I know you said you don't need advice, but please stay aware of this feeling and monitor if it gets worse. Some of the symptoms of depression are low mood, lack of motivation, loss of interest in things that usually make you happy and feelings of self doubt/ low self esteem. I don't want to be overly dramatic, just something to be aware of to keep yourself safe and healthy! x
Thanks for saying this!! I thought about this most of the video. These are some of my own symptoms, and it worries me to hear someone talking about feeling the same way, and not necessarily know they could think about reaching out to a professional.
I totally understand this paralysis. I can't find the motivation to complete person projects, but I always go into work even when I don't feel like going. However, once I've jumped over the hurdle of starting, I find it easy to keep going. It's like kinetic energy: once something is in motion it's takes less to keep it moving than to start moving. And it also comes down to your fears and selfworth. If something only benefits you; if there isn't the fear if disppinting others, it can be really hard. That's why I need a deadline and friends who know my dreams and want to see them fulfilled.
This is what I've been feeling lately. I do have a "normal" job and I still feel unmotivated to do the things I love. I make excuses about people and things and I let it simmer until that motivation is gone. I have swept my personal goals under the rug and have just chose to exist. A couple of bad brain days has turned into a couple of months worth of damage and it's a hole I need to crawl out of.
This is me too. Last year I suffered a huge loss in my life, so some time to be "out of in" was to be expected, but I need to come out it and rise above it now and it is SO HARD! I guess we can just press on and it something will give eventually :)
if you feel unmotivated to do the things you love, and if you feel generally low, its often linked with depression. talk to someone about it! there's always someone who will listen
When I'm having a bad brain day, I don't force myself to do anything, but I try to gently persuade myself. I always start with 'maybe you should go brush your teeth', and 90% of the time I do that, then I go 'maybe you should get changed' and 75% of the time I do that. If I'm changed, then I can feel a bit productive, as in I can leave my room. But if I can't do that, I feel really shit, then I'm like, let's get Netflix on to distract from the shitness and just get the day over with.
Literally I relate so much. You feel so lazy even though it's your head. I can't write at the moment bc I'm revising for a levels, and literally, if I don't get out of bed to revise, I'm throwing my life away. And even that isn't motivating me.
First, I call them "mental health days" and I try not to feel bad for having them anymore...I guess that comes with age because it took me a long time to get there. Second, as a nurse, the thing that makes me the happiest is caring compassionately for the dying and their loved ones. Odd, I know, but that is where my heart is. Anyway, I look forward to your review of Wonder Woman.
Ruthie D I don't think that sounds odd at all. My mother recently passed away, and the main thing that made the process bearable was the compassionate, maternal nurses who hovered around my sister and I throughout the hardest day of our lives. One of the nurses even told us that as hard as the job was, she loved it because it was fulfilling and meaningful.
TollerDK, I'm sorry for the loss of your mother, but I'm glad you had compassionate nurses to ease you and yours through the process. Thank you for understanding.
I think i'm happiest when i'm in the midst of something changing in my life. as much as i fear change in the future, when everything around me seems constant and predictable i think i begin to seep deeper into my brain and am less willing to go outside and actually live because it doesn't seem exciting anymore. (obviously, that's not true). i enjoyed your honesty in this video, hope your day goes well.
I really get this. Being a student, I've only had 5 hours of obligatory presentness every week, and so all the studying was my responsibility. And of course I couldn't do it. I was happiest at the start of the semesters, getting into the new subjects, but they soon lost their shine. I was then again happiest during the exam and a few hours after, but it just all turned into mush after that. I'm probably not interested in the subjects, because I like using my brain at the exams, but actually studying is terrible. I don't think I care enough. It's the periods of boredness that makes me feel the most like I'm starting to malfunction :/
I had to write 9 compositions in kannada of over 600 words over summer and i went to sleep every night thinking "Tomorrow's the day, I will wake up at six and at least finish 7" and in the morning i just stare at the notebook until i find an excuse to stop. Eventually i figured I'm more motivated to work at night, so i started at 10pm and wrote 4 compositions by 2 am which is more work than i had finished in the past 3 weeks. I guess people have different ways to get over their bad brain days
Making making making makes me happiest. I think? (And completing, for a moment. When sharing it feels good rather than like performing some kind of surgery on your own body.) & front row at The Killers. Nothing better than front row at The Killers.
Whenever I have a bad brain day, I will just sit, in the most comfortable pjs I have, watching RUclips, playing a game (if I can be bothered) and just eating the easiest thing to get. If it's a really bad brain day, I just have to stay in bed, on my phone, either listening to music and reading, or watching RUclips. Things that make me happiest, is watching RUclips, and I think it's because it shows me that RUclipsrs also experience things, just because a lot of people know them, doesn't mean they never have bad days, and it shows that they are real people. I like to listen to people's experiences and opinion on things as well, so it helps with that as well. RUclips is also the light in my world, being the only thing I can focus on to help me relax and stay calm.
Music makes me happy. Playing music, listening to music, composing, learning, teaching. It makes me so happy to finally get that difficult run or to listen to someone else and feel the music. Music just soothes my soul in every way possible.
Well this is so very relatable. I end doing the exact same thing where I end up doing small household chores so I at least get something done that day, unload the dishwasher, doing the laundry etc. Those bad brain days always seem to happen to me when I don't have anything specific on, when there's nothing to force me get it together and just troop on. I should just pay a friend to come drag me out of bed and tell me to get my work done on those days. Sort of like a pseudo-boss for the self employed.
One of the best experiences I've ever had was doing children's theatre last year. Hearing "wow" and "woah" never got old. I'm happiest when I'm performing because I'm creating an escape for the audience. They can forget their own troubles and slip into another world for a while.
I used to have really bad brain weeks during the semester. I called it my "existential crisis of the semester" and they were always close to the end of it. I started to realize that I was happy if I was up to date with my assignments and I worked on that and they (the bad week days) started to distance themselves and I only had 1 last semester.
I get bad brain days quite often. To the point where my psychiatrist has said "Dude, you need help." The days where it is worse I've cancelled projects or even stopped social activities because I just can't do it at that time. This has slightly dented my attendance at college, which is why I'm trying to help ease myself at the minute. Luckily, my exams are over, so a bit of a breather. I can sometimes get it during projects, too. I'm currently doing some independent feature film stuff with some people (Can't disclose too much info, so you're welcome for the vagueness (If vagueness is a word...)), and I often find myself demotivated despite the incredible opportunity, which sucks. But, what I'm starting to come to terms with is when you feel this way, take everything in small steps. If you can, go at a pace you feel comfortable. From then on, during that day, week or whatever time period, that pace may be able to pick up, and you start to feel much better. Hope this can potentially help to anyone reading this. Much love.
Hands down concepts. Kneading out a story, seeing the characters/idea unfold, writing their thoughts, and exploring the personality and feel of a story. It's such a wonderful feeling like you're effortlessly jumping from rock to rock, seeing a world open up to you. Fucking love it...
THANK YOU!! I'm so glad you posted this video. I'm having a bad brain day right now and this kinda makes me get my but off my sofa. (Also I have 3 finals next week and a paper to hand in...)
Theatre makes me happiest, because it's a place wherein I live all the bullshit in my brain at the door and show up to make some art. And whatever I can't leave behind, I can use in my craft. It gives me a place to put all the stuff in my head, and without it, it all rumbles around in there sort of ruining me. I haven't been in a play in a year, and it's sort of the absolute worst.
