Some days you wake up and know the world is on your side. Other days… it takes everything in you just to get out of bed, and even that feels like a war.
If you’ve ever battled depression, or know someone who has, you know that feeling all too well. It comes out of nowhere and hits like a truck barreling down the highway.
As summer approaches and many of us take a break from work or studies, it’s a good time to pause and reflect. To acknowledge the stress we may have overlooked this year. To consider who we want to be and how we’d like to close out 2025, with intention, not just momentum.
That’s why we want to reflect on the wisdom we’ve gained from one of our thoughtful affiliates here at Wave of Mind: writer and creator Kalyn Brooke. Kalyn has been incredibly open about her daily battle with depression and anxiety. But what sets her apart is not just her vulnerability, it’s the intentional way she’s learned to walk with it, instead of running from it. And how she’s helped others (us included) do the same.
“Structure helps put the pieces back together when I feel like I’m falling apart.”
It may be a simple sentence, but it hit us hard.
Because for so many of us, the hardest part of depression isn’t just the darkness itself. It’s the chaos it creates. The internal storm that makes brushing your teeth feel impossible. The fog that makes replying to a single text feel like climbing Everest. The weight that makes you forget why you ever had goals in the first place.
It’s a dark place. One that, at times, feels so overpowering it’s hard to believe escape is possible. Like a black hole swallowing everything in its orbit. Many of our customers, Instagram followers, and friends know that feeling intimately.
What We’ve Learned From Kalyn
What’s helped us most, especially when that weight feels unbearable, is something we’ve learned from Kalyn’s approach: intentional structure.
Kalyn has shown us that healing doesn’t have to mean radical breakthroughs or perfect morning routines. Sometimes, it just means creating a checklist. Answering a journal prompt that asks, “What do I need today?” instead of “What do I need to fix?”
These tiny shifts improve our relationship with the anxiety surrounding depression. They remind us we don’t have to conquer it all at once. We just need to create space to face it, one gentle step at a time.
It’s not about rigid rules or toxic positivity. It’s about creating a safe container where your mind can slowly find its footing again.
And let’s be honest, when you're in it, structure might sound like the last thing you want. But it could also be the gentle guide that leads you back to yourself.
Signs You Might Be Struggling (And What to Do About It)
While we’ve painted a picture of what severe depression can feel like, everyone experiences it differently. Still, the signs often start quietly:
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You’re tired no matter how much you sleep.
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You can’t find joy in the things you used to love.
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You feel numb, disconnected, or irritable for no clear reason.
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Your to-do list feels impossible, but so does resting.
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You keep saying “I’m fine,” even when you’re not.
If any of these feel familiar, here’s what we want you to know:
You are not lazy. You are not broken. You are not alone.
What You Can Try Today
Inspired by Kalyn’s approach, here are a few small, manageable steps to help build the emotional scaffolding you may need on hard days:
🧠 Create a “bad day” plan.
It may sound strange to plan for your worst days, but think of it like emotional preparedness. A pre-written note to yourself, a go-to routine, or even a simple list of helpful reminders, crafted from a clear, rational place, can guide you when your brain isn’t being kind. It’s a reminder that you are capable, even when your thoughts try to convince you otherwise.
🗂️ Lean into simple structure.
Pick one or two non-negotiables that help you shift from your head into your body. Maybe it’s making your bed. Maybe it’s writing one sentence in a journal. Tiny habits become big anchors.
💬 Name what you’re feeling.
Emotional awareness is key. That’s why, in the first month of our journal series, we include an emotions wheel, to help you identify what you’re really feeling. When you can name it, you can trace it. And when you can trace it, you can start to work with it, not against it.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to take your emotional wellbeing seriously, or simply to feel less alone, this is it.
Start small. Stay soft. Build structure.
And remember: Kalyn is proof that it’s possible to live a meaningful, intentional life, even with depression in the room.
You’re not alone here. And you never have to be.
✨ Ready to take the first small step?
Check out more from Kalyn on Instagram @kalynbrookeco to follow her personal journey, or explore our journals—designed to help you build structure, track your emotional wellbeing, and reconnect with your inner world at your own pace.
Healing doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen when you show up for yourself consistently. 💙