Vaishnavi K.
Photography by Rhianna Womack
If you are reading this…it’s okay to feel all your emotions.
It’s natural for us not to want to feel bad emotions. Anger, sadness, frustration, and despair feel better pushed under the rug and left there to be ignored. Unfortunately for us, once pushed under, like a wet sponge, they gather up mold and grow double in size.
Happiness is a funny word, I think, often listed amongst its counterparts of sadness and anger, temporary states of being. Yet, it is strived for as the end all be all of life, and yet, just like its cousins, it is also temporary. We should not treat happiness any differently than other emotions, and we shouldn't guilt ourselves for not feeling happy.
If I can promise you one thing, it is that your life will be rich with emotions, and that means all sorts of them. Relief, desperation, pride, and confusion will all wash over you at some point. One thing I challenge you to do is not morally judge these feelings. Don’t place joy above sadness. Don’t guilt yourself for your despair. All these emotions have come to you, and they deserve to be acknowledged.
It doesn’t make the hard times a breeze, but I find that validating our feelings dulls their blades. The sadness doesn’t cut as deep when you know it's not trying to harm you. By seeing our regular emotions as natural extensions of ourselves, we stop ourselves from struggling against their current. Emotional regulation, like most disciplines, is something to be worked at and built.
Of course, sometimes, these feelings can get too much. We get panic attacks or struggle to get out of bed. These feelings are much harder to justify, but acknowledging our feelings as they come makes them easier to identify and discuss. One day, with help and time, we’ll overcome them.
If you are reading this, I want you to know whatever you are feeling is natural, and it's okay if you’re not happy right now. It’s okay if you are confused or depressed. It’s okay that you’re not okay. Let these negative or positive feelings flow through you, allowing yourself the fullest experience of life.
Vaishnavi K., University of Michigan
on Behalf of Mentality Magazine
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