Like seriously, I've been sitting at my table staring at my politics essay that was due 3 weeks ago for about 2 hours and barely getting out 3 sentences. I LOVE this subject, and I LOVE writing, but i've been having exactly what you described since about 2 weeks into lockdown. I came to youtube to try to reset my brain a bit and this was the first video I clicked on on in recommended and you've just perfectly articulated how i've been feeling for the past month. It's so fucking hard to stay consistently self motivated, and it's such a shitty spiral to not want to do the things you like doing anymore and then giving yourself shit for being lazy but then you feel even worse and even less like you want to do anything, and it just goes round and round.
I like seeing people genuinely laugh. I also like to just watch them being genuine. Thanks for opening up about this, Jack, because I have bad brain days too and you've given me the inspiration to acknowledge them and fight them
i dont know if this makes me the happiest because it was only one experience but, it is a good one to say the least. I was driving home from my college the other day and I was passing a bus full of elementary school kids. There were about 7 kids at the back of the bus trying to get the attention of people passing by in their vehicles. They were all waving frantically and laughing. I decided I was going to wave back, and I did and the results were so heartwarming. One kid in particular was so overjoyed someone acknowledged them that he started jumping up and down in his seat and slapping his hand against the back window. I swear I instantly started crying in my car as I drove past the school bus. I've never been so overwhelmed with emotions.
Understand entirely what you mean by a "bad brain day". If my creativity level whilst writing or general mood on a normal day drops, there's nothing better than experiencing a day that's simple but for some reason above the 'line of content' you described. I call it an "unexpected happy day" - might be worth looking out for. Hope the remainder of your writing goes well, Jack.
Things that make me happiest: writing, reading, learning, creating, spending time with my sisters, travelling, watching theatre and TV and my favourite films, listening to music :D
I have that feeling with my creative work and I always make sure to do plenty of cleaning after tea because then I haven't wasted a day bevause I've done something useful so I get what you mean. Being with friends and feeling like I've progressed makes me happy. Like if I see a drawing I've done and I know it could be improved but then seeing how much better it is than my drawing a year or two prior makes me very happy (same with my photoshop skills, picture analysis and anything really. (Also on bad brain days making sure I have time to relax where I'm allowing myself to relax rather than feeling guilty helps me too).
When I think about what makes me happiest, the things that immediately come to my mind are things like getting into a good book, brewing a really tasty cup of coffee, getting someone a gift that they actually really like, stuff like that. But the more I think about it, I think those are what they call the simple pleasures of life. And they're great! But I think what actually makes me really truly happy is doing life with the people I love, and everything that entails; serious conversations at 2am, falling asleep on the couch while watching a movie, sharing a bottle of wine and laughing till your sides hurt, stuff like that. Even the hurt and heartache that come from with those kinds of relationships. They're just important and messy and worthwhile. That's what makes me the kind of happy that you feel in the pit of your stomach.
Music has always been a huge part of my life. Music to me is what film is to you. So going to concerts has always what's made me happy. It's where I thrive the most. I had the privilege of actually working the merch for one of Dodie & Tessa's tour dates last fall & it was the happiest day of my life because I was FINALLY doing SOMETHING in the music scene. Hopefully one day I'll properly work in the industry.
I live far away from my family and I have always been fine about it. I missed them, but lived my life and was content with it. But right now I am home and i have realised how good it is to be HOME. Just sitting in th garden, helping my parents to maintain it, joking with my little sister. That what makes me happy right now. When I go back to my own life I probably will find some other type of happiness, but right now this is it.
Being with other people makes me the happiest, which is odd because I'm an introvert, so as much as I need time alone for energy, nothing makes me feel more excited about life than talking to new people, hearing their stories, learning their passions, and building a bond of friendship and empathy with them.
creating makes me happiest. when i'm making something and i know it could be good, i get this warm glowy feeling and i love it. but when the doubts creep in, and i'm creating things that i'm not sure are going to be good or not... the glow isn't quite as warm.
i'm the happiest when i see someone else happy. that's one of the main reasons i watch youtube - i like seeing people have fun and watching them laugh. or whenever i'm with my friends, i am guaranteed to be cheered up. that's what makes me the most happy. as for videos like this though - they're more comforting. my brain calms down and i let myself feel angry, sad, depressed, whatever i'm feeling. also, whenever you have bad brain days - i suggest doing everything that you can. you can iron, clean out your closet or read an entire book - keep doing anything you can, so you would achieve the feeling of doing something. that's what helps me the most. i know it's sometimes hard, but personally, when the bad brain days end, i absolutely hate myself for doing nothing. but i do emphasize the 'can' because it's also not good to push yourself over the line
I'm happiest when I've found a set of really good songs that are so good that I actually look forward to long mundane car journeys so I can listen to them.
I dread Summer most years for this exact reason. When I don't have a job, work, classes to go to, deadlines to meet, I can't find the motivation to do much. Maybe play games, or bake. I've been stuck in that for a while. I decided to go home and visit my family, look for a change of scenery and hope it'll start something like a reboot of my brain. I hope you overcome your bad brain days. If anything, they never last forever.
Hearing you talk about your bad brain days has made me feel like its okay to be having one of my own today. It's easy to forget that you're not the only person in the world feeling like this, so thank you Jack ☺️
i'm at my most happiest when i'm doing long day rehearsals for a show. I'm in the place that i love, the theatre, for 12 hours a day with the people that I love and doing the thing I love. I get to leave my problems and worries ourside the door and I get to be someone else. I'm constantly working and making myself better and i'm surrounded by people who feel the same.
Definitely deal with bad brain days in small episodes everyday... The thing makes me happiest tho is when I can get in that comfortable state of being lost. Lost in the work I enjoy, lost and just driving on the road, lost in my thoughts while on a walk. We're forced to focus and be "on" all the time that I think I'm happiest in the tranquil sublime (but only for a few hours at the most before I start missing the stress and the vicious cycle starts over again). Sounds a little vague but I think your thoughts and ideas can be your biggest burdens. But thank you for being honest and brave enough to share this thought with your audience. I have tons of respect for your journey and work!
this is so relatable, I just finished college and have no job at the moment so there have been many days where I just stay in bed until something compels me to get up. I'm a filmmaker too and shooting is my favorite activity I love being busy from the moment I wake up until I can't keep myself upright anymore. thank you for this it's so comforting to know someone else feels the way I do
the thing that makes me the happiest is the process of writing because it is a creative outlet that allows me to convey a story or message in a way that can be structurally appealing. I think this is why i like writing and reading poetry so much: it is messy thought written with rhythm and pace.
Honestly these kinds of videos are my favourite. Just hearing about people's real lives, their struggles, their motivations, their feelings, I love it. Connecting, I guess.
a week or so ago I was trying very hard to get school work done but I couldn't so I moved on to working on my art project because that's something I enjoy but I couldn't work on that either and so I just laid on the ground, unable to get up for about 2.5, 3 hours? eventually it was like midnight so I got up and went to bed but I definitely relate to not feeling motivation at all. I think I'm happiest when I'm writing/directing theatre productions, or honestly just working on any form of art, I find it very rewarding and it's strange to think that there are days that I can't even be bothered to do that.
I think the things that make me happiest and the times when I feel completely self reliant. The times when I know I'm doing everything to the best of my ability. The times when I can trust myself to create something I'm proud of (whether that be within film or writing or visual art.)
