I think back to last year and all the craziness that came with my first year of college. In some ways, things were much worse. I was adjusting to a new place, I had both family and relationship troubles and, at times, I didn’t want to get out of bed. I was depressed for a good chunk of my fall semester freshman year.

While I was able to get out of that funk and can now think back on how bad things really were, it doesn’t keep me from still thinking things aren’t good right now. I struggle with anxiety and depression. I believe, more often than not, that those two things often consume me and sway me in a direction I don’t want to go. With time, we are able to overcome almost anything and everything life throws at us, but that doesn’t keep it from being miserable.

We hear all the time when we’re struggling that “it’ll all be okay." But when? How? How do I know when I’ll be okay? The worst part is that you don’t. You don’t know when you’re going to move on from the situation, when you will learn from it and when you will begin to feel like yourself again. And you know what? That’s perfectly okay.

There is so much pressure to be so many things and one of those is to be okay. We are supposed to happy, to be content with our lives all the time and that’s not always a possibility. I should be able to be upset. I should be able to cry or scream and not feel judged or like I’m overreacting.

I want to tell you that it’s okay to not be okay. You are entitled to your feelings. You have every right to feel lost, confused, angry or anything else in this whole world. Life is hard. It is an up-hill battle and a struggle. People are so much stronger than they will ever know for all they endure, but it is okay to have a moment of weakness.

There is not and never should be a pressure to be content with all that is around you. If we agreed with everything all the time, there would never be change. You are a beautiful person and your struggles are worth hearing. You do not have to be sunshines and rainbows all the time and I commend you for not.

A low point is a low point likely to be followed by a higher one, but there is never a need to rush yourself into a high point. There is never a need to lie to yourself or pretend you are not at a low. We all have our moments and it’s okay to struggle; it only makes you human.