A Healthy reminder:
It's okay to not be okay
I used to think that my life had to look a certain way in order for it to be good. I would try to make sure that every piece of my day aligned perfectly with my high expectations, and if it didn’t I would be a complete mess by the end of the day.
This was especially true when it came to my mental health. If something went wrong, or I didn’t respond the right way, or if I woke up feeling low, then all my hard work seemed to have been for nothing. Why couldn’t I just be okay, like, all the time? Why could I still be broken down into tears, even after years of healing and growth? Was this how healing worked- one good month followed by five very bad days? Did this happen to everyone, or was it just me?
But then I read a quote that talked about how healing doesn't happen in a straight line. Instead, it is a process over time, and it happens in layers.
As this started to sink in, I realized that I didn’t have to be okay every single day. I could have good days, and bad days too without it meaning that all my growth had been for nothing. The same goes for you too. It is okay to not be okay. Growth is about learning through the ups and the downs, and accepting your lows as part of the process too. Everything needs a balance to be complete, and this includes your growth too.
It is okay to not be okay some days.
Understanding this has been a healing in itself. On days when I don’t feel okay, I don’t force myself to be okay. I remind myself that this is part of the process too, and that I’m human after all. And maybe this is why we’re beautiful; because we are fragile and flawed, and sometimes very vulnerable too.
I believe our ability to experience brokenness is part of the human experience. This doesn’t mean we would choose it, but it does mean that maybe we need “okay” and ” sometimes not okay” in order to really live a balanced and healthy life.
What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comment box below.
Further reading: What Does It Mean When Someone Says “Healing Isn’t Linear?”
1 Comment
I really loved this. Healing isn’t linear. IF it was then we wouldn’t be human. We are supposed to experience lows and highs. I really am glad that you shared this.