#6 There are days when something just feels off.

Editor : Jihyon Park @_j_ihn.b

There are days when a vague, unsettling feeling lingers. Especially when I lie down in bed or gaze out the window in silence, giving myself a moment to think. Somewhere within those thoughts, that uneasy sensation starts to simmer. It might stem from recalling how I couldn’t speak up more confidently at work today, or from the regret of a day spent too lazily, or even a day consumed only by work. Living abroad, in particular, seems to bring a strange pressure that says, "You have to make every moment count." While I enjoy a happy life here in Singapore, a kind of uneasiness simmers quietly within.

 

Anyone who’s experienced this kind of feeling knows how tough it can be to pull yourself together in moments like this. Disappointment in myself, envy of others, the regret of what I didn’t do, and a body that just won’t move despite my mental to-do list. Usually, I tell myself, "It’s okay. Just do it tomorrow," and wrap it all up in quick self-justification. But some nights, even that coping trick doesn't work.

Over time, I’ve come to learn one small piece of wisdom: on days when I feel off, I can go to bed feeling a bit better simply by accomplishing a small act of productivity.
Yes, even without digging deep to find the root cause of my emotions or coming up with an immediate fix, a tiny sense of productivity can soothe me. Most of us know this deep down—that in life, we can't always find instant solutions. So today, I decided to make a small productive move. Whatever the problem, its resolution will come eventually. And I've endured enough to trust that.

Now, a quick aside. When I try to adopt this calm mindset, there’s a certain phrase I often recall. There’s a now slightly outdated Korean slang term among the MZ generation: "Al-jal-ttak-kkal-sen," which means, "Do it well, clearly, and with common sense." So when my mood feels off, I remind myself: "Al-jal-dak" (Just get it done well.) and try to create a small sense of productivity. 

 

How to Create Tiny Bits of Productivity
This article isn’t just about my personal experience. I also want to share how others maintain a sense of productivity to live well. Perhaps instead of thinking of it as "being productive," it might help to think of it as achieving a "small win" for the day.

• Move Your Body

Exercise is simple and offers a clear reward for effort. Once you get your body up and stretch your muscles or get your heart rate up with a run, you genuinely feel better. If your thoughts are bothering you, just start moving. Then, instead of being trapped in overthinking, you’ll end up imagining your body like Kendall Jenner’s and fall asleep in peace.

* East coast park at 6am

• At Least Get Some Reading Done

If you lie down for too long, even those endlessly entertaining Shorts start to lose their charm. Sometimes while scrolling, you suddenly feel queasy from the flood of information—from "must-buy T-shirts for summer" to "how much you could've earned if you invested in Nvidia months ago." The way we process info from books is totally different. When you open a book—a novel, poetry collection, or essay—you feel like you're activating a different part of your brain. (Completely unscientific, but you get it.)

 

• Plan the Near Future

The best way to prepare for a fresh morning at school was always packing your bag the night before. Mornings where you rush to pack never feel quite right. For me, planning the next day’s tasks or even picking out my outfit the night before can feel more refreshing than tidying up the bed in the morning.
Even checking what’s coming up in the next month helps. Reviewing upcoming events, trips, friend hangouts, or projects reminds me where I am in the process. That awareness alone brings a certain satisfaction. Like zooming out of Google Maps and spotting your location clearly. And maybe you’ll stumble upon that saved restaurant you forgot about. Even if no action is taken, planning alone can make a day feel productive.

 

 

What Others Say: How They Create Small Wins

Response 1:
"That unsettled feeling? I get it when I've spent the whole day at work without doing anything else. If I have evening plans, I'm fine. But when I don’t, I just feel... off. So I walk home from work. It takes about 40 minutes from the financial district to my place in River Valley. But the walk clears my head. I often discover pretty spots or catch the sunset, and in those moments I feel like, 'Yeah, I’m really living well here.'
On weekends with no plans, I wake up early. Otherwise, I’ll procrastinate all day. I set an alarm for 8 AM, grab my laptop and go to a café or head to the rooftop pool for some tanning. By noon, I’ve already done one or two things, and even if I do nothing in the afternoon, I feel like I’ve accomplished something—or at least gotten a tan."

Response 2:
"For me, that feeling comes more on weekends than at night. I sleep well, even when I’m stressed. I usually go through two phases: first, I do something to relax my mood. Then, I try to create a little productivity. I love the term 'small productivity.' It's spot on.
To relax, I stare at my cupboard filled with different coffees for five minutes and choose one. Then I move my armchair in the living room to face the terrace, open the window, and sit there with my coffee. Just finishing the cup makes me feel better. After that, it’s time for a small win. Since I rarely cook, I choose to cook on those days. I even go grocery shopping instead of using RedMart, even if it costs more time and money. It makes the weekend feel fuller."

Response 3:
"I try to stop doing whatever is making me feel unsettled. I hate falling asleep while scrolling on my phone, so I try to avoid lazy habits like that. And if I feel regret about my day, I try to bounce back the next day—by working out before bed, reading a few pages of a book, or doing a full clean-up."

 

These three people all have different personalities, but they agree on one thing: to deal with lukewarm, unsettling emotions, create small moments of productivity. Though their methods differ, the core is the same—to move, to do, to change, to act. That helps process emotions.

Another point they echoed: you feel these things more living abroad than you might back home. That pressure of "making the most" of your time in a foreign place, where everything requires your active choice and energy. That fear that if you let go for a moment, it might all slip away.

As I wrap up this article, I can’t help but think: I’ll probably miss this season of life someday. Like playing emotional tug-of-war with your partner in the early stages of dating, we play a push-and-pull game with our current life, trying to take the lead. I wonder if, at 60, I’ll still feel these lukewarm emotions at the end of a day—emotions that nudge me to act. Just like married couples sometimes miss their dating days, I think my future self will look back on these nights with nostalgia. So next time that unsettling feeling shows up, I’ll remind myself to be thankful for my thoughts and choices—and commit to creating another small win.

 

(At the end) A resolute bear.