Contrary to popular belief, there’s nothing wrong with not feeling 100% and it’s perfectly healthy to explore your feelings, sit with them, and allow them to be. In fact, we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t feel “off” sometimes.
In our current culture, we tend to distract ourselves from everything that has to do with the emotions we consider to be “negative”. We put a band-aid on, eat some ice cream, pour a drink, or take a puff to avoid the pain or discomfort that we feel bubbling up inside or to hide it from those around us. When in fact, these avoidances only make the negative emotions worse in the long run, when what we really want is healing. If it’s a small paper cut or a large gash, what we are really searching for is a way to heal and be loved through our healing process.
To be able to sit in and work through our discomfort and pain is where growth and freedom really come from. Recognize that it’s okay not to feel okay all the time. Allow yourself to have a short period of time to feel the emotions and then allow them to flee as to not get stuck in a negative cycle. I once had a client who would set a timer and allow herself to get angry, sad, upset, etc. for a specific amount of time and once the timer went off, she would change her state and move on with her day. If the emotion or situation is something that reoccurs or lingers consistently, reach out to a trusted friend, family member, counselor, coach, or therapist so they can help you through the difficult time. Most of the time when people do not reach out for help, there tends to be a sense of shame that comes with the idea of admitting honest emotions. However, the shame only makes it worse and can prolong the pain and discomfort even more.
Be brave and ask for help when you need it, it’s okay to not feel okay.