Tips for Bad Brain Days
1. Turn off your notifications
If the dings from your phone are getting you down, it might be time to put down your phone. Texts. News. Social media. Dare I say, Duolingo? Give yourself a brain break and put your phone on Do Not Disturb. (If you really need to you can turn off notifications for some apps and leave others on.) Try for 24 hours, but an afternoon or an evening is okay, too. Even if you can’t set aside all your responsibilities for a day, you drown out at least some of the noise.
2. Schedule a self-care day
Even if you can’t take today, this very day, off, it’s still nice to have something to look forward to. Try making intentional plans for your next day (or morning, or afternoon) off. Buy a movie ticket. Schedule a massage. Pick up a $7 face mask from the pharmacy or DIY one yourself. Stay in your PJs. Make some popcorn. Switch on a comfort movie or a favorite album or crack open a good book. Whatever it is you do to rest and recharge, make a plan and make it your motivation to get to the end of the week.
3. Make a manageable To-Do list
On days when your executive function capacity is at its lowest, it can be difficult to manage even the simplest of tasks. If you can’t take a break, you can at least take steps to make the things you do have to do more manageable. Start out with your baseline needs. Do you have a plan for feeding yourself for the day or the next week? What about sleep hygiene? What errands do you need to run or tasks do you need to complete for work or for life in general? Make a list ranked by what’s easiest to do and start from there.
4. Write or text some “Thank You” notes
One way to distract yourself from the bad in life is to set aside half an hour of your day to celebrate some of the good. Think of the people who bring light to your life — family, friends, roommates, neighbors, coworkers, etc. — and draft a short “thank you” text, or better yet, a handwritten note. Not only does it let the people you care about know that you appreciate them, but it reminds you that even when you’re feeling low, you’ve got people in your corner cheering you on, and you can take some pride in making them feel the same way.
5. Engage with wholesome content
You’ve turned off your notifications. You’ve practiced (or planned) self-care. You’ve crossed things off your to do list and practiced gratitude. Now it’s time to reward yourself with a final dose of wholesome content. Good news, if you will. Wholesome animal pictures or videos. Public interest stories. Feel good movies. Whatever good content the internet (or world) has to offer. Use the positive energy to re-energize. Remember that bad days are bad days, not all days. So rest up and get ready to wake up tomorrow and take on the world.