Have you ever had those days when life feels like a dimly lit room, and the usual joy seems to have taken an unannounced vacation? It’s like trying to find your way in the dark, but your senses cannot help to guide you through.
How do we know something is wrong when we don’t feel right? Despite thinking we know ourselves best, our self-awareness can sometimes be cloudy, especially when we’re feeling low. In this article, we will delve into the intricacies of recognizing, understanding, and managing low mood—those moments when life feels off balance and everyday joy seems elusive.
Recognizing Low Mood: The Telltale Signs
Have you ever been so engaged in a task at work during a busy, hectic day, that by 4 pm your stomach feels like it’s going to rumble out of your body? Staring at the clock, you realize you’ve overlooked taking care of yourself, completely forgetting to eat all day! On its own, that may not be a cause for undue concern—but what if it wasn’t a busy day? What if it wasn’t just once, but every day? And what if it wasn’t just lunch, but many other aspects of your life?
Recognizing low mood involves tuning into subtle changes—perhaps you no longer sing to yourself while cleaning, or you decide to skip your usual walk. Maybe you love to read but can no longer get through one page without losing focus. “I’m just tired,” you say to yourself, but no amount of sleep is helping. Something is off balance, but you can’t tell what—likely because people are too often inaccurate monitors of their own minds and thoughts.
When I’m talking to a client, I’ll often explain “low mood” as a mix of:
- Thoughts that seem more negative, critical, or hopeless than usual for a person,
- Behaviours that are not in line with someone’s usual functioning, whether it’s sleeping more, not caring for oneself as much, or neglecting certain responsibilities,
- Emotions or feelings that weigh a person down, whether it is feeling lethargic, sad, “out of it,” or just not feeling like your normal self.
In addition to recognizing or understanding low mood, it is important to also understand its repercussions. The impacts of low mood can compound, perhaps starting with sleeping in a bit later, not taking your daily walk, or cancelling plans with a friend because you just no longer feel like it. The low-mood momentum train picks up and can go faster and faster, making it more difficult to get yourself off of it.
These behaviours, feelings of lethargy, and negative thoughts are early indicators of a potential downturn in mental well-being.
Why am I Feeling Down? Unraveling the Causes
After explaining what low mood is, the next question I’m asked is, “Where does this low mood come from?” This is a hard question to answer. The frustrating thing is that low mood can arise for so many reasons, and it can have an insidious effect. Low mood can creep in after something as life altering as a death in the family, or as seemingly minor as a reduction in the amount of sunlight streaming in the window day after day. Other times, work can become stressful, or not feel purposeful or fulfilling, and this bleeds into your personal life. It could also be the other way around, where some interpersonal stressors in your personal life impact work, and suddenly, you no longer feel you have a grip on your circumstance – work and life seem too hard or overwhelming, and you end up feeling unlike yourself.
More than Sadness: Recognizing Signs and Symptoms of Depression
Differentiating low mood from depression involves understanding the nuanced symptoms. Depression encompasses a broader range of symptoms, including low mood or persistent sadness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, disruptions in appetite and/or sleep, physical restlessness or moving physically slowly through the world, fatigue, trouble concentrating, feeling worthless or experiencing guilt for things not your fault, and/or feelings of hopelessness. If you know the symptoms, you can recognize the signs, which will help you in seeking early intervention and support.
The research shows that there are many factors that might contribute to someone moving beyond low mood and into developing depression. These include our biology (e.g., brain chemistry, genetics), early childhood experiences (e.g., family dysfunction, abuse, neglect), psychological factors (e.g., personality traits, low self-esteem), trauma or stressful life experiences, social factors (e.g., relationship issues, lack of social support), and cognitive factors (e.g., persistent negative thinking, self-criticism). All of these can all contribute to someone developing depression. In essence, the complexity of depression is underscored by the multitude of interacting factors which collectively shape someone’s unique journey.
Unlike short periods of sadness or fatigue in response to our immediate daily lives, depression tends to linger longer, for a minimum of two weeks, regardless of changes in daily life. While everyone experiences occasional bouts of sadness or low mood due to life’s challenges, it’s crucial to evaluate whether these feelings are momentary or if they linger, affecting the overall quality of your life and day-to-day functioning. Likewise, people oftentimes experience confusion around whether their tiredness is a natural response to a busy day following a rough night’s sleep, or is a sign of a more profound and enduring exhaustion that could signal a persistent mood disturbance.
