"This is a Down Day, and There Will Again Be Up Days."

Sharing an email sent to me by a woman physician I have had the honor to work with. It’s a beautiful blog post in its own right.

Today I was having a down day. Nothing major in the clinical sense, just - in the most reductionistic sense... pandemic fatigue. Thanks to you, I was able to pause, notice it, and decide what I wanted to do about it.

I asked what would love do?

And I realized, I needed to honor the feels.

Now, the major part of me doesn't like this because it's "non-productive" when I need to be churning out notes as fast as possible while I figure out dinner plans at the end of the day before I pick up my kid from daycare and get the curbside groceries on time.

But I stopped, sat with it a moment, and wrote probably my first poem since the beginning of the pandemic.

And I sat in my office alone and cried, not out of self-pity, but from a place of self-compassion and private expression.

And with the intention of listening to the “Unbecoming” podcast again, I stumbled upon the “Down Days” episode and listened to it.

It felt like a salve to my soul.

Funny how feelings feel so consuming. Like the down days will never end. Or how the hard times feel overwhelming. But listening to the podcast helped me put it back into perspective.

This is a down day, and there will again be up days. I know this to be true. I have experienced the truth of this. I just needed that reminder.

So, as you recommended in the episode, I am reaching out for human connection. I have shared the episode with a friend of mine, who has recently told me she has been going through some down days. And I am expressing my gratitude to you via this email. I love the Rumi quote that "cracks let the light shine in." Thanks for shining your light!

May you be well,

Here is the link to listen to the Mindful Healer’s Podcast Embrace The Down Days she references.