I fucking love how you edit. You only jumpcut when you've finished a thought and it makes the content so much more real and raw. I felt like I was just havin a coffee with a friend talking about mental health while watching this video. You're lovely.
what make me happiest? it's probably making other people happy. seeing people genuinely smile and laugh fills my heart with joy, because people deserve to be happy. sure, sometimes happiness is 'overrated' but it doesnt hurt anyone to smile and laugh does it? another thing that makes me happy is creating. making art, drawing, learning a song on the ukulele. it fills me with joy whenever i create something i can genuinely say im proud of. so yeah. that is what makes me happy. (also, i hope you feel better soon just know it will go away one day)
I think making people smile or laugh is one of the greatest feelings in the world. That and being able to create or be part of something that people can relate to or learn from. Even for myself, creating things helps me appreciate and observe my own perspective and personality which is cool.
I regularly rewatch your video "Confident and Insecure". I think I have shared it everywhere I could and all my friends have seen it because of me. I make youtube videos too for 5 years now sharing what's it in my head at the moment (in french and somewhat boring, you don't need to see). Since my content is based on my emotions and reflections about the world around me, it is kind of difficult to hide when I'm not here. And being self employed, I have those bad brain days. What I do to overcome this is the following. I have a list of things I want to do or learn and I know I would be sad long term if I don't do or learn those things. I know I won't do or learn those things if I don't kick my own ass because no one cares about those things but me. They are small things like: drawing more, playing guitar, reading, dancing, coding python... And when I wake up, I wake up to do stuff out of this list. So it makes sense to me to get up because I genuinely know these things are going to make me happy short term and long term. Each time I feel like I am not there or I have bad emotions like "you're not good enought, you are going to fail", I just draw. Yes, it is childish but it works so... Don't care about my 30 years old. Hope it helps...
I'm happiest when I'm alone in my own space. I try not to feel bad about it because that's just how I relax. My cat, as well, he makes me happy, he's just too pure and he deserves everything. When I'm creating too, that's something else. I really love editing, and I can get so stuck into it that the day just melts away
This is the most relatable thing I have ever heard as a creative person. I just ended school, during which I would jump from theatre production to theatre production. In fact, we did so many shows this year that one show would close and we'd cast one to two weeks later for the next and then go straight into rehearsals. This continued for the entire year and now its the summer. Everythings so unstructured and I feel like I have infinite amounts of time and no obligations. Me and my friends want to try to make a few short films but I can't seem to continue writing what I have so far. I also figured I'd read some plays and books on the craft of both filmmaking and directing theatre but I can seem to do either. ALL OF THESE ARE THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY. Like I love being in a production, even when issues arise because it just makes the process more rewarding when you solve them. Making stuff is cool but I just can't seem to.
Bad brain days happen all the time to me, especially when I need to complete a challenging task. I just end up worrying about whether I'm doing a good enough job or not, which stops me from having a clear perspective on if I'm doing well/poorly. It sucks because I would feel so much better completing these tasks, but there's a barrier stopping me from just getting on with it. What has helped me is reminiscing about how I felt during simpler carefree times (like in high school) by listening to some good music. This helps me put myself in an optimistic and excited mood, which means I can get on with whatever work I need to do. I've also been acknowledging the fact that embracing challenges is a great thing, since that's where you find the most satisfaction and improvement.
Hey, I so get this. At this point in my life nothing makes me happy anymore, I'm in the middle of accepting that I have clinical depression. It's times like this where I welcome any sort of destraction and things like a creative project would probably help with that. I'm just not a great atm, struggling with it, but still hanging on for some reason. I think you are right about keeping the bad thougts out by focussing on a task or thing that you love, but imagine not loving anything anymore, that really really sucks. You know, at some point you will snap out of these bad brain days and you'll feel more motivated and happy, maybe even tomorrow already! I hope you can find something that makes you want to leave your bed again, I hope I will too :)Thanks for this video, I'm glad you're so open about this, you're stronger than you think.Take care x
I identify so much with your "wanting to always be shooting a show" feeling. I'm someone that does a lot of musicals, so I'm happiest during hell week (tech week) or dress rehearsals where we're all constantly running scenes and numbers. It makes me happy because 1)I'm singing and dancing and acting, which I love to do 2) I'm around other theater people who I'm very fond of and 3) It gives my life a very clear routine and rhythm. After we finally finish the show I just feel really empty and lost for awhile.
This week I felt incredibly apathetic due to fasting: going without the food made me feel really lazy and tired for the majority of this week. However, I managed to motivate myself by spreading out all of my work, so that my main problems to solve didn't feel as hopeless to complete as they would've felt before. Try adding some more structure to your day, I.e. Set working times and relaxing times, so you can hopefully become more used to working for decent periods of time.
Tbh, my entire four years of uni was bad brain days that only got worse & worse as time went on, until it got to the point where in my final semester a month ago, a month before graduation, I just stopped. Just stopped working, stopped doing anything, despite it being my final year project. I couldn't do anything. But yet here I am, with a degree in B.A. in Interior Design. Despite all those bad brain days, I made it through & I did graduate, even when I was so sure I wouldn't. So good on you, Jack, & anybody else that reads this, for making it this far, even though you feel like you do. You have come this far; keep pushing, & you'll go even farther.
I am happiest when overwhelmed with good stress. I just finished my third year of architecture and we often do 60 hour weeks in the lead up to a final project hand up. It's creatively exhausting, it's physically and mentally exhausting, but I live for it.
I really like these honest videos of yours, I'm self employed and I really struggle with patches of 'bad brain days' and it's nice to see someone who I always perceive as success and perfect showing his flaws and saying when he struggles, so thank you ❤️
Working with animals makes me happiest. I'm self employed as well, working as a Pet Sitter, Dog Walker, Trainer, Groomer, Behavior Consultant, and so on. It can be demanding and certainly takes up majority of my time, but I absolutely love the animals and clients I work with plus, like you said, it keeps my mind occupied from the negative thoughts I try to ignore. Once in awhile I'll have a day or two to myself with nothing scheduled and, well, those are my "bad brain days". They're challenging to get through, but thankfully I have my four dogs who force me out of bed to feed and walk them. If I didn't have them, I likely would just stay in bed all day (and in past days without them, I have). I guess my solution to avoiding the paralyzing feeling is having a life that isn't my own dependant on me to continue living... Ever considered adopting a pet, Jack? Maybe your new place will allow it ^_^
Saw the title and immediately knew what you were going to talk about. I had my own bad brain day earlier this week. I tend to have them right before I'm about to start another Big Creative Project - it's like my brain shuts down and says, "That's going to be really intense. Are you sure you're ready for that?" I talk myself into backing down, and I fall into this downward spiral until something or someone pulls me out of it. Then I get started on the Big Creative Project, and once I'm immersed in it I'm totally fine: it's fun and exciting because I'm making something that makes me happy. Writing/shooting/editing, it's the fuel that keeps me going. It's those in between times when I slow down and have more bad brain days... So yeah Jack, I can totally relate. Hope you feel better soon.
I've always had days like this and just called them "bad head days" as I've gotten older. You are the first person I've heard that actually acknowledges that this happens to people. My friends would know I would get like that but would just think I'm being "lazy" or "moody". Thank you for this video. I'm happiest when taking care of others in need or being creative (sewing, outside projects, any crafty stuff really).
Choreographing dances and being in a clean space opens my eyes and gives perspective to my life which in turn leads to a happier me. The freedom and possibilities that I see in these moments at a studio make me excited to be alive and be blessed with the abilities to make the life of others better.
I'm happiest when I'm writing short stories, but I have no idea why. I think. It's probably the joy of creating something purely from myself, but also while I'm writing, I kind of feel an echo of the triumph of finishing, editing, publishing, and having other people see my work. So maybe it's pride that makes me happy?