Strategies for Managing Low Mood: Shifting Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviours
If you know you are prone to periodic low mood states, it is important to recognize the small things you can do to manage your low mood when it happens. Here are some of my favourite recommendations for both myself and my clients:
- When mood is low, everything can feel harder to do. Break routine tasks down into smaller parts–perhaps not your usual walk around the block, but stepping outside for a breath of fresh air. Celebrate the small wins as acts of kindness and self-compassion.
- Seek to increase physical comfort and self-care. Relax your body in some way; take time for gentle stretches or a relaxing bath.
- Move your body. Research has demonstrated that exercise is good for our mood!
- Distract yourself with things that will also make you laugh. Pick a favourite funny show you can watch that makes you feel warm inside and can help lift your spirits.
- Connect with loved ones. Feeling safe, valued, and connected often boosts our mood and reminds us that we are not alone. Friends and family can also help us to brainstorm additional activities to help us feel better.
It is in the little moments of lows that we can “push” ourselves to do something small to connect to ourselves and shift our mood. Expecting yourself to engage in your regular programming would not be fair to you, so be realistic about what can be done. Don’t set yourself up for “failure” by having certain expectations of yourself when feeling down—this could serve to compound the negative feelings you might be carrying about yourself and your ability to do anything during this time. Recognizing the difference between realistic adjustments and avoidance empowers you to engage in small, meaningful actions that foster self-connection and mood improvement.
To summarize this point, taking proactive steps to manage low mood is essential. Break down the process by checking in on three pillars: behaviours, feelings, and thoughts. Explore simple mood-boosting activities, connect with loved ones to evoke feelings of connectedness, warmth, and compassion for others, and recognize negative thought patterns when they arise. When low mood persists, it can be important to consider consulting a doctor to rule out underlying physical causes like low iron, low vitamin B, or thyroid issues. The goal is to intervene early, preventing the compounding effects of untreated low mood.
What Has Worked For Me
When I feel down, I have identified one activity I know I can rely on—playing piano.
I used to play piano, but this hobby fell off my radar for many years. When I recognized a low mood recently, I tried many different mood boosters, but nothing was working. Then a friend suggested that I get back into piano lessons to stimulate my mind and engage my body (through my hands and the subtle body motion that comes with playing a moving song). Surprisingly to me, I followed through with this idea. I returned to piano lessons after a 12 year absence with my old piano teacher, in part to boost some positive nostalgic feelings and because I knew I needed a teacher to be accountable to until I could be accountable to myself. Since starting, I have held myself to playing piano, practicing old songs, and learning new melodies—whether I feel up or down.
As opposed to taking a walk, calling a friend, or laying on the couch, playing piano has worked for me as a source of de-stress that does not take much effort. Once I finish playing, I often feel just a bit better, a bit lighter; and that is enough for me at this moment. Even if this means I hit the couch afterwards, I feel some lightness that I still managed to do this one thing.
Playing piano worked for me because I was realistic and honest with myself. I recognized that I was feeling down and just simply did not want to do anything. Heavy exercise felt like too much, and I wanted to set realistic expectations. I also didn’t want to zone out on the couch and avoid engaging in life. Piano felt like something that was within my reach, that allowed me to both be still and yet move. It did not require much thought or effort to start once I made this plan, and so when I felt low or particularly down, it was the default solution at the moment to just make me do something and slightly lift my mood. This is why it’s important when in a thoughtful state of mind, to think about the simplest mood booster you can turn to when experiencing low moods. What do you really need when you’re in this low mood, at the most basic level? I encourage you to find what feels within your reach, no matter how big or small. It won’t change your life, but it can bring comfort and a sense of agency or control to know that you have something to turn to during those dark moments that we all experience. Taking positive action also creates opportunities for new feelings to arise – feelings like contentment, pride, or hope.
When you are feeling symptoms of depression or simply low mood, it is important to take a moment to check in with yourself. What are the subtle changes in your body, thoughts, and routine? What do you feel unmotivated to do? What can you do instead? Slowing down this process, recognizing your patterns, and working to set a plan to pull yourself into action can help. It’s rarely easy but remember—you don’t have to do this alone.
When to Seek Help for Depression: Recognizing Your Limits
Knowing when to seek professional help is a pivotal step in managing depression. If low mood persists, impacts daily functioning, and hinders your ability to engage in once-enjoyable activities, it’s time to consult with a mental health professional. Understanding the difference between a challenging day and an ongoing struggle is crucial for making informed decisions about seeking help.
At Transforming Emotions, our team of therapists is available to support individuals through depression and low mood. Take the first step by booking a free consultation appointment today.
