It was that feeling.
You know what I’m talking about?
That overwhelming, gut-wrenching, soul-sucking, heartbreaking feeling; it captivated every fiber of your being and planted dead flowers throughout your body and let no space for butterflies to flutter.
It was one of those nights. The surrounding quiet was just too loud. You choked on nothing but the bitter emptiness that burned through your chest and pleaded for something. You desperately craved something other than the feeling of simple nothing.
No matter what we do and no matter what we say is wrong. How we dress, eat, speak, and even breathe. All of it is wrong. Society has set up this perfect world with specific guidelines for men and women with rewards and consequences for our actions. What is ‘perfect’, though? According to some, if you are not like the rest, you are weird. You don’t belong.
Because of this mindset, some have come to the conclusion that their life goal is to obtain the ‘perfect’ standards that those around them have. The craving to be everything everyone wants is exhausting. One person wants you to be like this, and another wants you to be like that. This has called for some to lose track of their positive well-being. You are tossed back and forth between what is right and wrong and sometimes you don’t have the chance to stop and think.
Mental health is an important aspect of life that is necessary to comprehend in order to obtain a wholesome relationship with one’s self, before anything or anyone else. Everyone has his or her different ideas on the true definition of mental health. The world is filled with negative side effects that cause those to live in the dark hole they have accidently fallen in.
I have had my dark nights. My dark days, even. It’s something that doesn’t really go away, unless you understand how important it is to accept the journey of a healthy, happy life. I have an anxiety disorder. I have also personally diagnosed myself with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). It’s not something I’m thrilled about, but something I’ve accepted and learned to live with.
In my room, both at school and at home, I have a list of ten positive reminders that I read to myself almost everyday. It would be quite selfish if I kept it to myself, don’t you think?
- Look at yourself in the mirror. Love what you see. You look fantastic. Compliment yourself.
- Don’t compare yourself to others. You are you. You were created with particularly beautiful details that no one else has. Embrace it.
- Relax. Life moves fast, and sometimes it is almost impossible to keep up. Take a moment to breathe.
- Don’t overthink. Stressing yourself out over minor things that might not actually be important or real is not worth lost sleep or wet pillows at night.
- Wear whatever you want to wear. Dress for yourself and no one else. Go out in public in your favorite sweater. Go to bed wearing underwear or footie pajamas. Make an awesome fashion statement.
- Look at the stars. Space is enchanting. Lying in bed or on the grass outside and staring at the night sky and trying to make sense of it all has a weird sense of comfort. It allows you to think—to grow, even.
- Don’t force anything to happen. Let life take its course. Things will work out, I promise.
- Music is the cure for anything. Put your entire iTunes library on repeat. Listen to your favorite song or your favorite band. Sing your heart out in the shower. Dance to your music in your bedroom. Be a rock star. Listening to sad music is okay, too. Slow tunes are just as incredible as upbeat ones.
- Go old-fashioned every once in a while and write someone a letter. Family, friends, or your future self. Pour your thoughts and ideas and feelings onto paper. It feels so much better to scribble words on paper than type it on a keyboard.
- Smile. This is super cliché, but thinking of at least one happy thought and smiling can cure any bad feeling. It is a great reminder for positivity.
Only those who are willing to search for happiness find it. Sometimes it is hard to climb out of the dark hole you have unwillingly fallen in. Even so, obtaining the courage to climb out towards a healthy life shows amazing strength.
Mental health is not something one can control. If anything, it controls you. No one can tell you if what you feel is right or wrong, and no one can change that. If there is one thing I have learned from my experiences, it is that life is supposed to make you feel. Living to your full potential and overcoming the negative obstacles thrown at you is a great start to a healthy, happy existence.
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