Life is tricky sometimes. It really tests your patience and strength. People can be rude, disrespectful, and hurtful, and situations sometimes just do not work out in your favor. I've learned that in times of difficulty, it's perfectly normal to just feel down. There is not always going to be something that can cheer you up right away. Sometimes it's OK to not be OK.

My friends and I tell each other this all the time now. We all realized that, honestly, as nice as it is when someone is trying to make you feel better, some have to understand that some times it's just annoying. Sometimes all someone wants to hear is, "Wow, that sucks." To be a good friend, you don't always have to have all the answers, and on the other end of it, not everyone expects you to. Realizing that everyone has bad days is what makes us stronger and also what makes us human.

When recognizing that it's OK to be down, also recognize that dwelling on it is not good either. Friends may not be able to say the right things to make everything OK again, but being around them can most certainly cheer you up. The best kind of friends to have are the friends that you can sit in silence with and still feel comfortable. Find the people that can accept you when you're happy and when you're sad. This really does make a difference in the way you react to bad circumstances. Surrounding yourself with understanding people then helps you to become more understanding yourself.

Alongside good friends, music also helps heal. On a bad day, listen to some sad music. It's OK to give in and put your feels playlist on. Everyone has one whether they admit it or not, so don't be ashamed to crank up that Coldplay throwback and have a lax day in your PJ's. Music really does affect the way you feel, and the best thing to do is put on a song that explains your exact situation. For me, it helps me know I'm not the only person that deals with bad things.

And finally, when you don't want to be with friends anymore and you've listened to the same song on repeat for an hour, watching a good movie is a perfect way to end the day when you aren't feeling so hot. It's OK to eat a whole bag of popcorn alone and watch a movie that might make you cry! ("The Notebook" is always a go-to for me.) So put on your fuzzy socks and call it a night.

Although it may seem hard to convince yourself that it's all going to be alright in the end, it will be. It always will be, but in the moment don't be afraid to tell yourself that it's OK to not be OK. When we realize that we can be sad instead of trying to push emotions to the side is when we start to get better.