Feeling Good Is Medicine: How to Shift Out of Miserable Mode When Life Stays Hard | #156

When you're living with chronic challenges and you've hit the acceptance stage — the "this isn't going anywhere, now what?" stage — feeling good can start to seem impossible, or even beside the point.

In Daily Dose of Dawn #156, Dawn makes the case that feeling good isn't a luxury or a reward for when things get better. It's actually medicine. Drawing on her own 12 years of navigating serious health issues, nervous system dysregulation, and hard-won mindset shifts, Dawn offers practical, low-bar strategies for moving one notch above crappy — and why that's enough to start.

Watch the Video Here or Read the Script below

Feel good simply because it's easier to human when you do. Truly.

This very specific Dose is for a small group of people. Let's narrow it down.

You are living through some challenging circumstances and you're at the acceptance stage — the "this isn't going anywhere, now what?" stage. You're doing everything you can in terms of medicine and following doctor's orders, and you're looking to see where you can help yourself beyond that.

Things are very challenging on a consistent basis and it's making it harder to pull yourself out of miserable mode. But you're open to trying new things just to see if they make a difference — what I love to call "running experiments on yourself."

If all that sounds like you, welcome in to your Daily Dose of Dawn — videos designed to expand your thinking.

So why do we want to think about this?

Because you can't solve a problem with the same mind that created it. If you don't get new info in, you have nothing to work with.

Listening to this might give you absolutely nothing... except you come up with something else all on your own just because you were thinking about it. These Doses are all just a catalyst for you to solve your own problems. That's how I used every video I ever watched along the way. It's how we grow — hearing and sharing ideas. Together, we all win.

Okay. So this speaker will teach you to feel good to manifest things. And that one tells you to follow your bliss to manifest things.

And I'm here to tell you that feeling good is actually medicine.

What do I know about this?

I was miserable for the first 41 years of my life. And every aspect of my life reflected that. My home was as cluttered as my mind. My bank account was as empty as my self-worth. I couldn't hold on to friendships. And every day was harder than the one before it.

In 2014, I started my Happy Matters page on Facebook. A year later, I discovered there's actual science that shows positive social interactions increase wakefulness for people with narcolepsy.

Positivity equals medicine.

In the 12 years since then, I've been through some incredibly challenging things — massive health issues, including being permanently disfigured by a skin issue and almost dying of sepsis. I've also taught myself how to calm my nervous system without falling asleep, how to clear my mind without meditating, and how to reduce my pain without medication. I learned how to improve all the relationships in my life, find peace, and make a better living.

All of that was made possible by my believing it was possible.

Over the years, I've heard so many people say "this is just how I am" about things that make their life harder.

And it doesn't matter where you are or what you're going through — nothing is made easier by being miserable. But some things can be made easier by not being miserable.

You don't even need to go all the way to happy. You can just go for one notch above crappy to start.

This show — the Daily Dose of Dawn — I do not film it at dawn. It's just a play on words.

I had to create this magnet. It says: "Reminder: Good morning. Have yourself a nice steamy mug of STFU."

This was not for other people. This was for me. I didn't try to talk to anyone until I woke up more. Giving myself more time to wake up and go slower meant I wasn't interacting with others until my dopamine was online and I could be kinder.

I'm not telling you that you'll never feel miserable. What I'm telling you is: if you're kind and loving and gentle with yourself while you feel miserable, it's easier.

I know that seems like common sense. But when we get sleepy and in pain, it's easy to light those candles on the cake of our pity party of one.

And that's totally fine. I cry about stuff a lot. It's okay to cry about stuff. Let it out.

And then blow out those candles and remind yourself: your record of getting through a bad day so far is 100%. And today will be no exception. And if it is... you won't really know to mind. Truth.

When you get to the bottom, don't forget to look up.

One thing you can do: when people ask how you are, say "I'm amazing."

And no, you won't be lying — because the definition of amazing is something that causes great surprise. Often something difficult to believe.

Like... you can be happy despite nine disabling disorders.

Bring in every comforting strategy you can think of when things get hard. Be there for yourself. Encourage yourself. Support yourself. Don't focus on the fact that you're miserable — focus on the fact that you're being good to yourself, because you can be grateful for that. And it can help you not feel hopeless.

🧲 Get the magnets!

re~minder: Good morning! Have yourself a nice steamy mug of STFU 👉 https://happymatters.guru/product-details/product/stfu

When you get to the bottom, don't forget to look up. 👉 https://happymatters.guru/product-details/product/lookup

🔗 Want to go deeper? Get Dawn's 14-Day Self-Love Boot Camp: How to Be on Your Own Side — and if you can't afford it, reach out. She means it. 👉 https://howtobeonyourourownside.com

📲 Ready for 1-on-1 coaching? A weekend slot is open. Text or call Dawn directly: 805-870-9740