, or the amount of sunlight you’re exposed to? Identifying all of the things that were going on around the time you started noticing changes in your mood can be super helpful in figuring out what the root of the problem is. And sometimes, pushing ourselves to think about ALL the possible impacts can actually reveal to us that it’s a simple answer - you may just need more sunlight or to stop eating cheese (tragic) after all!
3. How has my change in mood impacted me or others?
It can be really helpful to look at what looks or feels tangibly different since this drop in mood, in order to help you set goals or recognize/measure when you’re back on track and feeling good. Perhaps you’re having trouble staying focused at work, or maybe you feel more drained than usual when you’re spending time with friends or family. However this period of time is showing up in your life, make a note of it - this can also help you better identify when things are feeling hard in the future so you can be proactive about feeling better.
4. Are There Points At Which I Feel Better?
Have there been times or moments in this span of feeling down at which you’ve actually felt better? If so, what was different about those times from your typical day-to-day? Try to draw some connections to see if you can find some common denominators in what may be missing in your life or routine.
5. Identify Changes To Make (If Applicable)
If you were able to identify some tangible areas in which change could help make some progress on your mood, then start setting some goals for yourself to implement some changes. For example, if you identified that you typically feel better on days when you eat oatmeal instead of eggs, make a plan to find some more oatmeal recipes so you can feel your best. Or, if you identified that you feel a lot better on weekends (controlling for amount of sleep and other factors, of course), it may make sense to start exploring internally if this current role is the right one for you. Both of these examples are on opposite ends of the spectrum of magnitude of problem, sure, but both require thoughtful investigation and planning to work towards the changes that are going to have an impact. It may take a while to start feeling better - but being proactive about your mental health and mood will give you a LOT of peace of mind.
6. Accept It: Sometimes, Life Is Just Hard
All of the previous suggestions or steps are very solutions-oriented - and that is intentional. Usually, when there’s a change in our mood or energy level, there’s a reason (or a few). It’s important to remind ourselves that we have a lot of control over our lives and how we live them - and that if we’re not feeling good, we can take steps that can make us feel better and more satisfied day-to-day. That being said, there are, in fact, also a lot of things we CAN’T control in life! And sometimes, life will be life-ing and we’ll find some situations or phases more challenging or energy-sucking than others. While it’s helpful to think about how we might work towards change, it’s also important to remind ourselves and accept that sometimes, life is just freakin’ hard. We’ve seen first hand over the past few years how changes in our environment or peripherals can have a HUGE impact on how we operate and feel day to day (think: a pandemic, climate concerns, political turmoil, the list goes on…). Or, remember that some people’s brains and bodies aren’t really meant for a 9-5 schedule, but may still have to do it to pay the bills - and that’s a very real reason why they might be feeling down! Try your best to make the changes that you can within your particular circumstances, but also allow yourself to be human and ride the wave of emotions that is this existence. Remember: all emotions and seasons of life serve a purpose. Don’t be too hard on yourself for struggling at some times more than others.
7. If Things Don’t Get Better, Seek Help
If it’s been a while since your shift in mood and nothing’s changed, and you’re starting to feel defeated or helpless, there might be something else going on. This could be something physiologic, like an unusual change in hormones or malfunction of an organ, or it could be an escalation or development of a mental health condition. Either way, it’s always safest to seek help from professionals to figure out what the problem is, so you can treat the problem in a way that will truly have a positive impact. There is absolutely no shame in wanting to better understand what’s happening in your body and brain, and being proactive about your health in this way is the best self-care you can do. Remember: you deserve to feel good! And if you don’t, you deserve the support to figure out why, and how to move forward.