When someone’s “off” for weeks, it’s not a vibe. It’s information.

A bad afternoon can be anything. Weeks of somebody being not quite themselves is data, and calling it a mood is a way of avoiding having to do anything with it. The word vibe is comfortable precisely because nothing is attached to it. Duration is the thing worth watching here, more than intensity.

If someone has been different for a while, ask once, in private, and be specific about what you have seen: you have seemed flat since the holidays. Then listen without trying to fix it. If what you hear sounds heavier than you can carry, you can tell an adult you trust rather than hold it alone.