I think that we all have those days where life just seems out to get you. Those days where nothing feels right and it feels like the world hates you, those days where nothing goes as planned; they are the absolute worst. Some may label these feelings as signs of depression (which they could in fact be) but these days, ladies and gentlemen, are what I have labeled as "bad brain days". As someone who has been diagnosed as having various anxiety and depression disorders, I just consider these bad days as shit luck.

My bad brain days really intensified when I got to college. I am pretty certain that these bad brain days are a direct result of the stress, new environment, new people, and over-consumption of caffeine that comes along with trying to survive college; but I became faced with more days where I could not get out of bed and go to class. I was crying all the time for what seemed like no reason at all. I found that there were more days where I had completely convinced myself that my friends hated me and wanted nothing to do with me. I started having near-panic attacks about walking around campus and things as simple as going to a store that I had never been to. If a friend asked me to pick them up at a place that I had never been before I would say that I could not do it because not knowing something as simple as the layout of the parking lot would make my heart race and put my stomach in knots. My bad brain days are something that effect me even as I am writing this and finding a “cure” of sorts is something that I struggle with every day.

Nevertheless, my awareness of this does not magically make the bad days disappear. So here is my go-to guide, my must-do’s to try and make each bad brain day a healing and nurturing experience.

1. Recognize what you’re feeling.

Identify what exactly made you feel the way you do and think about it. Is it a real problem and something that you could address or will this bad feeling inside of you go away? If it is a repeat issue, working through it may stop it from popping up again in the future.

2. Open your windows and go outside.

Fresh air is so nice, and with it being spring outside right now the weather is beautiful and being outside is really refreshing. Go for a walk alone and just breathe. The calmness of nature can be really calming and the mild exercise can get your endorphins pumping and ultimately end up making you feel really good.

3. Do what you love.

I love to embroider. It’s a hobby I picked up from a guy I met once and I just took too it. It is completely calming because you are stuck in the repetition of the stitches and I tend to lose hours of my time working on a piece. When I am embroidering, I am not really thinking about anything else that is going on. Spend some time coloring, painting, crocheting, or learning something new. Getting creative and seeing the start and finish of a project can really make you feel accomplished and awesome.

4. Make a playlist.

Give Elsa a run for her money and move past what you were feeling. If everyday is a struggle, tomorrow is a new day and a new opportunity for you to work to make yourself feel better. Every day is a journey and the start of a new day signals the start of a new path for you to follow.

5. Treat yo’self!

Indulge a little bit, babe. While I would not recommend all-out binging on buying unnecessary things (unless you want to) or eating too much, doing something nice for yourself that you would not normally do can really make you feel better. You can turn your normal, bummer of a day into a fun day of being out and about. Go get yourself a manicure, go treat yourself to a nice lunch out, or even treat yourself to a day of relaxing and just watching Netflix in bed. It’s time to rejuvenate, babe.

6. Write it out.

Am I the only person who feels noticeably more articulate when I’m writing? Sometimes I feel that I sound like a blubbering idiot when I am talking, but when I write I find that I am able to really flesh out what I am thinking in ways that I can not if I were talking about your problems. You may be able to gain new light to what you are feeling by really delving into writing about it.

7. Don’t lash out.

It is so incredibly easy to fall into the pit of being in a bad mood that you take it out on all surrounding people. Your friends do not deserve this and after you lash out you know you’re going to regret it. Save yourself the guilt of thinking you hurt your friends and just let them know that you are just having a bad day. If you are upset because they aren’t answering their phone, realize that they probably do not hate you and that they are busy. We are all in college and have busy schedules and workloads.

8. Let it go.

Give Elsa a run for her money and move past what you were feeling. If everyday is a struggle, tomorrow is a new day and a new opportunity for you to work to make yourself feel better. Every day is a journey and the start of a new day signals the start of a new path for you to follow.

9. Talk to someone.

If things seem to be really rough on a daily basis and it feels like it is going to be impossibly for your days to get better, there is nothing wrong with finding professional help and having someone to talk to. Most campuses offer free counseling programs and utilizing these services could be extremely beneficial for those on a path of self growth. Calling and making an appointment could be the first step in creating an overall happier life, and could also help provide an objective viewpoint to more personal struggles. I could not reiterate it more: there is nothing wrong with getting help.

You can do this. When the impossibility of life is a constant stress in your life, just know that you are strong enough to work through any roadblocks your brain is throwing at you. Everything is not as it seems, but taking good care of yourself emotionally and physically can really