I had a similar feeling when I left my part-time job that I loved but it was so bad that I had mild anxiety because I couldn't get myself to do anything and when I finally forced myself to do something I would get panic attacks. What's making me happy right now is work, working on anything continuously (as you described) keeps me content and out of the sadness that comes with leaving something you love.
I'm so glad someone else calls them bad rain days, it's different from days where my brain's asleep or just off. But it's good we have given those days those names because it shows we're aware it's not our best days and we can try ways to help it. We KNOW what's going on, even when we think we don't.
I know exactly what you mean. I tend to watch mindless TV on those days. Sometimes forcing myself to get out and meet people also helps, but only manage if I actually have to leave the house.
I think people are the root of happiness. Everything we do is an aid to social interaction. So I think focusing on the other people around you is a sure way to feel happy. Of course that doesn't mean you shouldn't care about yourself (hygiene, nutrition, exercise) but after all of that we should build upon the relationships we have and create new ones.
I know. I know this. I work in an office editing and for me, though, these days don't tend to happen when I have something to do: be it wake up and go to work, or planned hang out with friends or such. The worst is when you have a free day and this feeling comes in and you just stay there, not watching tv, not reading a book, not eating, not anything, just laying there, because the thought of actually doing anything almost gives you shivers. It doesn't happen often to me, but when it does the day is wasted and I feel more tired than after a full day of work.
My happiest stems sort of from the same place yours does. Mine is performing, specifically dancing on a stage. There's something so overwhelmingly blissful about finishing a number with barely any breath in your lungs and hearing the audience applaud you for it. Maybe it's self centred, but that feeling can carry me through even weeks later 💚
Acting, writing, and watching and reading scripts, makes me happiest because I like exploring things I wouldn't necessarily explore in my own life. It gives me something to pour all my energy into, however, I am prone to burning out. My brain loves me 😂
My best way out of a bad brain day is going to see a movie in the cinema. It's such an exhilerating, joyous experience for me and I always come out feeling inspired to DO something, even if it's just cleaning my room.
I needed this- I came here to see if there was a review of wonder woman I could watch and found this instead...turns out this video is an exact reflection of where I'm at right now (writing this from bed, a deadline looming, doing anything to avoid facing the day). It's nice to have a very real confirmation that everybody has these days exactly when I needed it, so thank you Jack x
You speak the truth Jack! I had a lot of days like this last year when my work schedule was really erratic, and it made me feel especially useless because my family members are all high achievers and I couldn't help but compare myself. Like you I'm happiest when I'm on the verge of being too busy to think, doing any of the things I enjoy (singing, cooking, seeing friends, travelling). Thanks for sharing this, I'm going to save it for future bad brain days to remind me other people have the same experience and it doesn't mean that I can't still do useful stuff.
playing music of any kind with other people is my favourite thing in the world. I dunno why, i guess everyone there has a shared love of something, and we're all working together to make something as good as it can possibly be, while joking around. it's just incredible.
The weird thing is, when it comes to work or university, I just do the things, I have to do. No questions asked. Once it comes to my personal life, things run a little differently. I'm not sad all the time, I just don't have the energy.
What makes me happy.. - Feeling a state of flow (flow in work, flow in ideas coming, flow in inspiration coming, flow in anything) - Appreciating something (a beautiful visual thing like a sunset or a painting, auditory thing eg music, a joke, a movie, a book, a good, entertaining story, a youtube video) - Understanding something - that moment when it clicks and makes sense is so delicious! - Learning something new - a new fact, a new skill, a new useful trick - Feeling like you've mastered a skill - Feeling like you're in sync with stuff around you, be it dancing in perfect sync to music, singing in perfect sync and harmony with a song or with a friend or in a choir, - Being in the middle of a project that I really believe in - Having a big goal that I believe in and that I'm really motivated to reach and that I know I will be able to get there if I just hustle - love that feeling of motivation and that feeling of "I got this! I can do this! I'm on my way to achieving something great!" - That moment when someone tells you something they like, admire or love about you (fleeting but nice!) - Cuddling :D
I'm happiest when I feel content in the moment. Not when I'm thinking about something great that's coming, or great things I have done, but when I'm really really enjoying the present and not thinking or worrying about anything else. It can be surprisingly hard to find things that consistently do that though, like (challenging) exercise and cooking are pretty sure bets to do that for me (thankfully. it's nice to know that there's something I can do that will very likely make me feel great). I think it's because, as you mentioned, they are things that consume all your energy, and it doesn't allow any negative thoughts to come in, and usually the decisions you need to make in those moments don't feel overwhelming, because you don't think about what happens after, or how it fits into anything, you can just go with how you feel right then and there. Thanks for the video Jack!
What makes me happy/content is getting things done. I get depressed when I have too much time to think. Spending time outdoors helps, sometimes even with people.
What makes me happiest is just being with my girlfriend whether we're out doing something or doing nothing at all but just being with her always cheers me up cause like if im just sat at home on my own doing nothing i just end up wasting my time and basically end up feeling nothing at all and just being numb/empty so i like to be physically doing something or just being with her
having depression for me is just this every day :/ but i find completing little tasks like Jack did the ironing really helpful because the feeling of progress really lifts the feeling of guilt and helps you do the bigger things too!
What makes me happiest is traveling because it always keeps me learning and experiencing things on the tip of my toes. Unfortunately I'm ballin on a budget and a HUGE home body so it's difficult for me to do what makes me happy and I end up completely stuck in a routine where I sit around doing nothing in bed all day waiting for my next chance to travel. I feel bad for wasting ALL of my time but I can't get out of the toxic routine....
I love when people can be honest about things like this that are a very real part of being human. Definitely being in the middle of a project doing something you love keeps you away from bad brain days, but other than that, calling up a friend. It may seem obvious, but it's the only thing I've found that really, effectively helps. Because the worst bit is that feeling of empty, disconnectedness when you're not doing anything. Just talking to someone reminds you that you're normal and the feeling will pass.
what makes me happy. watching my favorite people and listening to my favorite music in these times of bad brain days. forgetting all of my problems with little hopeful undertones sprinkled here and there. thank you for sharing jack.
I think I'm having a bad brain year
feels
nefrit6 I think I'm having a bad brain life
You still made a video. You're embracing your bad brain days and conquering it. I'm proud of you for doing that. That's progress.
Fireheart K you
you!
*Y O U*
Me?
no, not you.
I know you said you don't need advice, but please stay aware of this feeling and monitor if it gets worse. Some of the symptoms of depression are low mood, lack of motivation, loss of interest in things that usually make you happy and feelings of self doubt/ low self esteem. I don't want to be overly dramatic, just something to be aware of to keep yourself safe and healthy! x
+Emily Davenport thank you x
Thanks for saying this!! I thought about this most of the video. These are some of my own symptoms, and it worries me to hear someone talking about feeling the same way, and not necessarily know they could think about reaching out to a professional.
my entire life is one endless BAD BRAIN DAY
Daphne Daria same.
Daphne Daria me
Daphne Daria I was going to comment this haha
No
Same thing here
I totally understand this paralysis. I can't find the motivation to complete person projects, but I always go into work even when I don't feel like going. However, once I've jumped over the hurdle of starting, I find it easy to keep going. It's like kinetic energy: once something is in motion it's takes less to keep it moving than to start moving.
And it also comes down to your fears and selfworth. If something only benefits you; if there isn't the fear if disppinting others, it can be really hard. That's why I need a deadline and friends who know my dreams and want to see them fulfilled.
