Sometimes when you’re alone in your room, listening to your favorite song, working on an assignment and having a good day, a sudden wave of sadness hits. There’s no warning, no signs it’s coming — but suddenly it’s there. You find yourself staring at the ceiling wondering what life is all about.
All at once, your assignment stops making sense, your playlist shifts to your go-to sad songs and the world feels gloomy. Just moments ago everything seemed fine, but now you’re drowning in questions: Are you in the right place? Will you find the happiness you crave? Will you meet people who won’t leave you when you need them? The weight of it all presses down, making everything feel unbearably heavy.
Knowing how many people might be feeling these emotions right now is a saddening thought. Maybe it’s the stress of studies, a rough week, an underwhelming break or the weight of feelings you haven’t fully processed. Maybe it’s something you can’t quite name or just one of those bad days that creep in out of nowhere. Whatever the reason, it’s never easy to deal with these moments that make you feel like things will never get better. It’s hard to pull yourself together when you feel overwhelmed by everything you have to deal with. It’s just as hard to hide those feelings so you don’t have to explain them and worry the people around you.
No matter what’s causing your pain, it’s okay to feel sad. It’s okay to have bad days, to stop and let yourself feel the hurt, to pause your responsibilities and call a friend, to take a break and sleep, or to treat yourself to something comforting. With 48.9% of college students being susceptible to depression, it is important to realize that feeling sad or overwhelmed is a natural part of the human experience.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to bad days — they arrive uninvited and stay as long as they please. But your struggles aren’t small or insignificant things to set aside for bigger priorities. Ignoring them only makes them worse. Don’t punish yourself for feeling sad and don’t be cruel to yourself for falling short of your goals.
At the end of the day, only you truly understand your struggles and the experiences that have made you who you are. Trying to explain it all to the world can feel impossible because others might not get it the way you want them to. But here’s the thing — your bad days are what make you stronger.
You wouldn’t know how to overcome your worst moments if they didn’t exist. There are people who want to see you grow into the happiest version of yourself, not the most successful version society might expect. Taking care of yourself is never something to feel guilty about. The pain you feel now will ease, and every challenge you face will be proof of your resilience.
If things feel too difficult right now, don’t hesitate to reach out. Talk to someone you trust, reach out to your campus counseling services, write down your feelings, record your thoughts or simply let yourself rest. There are so many ways to care for yourself, but giving up is not one of them. If you’ve come this far, you can absolutely keep going.