Whenever someone asks you, “how are you feeling today?” the immediate spontaneous answer is “fine!” but is that it?
We, as individuals carry a load of our identity, constantly scrutinised for how happy we look or how entertained we can keep the people around us.
We are terrified of showing signs of depression, anxiety or stress.
What can we do?
Always have a set of friends or people around you with whom you can genuinely be yourself without having the fear of appearing distressed or weak and talk about it.
Distraction helps. Binge on that series you have been planning to watch. Get a hobby or learn a skill. Keeping yourself busy in the things you love to do is the best way of avoiding anxiety.
This sounds shallow but, have your favourite food! Its ok to sometimes cheat on your diet and finish a bowl of ice-cream.
Cry. Yes it helps. Crying and not knowing the reason is a real thing! a lot of people might term it as immature and bizarre but its ok to cry and have a moment of weakness. People who cry it out, probably feel stronger and emerge out with a better understanding of the situation as compared to people who avoid their anxiety and chase the strength.
Last but not the least. Check this app out Chaterpillar, an anonymous chat app that asks you how you feeling. It will protect your identity and help you talk about your feelings and opinions. It will show you a global feed of everyone’s answers and you can text whoever you want, upon reading their answers. This is perfect for talking about your feelings while also not revealing who you truly are.