And when that kinetic energy hits even the smallest bump, suddenly you have to start from square one again. Total inertia.
Bad brain week during the week off mid A level exams . I'm doomed
Eilidh XXx samee
Same I'm having this mid GCSEs...I say 'mid' I haven't even done half of them yet...poop
Lucy Jo you will do great. Just keep at it!!
Eilidh XXx same and I haven't had any exams yet so that's just great 🙃
Eilidh XXx you'll be fucked in life if you don't do well. You will be the lowest of society.
This is what I've been feeling lately. I do have a "normal" job and I still feel unmotivated to do the things I love. I make excuses about people and things and I let it simmer until that motivation is gone. I have swept my personal goals under the rug and have just chose to exist. A couple of bad brain days has turned into a couple of months worth of damage and it's a hole I need to crawl out of.
This is me too. Last year I suffered a huge loss in my life, so some time to be "out of in" was to be expected, but I need to come out it and rise above it now and it is SO HARD! I guess we can just press on and it something will give eventually :)
if you feel unmotivated to do the things you love, and if you feel generally low, its often linked with depression. talk to someone about it! there's always someone who will listen
When I'm having a bad brain day, I don't force myself to do anything, but I try to gently persuade myself. I always start with 'maybe you should go brush your teeth', and 90% of the time I do that, then I go 'maybe you should get changed' and 75% of the time I do that. If I'm changed, then I can feel a bit productive, as in I can leave my room. But if I can't do that, I feel really shit, then I'm like, let's get Netflix on to distract from the shitness and just get the day over with.
this is my entire covid19 lockdown mood perfectly articulated
EXACTLY. I can't concentrate at home and there's a 14,000 word thesis staring at me. And I'm not doing anything.
Literally I relate so much. You feel so lazy even though it's your head. I can't write at the moment bc I'm revising for a levels, and literally, if I don't get out of bed to revise, I'm throwing my life away. And even that isn't motivating me.
First, I call them "mental health days" and I try not to feel bad for having them anymore...I guess that comes with age because it took me a long time to get there. Second, as a nurse, the thing that makes me the happiest is caring compassionately for the dying and their loved ones. Odd, I know, but that is where my heart is. Anyway, I look forward to your review of Wonder Woman.
Ruthie D I don't think that sounds odd at all. My mother recently passed away, and the main thing that made the process bearable was the compassionate, maternal nurses who hovered around my sister and I throughout the hardest day of our lives. One of the nurses even told us that as hard as the job was, she loved it because it was fulfilling and meaningful.
TollerDK, I'm sorry for the loss of your mother, but I'm glad you had compassionate nurses to ease you and yours through the process. Thank you for understanding.
We need people like you in the world, Ruthie and will forever. You're more appreciated than you'll ever know
I think i'm happiest when i'm in the midst of something changing in my life. as much as i fear change in the future, when everything around me seems constant and predictable i think i begin to seep deeper into my brain and am less willing to go outside and actually live because it doesn't seem exciting anymore. (obviously, that's not true).
i enjoyed your honesty in this video, hope your day goes well.
I really get this. Being a student, I've only had 5 hours of obligatory presentness every week, and so all the studying was my responsibility. And of course I couldn't do it. I was happiest at the start of the semesters, getting into the new subjects, but they soon lost their shine. I was then again happiest during the exam and a few hours after, but it just all turned into mush after that.
I'm probably not interested in the subjects, because I like using my brain at the exams, but actually studying is terrible. I don't think I care enough. It's the periods of boredness that makes me feel the most like I'm starting to malfunction :/
Mind over Mindfuck I agree wholeheartedly.
I hope you're okay, bad brain days happen to the best of us. please don't put yourself down even more than you already have❣
I had to write 9 compositions in kannada of over 600 words over summer and i went to sleep every night thinking "Tomorrow's the day, I will wake up at six and at least finish 7" and in the morning i just stare at the notebook until i find an excuse to stop. Eventually i figured I'm more motivated to work at night, so i started at 10pm and wrote 4 compositions by 2 am which is more work than i had finished in the past 3 weeks.
I guess people have different ways to get over their bad brain days
Making making making makes me happiest. I think?
(And completing, for a moment. When sharing it feels good rather than like performing some kind of surgery on your own body.)
& front row at The Killers. Nothing better than front row at The Killers.
i have bad brain days, but i just call it depression
Literally me this week, I'm in the middle of exams and it's the last time I need this but it's happening and ugh idk
WhateverItsAmber • same it's so hard having a day where you don't wanna do anything but you have to because it ACTUALLY MATTERS lol
Whenever I have a bad brain day, I will just sit, in the most comfortable pjs I have, watching RUclips, playing a game (if I can be bothered) and just eating the easiest thing to get. If it's a really bad brain day, I just have to stay in bed, on my phone, either listening to music and reading, or watching RUclips.
Things that make me happiest, is watching RUclips, and I think it's because it shows me that RUclipsrs also experience things, just because a lot of people know them, doesn't mean they never have bad days, and it shows that they are real people. I like to listen to people's experiences and opinion on things as well, so it helps with that as well. RUclips is also the light in my world, being the only thing I can focus on to help me relax and stay calm.
Had exactly the same sorta week
Music makes me happy. Playing music, listening to music, composing, learning, teaching. It makes me so happy to finally get that difficult run or to listen to someone else and feel the music. Music just soothes my soul in every way possible.
i really enjoy how genuine your videos come across, they feel almost cathartic to watch if you get me
Well this is so very relatable. I end doing the exact same thing where I end up doing small household chores so I at least get something done that day, unload the dishwasher, doing the laundry etc. Those bad brain days always seem to happen to me when I don't have anything specific on, when there's nothing to force me get it together and just troop on. I should just pay a friend to come drag me out of bed and tell me to get my work done on those days. Sort of like a pseudo-boss for the self employed.
One of the best experiences I've ever had was doing children's theatre last year. Hearing "wow" and "woah" never got old. I'm happiest when I'm performing because I'm creating an escape for the audience. They can forget their own troubles and slip into another world for a while.
I used to have really bad brain weeks during the semester. I called it my "existential crisis of the semester" and they were always close to the end of it. I started to realize that I was happy if I was up to date with my assignments and I worked on that and they (the bad week days) started to distance themselves and I only had 1 last semester.
I get bad brain days quite often. To the point where my psychiatrist has said "Dude, you need help." The days where it is worse I've cancelled projects or even stopped social activities because I just can't do it at that time. This has slightly dented my attendance at college, which is why I'm trying to help ease myself at the minute. Luckily, my exams are over, so a bit of a breather.
I can sometimes get it during projects, too. I'm currently doing some independent feature film stuff with some people (Can't disclose too much info, so you're welcome for the vagueness (If vagueness is a word...)), and I often find myself demotivated despite the incredible opportunity, which sucks. But, what I'm starting to come to terms with is when you feel this way, take everything in small steps. If you can, go at a pace you feel comfortable. From then on, during that day, week or whatever time period, that pace may be able to pick up, and you start to feel much better.
Hope this can potentially help to anyone reading this. Much love.
Hands down concepts. Kneading out a story, seeing the characters/idea unfold, writing their thoughts, and exploring the personality and feel of a story. It's such a wonderful feeling like you're effortlessly jumping from rock to rock, seeing a world open up to you. Fucking love it...
THANK YOU!! I'm so glad you posted this video. I'm having a bad brain day right now and this kinda makes me get my but off my sofa. (Also I have 3 finals next week and a paper to hand in...)
