It’s Okay to not be Okay

So often we rely on our public reputation and how people perceive us, that we often feel the need to conceal and hide our true feelings for the benefit of others. Emotions like sadness, anger or fear, we automatically delineate as negative because we constantly force ourselves to believe the only acceptable emotion to portray is happiness. Throughout this blog post, I’ve decided to share a different perspective. In a way that as much as I am always encouraging you to stay positive; it’s not always possible, and that’s okay.

The person who we feel most pressured by, is often our self. We try so hard to be perfect and live up to everyone’s standards by creating a version of our self that we feel others would like better. But we easily forget that it’s not all about what others think of us; it’s what we think of ourselves. Throughout life we are faced with challenges both positive and negative, but no matter what emotions you express, my advice to you is; don’t hold it in. Talk about it. Write it down. Trust me from experience, no matter how long you try to hide away your emotions or keep them hidden, you can only stuff a space for so long before it bursts. Keeping them inside for long periods of time will only negatively affect you and stop you from living on as your best self.

Theres no such thing as someone who is always happy; not even me. So instead of ignoring or closing off negative emotions, embrace them. It’s okay to feel other emotions, it’s normal and what makes us all human.

It’s so easy to give up, lose hope in the world around us and wonder what our purpose for being here is. Do you ever find yourself lacking energy or enthusiasm? Overworking yourself to finish assignments to the point of exhaustion? Feeling hopeless or lost? I know I do. I often lack drive and motivation especially during these COVID times when I habitually sit at home and do nothing. As much as I’d rather go back to summer break, beginning school (even if it’s online) is a good thing for me because it gives me a reason to wake up early and be productive.

I want you to know, don’t be afraid to have those negative emotions but make sure you don’t let them control or affect how you continue on.

Good days, bad days or the days I’m just not feeling it, I have to recognize how I’m feeling, take a step back from the overbearing real world and resort to simple things that can bring me back into the right headspace. These include things that make me happy such as journaling, reading, drawing, working out, baking, etc. I never truly understood the importance of self-care and mental health until these past couple years.

Life is so unpredictable and can change in the blink of an eye, which is why every so often we need to take a step back and take the time to reflect. Find people, places, or things that make YOU happy and just go with it.

Although times seem hard, keep pushing through, because eventually all this will just be a memory; a memory that becomes a part of you. So make sure it’s a memory worthwhile and always remember your feelings and emotions are important.  

-Zoe xo ❤