Some days, you just don’t feel like yourself. As performing arts majors, we all experience them – days where something just isn’t clicking.

Maybe your body feels sore, exhaustion has your voice strained, or your brain refuses to comprehend what’s happening around you. In disciplines that demand full mental and physical presence, when even one element feels off, everything suddenly becomes more difficult.

What’s worse? When that day actually matters.

This feeling always seems to land on the days with a big performance or an audition you’ve been looking forward to. I’ve been in audition spaces where, no matter what I do, I just can’t pick up the choreography and I completely bomb it.

You walk away feeling like you didn’t show your best, replaying everything you wish had gone differently. It’s an undeniable feeling of defeat.

Naturally, it feels like there should be a way to avoid these unpredictable off days altogether. But unfortunately, there isn’t.

An off day isn’t just about having a “bad” class or messing up choreography. It’s when your mind and body aren’t operating at their usual level due to accumulated fatigue, stress, lack of sleep, emotional overload or every one of these at once.

Even when nothing obvious is wrong, your focus can feel delayed and your ability to retain information just slightly out of reach. It’s a disconnect that’s hard to explain but easy to feel.

Ideally, when experiencing that disconnect, pausing, identifying and experimenting to find a way out of it would be a great solution. Though, in a rigorous class and rehearsal schedule, there’s rarely ever room for a pause. The same goes for life outside of the conservatory.

The schedule keeps moving, whether you feel ready or not. And what makes these days extra frustrating is not just that you feel off, but you’re expected to perform and retain as if you are at your best always.

So with no room for a break, it’s important to learn how to move through it. Here are six steps to work through this.

First, adjust your definition of success for that day. If you walk into class expecting your “best,” you’re setting yourself up to feel defeated. Instead, meet yourself where you are. Maybe it’s not about perfect execution, but about staying present.

Second, simplify your focus. On off days, everything can feel overwhelming because nothing is clicking at once. By focusing on one tangible thing like your breath, your musicality, or your technique, you give your brain something specific to hold onto. This will ground you when you feel scattered.

Third, don’t excuse yourself because you are “off.” While it’s important to give yourself grace, the moment you start thinking, “I’m off today,” or “this is going badly,” it amplifies the problem. You can continue to work, even ineffectively, without judging yourself.

Fourth, control what you can. You might not be able to fix that “off” feeling, but you can control your effort and your responsiveness. Professors notice when someone is still engaged and applying corrections even when the result isn’t perfect.

Fifth, find one win. Even on your worst days, something is working. Hold onto one positive. It shifts your mindset from everything going wrong to continuing to move forward.

And finally, let it go when it’s over. Do not carry one off day into the next. One class, one rehearsal, or one audition does not define you. Growth in the arts is built over time, not determined by a single moment.

“Off” days are a sign that you are working hard. While resting and creating a balanced lifestyle is the key to avoiding them, sometimes they are still inevitable. So, continue to grow in and around them, as the ability to do so creates professionalism.