Theatre makes me happiest, because it's a place wherein I live all the bullshit in my brain at the door and show up to make some art. And whatever I can't leave behind, I can use in my craft. It gives me a place to put all the stuff in my head, and without it, it all rumbles around in there sort of ruining me. I haven't been in a play in a year, and it's sort of the absolute worst.
Like seriously, I've been sitting at my table staring at my politics essay that was due 3 weeks ago for about 2 hours and barely getting out 3 sentences. I LOVE this subject, and I LOVE writing, but i've been having exactly what you described since about 2 weeks into lockdown. I came to youtube to try to reset my brain a bit and this was the first video I clicked on on in recommended and you've just perfectly articulated how i've been feeling for the past month. It's so fucking hard to stay consistently self motivated, and it's such a shitty spiral to not want to do the things you like doing anymore and then giving yourself shit for being lazy but then you feel even worse and even less like you want to do anything, and it just goes round and round.
It's 3pm and I'm laying in bed watching this video. Take from that what you will. I'm embracing it!
I like seeing people genuinely laugh. I also like to just watch them being genuine. Thanks for opening up about this, Jack, because I have bad brain days too and you've given me the inspiration to acknowledge them and fight them
i dont know if this makes me the happiest because it was only one experience but, it is a good one to say the least.
I was driving home from my college the other day and I was passing a bus full of elementary school kids. There were about 7 kids at the back of the bus trying to get the attention of people passing by in their vehicles. They were all waving frantically and laughing. I decided I was going to wave back, and I did and the results were so heartwarming. One kid in particular was so overjoyed someone acknowledged them that he started jumping up and down in his seat and slapping his hand against the back window. I swear I instantly started crying in my car as I drove past the school bus. I've never been so overwhelmed with emotions.
Understand entirely what you mean by a "bad brain day". If my creativity level whilst writing or general mood on a normal day drops, there's nothing better than experiencing a day that's simple but for some reason above the 'line of content' you described. I call it an "unexpected happy day" - might be worth looking out for. Hope the remainder of your writing goes well, Jack.
Things that make me happiest: writing, reading, learning, creating, spending time with my sisters, travelling, watching theatre and TV and my favourite films, listening to music :D
I have that feeling with my creative work and I always make sure to do plenty of cleaning after tea because then I haven't wasted a day bevause I've done something useful so I get what you mean. Being with friends and feeling like I've progressed makes me happy. Like if I see a drawing I've done and I know it could be improved but then seeing how much better it is than my drawing a year or two prior makes me very happy (same with my photoshop skills, picture analysis and anything really.
(Also on bad brain days making sure I have time to relax where I'm allowing myself to relax rather than feeling guilty helps me too).
When I think about what makes me happiest, the things that immediately come to my mind are things like getting into a good book, brewing a really tasty cup of coffee, getting someone a gift that they actually really like, stuff like that. But the more I think about it, I think those are what they call the simple pleasures of life. And they're great! But I think what actually makes me really truly happy is doing life with the people I love, and everything that entails; serious conversations at 2am, falling asleep on the couch while watching a movie, sharing a bottle of wine and laughing till your sides hurt, stuff like that. Even the hurt and heartache that come from with those kinds of relationships. They're just important and messy and worthwhile. That's what makes me the kind of happy that you feel in the pit of your stomach.
Music has always been a huge part of my life. Music to me is what film is to you. So going to concerts has always what's made me happy. It's where I thrive the most. I had the privilege of actually working the merch for one of Dodie & Tessa's tour dates last fall & it was the happiest day of my life because I was FINALLY doing SOMETHING in the music scene. Hopefully one day I'll properly work in the industry.
I understand 'bad brain days' completely, in fact - today would be a super 'bad brain day' extravaganza as I really really need to be revising 🙏
I live far away from my family and I have always been fine about it. I missed them, but lived my life and was content with it. But right now I am home and i have realised how good it is to be HOME. Just sitting in th garden, helping my parents to maintain it, joking with my little sister. That what makes me happy right now. When I go back to my own life I probably will find some other type of happiness, but right now this is it.
Being with other people makes me the happiest, which is odd because I'm an introvert, so as much as I need time alone for energy, nothing makes me feel more excited about life than talking to new people, hearing their stories, learning their passions, and building a bond of friendship and empathy with them.
I'm happiest when I'm sat in the car with my dad and best friend, listening to music, chatting and watching the world go by... 😊
creating makes me happiest. when i'm making something and i know it could be good, i get this warm glowy feeling and i love it. but when the doubts creep in, and i'm creating things that i'm not sure are going to be good or not... the glow isn't quite as warm.
i'm the happiest when i see someone else happy.
that's one of the main reasons i watch youtube - i like seeing people have fun and watching them laugh. or whenever i'm with my friends, i am guaranteed to be cheered up. that's what makes me the most happy. as for videos like this though - they're more comforting. my brain calms down and i let myself feel angry, sad, depressed, whatever i'm feeling. also, whenever you have bad brain days - i suggest doing everything that you can. you can iron, clean out your closet or read an entire book - keep doing anything you can, so you would achieve the feeling of doing something. that's what helps me the most. i know it's sometimes hard, but personally, when the bad brain days end, i absolutely hate myself for doing nothing. but i do emphasize the 'can' because it's also not good to push yourself over the line
I'm happiest when I've found a set of really good songs that are so good that I actually look forward to long mundane car journeys so I can listen to them.
I dread Summer most years for this exact reason. When I don't have a job, work, classes to go to, deadlines to meet, I can't find the motivation to do much. Maybe play games, or bake. I've been stuck in that for a while. I decided to go home and visit my family, look for a change of scenery and hope it'll start something like a reboot of my brain. I hope you overcome your bad brain days. If anything, they never last forever.
I have had like a bad brain week revising for exams, but sorta can't....
Hearing you talk about your bad brain days has made me feel like its okay to be having one of my own today. It's easy to forget that you're not the only person in the world feeling like this, so thank you Jack ☺️
i'm at my most happiest when i'm doing long day rehearsals for a show. I'm in the place that i love, the theatre, for 12 hours a day with the people that I love and doing the thing I love. I get to leave my problems and worries ourside the door and I get to be someone else. I'm constantly working and making myself better and i'm surrounded by people who feel the same.
Definitely deal with bad brain days in small episodes everyday... The thing makes me happiest tho is when I can get in that comfortable state of being lost. Lost in the work I enjoy, lost and just driving on the road, lost in my thoughts while on a walk. We're forced to focus and be "on" all the time that I think I'm happiest in the tranquil sublime (but only for a few hours at the most before I start missing the stress and the vicious cycle starts over again). Sounds a little vague but I think your thoughts and ideas can be your biggest burdens. But thank you for being honest and brave enough to share this thought with your audience. I have tons of respect for your journey and work!
this is so relatable, I just finished college and have no job at the moment so there have been many days where I just stay in bed until something compels me to get up. I'm a filmmaker too and shooting is my favorite activity I love being busy from the moment I wake up until I can't keep myself upright anymore. thank you for this it's so comforting to know someone else feels the way I do
the thing that makes me the happiest is the process of writing because it is a creative outlet that allows me to convey a story or message in a way that can be structurally appealing. I think this is why i like writing and reading poetry so much: it is messy thought written with rhythm and pace.
Honestly these kinds of videos are my favourite. Just hearing about people's real lives, their struggles, their motivations, their feelings, I love it. Connecting, I guess.
