Content Warning: Anxiety, Self-Deprecation
Dear Stranger,
How’ve you been? I hope you’re good, if not, that’s okay too. There’s something I really hate though: I hate my mood swings. I can go from feeling like the happiest person in the world to feeling like the worst person who has ever roamed the Earth. It can happen from a simple comment from a friend, or a failing test grade. Or maybe it’s because of a zit, or even my hair not sitting the right way.
It’s honestly really hard trying to keep my happy facade all the time, growing up and understanding that the world can be very ugly sometimes, especially in the era of social media, when hate is constantly being thrown around. And there are even neglectful adults who are supposed to be setting an example for children. I hate it. I hate how teens are treated like children when everything is good and going smoothly, but treated like adults when things get messy. I’m faced with this conflict, time and time again.
I miss the days where I’d simply run around with friends on the playground, when grades didn’t matter, and when time wasn’t constantly slipping through my fingers. It feels like I’m fighting for an extra second each day to get further and further in life, but while doing so, I’m forgetting to actually breathe and live once in a while. To enjoy the simple things, like hanging out or having an actual face-to-face conversation.
If you feel the same way about even a single thing I said in this paragraph, I want you to go out and take a breath. Maybe sit on the grass on a nice day, watch the clouds pass by as you lay down on a nice patch of grass. Or feel the wind in your hair as you ride your bike. Maybe have a good and long conversation with an old friend. Thirty minutes without phones, music or any technology. Just enjoy the time you have right now in the present. We’re all cheering you on, but remember to breathe and take breaks in between.
Stay hydrated.
