I am the type of person, who doesn't worry about myself as much as I should.
When my boyfriend told me he was struggling with depression, I dropped everything to make sure he was doing alright. I thought about him every second and worried myself sick.
My best friend got diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and all I wanted to do was make sure she was alright. I didn't always have the best advice but I was there for her as much as I could be. I listened to her and cried with her.
Since I was a freshman in high school, I have struggled with anxiety and depression. The mental illnesses that I dealt with freshman year were crippling and I never wanted to go back to that place of such tremendous hurt, so I've hidden it. I've focused more on the people around me that I love. I can't stand to see any of them hurting the way that I did.
If you are like me, and I know there are others, sometimes to hide the hurt that you are dealing with, you help others. While being a compassionate, kind person, is a wonderful thing, you have to do a certain amount of self-care. You are one person. You can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. As much as you try to be a superhuman, eventually all of the emotions are going to get the best of you.
When I feel overwhelmed with life and feel like I can't do it anymore, I take a day to myself. I don't talk to anyone and I take time to care of my own feelings and self.
Take a hot shower. This is a solution to pretty much everything and will always make me feel better. Being clean just makes people feel like they can conquer the world.
Write. Write down how you're feeling and what you can do to get better.
Sing. Maybe it's because I'm a music major or maybe it's just because when I sing I feel like I can get all of my emotions out through song. But I know there are very few things that are better than being alone and belting out a song.
It is great of you to love and care for others but don't push aside your feelings for so long that they build up and you reach your breaking point. Unfortunately, we can't be superheroes all the time. So take a day and refresh.
