It starts off like a normal day: I wake up, go to school, hang out in the debate room for a few hours before going home, and suddenly I start to feel awful. Even though there’s nothing actually wrong in my life, it suddenly seems like everything is wrong and I find myself questioning my relationships, ambitions, talents and purpose in life.

I like to call this the 1 a.m. feeling, mostly because I tend to experience this late at night, though it’s been known to happen at all hours of the day.

I’m not sure why, but every once and a while a sense of existential unease comes over me, filling me with a sense of dread that my life is going nowhere and all my worst fears will somehow come true. From what I can tell from checking social media sites such as Twitter and Tumblr, as well as just talking to friends, I’m not the only person to experience this. In fact, I spent a whole hour with a friend a few months back discussing this phenomenon and how to cope with it.

For starters, there’s the tried and true method of simply refocusing your attention and emotions by watching Netflix or reading a book. After all, I may be lonely and have no clue what to do with my life, but at least I don’t have to worry about battling Lord Voldemort. There is certainly something soothing about immersing oneself in works of fiction, mostly because it makes day to day problems appear trivial when compared to the challenges faced by beloved characters. However, sometimes a movie marathon just doesn’t cut it—that’s when I like to turn to music.

I, for one, have never known a time when listening to upbeat songs cured my case of the blues, but if that’s what works best for you, then so be it. Usually I find that listening to sad music while feeling sad can actually be quite comforting. One of the most awe-inspiring things about music is its ability to capture human emotion and reassure us that we aren’t the only ones to ever feel a certain way. Though it may sound indulgent to listen to the saddest songs in your iTunes library, the reason why this works is because it validates your emotions by reminding you of two things: first is that you’re not alone in what you are feeling, and second is that you are allowed to feel and express these emotions.

The third way to deal with the dreaded 1 a.m. feeling takes a little bit of preparation. On a day when you feel good about yourself, your relationships, your talents and your life in general, take ten minutes to write yourself a note. This could be something as simple as a list of things that you like about yourself and your life, or it could be as complex as an entire letter to yourself that reminds you of why you are so amazing. List the physical attributes that you like the most about yourself, your favorite personality traits or the things you are the best at, and don’t be afraid to sound self-absorbed because the whole purpose of doing this is to serve as a reminder of how special you really are, even on the nights when you feel the worst about yourself.

Obviously this isn’t a comprehensive list of all the ways to best deal with a rough night, but it certainly is a start. I can only hope that no one experiences this 1 a.m. feeling often, but even if you do, just remember that tomorrow is always a chance for things to get better.