When Low Mood Shows Up: Understanding “Stuckness”, Heaviness, and the Path to Renewal
We all have days when life feels heavier than usual. Sometimes it’s the weight of responsibilities, sometimes it’s uncertainty about the future, and sometimes low mood arrives without any obvious reason at all.
It doesn’t always mean depression — low mood can also look like stuckness, flatness, or a kind of inner fog. It can affect our relationships, our motivation, our sense of purpose, or even just the ability to get through the day.
The important thing to remember is this: low mood is part of being human. It isn’t a flaw or a failing. And with gentle awareness, small shifts, and the right support, it can be a season you move through — not a permanent state.
What Do We Mean by Low Mood?
Low mood is a broad experience. For some, it’s a passing dip in motivation. For others, it can stretch into periods of heaviness and despair.
On the Mental Health Continuum (MHFA England), we all move between four broad states: thriving, surviving, struggling, and in crisis. Just as physical health changes over time, so does our mental health. You may find yourself thriving one season, and surviving the next — and that fluctuation is normal.
Understanding low mood as part of this continuum helps reduce the shame. It’s not a fixed label — it’s a state that shifts.
The inner seasons of mental health
To make sense of these shifts, I often use the analogy of inner seasons:
Winter: heaviness, withdrawal, low mood, depression
Spring: hope returning, tender beginnings
Summer: connection, confidence, vibrancy
Autumn: slowing, reflecting, letting go
Low mood often feels like winter. The world seems muted, energy is scarce, and motivation disappears. But just like in nature, winter is followed by spring. Renewal comes — gently, slowly, in its own time.
Seeing low mood as a season allows us to approach it with compassion instead of frustration. You don’t need to force yourself into summer. You can soften into winter, tend to yourself, and trust the cycle to shift.
How Low Mood Shows Up in Everyday Life
Low mood isn’t one-size-fits-all. It shows up differently depending on the context of your life.
Career & Purpose → That stuckness or questioning: “Is this it? What am I doing with my life? I don’t know what to do.”
Gentle support: journaling prompts around values, vision, and small next steps.Relationships → Withdrawal, disconnection, or finding it harder to be present with the people you love — or even with yourself.
Gentle support: a grounding breath before a conversation, or a short practice to reconnect with your body before reaching out.Mental Health & Depression → The fog that dulls joy, makes it hard to move, or leaves you feeling isolated.
Gentle support: very small “activation” steps (stretching, walking, swaying), plus nervous system regulation.Daily Energy & Motivation → Lethargy, autopilot, or the sense that even small tasks feel overwhelming.
Gentle support: energising breath, a short playlist of uplifting songs, or five mindful minutes outdoors.
Take a moment to reflect:
🌀 Which of these feels most familiar for me right now?
🌀 Where do I notice low mood showing up most often in my life?
Triggers and Glimmers
Low mood is often stirred by triggers — thoughts, memories, or circumstances that pull us down. Sometimes it’s obvious (a difficult day at work), and sometimes it’s subtle (scrolling through social media, a cloudy day, the silence of loneliness).
But our nervous system also responds to glimmers — the opposite of triggers. These are the small, everyday sparks that bring a sense of ease or joy.
A warm cup of tea.
Sunlight on your face.
A favourite song playing.
A kind word from a friend.
Noticing glimmers doesn’t erase pain or fix everything. But they gently remind your body and mind that light exists alongside the heaviness. Over time, orienting to glimmers can help you shift from shutdown toward connection.
🌀 Take a moment — what’s one glimmer you noticed today, however small?
Gentle practices for low mood
When you’re feeling low, the smallest step can be the most powerful. These aren’t quick fixes, but gentle invitations to reconnect with yourself:
Breathe → Try three slow belly breaths, letting your shoulders drop and your jaw soften. Notice how even a small pause shifts your state.
Move → Shake your arms, sway side to side, or take a short walk. Movement tells the body that change is possible.
Reflect → Write down one thought that’s weighing on you. Then ask: “Is this helpful right now? What would be a kinder thought to hold instead?”
Notice → Pause and look for one glimmer in your environment — a colour, a sound, a texture — that feels nourishing.
Reflective prompts to explore
If writing feels supportive, these prompts can help you understand and work with your mood:
What thoughts, sensations, or emotions am I noticing right now?
Is this thought helping me in this moment? If not, what would be a kinder one?
Recognise → Respond → Rebalance: What am I thinking? How can I respond? How does my body feel after?
What’s one small glimmer I’ve noticed today?
What’s one simple way I can support myself tomorrow if low mood shows up again?
You’re Not Alone
If you’re feeling stuck, flat, or weighed down — you’re not alone. Low mood doesn’t define you, and it doesn’t last forever. Like the seasons, it shifts. Like the continuum, it moves.
The practices shared here aren’t about forcing positivity — they’re about gentle invitations to breathe, move, reflect, and notice. To reconnect with your body, soften your thoughts, and open space for clarity and connection.
Want to go deeper?
Explore our Lift Your Mood Resources for guided practices, somatic tools, and journaling prompts.
Ready for more support?
Join our Big Love Club for monthly live sessions, a growing wellbeing hub, and a supportive community to walk alongside you.
Big love,
Becki x
💓 A Note from Big Love
This blog is written by Becki Marie, founder of the Big Love Movement CIC. My work is shaped by lived experience, training in somatic and wellbeing practices, and collaboration with trusted practitioners. Everything we share here is designed to support learning, reflection, and self-care — it isn’t a substitute for professional therapy or medical advice.
If you’re struggling with your mental health or experiencing persistent low mood, please reach out for support. You can find a list of UK helplines and resources at Mental Health UK. And if you are in immediate danger, please call 999.