When the Blues Take Over Your Sunny Yellow Days

Why do we suddenly have the blues when yesterday we felt wonderful about life?

How could we write three chapters in our novel in two days, and the next week just stare at a blank page?

Why do we suddenly have no interest in going out with our best friends, when last weekend we had the greatest time ever with them?

And why do these days happen when nothing, absolutely nothing noticeable, has occurred from one day to the next?

I Call These My Blue Days

It’s not depression, no existential crisis is happening; it’s nothing permanent… just a day where nothing feels quite right.

We have all experienced this: you fall asleep feeling content, productive, and looking forward to the next day, only to wake up with an uninvited gray cloud hanging over your head. There were no arguments, no horrible news, no bad dreams, no obvious trigger. So why do we sometimes suddenly drop into sadness or immobility?

Sometimes this missing “oomph” is information, and it’s important to listen. What if you’re depleted? You’re overloaded? You’ve been solving too many problems that aren’t your own? You need quiet and solitude? You’re bored with what you’re currently doing? You need to switch up your life? Or you’re just plain exhausted?

Or what if you simply need one day when absolutely nothing is expected of you?

I like to think of an occasional blue day as my brain and body asking for a reset. Just as the body needs sleep to recover from physical exertion, the mind may sometimes need a low-energy, introspective period too. A sudden flat day doesn’t necessarily mean your life is falling apart; it may simply mean you need a little R&R.

Blue Days After 60

But why do these days feel particularly dark when you’re over 60?

Maybe it’s because, as we get older, we put so much pressure on ourselves to feel good, stay active, stretch our brains, and move our bodies that when we just feel like doing nothing, we feel guilty or like we’re giving up?

Or maybe we’ve become so conditioned to productivity that the moment we don’t feel driven, engaged, creative, or energetic, we feel like something needs fixing. Or somehow, we’ve failed.

I call B.S. to that.

We’ve all read about putting on music, dancing, calling a friend, exercising, or going for a walk to combat the blues. But when you don’t feel like doing anything, honestly, who wants to force themselves to do something, and why is doing nothing just okay?

Blue Days Mean Something

I actually treasure some of my blue days. They give me permission to do exactly what my unconscious seems to be asking for: very little.

And as an older woman, I feel I’ve earned the right to do nothing, to be sad for no particular reason, and even to revel in it – without analyzing myself or worrying that somehow I’m turning into that “old boring lady” I said I’d never become.

I’ve also found that when I do have a day of pure nothingness, even if I’m emotional, the next day can feel particularly bright. Contrast has a way of keeping us feeling. And feeling is part of a life worth living.

If You Don’t Want to Hang in the Blue Day

But if you’re bound and determined to get out of your funk, here are a few odd “tricks” that may help you shift your perspective:

The Cold-Water Shock

Splash cool or cold water on your face or hold a cold compress against it briefly. Research on facial cooling shows that cold stimulation of the face can trigger an autonomic “diving” response that may slow the heart rate. At the very least, it certainly gets your attention. I’ve also tried the cold “plunge” by jumping into a cold shower. That makes me madder on a bad day, so I don’t recommend that, personally.

The Breathing Technique

Take one slow inhale through your nose, followed by a second smaller inhale, then let out a long, slow exhale through your mouth. A breathing practice known as cyclic sighing has been studied and is associated with improved mood and a slower breathing rate when practiced for five minutes a day. I sometimes add a satisfyingly loud audible exhale of my own because, frankly, it feels good to let out a big sound (as long as you’re alone) or to yell into a pillow. That works very well for me on a blue day.

Look to the Horizon

Step to a window or go outside and focus on something in the distance. Slowly let your eyes travel across the landscape and notice three ordinary things – a red car, a green tree, a cloud. I find that simply directing my attention outward can interrupt the inward loop of a blue mood. It also gets me to lift my head up, instead of staring down, which I tend to do when I’m not feeling great.

The Do-Nothing No-Guilt Plan

Let your blue day be just that: a day when you don’t quite feel yourself. Pay attention to make sure there isn’t something seriously wrong, physically or emotionally. Then, once you know it’s just one of those days, let yourself have it. Write in your journal, watch a favorite movie, or, like me, simply do very little—and don’t have an ounce of guilt about it. Sometimes, after a day of just “being,” the desire for “doing” returns on its own.

An occasional blue day is one thing. A persistent change in your mood, energy, interest in things you normally enjoy, or ability to function is another. If those feelings persist, worsen, or begin interfering with everyday life, it’s worth talking with a healthcare professional.

If it’s an intermittent blue day… just let it be.

Give yourself the luxury of one more day to be blue with no judgment. Tomorrow may look entirely different.

Questions for You:

Do you have blue days? Are they common? Do you try to snap out of it? Do you have techniques that work for you? Or are you okay when you’re not 100% yourself?