Lately, I haven't been feeling like myself.

I've been struggling to balance working full-time with online summer classes and having the slightest bit of a social life. I find myself constantly exhausted, even though I've been sleeping well and staying healthy. I have also not wanted to be as social which is completely unlike me.

What has surprised me most of all is how uninspired I've felt. Coming up with new writing content has been especially difficult. Writing has at times become more of a chore and less of stress-reliever. As I sit at my desk staring at a blank document, I find myself wondering when it became so hard.

My point in writing this article is not to complain about my life or receive guidance from my friends. My point is to raise awareness of the fact that many people are going through this same exact thing right now.

At one point or another, we go through a period of time in our lives when we're suddenly struggling. For some people, the feeling can easily pass. However, many people like myself, remain trapped for long periods.

It becomes challenging when the world expects you to snap out of it even if you know that you're not in a place both mentally and physically to move on. Personally, I have struggled to tell people in my life how I have been feeling. In fact, many of my closest friends may not have even noticed I feel this way.

My reason for being secretive doesn't stem from the fact that I fear judgment from people around me. Instead, my fear originates from the fact that I haven't been dealing with how I've been feeling. Truthfully, I am afraid of judgment from myself.

However, If there is anything I've learned, it's that you can hide from yourself forever. You need to actually allow yourself to feel what you're feeling and evaluate your situation.

It can be scary sometimes to come to terms with how you're feeling and acknowledging what has happened in your life, but you owe it to yourself to acknowledge where you're at to get to where you want to be.

When I stopped trying to preoccupy myself and actually allowed myself to feel everything I had been ignoring, I noticed that I haven't made myself a priority. In between picking up extra shifts, and bending over backward to do things for other people, I have lost sight of myself.

I am realizing that I need to advocate for myself. Whether that means saying no to a friend when I am feeling drained or cutting back on extra hours when I feel burnt out, I am going to start truly listening to my mind and body.

I encourage anyone who hasn't been feeling like themselves lately to really take a minute and focus on everything they're feeling. Sometimes when we're feeling "out of it" it's because we have been neglecting some personal need.

Working through these feelings may not necessarily be a painless and speedy process. However, it is important to remember that self-actualization is a journey. You will always be improving yourself while learning along the way. It's also important to realize that you never have to go through this journey alone. Lean on your friends and loved ones. If they are meant to be part of your life, they will stand by you and be your biggest supporters.

If you are struggling right now, remember that things won't be like this forever. Someday your light will return and it will be better than ever before.

Until then, lean on your loved ones and prioritize yourself because you are worth it and someday you will feel like yourself again.