On Not Being Okay | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

On Not Being Okay

"The word 'happiness' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness." - Carl Jung

13
On Not Being Okay
Tiny Buddha

I have come to despise whenever I am asked if I am okay, even being asked "how are you?" because I know that my honest answer is a negative one. I will tell my lie, but then I am reminded of the things that prevent me from actually being well, good, all right and/or fine. At the same time, I am hesitant to answer truthfully because there is an awkwardness to me to do so. I don't want people to know the negativity I feel. In all truth, it can be embarrassing for people to know that. If ever I let someone know how I'm feeling, I often pass it off jokingly — quickly adding in that "I'm fine, though. I'll be fine eventually." I'm not 100-percent okay with people being worried about me.

Not being okay is like living with something floating around me. I am always aware of its presence and sometimes it floats further away and sometimes it will perch itself on my shoulder. This will cycle throughout any given day. My days start off more positively than they end. My figurative "not okay" bubble slowly creeps closer to me as the day progresses.

I want to blame my mental and emotional state on a lot of various things. We go through a lot in life — heartbreak, change, confusion and fear. To a certain extent, I control how I react to situations that put me in a darker place. However, many people go through things in life that are completely out of our hands. Unfortunately, it's hard to control reactions to these things and they also make it hard to control reactions to stressful situations aforementioned. So life kind of gets messy.

The mess builds up each day I don't feel better. Time should heal all, but it is difficult to sit around and wait day in and day out, especially when you are as impatient as I am. It has happened before that my wounds were healed and looking back on it, I was never really conscious of the healing process. It came and went, and then I look back on it, and all I can say is "well, that was a hard time." It's during this time when I gradually and unconsciously filter out negative thoughts before it's a rare occurrence that I even think about them at all.

Despite knowing that all will be well in due time, it doesn't make the present hardship any easier in the moment. I shut myself out, while at the same time wanting to keep myself busy with my people. The scale won't balance because it's difficult to muster up the motivation to do so.

It's best to try and master the art of letting go at this time so that you may give up your negative thoughts and emotions. They are not worth my time.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
girl with santa hat
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

'Tis the season to be jolly folks, and if you're anything like me, then at the stroke of midnight on Halloween your home went from wicked to winter

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

5 Things To Do That Are Better Than Writing A Paper

Don't waste your time trying to write that paper when there are so many more interesting things you could be doing.

11277
computer keyboard
Unsplash

Writing a paper is never fun and is rarely rewarding. The writer's block, the page requirement, be specific, but don’t summarize, make sure you fixed any grammatical errors, did you even use spellcheck? and analyze, analyze, analyze.

Papers can be a major pain. They take up so much time and effort that by the end of the process you hate yourself and you hate the professor for making life so difficult. Questions of your existence start roaming in your mind. Am I even cut out for college if I can’t write a single paper? Am I even capable of taking care of myself if I lack the energy to open my laptop and start typing?

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons Why Sisters Are The Best

Who could be a better friend than your own sister?

6784
sisters
Taylor Hooper

I can barely remember back when I was the only child. Most would say it’s because it is extremely difficult to remember things as a toddler but I would say it's because I was bored until my sister came along. My mother always says how important the "sister bond" is and with every year that passes I realize how right she is. Instead of writing a novel about all of the wonderful things there are about having a sister I decided to list a few of them instead.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

How To Adult

You're gonna make it after all.

6844
how to adult
Twitter

It is the time of our lives that we are beginning to enter the adult world and most of us, if not all of us, have no idea what we are doing. It's like starting a video game, but skipping the tutorial. We're all just running around aimlessly hoping we accidentally do something right that moves us along the right path. Now that graduation has just happened, or is right around the corner for some of us, it's time to start thinking about how we are going to take care of ourselves once we are on our own.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

7 Signs You're A Starbucks Addict

I'll be the first one to admit I'm addicted to Starbucks.

4361
drinking coffee
Tumblr

If you’re anything like me, you love a good cup of coffee. My coffee always comes from Starbucks; I refuse to drink it from anywhere else. Over the years, it’s become one of my biggest addictions. So, if you are aware that you’re a Starbucks addict as well, or maybe you need to check to see if you’re an addict, here are seven ways to tell.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments