A Stillness Practice for Low Days
On Depression, Numbness & Emptiness
Some days are just low. You wake up already depleted. Everything feels harder than it should. The simplest tasks require enormous effort. These are the low days — when energy is scarce, motivation is absent, and just getting through feels like an achievement. This stillness practice is for those days.
Low days are not the same as laziness or lack of discipline. They are days when your body, mind, or spirit is depleted. Something is running on empty. Pushing through sometimes works, but sometimes what's needed is permission to be low, to require less of yourself, to simply survive the day.
This practice asks nothing demanding of you. It meets you where you are — low, depleted, barely functioning — and offers gentle presence.
What Low Days Feel Like
Low days have a particular quality of depletion. It's not just tiredness — it's a sense that your resources are emptied.
- Waking up already exhausted
- Everything feels harder than usual
- No motivation for things you usually enjoy
- Small tasks feel like mountains
- A desire to withdraw, hide, or sleep
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- A sense of being easily overwhelmed
If today is a low day, you are not alone. Many people have these days. They do not reflect your worth or your effort.
Permission for Low Days
We live in a culture that demands productivity, positivity, and constant energy. Low days feel like failure in this context. But they are not. They are part of being human. Even Jesus withdrew to rest, to be alone, to recover.
You have permission to be low today. You have permission to require less of yourself. You have permission to simply survive this day and try again tomorrow.
A Stillness Practice for Today
This practice is short and undemanding. It asks only what you can give today, which may not be much. That is okay.
Lord, today is a low day. I have little to give. My energy is depleted. Everything feels hard. I come to You empty, not to perform, but just to be. Hold me in this low place. I cannot do much today. Let doing little be enough. Let surviving this day be an achievement. Restore what is depleted. Replenish what is emptied. If not today, then in time. For now, just help me get through. I will rest in You when I cannot rest anywhere else. This day is Yours, even when I cannot make much of it.
After the prayer, do only what is essential. Let everything else wait. Your only job today is to get through.
Survival Mode for Low Days
When days are low, survival mode is appropriate. These minimalist approaches can help you get through.
- Do the minimum — feed yourself, take basic care
- Cancel or postpone what you can
- Rest without guilt — this is what your body is asking for
- Be around others if it helps, be alone if that's better
- Avoid major decisions until you're less depleted
- Remember: tomorrow may be different
Low days pass. They are not permanent. Getting through is enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are low days normal?
Yes. Everyone has low days occasionally. They become concerning only if they're very frequent, persistent, or severely impairing. Occasional low days are a normal part of human experience.
How do I know if I should push through or rest?
There's no perfect formula. Generally, if pushing through is making things worse or if your body is clearly depleted, rest may be the wiser choice. If pushing through brings a sense of accomplishment without worsening symptoms, it might help. Trust your body's signals.
What if most of my days are low?
Frequent low days may indicate depression, burnout, a physical health issue, or chronic stress. Consider seeking professional evaluation if low days are your norm rather than your exception. Help is available.
Is it okay to accomplish nothing on a low day?
Yes. Resting is not accomplishing nothing — it is accomplishing rest. Sometimes rest is what your body needs most. Surviving a low day is itself an achievement.
Related Reflections
- On Being Tired in a Way Sleep Doesn't Fix — Exhaustion that goes deeper.
- A Prayer for When Getting Through the Day Is Enough — Survival as achievement.
- On Rest, When Rest Feels Impossible — For those who struggle to stop.
- Browse All Reflections — Find more quiet spaces for the searching soul.