Sometimes, you feel like you can’t get out of bed. Sometimes, you feel invincible and sometimes you feel nothing. There isn’t always an answer to why we feel what we do or why we think the thoughts we think, they just are. These thoughts that just are can be upsetting. No one likes feeling this way. No one enjoys being unmotivated or stressed or just plain exhausted. Life can be really hard when you feel like this, I know from experience. School work suffers, your relationships suffer and you suffer. I have dealt with feelings like this for the majority of my teen years and have developed a few coping strategies that I would like to share with you. Even if you don’t deal with this, it could be helpful to know for friends and loved ones.

1. Be Gentle with Yourself.

You may be angry about what you’re feeling and you may begin to resent yourself but, please don’t. You are a human being. You have flaws, quirks and uncontrollable thoughts like everyone else. Being angry at yourself will only cause more damage to your mental health and self-esteem. You can’t force yourself to magically feel better, it unfortunately doesn’t work like that. Take it easy, don’t overwhelm yourself, take life piece by piece because some days that’s all you can do and that’s okay. There is always tomorrow.

2. Remember to Breathe.

You were born with lungs for a reason, use them. Feel the oxygen entering your body and appreciate it because there will days where you feel like you can never fully catch your breath. Breathing isn’t something we normally have to think about, our body does it automatically but, it is something worth focusing on. By focusing on your breathing you can clear your mind, calm your heart beat if you feel panicky and it’s good for just unwinding after a long day.

3. Talk to Someone.

The feeling of unburdening all of your thoughts and feelings to someone else is amazing. You don’t have to carry your emotions all alone, there is someone in your life that will listen to you. I understand that it can be hard to open up to someone but, just know that once you do, it gets easier every time. The conversation can be about anything, just talking about random stuff can distract you from negative thoughts. Talking is a good thing, talk to family, friends, a teacher or even your pets! Just talk to someone.

We can’t always control the way we feel but we can control our actions regarding those feelings. I encourage you to seek help or treatment if your feelings are becoming harmful towards yourself or others, you are too valuable to spend your life suffering. I hope that these tips work for you or someone you know and remember, there is always tomorrow.