8 am is a morning person? jeez what the fuck am I doing up at 6:20
a week or so ago I was trying very hard to get school work done but I couldn't so I moved on to working on my art project because that's something I enjoy but I couldn't work on that either and so I just laid on the ground, unable to get up for about 2.5, 3 hours? eventually it was like midnight so I got up and went to bed but I definitely relate to not feeling motivation at all. I think I'm happiest when I'm writing/directing theatre productions, or honestly just working on any form of art, I find it very rewarding and it's strange to think that there are days that I can't even be bothered to do that.
I think the things that make me happiest and the times when I feel completely self reliant. The times when I know I'm doing everything to the best of my ability. The times when I can trust myself to create something I'm proud of (whether that be within film or writing or visual art.)
I may just make a video response! Such an interesting topic 😄
I fucking love how you edit. You only jumpcut when you've finished a thought and it makes the content so much more real and raw. I felt like I was just havin a coffee with a friend talking about mental health while watching this video. You're lovely.
what make me happiest? it's probably making other people happy. seeing people genuinely smile and laugh fills my heart with joy, because people deserve to be happy. sure, sometimes happiness is 'overrated' but it doesnt hurt anyone to smile and laugh does it? another thing that makes me happy is creating. making art, drawing, learning a song on the ukulele. it fills me with joy whenever i create something i can genuinely say im proud of. so yeah. that is what makes me happy. (also, i hope you feel better soon just know it will go away one day)
I think making people smile or laugh is one of the greatest feelings in the world. That and being able to create or be part of something that people can relate to or learn from. Even for myself, creating things helps me appreciate and observe my own perspective and personality which is cool.
I regularly rewatch your video "Confident and Insecure". I think I have shared it everywhere I could and all my friends have seen it because of me. I make youtube videos too for 5 years now sharing what's it in my head at the moment (in french and somewhat boring, you don't need to see). Since my content is based on my emotions and reflections about the world around me, it is kind of difficult to hide when I'm not here. And being self employed, I have those bad brain days. What I do to overcome this is the following. I have a list of things I want to do or learn and I know I would be sad long term if I don't do or learn those things. I know I won't do or learn those things if I don't kick my own ass because no one cares about those things but me. They are small things like: drawing more, playing guitar, reading, dancing, coding python... And when I wake up, I wake up to do stuff out of this list. So it makes sense to me to get up because I genuinely know these things are going to make me happy short term and long term. Each time I feel like I am not there or I have bad emotions like "you're not good enought, you are going to fail", I just draw. Yes, it is childish but it works so... Don't care about my 30 years old.
Hope it helps...
I'm happiest when I'm alone in my own space. I try not to feel bad about it because that's just how I relax. My cat, as well, he makes me happy, he's just too pure and he deserves everything. When I'm creating too, that's something else. I really love editing, and I can get so stuck into it that the day just melts away
This is the most relatable thing I have ever heard as a creative person. I just ended school, during which I would jump from theatre production to theatre production. In fact, we did so many shows this year that one show would close and we'd cast one to two weeks later for the next and then go straight into rehearsals. This continued for the entire year and now its the summer. Everythings so unstructured and I feel like I have infinite amounts of time and no obligations. Me and my friends want to try to make a few short films but I can't seem to continue writing what I have so far. I also figured I'd read some plays and books on the craft of both filmmaking and directing theatre but I can seem to do either. ALL OF THESE ARE THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY. Like I love being in a production, even when issues arise because it just makes the process more rewarding when you solve them. Making stuff is cool but I just can't seem to.
Bad brain days happen all the time to me, especially when I need to complete a challenging task. I just end up worrying about whether I'm doing a good enough job or not, which stops me from having a clear perspective on if I'm doing well/poorly. It sucks because I would feel so much better completing these tasks, but there's a barrier stopping me from just getting on with it.
What has helped me is reminiscing about how I felt during simpler carefree times (like in high school) by listening to some good music. This helps me put myself in an optimistic and excited mood, which means I can get on with whatever work I need to do.
I've also been acknowledging the fact that embracing challenges is a great thing, since that's where you find the most satisfaction and improvement.
Knowing that I've helped someone or made a difference in someone's life makes me happiest
Hey, I so get this. At this point in my life nothing makes me happy anymore, I'm in the middle of accepting that I have clinical depression. It's times like this where I welcome any sort of destraction and things like a creative project would probably help with that. I'm just not a great atm, struggling with it, but still hanging on for some reason. I think you are right about keeping the bad thougts out by focussing on a task or thing that you love, but imagine not loving anything anymore, that really really sucks. You know, at some point you will snap out of these bad brain days and you'll feel more motivated and happy, maybe even tomorrow already! I hope you can find something that makes you want to leave your bed again, I hope I will too :)Thanks for this video, I'm glad you're so open about this, you're stronger than you think.Take care x
I identify so much with your "wanting to always be shooting a show" feeling. I'm someone that does a lot of musicals, so I'm happiest during hell week (tech week) or dress rehearsals where we're all constantly running scenes and numbers. It makes me happy because 1)I'm singing and dancing and acting, which I love to do 2) I'm around other theater people who I'm very fond of and 3) It gives my life a very clear routine and rhythm. After we finally finish the show I just feel really empty and lost for awhile.
This week I felt incredibly apathetic due to fasting: going without the food made me feel really lazy and tired for the majority of this week. However, I managed to motivate myself by spreading out all of my work, so that my main problems to solve didn't feel as hopeless to complete as they would've felt before. Try adding some more structure to your day, I.e. Set working times and relaxing times, so you can hopefully become more used to working for decent periods of time.
Tbh, my entire four years of uni was bad brain days that only got worse & worse as time went on, until it got to the point where in my final semester a month ago, a month before graduation, I just stopped. Just stopped working, stopped doing anything, despite it being my final year project. I couldn't do anything.
But yet here I am, with a degree in B.A. in Interior Design. Despite all those bad brain days, I made it through & I did graduate, even when I was so sure I wouldn't.
So good on you, Jack, & anybody else that reads this, for making it this far, even though you feel like you do. You have come this far; keep pushing, & you'll go even farther.
I am happiest when overwhelmed with good stress. I just finished my third year of architecture and we often do 60 hour weeks in the lead up to a final project hand up. It's creatively exhausting, it's physically and mentally exhausting, but I live for it.
I really like these honest videos of yours, I'm self employed and I really struggle with patches of 'bad brain days' and it's nice to see someone who I always perceive as success and perfect showing his flaws and saying when he struggles, so thank you ❤️
Working with animals makes me happiest. I'm self employed as well, working as a Pet Sitter, Dog Walker, Trainer, Groomer, Behavior Consultant, and so on. It can be demanding and certainly takes up majority of my time, but I absolutely love the animals and clients I work with plus, like you said, it keeps my mind occupied from the negative thoughts I try to ignore. Once in awhile I'll have a day or two to myself with nothing scheduled and, well, those are my "bad brain days". They're challenging to get through, but thankfully I have my four dogs who force me out of bed to feed and walk them. If I didn't have them, I likely would just stay in bed all day (and in past days without them, I have). I guess my solution to avoiding the paralyzing feeling is having a life that isn't my own dependant on me to continue living...
Ever considered adopting a pet, Jack? Maybe your new place will allow it ^_^
Saw the title and immediately knew what you were going to talk about. I had my own bad brain day earlier this week. I tend to have them right before I'm about to start another Big Creative Project - it's like my brain shuts down and says, "That's going to be really intense. Are you sure you're ready for that?" I talk myself into backing down, and I fall into this downward spiral until something or someone pulls me out of it. Then I get started on the Big Creative Project, and once I'm immersed in it I'm totally fine: it's fun and exciting because I'm making something that makes me happy. Writing/shooting/editing, it's the fuel that keeps me going. It's those in between times when I slow down and have more bad brain days... So yeah Jack, I can totally relate. Hope you feel better soon.
