Sometimes we get so caught up in our lives that we don't take the time to fully recognize how we are feeling. We cover up our emotions by posting happy pictures with fake smiles, positive statuses that have no real meaning, and tweeting inspirational quotes or song lyrics to try and convince ourselves that they are true. We can be very convincing of the fact that everything is okay on the surface even if we are feeling completely overwhelmed, confused, anxious, or afraid.
These are the times that you have to realize that having and expressing your emotions does not make you weak, it makes you human.
We live in a society where it seems like its not okay to be okay. We are supposed to have everything together and everything figured out or else we get labeled as "a hot mess", "unorganized", or "lazy". There are going to be those days where it feels like you don't have a minute to breathe let alone study for that big test that is coming up, get to work on time, finish that homework you've been avoiding, or get any type of sleep. You are going to feel overwhelmed and frantic. You are going to feel anxious and tired. But that is okay.
There are going to be people in your life who constantly tell you to be strong, to be better, to be tougher. But what they won't tell you is that it is okay to cry over a broken heart, to be disappointed over a failed test, or to hate how you look that day. Accepting the fact that you will be dealing with these emotions is even more empowering than facing the challenges that are causing them. Because this means that you are taking the time to reflect on how you are feeling instead of trying to ignore your emotions. So if you need to cry into a tub of your favorite flavor of ice cream, binge watch your favorite show on Netflix and take a nap, or FaceTime your best friend for hours at a time, do it.
It is impossible to be strong all of the time, but not being strong doesn't always equate to being weak and that is something that we all need to remember. Acknowledge your negative feelings and the next time someone asks, "Are you okay?" you don't have to answer with the generic bullshit answer of "I'm fine". You have to be true to your feelings in order to validate them. Don't be afraid to admit that you may be having a bad day, week, or even month. And don't feel the need to apologize for those rough times. We all have them, it's okay.
Always remember that it's okay to not be okay. Because that is the only way that we will all be okay in the end.
