It’s okay to feel sad, disappointed, frustrated. IT’S OKAY TO BE NOT OKAY.
As we proceed towards the end of the year 2021, let’s contemplate the changes this year came with. It all began with the year 2020. Life became challenging, not just in terms of physical health but also mental health. There has been a constant struggle of proving one’s productivity and comparing the success to that of others. But is that how life is supposed to be? This has been a major thought for most of us to keep proving ourselves and finally get frustrated and tired of not being happy in the end. There is absolutely no need of proving ourselves at each and every moment of life. We just need to keep moving in the forward direction and be true to ourselves. Each and every day might be a test for us where sometimes we are overjoyed and sometimes we are disappointed. Trust me, there is nobody evaluating you. Having a clear understanding of one's thoughts and behavior helps us to understand other people and reflect the same on ourselves as well. Another important thing that we are forgetting nowadays is to reciprocate and digest our emotions. It’s okay to feel sad, disappointed, frustrated. IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY. Allowing yourself not to feel ok involves accepting all feelings thoughts and sensations and sitting with them until they pass. If you try to avoid suppress or ignore them they will only grow stronger and leave you overwhelmed and believing that you cannot cope. So feeling sad and scared for losing someone close in your life is normal, crying after you get into a fight with your partner is normal, feeling anxious and nervous for new uncertain life is absolutely OK. Remember that no emotion is permanent. Embrace your day and end your day with a smile no matter what it feels like. This pandemic has shown us that things that can’t be counted are the ones that really count in life. Material things may provide you joy for some time but relationships, trust, compassion, and empathy will bring you internal peace. Two years of witnessing the pandemic have helped us to put things in perspective. We need to build a personal balance sheet that goes beyond work. Thomas Merton, the American monk & mystic has very well expressed that, what we really need in our lives is already in our lives. He called it "Hidden Wholeness." This present scenario has given us much to complain about but if we can use the opportunity to grasp this Hidden Wholeness then our life is a healthy balance sheet indeed. This World Mental Health Day, let us pledge to embrace our emotions, express our feelings and be kind to ourselves as well as others.