I've always had days like this and just called them "bad head days" as I've gotten older. You are the first person I've heard that actually acknowledges that this happens to people. My friends would know I would get like that but would just think I'm being "lazy" or "moody". Thank you for this video.
I'm happiest when taking care of others in need or being creative (sewing, outside projects, any crafty stuff really).
I'm happiest when I'm laughing so I appreciate the work you put so much of your energy into, Jack.
Choreographing dances and being in a clean space opens my eyes and gives perspective to my life which in turn leads to a happier me. The freedom and possibilities that I see in these moments at a studio make me excited to be alive and be blessed with the abilities to make the life of others better.
I'm happiest when I'm writing short stories, but I have no idea why. I think. It's probably the joy of creating something purely from myself, but also while I'm writing, I kind of feel an echo of the triumph of finishing, editing, publishing, and having other people see my work. So maybe it's pride that makes me happy?
I had a similar feeling when I left my part-time job that I loved but it was so bad that I had mild anxiety because I couldn't get myself to do anything and when I finally forced myself to do something I would get panic attacks. What's making me happy right now is work, working on anything continuously (as you described) keeps me content and out of the sadness that comes with leaving something you love.
That ending really got me *wipes tears off phone screen*
I'm so glad someone else calls them bad rain days, it's different from days where my brain's asleep or just off. But it's good we have given those days those names because it shows we're aware it's not our best days and we can try ways to help it. We KNOW what's going on, even when we think we don't.
When Jack is happy, I am happy. His smile brightens my day.
I know exactly what you mean. I tend to watch mindless TV on those days. Sometimes forcing myself to get out and meet people also helps, but only manage if I actually have to leave the house.
I've been singing as a member of a choir for 8 years now, what makes me really happy is performing on stage :D
I think people are the root of happiness. Everything we do is an aid to social interaction. So I think focusing on the other people around you is a sure way to feel happy. Of course that doesn't mean you shouldn't care about yourself (hygiene, nutrition, exercise) but after all of that we should build upon the relationships we have and create new ones.
I know. I know this. I work in an office editing and for me, though, these days don't tend to happen when I have something to do: be it wake up and go to work, or planned hang out with friends or such. The worst is when you have a free day and this feeling comes in and you just stay there, not watching tv, not reading a book, not eating, not anything, just laying there, because the thought of actually doing anything almost gives you shivers. It doesn't happen often to me, but when it does the day is wasted and I feel more tired than after a full day of work.
My happiest stems sort of from the same place yours does. Mine is performing, specifically dancing on a stage. There's something so overwhelmingly blissful about finishing a number with barely any breath in your lungs and hearing the audience applaud you for it. Maybe it's self centred, but that feeling can carry me through even weeks later 💚
Acting, writing, and watching and reading scripts, makes me happiest because I like exploring things I wouldn't necessarily explore in my own life. It gives me something to pour all my energy into, however, I am prone to burning out. My brain loves me 😂
My best way out of a bad brain day is going to see a movie in the cinema. It's such an exhilerating, joyous experience for me and I always come out feeling inspired to DO something, even if it's just cleaning my room.
I needed this- I came here to see if there was a review of wonder woman I could watch and found this instead...turns out this video is an exact reflection of where I'm at right now (writing this from bed, a deadline looming, doing anything to avoid facing the day). It's nice to have a very real confirmation that everybody has these days exactly when I needed it, so thank you Jack x
The fact that I don't know what makes me happy anymore is honestly quite terrifying
You speak the truth Jack! I had a lot of days like this last year when my work schedule was really erratic, and it made me feel especially useless because my family members are all high achievers and I couldn't help but compare myself. Like you I'm happiest when I'm on the verge of being too busy to think, doing any of the things I enjoy (singing, cooking, seeing friends, travelling). Thanks for sharing this, I'm going to save it for future bad brain days to remind me other people have the same experience and it doesn't mean that I can't still do useful stuff.
playing music of any kind with other people is my favourite thing in the world. I dunno why, i guess everyone there has a shared love of something, and we're all working together to make something as good as it can possibly be, while joking around. it's just incredible.
The weird thing is, when it comes to work or university, I just do the things, I have to do. No questions asked. Once it comes to my personal life, things run a little differently. I'm not sad all the time, I just don't have the energy.
What makes me happy..
- Feeling a state of flow (flow in work, flow in ideas coming, flow in inspiration coming, flow in anything)
- Appreciating something (a beautiful visual thing like a sunset or a painting, auditory thing eg music, a joke, a movie, a book, a good, entertaining story, a youtube video)
- Understanding something - that moment when it clicks and makes sense is so delicious!
- Learning something new - a new fact, a new skill, a new useful trick
- Feeling like you've mastered a skill
- Feeling like you're in sync with stuff around you, be it dancing in perfect sync to music, singing in perfect sync and harmony with a song or with a friend or in a choir,
- Being in the middle of a project that I really believe in
- Having a big goal that I believe in and that I'm really motivated to reach and that I know I will be able to get there if I just hustle - love that feeling of motivation and that feeling of "I got this! I can do this! I'm on my way to achieving something great!"
- That moment when someone tells you something they like, admire or love about you (fleeting but nice!)
- Cuddling :D
I'm happiest when I feel content in the moment. Not when I'm thinking about something great that's coming, or great things I have done, but when I'm really really enjoying the present and not thinking or worrying about anything else. It can be surprisingly hard to find things that consistently do that though, like (challenging) exercise and cooking are pretty sure bets to do that for me (thankfully. it's nice to know that there's something I can do that will very likely make me feel great). I think it's because, as you mentioned, they are things that consume all your energy, and it doesn't allow any negative thoughts to come in, and usually the decisions you need to make in those moments don't feel overwhelming, because you don't think about what happens after, or how it fits into anything, you can just go with how you feel right then and there. Thanks for the video Jack!
What makes me happy/content is getting things done. I get depressed when I have too much time to think. Spending time outdoors helps, sometimes even with people.
What makes me happiest is just being with my girlfriend whether we're out doing something or doing nothing at all but just being with her always cheers me up cause like if im just sat at home on my own doing nothing i just end up wasting my time and basically end up feeling nothing at all and just being numb/empty so i like to be physically doing something or just being with her
having depression for me is just this every day :/ but i find completing little tasks like Jack did the ironing really helpful because the feeling of progress really lifts the feeling of guilt and helps you do the bigger things too!
What makes me happiest is traveling because it always keeps me learning and experiencing things on the tip of my toes. Unfortunately I'm ballin on a budget and a HUGE home body so it's difficult for me to do what makes me happy and I end up completely stuck in a routine where I sit around doing nothing in bed all day waiting for my next chance to travel. I feel bad for wasting ALL of my time but I can't get out of the toxic routine....
I love when people can be honest about things like this that are a very real part of being human. Definitely being in the middle of a project doing something you love keeps you away from bad brain days, but other than that, calling up a friend. It may seem obvious, but it's the only thing I've found that really, effectively helps. Because the worst bit is that feeling of empty, disconnectedness when you're not doing anything. Just talking to someone reminds you that you're normal and the feeling will pass.
what makes me happy.
watching my favorite people and listening to my favorite music in these times of bad brain days.
forgetting all of my problems with little hopeful undertones sprinkled here and there. thank you for sharing jack.