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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Columbia Chicago chapter.

If you read the title, then you most likely have an idea what this article is about. But in case you may not, let me explain.

There are days in our lives when we don’t feel the greatest: maybe physically, mentally, emotionally – there just seems to be some kind of imbalance in us that makes us feel off. And that feeling comes with feelings of its very own – like you shouldn’t feel that way or the lack of understanding that comes with it, the pressure of putting on a face for everyone else not to notice and just leave you be because so much is going on that you’re suddenly overwhelmed and so many other things. We feel just like nothing makes sense.

If you’re like me then you’ve explained this feeling before to other people. Sometimes, people tell you it’s just a phase and you’ll get over it. Others will just shrug it off. And then you may get the “we all have bad days.” Yet, that phrase never seems to resonate with me. It’s just a surface-level saying that people give to side sweep and keep moving. Like they don’t understand what you’re going through in that moment because they are not in your shoes in that exact moment.

The truth is? That phrase is actually a fact. We all have bad days. Some of us have worse days than others. But YOU ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE A BAD DAY. You don’t have to be perfect all the time. You don’t have to feel like every day of your life has to be rainbows and butterflies. You are justified in having an off day or not feeling right. I know that it’s something that I need to remind myself of all the time – even on days like today when I was okay when I woke up this morning and all of sudden feel an imbalance within myself.

I beat myself up because I feel like I have to be at a 10 all the time. I feel like I need to be perfect (I’m a perfectionist, but that’s another problem). I feel like I’m so blessed with all that my life is that I have no reason to have off days or any problems in that moment.

But I have to remind myself, or sometimes even have others (like my insanely amazing girl squad whom I forever love) remind me that I CAN mess up. I don’t have to be perfect and I don’t have to be okay all of the time. Bad days happen to the best of us and they can happen at any given time. But some days you just have to roll with the punches and go through the day.

As someone who’s had these days before and can admit it, they don’t last forever. You will come back to normal. The best thing that you can do is accept that sometimes it happens. We all have bad days. We all have days where we aren’t ourselves. You are completely okay to feel that way. Don’t beat yourself up. You’re not the only one. I’m in the same boat with you. We’ll get through it together. Shit happens and it sucks. Days can sometimes suck. Just take it one day at a time. You’ll get there, I’m sure of it. And if it doesn’t feel like it, then I’ll have enough belief for the both of us.

Feel whatever you need to feel. There’s another day around the corner.

Melanie Medrano

Columbia Chicago '21

A music-enthused entertainment journalist who wants to share her voice with the world - one article at a time.
Ally Stegman

Columbia Chicago '21

aspiring magazine writer with a passion for pop culture and fashion