Have you ever found yourself sinking into a funk, feeling weighed down by thoughts that seem relentless? I know I have.
It’s all too easy to spiral into a pattern of negative thinking when life throws curveballs your way.
Whether it’s work stress, personal setbacks, or just the day-to-day grind, we can all feel like the walls are closing in sometimes.
As someone who has navigated through plenty of those tough times, I’ve also had the opportunity to chat with a psychotherapist who shared some unconventional, yet powerful tricks to help manage those emotional lows.
These aren’t your typical “think happy thoughts” strategies; instead, they focus on shifting how you think, so you can snap out of that downward spiral and start feeling more like yourself again.
So, grab a warm drink, find a comfy seat, and let’s dive into these five mind tricks that can genuinely help you when you’re feeling down.
1. Remember Life Is an Absolute Joke
Yes, you read that right. I remember the first time I heard this piece of advice, I laughed out loud.
“Life is an absolute joke” isn’t the kind of thing you typically expect from a therapist, but once I sat with the idea for a while, it started to make sense.
The therapist I spoke to explained it like this: “When you take life too seriously, you give it too much power over your emotions.”
Think about it — we’re all just tiny beings on a big planet spinning in a vast universe, and yet, we let the smallest things consume us.
That bad meeting at work, a friend’s rude comment, or even a social media post that rubs you the wrong way — it can all feel monumental in the moment.
But, in reality, these things don’t hold as much weight as we give them credit for.
One of my favorite examples of this is RuPaul’s famous philosophy that life is a joke, and it’s true.
Life is absurd, unpredictable, and downright weird. And once you start seeing it that way, the pressure eases up.
You begin to realize that a lot of the stuff that stresses you out isn’t going to matter a month from now — maybe even a week from now.
Now, does this mean you should stop caring about everything? Absolutely not. It’s about gaining perspective.
A little levity can go a long way in making you feel lighter, even during tough times.
I like to remind myself when I’m stuck in a negative loop, “This is just one moment in the great, cosmic joke of life.”
Suddenly, the weight lifts a little.
2. Redefine the Word ‘Change’
Let’s talk about change. If you’re anything like me, change can feel scary, overwhelming, and sometimes outright exhausting.
Whether it’s a new job, moving to a different city, or a sudden shift in relationships, change brings uncertainty — and with that, anxiety.
But here’s where the psychotherapist’s advice changed everything for me: instead of fearing change, embrace it as a constant.
“Change is inevitable,” they said. “You can’t stop it, but you can decide how you react to it.”
Think about that for a second.
The only thing that’s guaranteed in life is that things will change, but that doesn’t mean the changes will be bad.
When I first heard this, I realized that my anxiety about change came from trying to control the uncontrollable.
But once I stopped resisting change and started seeing it as a natural part of life, my outlook shifted.
Instead of bracing myself for the worst, I began to trust that even if things got tough, they wouldn’t stay that way forever.
There’s always movement — and sometimes that movement takes you somewhere better than you ever imagined.
Now, when I’m feeling stuck or down, I remind myself that no situation is permanent.
Change is coming, and it could bring something amazing if I let it.
3. Allow Yourself to Feel Tiny
This next trick might seem counterintuitive at first, but hear me out: sometimes, feeling small is a good thing.
We’re often told to “stand tall” and “take up space” — and yes, that has its place.
But there are also moments when recognizing just how tiny and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things can be incredibly freeing.
Think about it: we’re just one person on a planet of billions, and our planet is just one small part of an enormous galaxy.
When you put your problems in that kind of context, they start to feel a little less overwhelming, right?
The therapist I spoke with put it beautifully: “Being small isn’t about diminishing your worth; it’s about understanding that the universe is vast, and your mistakes or worries won’t shake its foundation.”
It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that everything we do is so critical, but the reality is, most of the time, it’s not.
No one’s paying as much attention to your failures or missteps as you think. And that’s comforting.
You can make mistakes, try new things, and mess up, and the world will keep turning.
This perspective helps me breathe easier when I’m feeling down.
I can step back and remind myself that whatever I’m going through, it’s just a tiny part of a much bigger picture.
It makes life feel a little less heavy and a lot more manageable.
4. Compare Your Worries to Others (Yes, Really)
We’ve all been told not to compare ourselves to others — and for the most part, that’s solid advice.
But in some cases, comparison can actually help put things into perspective, especially when you’re feeling low.
The psychotherapist I spoke with had an interesting take on this: “Sometimes, when you’re consumed by your own worries, it’s helpful to remember that others have been through even worse and come out the other side.”
This doesn’t mean you should diminish your own feelings or think that your struggles don’t matter.
But it does mean that it can be helpful to recognize that pain, hardship, and challenges are part of the human experience.
Other people have been in dark places, and they’ve survived. So can you.
There have been times in my life when I’ve felt completely overwhelmed by my own problems, only to hear about someone else’s story that puts things into stark contrast.
Suddenly, my worries didn’t seem as insurmountable.
That doesn’t mean they weren’t valid, but the shift in perspective gave me the strength to move forward.
5. Observe How Little Other People Actually Think About You
Let’s be real — most of us, at some point or another, have fallen into the trap of overthinking.
You know the drill: you say something awkward, or you think you’ve upset someone, and suddenly, it feels like the entire world is focused on that one moment.
Here’s the truth: they’re not.People are busy.
They’re wrapped up in their own lives, their own thoughts, and their own challenges. And while it might feel like the spotlight is on you, it rarely is.
The psychotherapist I spoke with put it this way: “99% of people you interact with don’t think about you for more than a fleeting moment.
And if they do, it’s rarely with the level of scrutiny you imagine.”
When I first heard this, I felt a sense of relief wash over me.
How many sleepless nights had I spent replaying a conversation or a perceived slight in my head, convinced that the other person was still stewing over it? Too many.
But once you realize that most people are far too caught up in their own lives to dwell on your missteps, you can start to let go of that anxiety.
The weight lifts, and suddenly, the things that seemed so significant in your mind lose their grip on you.
Thinking Positively Isn’t Enough
I want to end this by saying something important: these tricks aren’t about forcing yourself to think positively.
In fact, I’ve learned that sometimes, positive thinking just isn’t enough.
It feels hollow, especially when you’re really down in the dumps.
As a mindfulness coach, Melody Wilding, puts it, “The problem with positive thinking as an approach is that it operates at the surface level of conscious thoughts.
It does nothing to contend with the subconscious mind where negative self-talk and limiting beliefs really live.”
In other words, you can’t just will yourself into happiness by slapping a smile on your face.
What you can do, however, is start by shifting your conscious thoughts and working your way inward.
These tricks aren’t about pretending everything is fine when it’s not.
They’re about giving yourself a little breathing room, a new perspective, and a chance to rethink how you approach your challenges.
So, the next time you find yourself feeling down, try one (or all) of these tricks.
You might be surprised at how much power you actually have over your own mind.
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